Appeal 2007-2985
Application 010/669,978
1 According to the specification, "the vast majority of hydrogen
2 peroxide is produced by the well-known anthraquinone process."
3 Specification ¶ 0003.
4 Highly purified hydrogen peroxide is known. Specification ¶ 0010.
5 Apparently, highly purified hydrogen peroxide is essentially free of
6 anionic components like phosphates and nitrates that are said to be necessary
7 for the stabilization of hydrogen peroxide solutions. Specification ¶ 0010.
8 Phosphates and nitrates are added to commercially available aqueous
9 hydrogen peroxide solutions as stabilizers to reduce hazardous
10 decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Specification ¶ 0016.
11 The Haas invention is an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution
12 comprising (1) less that 50 wppm (based on the amount of hydrogen
13 peroxide) of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, (2) less that 50 wppm
14 of an amine having a pkB of less than 4.5 and (3) at least 100 wppm of an
15 anion or compound that can dissociate to form anions. Specification ¶ 0022.
16 Apparently, the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal and the amine have
17 adverse effects in hydrogen peroxide used to epoxidize olefins.
18 Specification ¶ 0025.
19 On the other hand, phosphates or nitrates which are frequently used to
20 stabilize aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution are said to have no or very
21 little effect on the activity and selectivity of a hydrogen peroxide
22 epoxidation catalyst. Specification ¶ 0025.
23 The specification makes clear that the lower the concentration of
24 alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and amines the better. Specification
25 ¶¶ 0027 and 0029.
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