Appeal 2007-4099
Application 09/962,935
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
The subject matter on appeal is directed to pellets based on "iron
oxides and/or iron oxyhydroxides having a large specific surface area (50 to
500 m2/g according to BET)…” (Specification 1, ll. 1-3). According to page
8 of the Specification:
To prepare the granules according to the invention, an
aqueous suspension of fine-particle iron oxyhydroxides and/or
iron oxides is first produced according to the prior art. The
water and constituents dissolved within it can be removed
….initially, e.g. by evaporation. A residue is obtained which in
addition to the fine-particle iron oxide and/or hydroxide also
contains the entire salt content. This residue is redispersed in
water after being dried, for which purpose only relatively little
shear force needs to be applied. This suspension is then filtered
and the residue washed until it is substantially free from salts.
The filter cake obtained as residue is a solid to semisolid paste
which generally has a water content of between 10 and 90
wt.%.
This can then be completely or partially dehydrated, and
the material thus obtained can then be comminuted to the
desired shape and/or size. Alternatively the paste or filter cake,
optionally after predrying to achieve a sufficiently solid state,
can undergo shaping followed by (additional) drying until a
pellet state is achieved. [Emphasis added.]
Further details of the appealed subject matter are recited in representative
product-by-process claim 11 reproduced below:
1 Product-by-process claims are claims directed to products defined at least1
in part by process limitations. Claim 1 is directed to a unit containing a
pellet which is defined at least in part by a process limitation.
2
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Last modified: September 9, 2013