Appeal 2007-4331
Application 10/400,742
Appellants’ invention is directed to a catalyst support composed of a
porous ceramic material. The porous ceramic material includes a network of
interconnected pores having a narrow pore size distribution such that greater
than 85 percent of the total porosity of the material is from pores having a
pore size between 5 and 30 micrometers. Claim 1 is illustrative and
reproduced below:
1. A catalyst support for use in selective catalytic reduction
and comprising a honeycomb body composed of a porous ceramic
material, and including a plurality of parallel cell channels traversing
the body from a frontal inlet end to an outlet end thereof:
wherein the porous ceramic material is defined by a
total porosity greater than 45 vol. %, and a network of interconnected
pores with a narrow pore size distribution of pores having more than
85% of the total porosity has a pore size of greater than 5 micrometers
but less than 30 micrometers and a median pore size greater than 5
micrometers but less than 30 micrometers.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art reference as evidence
in rejecting the appealed claims:
Merkel US 5,258,150 Nov. 2, 1993
Claims 1-18 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as being
anticipated by Merkel.1
1 A rejection under the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 was presented in
the Final Office Action but is not repeated in the Answer. Hence, the § 112
rejection is considered as being withdrawn by the Examiner. See Ex parte
Emm, 118 USPQ 180, 181 (BPAI 1957).
2
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