US PATENT SUBCLASS 435 / 262
PROCESS OF UTILIZING AN ENZYME OR MICRO-ORGANISM TO DESTROY HAZARDOUS OR TOXIC WASTE, LIBERATE, SEPARATE, OR PURIFY A PREEXISTING COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION THEREFORE; CLEANING OBJECTS OR TEXTILES

Current as of: June, 1999
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435 /   HD   CHEMISTRY: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY

262PROCESS OF UTILIZING AN ENZYME OR MICRO-ORGANISM TO DESTROY HAZARDOUS OR TOXIC WASTE, LIBERATE, SEPARATE, OR PURIFY A PREEXISTING COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION THEREFORE; CLEANING OBJECTS OR TEXTILES {8}
262.5  DF  .~> Destruction of hazardous or toxic waste
263  DF  .~> Textile treating
264  DF  .~> Cleaning using a micro-organism or enzyme
265  DF  .~> Depilating hides, bating, or hide treating using enzyme or micro-organism
266  DF  .~> Treating gas, emulsion, or foam
267  DF  .~> Treating animal or plant material or micro-organism {6}
280  DF  .~> Resolution of optical isomers or purification of organic compounds or composition containing same
281  DF  .~> Petroleum oil or shale oil treating {1}

DEFINITION

Classification: 435/262

PROCESS OF UTILIZING AN ENZYME OR MICROORGANISM TO DESTROY

HAZARDOUS OR TOXIC WASTE, LIBERATE, SEPARATE, OR PURIFY A PREEXISTING COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION THEREFORE; CLEANING OBJECTS OR TEXTILES:

(under the class definition) Processes wherein a preexisting material or compound, which may include a hazardous or toxic waste, present in a composition or material containing a preexisting material, is contacted with an enzyme or immobilized enzyme microorganism or plant or animal cells to isolate or recover the preexisting material which is chemically unchanged by the process and the hazardous or toxic waste is destroyed.

(1) Note. Liberation or purification of a preexisting substance is usually accomplished by breaking down or otherwise physically or chemically altering the substance regarded as a contaminant by means of an enzyme or microorganism.

(2) Note. The amount of the preexisting compound or material is not increased by the microbial or enzymatic treatment.

(3) Note. Resolution of optical isomers or their salts is considered purification or separation of a preexisting compound.

(4) Note. Composition includes oil shale deposits, oil, hides, etc.

(5) Note. The hydrolysis of starch or proteins to liberate glucose or amino acids, respectively, is not included in this subclass.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS: 68.1, for the hydrolysis of proteins.

94, for the hydrolysis of starch.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

34, Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact With Solids, provides for processes of separating liquids from solids or slurries, i.e., drying as well as the contact of solids with either, or both, gases and vapors. If the starting material is in the form of a liquid suspension or solution even of the process is continued to the point of complete dryness, Class 159, Concentrating Evaporators, will take the process.

62, Refrigeration, includes processes which include removing heat by refrigeration from a substance whether solid, liquid, or vapor. In particular, Class 62, subclasses will take processes of making a solidified or liquefied gaseous product provided the gas has a normal boiling point below 32 deg. (methane, ethane, propane) and Class 62,

532+, will take processes wherein a solution or mixture is cooled to solidify a constituent which is then removed from the mixture.

95, Gas Separation: Processes, for physical processes involving steps resulting in separation of a gas from a fluid mixture comprising (a) a gas and solid or liquid particles entrained therein, (b) a liquid and gas entrained therein, or (c) a plurality of gases. The separation is not done by chemical reaction.

127, Sugar, Starch, and Carbohydrates, for processes wholly peculiar to processes of extracting or purifying natural starch, natural sucrose, or other natural carbohydrates except cellulose, processes of hydrolyzing carbohydrates or processes of purifying the products of such hydrolysis. The chemical manufacture or synthesis of sugar or of carbohydrates by any other process than that of hydrolysis is not included in Class 127. Molecular rearrangement of one carbohydrate to form any other carbohydrate is excluded. Such processes are provided for in Class 260.

159, Concentrating Evaporators, provides for processes peculiar to the concentration of solids held in solution or suspension by evaporation of the liquid containing them and the recovery of the concentrate. If the starting material is a solid or slurry placement in Class 34, Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact With Solids, would be indicated. Class 159 will take concentration to the point of crystallization or to dryness, however, removal of water of crystallization is considered to be a chemical reaction and placement would not be proper in Class 159. Evaporating with subsequent vapor condensation is excluded from Class 159 and in such case, placement in Class 203, Distillation: Processes, Separatory, would be proper.

201, Distillation: Processes, Thermolytic, provides for processes of thermolytic distillation wherein a solid carbonaceous material is heated to vaporize a volatile portion and to cause chemical decomposition of the heated material to form different chemical substances at least some of which are volatile and leave behind a solid carbonaceous material.

203, Distillation: Processes, Separatory, provides for processes for separating a liquid mixture by vaporizing and condensing a portion thereof to isolate in the condensed liquid or the unvaporized portion a relatively pure compound which was present in the original mixture. The original mixture may be in a solid form so long as it melts to form a liquid before it vaporizes. A solid original mixture which undergoes chemical decomposition leaving a carbonaceous residue would be classifiable in Class 201, Distillation: Processes, Thermolytic, which is superior to Class 203. Processes including a chemical reaction and a separatory distillation operation are classified in Class 203 only when the chemical reaction merely facilitates the isolation by the separatory distillation operation of a preexisting substance in the distilland. See Class 260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds, or Class 423, Chemistry of Inorganic Compounds, for a process of preparing a compound and isolating it by a separatory distillation process.

210, Liquid Purification or Separation, includes processes for the separation or purification of a constituent from a flowable liquid mixture by dialysis, sorption, ion exchange, liquid extraction, gravitational separation, or filtration, as well as purification of a liquid mixture by destruction or conversion of a constituent. Processes directed to the purification of a particular compound or composition (including solutions of either the compound or composition in water), are classified with the particular compound or composition. Insofar as the treatment of liquids with ion exchange or sorption materials are concerned, the following lines will be maintained: (1) Where water is the only disclosed liquid purified, the patent will be classified in this class (210); (2) Where the disclosure includes water, hydrocarbons and/or other liquids the patent will be classified: (a) In Class 210 if all claims are broad as to the liquid; (b) In Class 210 if several species of liquid are claimed and one species includes water; and (c) In the appropriate art class if some liquid other than water is the only liquid claimed (e.g., mineral oils in Class 208, organic compounds in Class 260); (3) Purification or separation of liquids by flocculation only are classified in Class 210; (4) Processes wherein all claims are limited to the deposition of specific materials on ion-exchangers or sorbents with subsequent recovery of the specific materials are classified with materials so operated upon. Class 210 is superior to Class 95 and takes separating processes, per se, generally disclosed or claimed as fluid separation, or if the disclosure or a claim is restricted to liquid separation.

260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds, provides for the liberation and purification by chemical or physical means of compounds and extracts falling within the class definition of Class 260. Generally, the physical processes included are of two types (a) a purification process prior or subsequent to a chemical reaction producing a Class 260 product, (b) a purification process directed to the purification of a Class 260 compound by a combination of physical separation techniques the classes for which do not provide for or exclude the combination claimed. Chemical purification processes are generally provided for with each product produced.

516, Colloid Systems and Wetting Agents; Subcombinations Thereof; Processes of Making, Stabilizing, Breaking, or Inhibiting,

113+, for compositions for or subcombination compositions for or breaking of or inhibiting of colloid systems (e.g., foam breaking, emulsion breaking, dispersion inhibiting, suspension settling, gel breaking, smoke suppressing,

coagulating, flocculating), when generically claimed or when there is no hierarchically superior provision in the USPC for the specifically claimed art. Nominal recitation of a Class 435 process (e.g., fermentation or fermentation step) combined with a process otherwise classifiable in Class 516 is proper for Class 516, while recitation of a significant Class 435 step combined with a step or composition otherwise classifiable in Class 516 is proper for Class 435 with a discretionary cross-reference to Class 516.