US PATENT SUBCLASS 521 / 40
.~ PROCESS OF TREATING SCRAP OR WASTE PRODUCT CONTAINING SOLID ORGANIC POLYMER TO RECOVER A SOLID POLYMER THEREFROM

Current as of: June, 1999
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521 /   HD   SYNTHETIC RESINS OR NATURAL RUBBERS -- PART OF THE CLASS 520 SERIES

*  DD  SYNTHETIC RESINS (Class 520, Subclass 1) {3}
40.~ PROCESS OF TREATING SCRAP OR WASTE PRODUCT CONTAINING SOLID ORGANIC POLYMER TO RECOVER A SOLID POLYMER THEREFROM {5}
40.5  DF  .~.~> Process of treating scrap or waste product containing at least one polymer derived from ethylenic unsaturated monomers only {3}
47.5  DF  .~.~> Treating polysiloxane
48  DF  .~.~> Treating polyester {1}
49  DF  .~.~> Treating polyurethane, polyurea (excluding urea-formaldehyde polymers), polyisocyanurate or polycarbodiimide {1}
49.8  DF  .~.~> Treating polycarbonamide

DEFINITION

Classification: 521/40

PROCESS OF TREATING SCRAP OR WASTE PRODUCT CONTAINING SOLID ORGANIC POLYMER TO RECOVER OR PRODUCE A SOLID POLYMER THEREFROM:

(under subclass 1) Subject matter under Class 520, ... involving (a) process of recovery or producing solid organic synthetic polymer from polymeric scrap or waste product, or (b) process of preparing solid organic synthetic polymer from polymeric scrap or waste product by degradation of the polymeric scrap or waste product to monomer or low molecular weight prepolymer of a physically unseparated (i.e, nonfractionated) mixture thereof which is then reacted with another chemical species to generate another solid synthetic organic polymer.

(1) Note. Only those patents with process claims of treating scrap or waste product of synthetic resins of the Class 520 Series type are classified herein. A patent with claims drawn to a process of reclaiming, recovering, or regenerating would be classified herein since it would inherently require a scrap or waste product. However, a patent with a claim drawn only to a process of separating would not be classified herein since a scrap or waste product is not inherently required. Process claims which require a reclaimed material are also classified herein, if the reclaimed material is of the type provided for by this class. For these patents the disclosure of how the material was reclaimed, if stated, and the claims themselves are used for the original classification. A patent which claims a process using an unclaimed scrap or waste product is classified herein only if the scrap or waste product is the sole disclosure in the specification. For example, a patent which claims a process of reacting component A with component B where component A is a phenolic resin and component B is either natural rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer, or rubber tire waste product would not be classified (as an original) herein. However, if composition A was drawn only to rubber tire waste product, the patent would be classified herein.

(2) Note. The terms "polymer" and "polymeric" refer either to homo- or copolymers.

(3) Note. A process of recovering or producing refers to a process in which a nonworkable polymeric scrap or waste product is converted to a workable (i.e., nonscrap or -waste) solid synthetic polymer.

(4) Note. A process of recovering specifically refers to a process wherein the chemical bonds of the polymer in the polymeric scrap or waste product are not extensively broken, i.e., the molecular weight of the intermediate and final products are not substantially different from the molecular weight of the polymer contained in the scrap or waste

product. Included under the definition of recovering is the process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product with either a solid polymer or solid polymer forming system to produce a solid polymer containing material. Processes of recovering polymeric scrap or waste product by mere grinding, or grinding and mixing with another material, etc., are also place herein.

(5) Note. A process of producing specifically refers to the process wherein the chemical bonds of the polymer in the polymeric scrap or waste product are extensively broken, i.e., the molecular weight of the intermediate is substantially different from the molecular weight of the polymer contained in the scrap or waste product. Such low molecular weight oligomers or prepolymers are physically unseparated mixtures (see Note 7 below) and are then allowed to undergo further polymerization in order to obtain a solid synthetic organic polymer.

(6) Note. A polymer scrap or waste product refers to a solid product which is unuseable (or functionless) in its present form (i.e., without undergoing one of the three treatments above) due to at least one of a wide variety of impurities and/or undesirable constituent(s) or due to prevailing physical or chemical properties (e.g., degree of crosslinking, insolubility, etc.). Patents which employ only synonyms for scrap or waste product such as "by-product", "discard", "reject", etc., are classified herein provided they meet the above and below-stated requirements. (7) Note. A physically unseparated mixture refers to a desired degradation fragment consisting of a mixture of compounds, polymers, or other constituents which are reasonably known or are hypothecated. Patents relating to physically separated oligomers or low molecular weight prepolymers from degradation processes are excluded herefrom, regardless if they are or are not utilized in further polymerization processes.

(8) Note. The polymeric scrap or waste product must contain a solid synthetic resin, to be classified herein. A process drawn to a polymeric scrap or waste product, where said polymeric scrap or waste product contains a mixture of a solid synthetic resin and a resin not normally classified in the Class 520 Series would be classified herein.

(9) Note. A process drawn to treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a liquid product is excluded herefrom. However, if a liquid product is recovered which is polymerized in an additional step to produce a product proper for this class such subject matter would be proper for this subclass.

(10) Note. A process drawn to treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a product containing a solid synthetic organic polymer normally found in this class along with a variety of other products, would be classified

herein.

(11) Note. A process related to the recovery of two or more polymers and/or prepolymers from a scrap or waste material containing two or more polymers and/or prepolymers is classified as an original under the polymer or prepolymer which appears first in the schedule below even if said polymer is not the desirable product to be recovered.

(12) Note. A treating material is defined to be any material, reactant or nonreactant, which comes into contact with the scrap or waste product. Thus, a nonscrap or waste solid polymer may be a treating agent.

(13) Note. A process related to the treatment of scrap or waste product with another material is classified with the first-appearing material in the schedule, regardless of the order performed.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

40, through 49.8, for a process of treating a scrap or waste product, where said scrap or waste product is a phenolic resin (such as a phenolformaldehyde, novolak, or resole) or is unspecified. for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a natural rubber (e.g., a process of treating a blend of natural and synthetic rubber to recover the natural rubber). and for processes only of treating scrap or waste products not for products of such processes.

42, for a synthetic rubber scrap product treated with a fluorinated alcohol to yield a reclaimed material which is mixed with an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer.

44, for a rubber scrap dissolved in methanol and then treated with polyethylene. 46.5, for treating a polyester scrap comprising a base layer of polyester and a sublayer of nondesirable polyvinyl chloride.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

8, Bleaching and Dyeing; Fluid Treatment and Chemical Modification of Textiles and Fibers, appropriate subclasses for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a nonresinous product or polymer having a special utility exemplified by Class 8.

106, Compositions: Coating or Plastic, appropriate subclasses for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product, said scrap or waste product being a coating or plastic composition, such as an alkyd-modified resin.

241, Solid Material Comminution or Disintegration, appropriate subclasses for a process of comminution wherein

the larger mass, before comminution is made up of a plurality of dissimilar materials, and following comminution and separation, the constituent parts of the same mass are recombined.

252, Compositions, appropriate subclasses for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a composition having a special utility proper for Class 252.

264, Plastic and Nonmetallic Article Shaping or Treating: Processes,

37.1+, for processes of recycling of reclaimed virgin polymeric scrap or waste process material involving an operation proper for Class 264.

424, Drug, Bio-Affecting and Body Treating Compositions, appropriate subclasses for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a composition having a utility proper for Class 424.

523, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers,

129, for a process wherein a filler or nonreactive organic additive is obtained from municipal waste product which is then blended with a synthetic resin. 523, through 528, appropriate subclasses for products of the processes provided for in this class,

40, 49.8.

525, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers, appropriate subclasses for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a physically separated solid oligomer or solid prepolymer which is then reacted with another material as an aftertreatment.

526, and 528, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers, appropriate subclasses for a process of treating a polymeric scrap or waste product to obtain a physically separated liquid oligomer or liquid prepolymer which is then reacted with another material as an aftertreatment; or for products which are the result of a Class 521,

40+, process.