Application of Andre Fournet, Rene Victor, Julien Achard and Pierre Lafont

SMITH, Judge.

The issue here is whether the invention defined in the seven appealed claims, 1 a chemical process, is obvious within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 103.

The appealed claims define a process for the production of cyclododecanone and cyclododecanol. The broadest claim on appeal, claim 1,. defines a process “which comprises oxidizing cyclodode-cane in the liquid phase with molecular oxygen at a temperature of 90°-150° C.”

The appealed claims were considered together before the board and in the briefs before us; hence we will treat them likewise.

The prior art references relied on as a…