Application of Lewis E. Reven

SMITH, Judge.

The sole issue for adjudication on the present record is whether appellant’s claimed invention is obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103 in view of the cited prior art.

The issue arises in an appeal from the decision of the Patent Office Board of Appeals, 1 adhered to on reconsideration, affirming the examiner’s rejection of all of appellant’s claims. 2

The invention relates to a process for preparing stable and highly concentrated aqueous silica sols. Appellant explains that silica sols contain discrete particles of colloidal silica, Si02, dispersed in a liquid phase such as water.…