Sekab Biofuels & Chemicals AB is known for developing and dispensing bio ethanol fuel and green organic commodities. The Company lends chemical goods that comprise acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethyl acetate. Sekab Biofuels & Chemicals also provides its goods to consumers all over the world.
In India, Sekab E Technology AB focuses on Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material in the presence of sulfite, dithionite and/or dithiothreitol, Pretreatment of non-wood lignocelluiosic material, and Detoxification with reducing agents.
Sekab E Technology AB filed a patent application numbered 8846/DELNP/2013 that is titled METHODS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS OF LIGNOCELLULLOSIC MATERIAL. The patent has been filed in the field of Bio-Chemistry. This Patent Application has been granted as Patent Number 352957. This invention relates to a technique of enzymatic hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic measures, including the stages of pretreating the lignocellulosic substance to get a slurry possessing a pH under 6, accumulating NaOH, Ca(OH)2 and/or CaO to rise its pH to nearly 8, said addition being carried out at a slurry temperature of nearly 60 degrees C, decreasing the pH of the slurry to under 7 and alternatively cooling the slurry to a temperature under 60 degrees C and adding hydrolytic enzymes to the slurry and enabling the slurry to hydrolyze, wherein no washing of the slurry is achieved before.
During Patent Examination, the Patent Examiner raised objections under Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, 1970 (amended). It was pointed out that the claims relate to a method of enzymatic hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic material which includes pretreating the lignocellulosic material, whereas cited documents disclose the methods of enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic material. Further, it cannot be ascertained if the claimed method acts to produce any significant technical advance over the existing methods. Therefore, it the subject matter of the claims seem to be the mere use of a known process which does not result in significant advancement over the existing methods.
As a response, the Applicant submitted that the claimed process is novel and inventive and do not relate to mere new use of a known process. The novel and inventive features are described in detail in the Reply to the Examination and the examples in the application demonstrate the surprising effect brought about by the combination of features required by the claims.
Advocate Rahul Dev is a Patent Attorney & International Business Lawyer practicing Technology, Intellectual Property & Corporate Laws. He is reachable at rd (at) patentbusinesslawyer (dot) com & @rdpatentlawyer on Twitter.
Quoted in and contributed to 50+ national & international publications (Bloomberg, FirstPost, SwissInfo, Outlook Money, Yahoo News, Times of India, Economic Times, Business Standard, Quartz, Global Legal Post, International Bar Association, LawAsia, BioSpectrum Asia, Digital News Asia, e27, Leaders Speak, Entrepreneur India, VCCircle, AutoTech).
Regularly invited to speak at international & national platforms (conferences, TV channels, seminars, corporate trainings, government workshops) on technology, patents, business strategy, legal developments, leadership & management.
