Spray Buff Reactant and Application Thereof

This invention relates generally to treatment of polished and unpolished floor surfaces, and more particularly concerns the production of improved film surfaces on floors.

There is continuing need for floor film surfaces produced by spray buffing and characterized by extension of in-service life coupled with reduction in the frequency of required spray buffing (as compared to conventional spray buffing products).

It is a major object of the invention to produce a spray buffing composition, as well as method of its use, to meet the above need. Basically, the invention involves the spray-buffing (for example mist spray application of the product onto a polished floor followed by immediate buffing to a dry condition with a machine driven floor maintenance pad) of a specially formulated compound containing a cross-linking agent onto and into an in-service film. Cross-linking is achieved in the in-service film by virtue of the presence of the cross-linker in the spray buffing product and frictional heat derived from the power driven floor cleaning and polishing pad. High speed spray buffing produces the beneficial effects described below faster than conventional speed spray buffing units and procedures, but the composition gives improved benefits, even while using conventional procedures. An overall benefit is the extension of the service life of the in-service film coupled with overall improved performance during its life and a reduction in the frequency of needed spray buffing (when compared to conventional spray buffing products). Treatment of uncoated floor surfaces, particularly in the masonry family, for example terrazzo, marble, clays, etc., is also possible with the invention. Observed improvements as regards improved performance and extension of service life are listed as follows:

(a) Film toughening as evidenced by improved scuff and scratch resistance

(b) Improved detergent and water resistance

(c) Improved powdering resistance

(d) Improved heel mark resistance

(e) Improved overall gloss

In addition, it is found that it is possible to overcoat the spray buffed film of the invention with additional coats of floor finish, thereby upgrading gloss still further, but more importantly thereby providing fresh crosslinkable sites on the floor.

Further, it is noted that the "cross-link" product's use does not have the drawbacks of conventional spray-buff products wherein removal difficulties and reduction of slip resistance levels are many times produced.

The described spray-buff composition contains polymeric ingredients in the family of floor finish ingredients, and the final spray-buff composition is meant for the maintenance of in-service floor finish films. The preferred cross-linking agent may also be incorporated into other basic types of otherwise conventional spray-buff products, e.g., water-emulsion, wax-based products, with and without solvent fractions.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation showing spray buffing of an applied formulation, in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is another view like FIG. 1.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a layer of in-service floor finish 10 is shown on floor 11, layer 10 for example consisting of a conventional polished finish such as polymeric finish or floor wax, which was previously applied to the floor. In order to produce the tough, and more mar-resistant floor film, in accordance with the invention, a liquid solution is applied to the layer 10, as by spraying the solution downwardly into the air, as at 12, above the layer 10, so that solution droplets collect on the layer 10 as at 13. The solution contains an ingredient capable of producing cross-linking (as by oxygen group bridging) of the ingredient with the floor surface, i.e. the surface of layer 10, and in instances of uncoated flooring the surface at 11, in response to heat produced as a result of high speed buffing of the solution droplets on layer 10 or surface 11. Such heat is produced by frictional rubbing of the abrasive or non-abrasive buffing pad 14 on layer 10 to which the solution droplets have been applied, as by spraying. A rotor carrying the pad is indicated at 15, and the high speed rotary drive for the rotor is indicated at 16. As the rotor is rotated, it is traveled over the droplet area, as shown by arrow 17. Pad 14 typically consists of non-woven fiber and resinous binder in which abrasive particles may or may not be distributed, and having exposed edges that rub against the solid surfaces layer 10 to produce heat as the rotor rotates, as for example at speeds in excess of 1,000 rpm. The resultant tough film is shown at 13a, cross-linked with layer 10.

In accordance with the invention, the liquid solution ranging in total solids from 2% to 40% consists essentially of:

Among suitable wax and polyolefin materials are waxes and mixtures of waxes of vegetable, animal or synthetic origin including carnauba, candelilla, montan, lanolin, cocoa butter, cottonseed, stearin, Japan, bayberry, myrtle, mace, palm kernel, beeswax, spermaceti, Chinese insect, tallow among the natural waxes and Fischer-Tropsch and hydrogenated coconut and soybean oil waxes among the synthetic waxes, as well as emulsifiable polyolefin waxes, particularly of olefin monomers having 2 or 3 carbon atoms i.e. ethylene and propylene in major proportion. Ethylene- and propylene-acid copolymers are also suitable, as are paraffin and microcrystalline waxes, both oxidized and unoxidized, ceresin and ozokerite waxes.

"Waxes" include polyolefins of low, medium and high molecular weight which are emulsifiable e.g. from waxes to high polymers or are supplied as latexes, etc. Poly-Em products.

Suitable resin fractions are identified in (j) above.

If the cross-linking agent is methylated melamine, its weight percent is typically about 4.0; whereas if the cross-linking agent is sodium benzoate, its weight percent is typically about 1.5. Further, the solution preferably also includes a small amount of ammonia, i.e. about 0.60 weight percent when the cross-linking agent consists of the melamine, and about 0.25 when the cross-linking agent consists of sodium benzoate. In either case, the water soluble solvent preferably consists of glycol ether; the surfactant preferably consists of nonylphenoxy poly-(ethyleneoxy) ethanol; the volatile amine preferably consists of 2-Amino, 2-Methyl Propanol-1, and the humectant preferably consists of ethylene glycol. Cross-linking between oxygen groups such as OH.sup.- and COOH.sup.- is believed to occur at buffing temperatures in excess of 120.degree. F., and preferably in excess of 150.degree. F., i.e. 170.degree.-180.degree. F.

The ingredients and their functions in the solution composition are listed as follows:

Specific formula examples are listed as follows: (Examples 1 and 2 being preferred)

FIG. 2 is the same as FIG. 1, except that a second application of solution 21 is shown as sprayed on completed film 13a, as referred to above. The collected droplets of solution 21 are buffed in the same manner as described above, to produce a tough film 21a cross-linked with film 13a, wherein 13a is further cross-linked. Solution 21 consists of any of the described formulas.