MXPA98007222A - Release agent for tapopolimero acu floor polisher - Google Patents

Abstract

A release agent for removing a worn film from an aqueous polymer type floor polisher is composed of: (A) a specific amount of a water soluble organic solvent represented by the formula C4H9-O- (CH2CH2O) nH, wherein n is an integer of 2 or 3, (B) a specific amount of benzyl alcohol and (C) a specific amount of an amine compound of a selected class. This release agent conducts, (1) easy removal of an aqueous polymer-type floor polisher film, (2) simple rinsing with water, and (3) at least the use of a volatile organic compound, immune from bad smell and keep

Description

RELEASE AGENT FOR AQUEOUS POLYMER TYPE POLYMER FLUSHER TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is directed to release agents and in particular to said release agent which is highly capable of completely removing a worn or used film from a floor surface coated with an aqueous polymer type floor polisher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In general, floor polishers of a type of aqueous polymer containing a synthetic resin as an effective component have been used as floor finishes for building structures.

The floor surfaces are glossy and aesthetic when they have only been coated with an aqueous polymer type floor polisher. Said finished floor surface, however, becomes unpleasant in appearance over time since the floor polishing film is exposed to tread marks of users and dirt deposits, and this results in frequent washing of the surface of the floor. floor. The floor surface wash is generally conducted so that a layer of surface film of the aqueous polymer type floor polisher is removed or otherwise scraped together with the marks by foot dragging and dirt deposits. In this way, those portions of film that have become dull due to the removal of dirt are repaired through a coating with a fresh matrix of an aqueous polymeric floor polisher. Said surface washing and subsequent repair coating are usually carried out in an interval of once or twice a month and are continued for one or two years. In most cases, during this extended period, dirt is progressively deposited on the surface film, such dirt can not be completely removed through each wash. This deposit of dirt finally makes the surface of the floor less aesthetic even through repetitive washing. When the washing is found to be no longer effective, it is required that after applying the aqueous polymer type floor polisher, the thus worn film is completely removed from the associated floor surface, and an aqueous polymer type floor polisher should be placed recently as a coating on the floor surface. In order to completely remove a weathered floor polish film from a floor surface, a release agent is applied to the film, followed by work with the use of a polisher equipped with a floor pad. As release agents hitherto, compositions which are derived intermixing a surfactant such as a nonionic or anionic class, an alkaline substance such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium silicate, ammonia, an alkanolamine or similar, and a water-soluble ethylene glycol type solvent such as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, or the like, and subsequently dissolving the resulting mixture with water. To cope with the recently filed demand for a floor cleaning with a labor saving, an aqueous polymer type floor polisher has been developed, which was designed to exhibit a high durability and therefore becomes hard to be removed after the coating like a film on a floor surface. This type of floor polisher leaves the problem that the resulting film when worn is not completely removed from a floor surface only once and that tedious rinsing and rubbing with water is necessary. Therefore, an impetus arose to develop a release agent which could allow the complete removal of a worn floor polish film from a floor surface in a reduced period. Heretofore, water-soluble ethylene glycol type solvents have been used as release agents for the purpose discussed above. Nevertheless, said solvent is by nature volatile and is also subject to emit a bad smell and also dangerous to the health of the workers in charge of cleaning the floor. With respect to this class of solvents, certain restrictions have been placed on its application as stipulated by Japan Labor Safety Hygiene Law (Japan Occupational Safety Health Law), and the solvent has recently been subjected to an acceptable level of quantities. more strict. In the United States, in particular, there has been a movement towards the reduction of organic compounds of a volatile nature from the point of view of environmental pollution. In fact, California Air Resources Board, CA, has prevented and categorized as volatile organic compounds those compounds that have a vapor pressure of not less than 0.1 mm Hg at a temperature of 20 ° C. Due to their vapor pressures exceeding 0. 1 mm Hg at 20 ° C, most of the above ethylene glycol type solvents fall into that category and, therefore, may have some kind of problem. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of a release agent that has reduced volatility and improved performance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With particular regard to the current state of the prior art, the present invention provides a release agent for use in the removal of an aqueous polymer-type floor polisher that offers, (1) an easy removal of a floor polish film from type aqueous polymer, (2) a simple rinse with water, and (3) at least the use of a volatile organic compound, immune to the odor and safe. More specifically, the invention provides a release agent for use in the removal of a worn film from an aqueous polymer type floor polisher, which comprises as essential components: (A) from 5 to 75% by weight of an organic solvent water soluble represented by the formula wherein n is an integer of 2 or 3, (B) from 15 to 40% by weight of benzyl alcohol, and (C) from 10 to 20% by weight of an amine compound.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The water-soluble organic solvents, which are suitable for use as component A in the present invention, and having the following formula: wherein n is an integer of 2 or 3, are suitably chosen from ether mono-n- diethylene glycol butyl, diethylene glycol monoisobutyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether and triethylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether. Particularly preferred among these solvents are diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether and triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, which are readily and commercially available, are highly capable of dissolving aqueous polymer-type floor polisher films. , rather low in vapor pressure and substantially odorless. It should be noted here that the diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether shows a vapor pressure of 0.01 mm Hg at 20 ° C and the triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether of less than 0.01 mm Hg at the same temperature. The amount of the solvent or component A that will be used preferably is in the range of 5 to 75% by weight, most preferably 10 to 40% by weight, based on the total weight of a given release agent composition for use in the floor polisher of aqueous polymer type (hereinafter referred to simply as "release composition"). Amounts of 0 or less than 5% by weight of the solvent fail to represent acceptable release capabilities. Component B or benzyl alcohol acts to effectively assist the solvent or component A to dissolve an aqueous polymer type floor polish film. The benzyl alcohol varies in an amount of 15 to 40% by weight, preferably 20 to 30% by weight of the total weight of the release composition. Below 15% by weight, it is not effective to improve the release capacity of the release composition, while above 40% by weight involves an undesirable separation of the resulting release solution, failing to produce a product of stable release. Component C or an amine compound also serves as an alkaline ingredient to help the solvent dissolve an aqueous polymer type floor polisher. The alkalis may be generally selected from inorganic alkalies such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium silicate and the like, and amines such as ammonia, ethanolamine, mono-iso-propanol-amine, and Similar. However, in the case of using an inorganic alkali, sufficient rinsing and rubbing should be performed with the use of water during release work so that the alkali is not left on a floor surface. Any residue of said alkali on the floor surface is liable to adversely affect an aqueous polymer type floor polisher that will subsequently be applied thereon. In addition, ammonia is not desired because of its peculiar smell. As amine compounds for use in the present inventionAlkanolamines are preferred, among which monoethanolamine and monopropanolamine are the best selections for their ultimate need for rinsing and rubbing work. The amount of amine that will be used is generally 10 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the release composition. Less than 10% by weight results in an insufficient release capacity, and conversely, more than 20% by weight should be avoided from a toxic point of view of the amine. The release composition according to the present invention can be prepared by mixing an organic solvent soluble in water, benzyl alcohol and an amine compound, all these components having been specifically observed before, together with optional additives such as nonionic surfactants, agents ammonium surfactants, fluorine surfactants, metal blocking agents, pigments, perfumes, defoamers and the like, and subsequently dissolving the mixture in water. Said additives can be incorporated when it is desirable with respect to the environment for normal work, the stability of release solutions and other conditions. Importantly, components A, B and C must be strictly observed with respect to their respective amounts specified above. In order to remove a weathered film from an aqueous polymer-type floor polisher of a floor surface, the release composition of the present invention can be dissolved in an amount of 100 parts by weight in 300 to 2,000 parts by weight of water to prepare a diluted solution, followed by the uniform coating of the solution on the floor surface through a mop and subsequent disposal of the dirty water or with resultant dust. It can then be polished to further improve the release capacity. Once the dirty water is discarded, no alkaline residue is left on the floor surface with the result that a film resulting from an aqueous polymer type floor polisher is protected against any inconvenient effects. The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the following examples, which should be considered illustrative, but not restrictive. In these examples, all percentages are on a weight basis.

Examples 1 to 5 Different release compositions were prepared through the use of diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether and triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether as water-soluble organic solvents, benzyl alcohol and monoethanolamine as an amine compound together with small amounts of fatty acids, surfactants and sodium p-toluenesulfonate, and also through the addition of water to the resulting mixtures. Each of the release compositions was formulated as presented in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1 The procedures of Examples 1 and 2 were followed except that 57.0% ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether was used as a water soluble organic solvent instead of 37.0% each of mono-n-ether diethylene glycol butyl and triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether and 20.0% benzyl alcohol.

Comparative Example 2 The procedures of Examples 3 and 4 were followed except that 37.0% of ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether was used as a water-soluble organic solvent instead of 15.0% of each mono-n-ether butyl of diethylene glycol and triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether and 22.0% benzyl alcohol.

TABLE 1 Unit:% / weight Note 1: Nonipol Soft SS-90, Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. Note 2: Fluorad FC-129, 3M Co.

An evaluation of the performance, under a group of conditions given below, of the release compositions obtained in Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 was made. [1] Test Panel Preparation An aqueous polymer type floor polish formulated as shown in Table 2 was placed on a floor tile of a homogeneous vinyl character (trade name: Matico S Plain, manufacturer: Toyo Linoleum Limited). This coating was made with 10 strokes with a gauze at a coating weight of 10 + 2 g / m2 per stroke. The panel thus treated was allowed to stand for 96 hours in a constant temperature chamber maintained at 80 + 2 ° C for 96 hours, whereby a test panel was provided. TABLE 2 Note 1: Primal B-832, solid content 40% ROHM AND HAAS COMPANY Note 2: Hytec E-4B, solid content 40% TOHO CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO. , LTD. Note 3: Topeo LR400 Resin solution, solid content 30% TOYO PETROLITE CO., LTD. Note 4: Ffuorad FC-129, 3M Co. Note 5: Gardner Straight-Line SE-21 WACKER SILICONES CORP.

[II] Test Evaluation The panels obtained previously were cut into a test piece with a size of 5 cm x 15 cm, and the test piece was checked for acceptability to be released on a Gardner Straicht-Line washing machine. . The release test was performed with the use of a diluted release agent solution derived from the dissolution of each release composition in a 5-fold amount of water. The diluted solution was coated in an amount of 2 ml on the test panel and allowed to stand for 2 minutes, followed by rubbing over the panel coating in a stroke of 10 with the use of the above washing machine equipped with a pad polishing machine with a size of 5 cm x 10 cm (manufacturer 3M Co.). The panel thus treated was rinsed with water and then dried. The release capacity was calculated from the following equation with the brightness value of a homogeneous style before coating with an aqueous polymer type floor polish defined as Go, the brightness value of the test piece before the test. Release was defined as G and the brightness value of the test piece after the release test was defined as G2. release ratio (%) = 100 - (G2 - G0) / (G? - Go) x 100 The results of the test are shown in Table 3. The bad odors of the release solutions were determined through an examination organoleptic No odor was classified or at least one as "negative" and an odor emitted "positive".

TABLE 3 As evidenced from the results in Table 3, it has been found that the release agent of the present invention for use in the removal of an aqueous polymer-type floor polisher is highly capable of sufficient removal of a weathered film. starting from the floor surface covered with said floor polisher and also a safe release work without any emission of bad odors. This ensures an increased work saving and improves the work environment, thus contributing greatly to the controlled cleaning of buildings.

Claims (3)

1 .- A release agent for use in the removal of an aqueous polymer type floor polisher, which comprises as essential components: (A) from 5 to 75% by weight of a water soluble organic solvent represented by the formula wherein n is an integer of 2 or 3, (B) from 15 to 40% by weight of benzyl alcohol, and (C) from 10 to 20% by weight of an amine compound.

2. The release agent according to claim 1, wherein the component (A) is a member selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether and triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether.

3. The release agent according to claim 1, wherein the component (C) is an alkanolamine.