Polishing method

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 in which said composition has a pH of 8.0 to 9.5 and contains from 0 to 70 parts, per 100 parts of acrylic polymer, of one or more of a wax, a wax together with a wax-soluble resin, or an alkali-soluble resin, said acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid present in said monomers in an amount up to about 20% by weight and in which up to about 10% of an additional copolymerizable hydrophilic property-conferring monomer having hydroxyl, amide, or amine groups is utilized in preparing said polymer, the remaining monomers comprising at least one hydrophobic α,β-unsaturated ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and an alcohol, the solids content being less than 25% by weight.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 in which said polishing composition has a pH of at least 7.5, contains from 0 to 70 parts, per 100 parts of acrylic polymer, of one or more of a wax, a wax and a wax-soluble resin, or an alkali-soluble resin, said acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, which makes up at least about 18% by weight of said monomers, the remaining monomers comprise at least one hydrophobic ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and an alcohol, and in which said composition comprises a polyvalent metal compound dissociable in the composition to form polyvalent metal-containing ions, the solids content being less than about 25%.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 in which said monomers consist essentially of methacrylic acid, buty acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and said monomer which confers hydrophilic properties upon said polymer.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 in which said monomes consist essentially of one or more alkly acrylates or methacrylates, the alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and methyl methacrylate.

Claim 7

In a method of polishing wood, linoleum, asphalt, vinyl, and vinyl asbestos flooring, said composition being capable of forming a high gloss coating film having a Knoop hardness number of at least 0.5, the steps of dissolving monomers consisting essentially of from about 15% to about 25% by weight of an β,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and at least one ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and up to 50% of other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, which mmonomers contain no more than about 10% of an additional copolymerizable hydrophilic property-conferring monomer having hydroxyl, amide or amine groups, in a water-miscible higher boiling oxygenated solvent selected from monohydric and polyhydric alcohols and hydroxy ethers, polymerizing said monomers at a temperature of from 100° C. to 175° C. by means of a free-radical initiator under conditions such that a polymer having an intrinsic viscosity, at 30° C. in tetrahydrofuran, of between 0.05 and 0.15 is obtained, and mixing the resulting polymer and solvent with water, said solvent being present in the mixture in an amount between about 3% and 75% based on the combined weights of the acrylic polymer and any wax, was-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, there being 30 to 100 parts by weight of addition polymer and 0 to 70 parts by weight of wax, wax-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, the total of addition polymer and the wax, wax-soluble, or alkali-soluble resin being 100 parts, with an alkaline agent or buffering agent in an amount to give the dispersion a pH of at least about 7.5 and an essentially water-clear appearance, all of said meterials being at a temperature of from about 20° C. to 25° C., applying a coating of said composition to said flooring and drying the coating at ambient temperature, the coating being removable by aqueous ammonia, the solids content of the coating composition being from about 8% to 25% by weight.

Claim 8

In a method of polishing wood, linoleum, asphalt, vinyl, and vinyl asbestos flooring, said composition being capable of forming a high gloss coating film having a Knoop hardness number of at least 0.5, the steps of dissolving monomers consisting essentially of from about 15% to about 25% by weight of an β,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and at least one ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and up to 50% of other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, which mmonomers contain no more than about 10% of an additional copolymerizable hydrophilic property-conferring monomer having hydroxyl, amide or amine groups, in a water-miscible higher boiling oxygenated solvent selected from monohydric and polyhydric alcohols and hydroxy ethers, polymerizing said monomers at a temperature of from 100° C. to 175° C. by means of a free-radical initiator under conditions such that a polymer having an intrinsic viscosity, at 30° C. in tetrahydrofuran, of between 0.05 and 0.15 is obtained, and mixing the resulting polymer and solvent with water, said solvent being present in the mixture in an amount between about 3% and 75% based on the combined weights of the acrylic polymer and any wax, was-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, there being 30 to 100 parts by weight of addition polymer and 0 to 70 parts by weight of wax, wax-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, the total of addition polymer and the wax, wax-soluble, or alkali-soluble resin being 100 parts, with an alkaline agent or buffering agent in an amount to give the dispersion a pH of at least about 7.5 and an essentially water-clear appearance, all of said meterials being at a temperature of from about 20° C. to 25° C., applying a coating of said composition to said flooring and drying the coating at ambient temperature, the coating being removable by aqueous ammonia, the solids content of the coating composition being from about 8% to 25% by weight.

Claim 9

The method of claim 6 including the step of mixing from 0 to 70 parts, per 100 parts of acrylic polymer, of one or more of a wax, a wax and a wax-soluble resin, or an alkali-soluble resin with said polishing composition, in which said acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid present in said monomers in an amount of from about 15% to about 20% by weight, in which up to about 10% by weight of an additional acrylic monomer which contains a carboxyl, amine, amide, or hydroxyl group which confers hydrophilic properties upon the polymer is utilized in preparing said polymer, and including in said composition a polyvalent metal compound dissociable in the composition to form polyvalent metal-containing ions.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 in which said acid is methacrylic acid and in which the reaction mixture from the polymerization step contains about 20% to 50% of said oxygenated solvent.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6 incuding the step of mixing from 0 to 70 parts, per 100 parts of acrylic polymer, of one or more of a wax, a wax and a wax-soluble resin, or an alkali-soluble resin with said polishing composition, in which said acid is acrylic acid or alower alkyl substituted acrylic acid present in said monomers in an amount of at least about 18% by weight of said monomers, and including in said composition a polyvalent metal compound dissociable in the composition to form polyvalent metal-containing ions.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 in which said monomers consist essentially of methacrylic acid, butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate.

Claim 13

In a method of polishing wood, linoleum, asphalt, vinyl, and vinyl asbestos flooring, said composition being capable of forming a high gloss coating film having a Knoop hardness number of at least 05, the steps of emulsifying acrylic monomers comprising from about 15% to about 25% by weight of an α,β-unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and an ester of acrylic said or methacrylic acid and up to 50% of other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, which monomers contain no more than about 10% of an additional copolymerizable hydrophilic property-conferring monomer having hydroxyl, amides, or amine groups, in an aqueous medium containing a surface-active agent, a free-radical initiator and a chain transfer agent, and causing interpolymerization of said monomers, the quantity of chain transfer agent and the polymerization conditions being such that a polymer having an intrinsic viscosity, in tetrahydrofuran at 30° C., of between about 0.05 and about 0.15 is obtained, and mixing the resulting polymer dispersion at room temperature with a coalescing agent and an alkaline agent or buffering agent in an amount to give an essentially water-clear appearance, a pH of at least about 7.5, and a solids content of about 8% to 25% by weight, said coalescing agent being present in the mixture in an amount between about 3% and 75%, based on the combined weights of the acrylic polymer and any wax, wax-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, there being 30 to 100 parts by weight of addition polymer and 0 to 70 parts by weight of wax, wax-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, the total of addition polymer and the wax, wax-soluble, or alkali-soluble resin being 100 parts, applying a coating of the composition to said flooring, and drying the coating at ambient temperature, the coating being removable by aqueous ammonia.

Claim 14

In a method of polishing wood, linoleum, asphalt, vinyl, and vinyl asbestos flooring, said composition being capable of forming a high gloss coating film having a Knoop hardness number of at least 05, the steps of emulsifying acrylic monomers comprising from about 15% to about 25% by weight of an α,β-unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and an ester of acrylic said or methacrylic acid and up to 50% of other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, which monomers contain no more than about 10% of an additional copolymerizable hydrophilic property-conferring monomer having hydroxyl, amides, or amine groups, in an aqueous medium containing a surface-active agent, a free-radical initiator and a chain transfer agent, and causing interpolymerization of said monomers, the quantity of chain transfer agent and the polymerization conditions being such that a polymer having an intrinsic viscosity, in tetrahydrofuran at 30° C., of between about 0.05 and about 0.15 is obtained, and mixing the resulting polymer dispersion at room temperature with a coalescing agent and an alkaline agent or buffering agent in an amount to give an essentially water-clear appearance, a pH of at least about 7.5, and a solids content of about 8% to 25% by weight, said coalescing agent being present in the mixture in an amount between about 3% and 75%, based on the combined weights of the acrylic polymer and any wax, wax-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, there being 30 to 100 parts by weight of addition polymer and 0 to 70 parts by weight of wax, wax-soluble resin, or alkali-soluble resin, the total of addition polymer and the wax, wax-soluble, or alkali-soluble resin being 100 parts, applying a coating of the composition to said flooring, and drying the coating at ambient temperature, the coating being removable by aqueous ammonia.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 including the step of mixing from 0 to 70 parts, per 100 parts of acrylic polymer, of one or more of a wax, a wax and wax-soluble resin, or an alkali-soluble resin with said polishing composition, in which said acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid present in said monomers in an amount of from about 15% to about 20% by weight, in which up to about 10% by weight of an additional acrylic monomer having an amine, amide, hydroxyl or carboxyl group whichh confers hydrophilic properties upon the polymer is utilized in preparing said polymer, and including in said composition a polyvalent metal compound dissociable in said composition to form polyvalent metal-containing ions.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 in which said hydrophobic ester consists essentially of a combination of butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate.

Claim 17

The method of claim 11 including the step of mixing from 0 to 70 parts, per 100 parts of acylic polymer, of one or more of a wax, a wax and a wax-soluble resin, or an alkali-soluble resin with said polishing composition, in which said acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid present in said monomers in an amount of at least about 18% by weight of said mononers, and including in said composition a polyvalent metal compound dissociable in said composition to form polyvalent metal-containing ions.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 in which said monomers consist essentially of methacrylic acid, butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate.

Claim 19

An article of manufacture containing the dry, glossy, coating applied by the method of claim 1, and of the composition of claim 1, which coating is removable with aqueous ammonia.