Stone surface treating methods and compositions

Claim 2

An acid conditioning composition for application to a stone surface in the first stage of a two-stage stone surface crystallization process which comprises: (a) an acid; (b) a surfactant; (c) an organic solvent in an amount effective to increase the evaporation rate of the acid conditioning composition; (d) water; and (e) a stannic chloride compound in an amount of from about 1 to about 10 percent by total weight of the acid conditioning composition, wherein the acid conditioning composition has a pH of from about 0.1 to about 2.0, and wherein the stone surface is a marble or terrazzo stone floor surface, whereby the acid conditioning composition improves the action of a crystalizing agent when applied over the acid conditioning composition.

Claim 3

The acid conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the acid is oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, a mineral acid or mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

The acid conditioning composition of claim 2 wherein the acid is oxalic acid and the oxalic acid is present in an amount of from about 5 to about 20 percent by total weight of the composition.

Claim 5

The acid conditioning composition of claim 2 wherein the organic solvent is methanol, ethanol, industrial methylated spirits or mixtures thereof.

Claim 6

The acid conditioning composition of claim 4 wherein the organic solvent is industrial methylated spirits and the solvent is present in an amount of from about 10 to about 40 percent by total weight of the composition.

Claim 7

The acid conditioning composition of claim 1 wherein the surfactant is an ethoxylated linear alcohol.

Claim 8

The acid conditioning composition of claim 1 further comprising a dust absorbing agent.

Claim 9

The acid conditioning composition of claim 7 wherein the dust absorbing agent is a glycol ether.

Claim 10

The acid conditioning composition of claim 8 wherein the glycol ether is dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether.

Claim 11

The acid conditioning composition of claim 7 further comprising a wax.

Claim 12

The acid conditioning composiion of claim 7 which comprises the following ingredients by weight percent: ______________________________________ % w/w ______________________________________ Oxalic Acid 10.0 Stannic Chloride Pentahydrate 5.0 Industrial Methylated Spirits 25.0 Dipropylene Glycol Monomethyl 7.0 Ether Ethoxylated Linear Alcohol 0.5 (12 EO) Tap Water 52.5 ______________________________________

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 wherein the acid conditioning composition is applied to the floor with a rotary floor buffing machine.

Claim 16

The method of claim 13 wherein the rotary floor buffing machine weighs from about 40 to about 70 kilograms and is fitted with a 15-20 inch diameter floor buffing pad and the acid conditioning composition is center fed into the middle of the floor buffing pad.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14 wherein the floor buffing pad is an abrasive synthetic pad.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 wherein the crystallizing agent comprises zinc hexafluorosilicate and the crystallizing agent is buffed onto the floor with a wire wool pad.

Claim 19

The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of dry buffing the floor with a tan synthetic pad after the crystallizing agent has been applied to the floor.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16 wherein the acid conditioning composition is applied to the floor at a rate of from about 20 to about 40 ml/m 2 .

Claim 21

In a method of producing a microcrystal finish on a stone surface by applying a crystallizing agent containing a source of fluoride ions which react with the stone surface to produce a CaF 2 and/or MgF 2 microcrystal finish thereon, the improvement which comprises: (a) employing zinc hexafluorosilicate as the crystallizing agent.

Claim 22

In a method of producing a microcrystal finish on a stone surface by applying a crystallizing agent containing a source of fluoride ions which react with the stone surface to produce a CaF 2 and/or MgF 2 microcrystal finish thereon, the improvement which comprises: (a) employing zinc hexafluorosilicate as the crystallizing agent.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19 the stone surface is a marble or terrazzo stone floor surface.

Claim 24

In a method of producing a microcrystal finish on a stone surface by applying a crystallizing agent containing a source of fluoride ions which react with the stone surface to produce a CaF 2 and MgF 2 microcrystal finish thereon, the improvement which comprises: (a) pretreating the stone surface with an acid conditioning composition have a pH of from about 0.to about 2.0 and comprising: from about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of oxalic acid, a surfactant, an organic solvent in an amount effective to increase the evaporation rate of the acid conditioning composition, water and, from about 2 to about 10 percent by weight of a stannic chloride compound, based upon the weight of the acid conditioning composition, wherein the stone surface is a marble or terrazzo stone floor surface, (b) allowing the acid conditioning composition to dry on the stone surface; and thereafter (c) applying, by buffing, over the acid conditioning composition, an effective amount of the crystallizing agent, whereby the acid conditioning composition improves the action of the crystallizing agent when applied over the acid conditioning composition and a durable, high uniform gloss is produced in situ on the stone surface.

Claim 25

In a method of producing a microcrystal finish on a stone surface by applying a crystallizing agent containing a source of fluoride ions which react with the stone surface to produce a CaF 2 and MgF 2 microcrystal finish thereon, the improvement which comprises: (a) pretreating the stone surface with an acid conditioning composition have a pH of from about 0.to about 2.0 and comprising: from about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of oxalic acid, a surfactant, an organic solvent in an amount effective to increase the evaporation rate of the acid conditioning composition, water and, from about 2 to about 10 percent by weight of a stannic chloride compound, based upon the weight of the acid conditioning composition, wherein the stone surface is a marble or terrazzo stone floor surface, (b) allowing the acid conditioning composition to dry on the stone surface; and thereafter (c) applying, by buffing, over the acid conditioning composition, an effective amount of the crystallizing agent, whereby the acid conditioning composition improves the action of the crystallizing agent when applied over the acid conditioning composition and a durable, high uniform gloss is produced in situ on the stone surface.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21 wherein the stannic chloride compound is stannic chloride pentahydrate.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 wherein the stannic chloride pentahydrate is present in the acid conditioning composition in an amount of about 5 percent by weight.

Claim 28

The method of claim 23 wherein the floor is pretreated by mopping the acid conditioning composition onto the floor.

Claim 29

The method of claim 23 wherein the floor is pretreated by buffing the acid conditioning composition onto the floor with a rotary floor buffing machine weighing from about 40 to about 70 kilograms and having a 15-20 inch diameter floor buffing pad.

Claim 30

The method of claim 25 the acid conditioning composition is center fed into the middle of the floor buffing pad at a rate of from about 20 to about 40 ml/m 2 .

Claim 31

The method of claim 21 wherein the acid conditioning composition comprises the following ingredients by weight percent: ______________________________________ % w/w ______________________________________ Oxalic Acid 10.0 Stannic Chloride Pentahydrate 5.0 Industrial Methylated Spirits 25.0 Dipropylene Glycol Monomethyl 7.0 Ether Ethoxylated Linear Alcohol 0.5 (12 EO) Tap Water 52.5 ______________________________________

Claim 32

The method of claim 27 wherein the acid conditioning composition is applied to the floor surface at a rate of from about 10 to about 60 milliliters per square meter area of the floor surface.

Claim 33

The method of claim 28 wherein the acid conditioning composition is applied to the floor surface by buffing with a rotary floor buffing machine weighing between about 40 to about 50 kilograms and having a 17 inch diameter floor buffing pad.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29 wherein acid conditioning composition is applied at a rate from about 20 to about 40 milliliters per square meter area of the floor surface.

Claim 37

The method in accordance with claim 31 wherein the acid is oxalic acid, present in an amount of about 5 to about 25 weight percent based on the weight of the acid conditioning agent.

Claim 38

The method in accordance with claim 31 wherein the acid-stable surfactant is an alkoxylated linear alcohol.

Claim 39

The method in accordance with claim 31 wherein the organic solvent, present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 weight percent based on the weight of the acid conditioning agent, is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 40

The method in accordance with claim 31 wherein the crystallizing agent is a hexafluorosilicate salt.