Patent Application
20050282720
(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for cleaning an article to be cleaned with oily deposits. More particularly, it relates to an efficient method for cleaning the floor of deposited synthetic resin wax and the like without collecting dirty water by using a detergent comprising 25˜80% by weight of (A) a terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and 75˜20% by weight of (B) an alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having a solubility parameter of 10˜15.
(2) Description of Related Art
In convenience stores, supermarkets, office buildings and the like, synthetic resin wax and the like have been coated mostly on the chemical tile-paved or stone-built floor as a grazing agent to provide safeguard for the floor. As time goes by, however, the coated synthetic resin wax and the like have appeared shabby with scratches or stains resulting from treading of the people. The blemished synthetic resin wax and the like have been removed by cleaning and a new coat of them has been provided to get the floor to regain the beauty it had once.
The floor is cleaned by brushing with the use of a detergent and removing coated synthetic resin wax and the like therefrom. Conventional detergents contain alkaline substances as the chief ingredient, plus a great deal of surfactants and builders. When these conventional detergents are used, incidental works cost much labor. Dirty water caused by washing of the floor is collected before recoating of synthetic resin wax and the like, while hangovers on the floor are disposed of and residual alkaline substances are neutralized thereafter. Particularly, collection of dirty water is a big problem calling for a quick solution, combined with a problem of drainage.
Meanwhile, JP-A-7-278589, JP-A-11-92795, JP-A-6-511267, JP-A-2000-303095 and JP-A-4-173900 disclose the detergent compositions comprising terpene-based hydrocarbon such as limonene. But it is not disclosed that the same compositions can be used as the detergent of the articles to be cleaned against coated synthetic resin wax and the like. JP-A-5-140596 and JP-A-2000-311093 disclose the detergents for use in floors coated with synthetic resin wax and the like but the disclosed compositions are entirely different from the detergent compositions of the present invention.
In JP-A-2004-035651, the present inventors have proposed a method that the floor detergent composition comprising terpene-based hydrocarbon and ethanol is used by diluting it in several times as much water. According to this method, however, it is necessary to allow the detergent composition to take long in infiltrating into the synthetic resin wax and the like, and an improvement of the method has been desired from the viewpoint of cleaning efficiency.
An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for cleaning an article to be cleaned of deposited synthetic resin wax and the like in an easy and time-saving procedure. The method has improved poor workability in collection of dirty water, disposal of floor hangovers and the like as observed in conventional detergents.
The present inventors have made an intensive investigation in an effort to find a solution in the above-mentioned problems. As a result, it has been found that the deposited synthetic resin wax and the like can efficiently be released and withdrawn from an article to be cleaned without collecting dirty water by using a particular release agent. This release agent is prepared of one solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and another having a solubility parameter of 10˜15 to deal with deposited synthetic resin wax and the like on the article to be cleaned. With these findings, the present invention has been brought to completion.
The present invention provides:
[1] A method for cleaning an article to be cleaned with oily deposits by using a detergent comprising 25˜80% by weight of (A) a terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and 75˜20% by weight of (B) an alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having a solubility parameter of 10˜15, wherein the detergent in a state of having a water content of 10% by weight or less is coated onto the article to be cleaned and then causes oily deposits to release from said article.
[2] A method for cleaning as set forth in [1], wherein said detergent is made to have a water content of 10% by weight or less without diluting it with water or with diluting it with water or a mixed solution of water and a surfactant and then the resultant detergent is coated onto the article to be cleaned.
[3] A method for cleaning as set forth in [1] or [2], wherein either 25˜80% by weight of (A) a terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 or 75˜20% by weight of (B) an alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having a solubility parameter of 10˜15 is coated each singly or both of them are coated as a mixture onto the article to be cleaned.
[4] A method for cleaning as set forth in any of [1]˜[3], wherein said terpene-based hydrocarbon is one kind or more selected from the group consisting of d-limonene, l-limonene and dl-limonene.
[5] A method for cleaning as set forth in any of [1]˜[3], wherein said alcohol is one kind or more selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol and denatured alcohol.
[6] A method for cleaning as set forth in any of [1]˜[5], wherein said article to be cleaned with oily deposits is a floor deposited with synthetic resin wax.
[7] A method for cleaning as set forth in any of [1]˜[6], wherein said detergent is coated onto the floor deposited with synthetic resin wax and the deposited wax is released using a wax releasing device within 3 minutes thereafter while the detergent remains wet.
[8] A method for cleaning as set forth in [7], wherein one kind or more selected from the group consisting polisher, rolling cleaner, handy cleaner and brush is used as said wax releasing device.
[9] A method for cleaning as set forth in [8], wherein a polisher into which a floor brush is fitted is used as said wax releasing device to release wax in the shape of a powder.
Different from the ordinary methods for cleaning by diluting the commercially available detergents in several times as much water, the cleaning method of the present invention does not call for collection of dirty water. After the detergent is coated on the article to be cleaned, the cleaning method of the present invention can release wax with a wax releasing device while the detergent remains wet without giving the time for its infiltration. Practically, the cleaning method of the present invention does not need to leave the detergent to stand for long after coating, finishing with the polishing operation and that of disposing of released substances within a shorter span of time. Thus, the method of the present invention is really efficient in cleaning the article to be cleaned of deposited synthetic resin wax and the like.
The present invention will be specifically explained below.
The present invention relates to a method for cleaning an article to be cleaned of deposited synthetic resin wax and the like by using a detergent comprising 25˜80% by weight of (A) a terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8, preferably 8.1˜9.0 and 75˜20% by weight of (B) an alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having a solubility parameter of 10˜15. As (A) the terpene-based hydrocarbons and/or hydrocarbon-based solvents having the solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8, those commercially available at industrially reasonable prices are preferable. Their preferable examples are hydrocarbon-based solvents such as xylene, toluene and the like and terpene-based hydrocarbons. Among them, terpene-based hydrocarbons and/or hydrocarbon-based solvents having the solubility parameter in a range of 8.1˜9.0 are most preferable. Examples of terpene-based hydrocarbon include myrcene, selenium, ocimene, pinene, limonene, camphene, terpinolene, tricyclene, terpinene, fenchene, phellandrene, silvesthrene, sabinane, p-menthene-1, p-menthene-3, p-thymine, p-menthane and the like. Among them α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, p-menthen-1, p-menthene-3, p-thymine and p-menthane are more preferable and limonene is most preferable. Examples of limonene to be used in the present invention includes synthetic limonene, natural limonene, natural essential oil containing limonene as the chief ingredient, for example, orange oil, lemon oil, grapefruit oil, mandarin oil, tangerine oil and the like. An essential oil containing d-limonene of citrus origin as the chief ingredient is more preferable from the viewpoint of environmentology.
As (B) alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having the solubility parameter of 10˜15, preferably 10˜13 for use in the present invention, those available at industrially reasonable price are preferable. As alcohols including one or more hydroxyl groups, those under-mentioned can be cited. Aliphatic alcohols including one hydroxyl group are methanol, ethanol, denatured alcohol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, heptanol, octanol, dodecanol, cyclohexanol and the like. Aliphatic alcohols including two hydroxyl groups are ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, liquid polyethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol and the like. Aliphatic alcohols including three hydroxyl groups are glycerin and the like. There are other alcohols such as diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether and the like. Among them, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, denatured alcohol and their mixed alcohol are preferable because they are industrially produced in great quantities and easy to use at the reasonable prices. It is occasionally necessary to improve some of these alcohols in the matter of ignition point and odor in the process of really incorporating them into the detergents. Alcohols having the ignition point higher than 20° C., for example, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol and the like are safe to use. As regards odor, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and diethylene glycol are preferable. One kind or more selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and diethylene glycol can be mixed with other aliphatic alcohol, for example, ethanol, denatured alcohol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol and the like. The so obtained mixtures are preferable from the viewpoint of workability of floor cleaning, ignition point and odor and the like.
In the cleaning methods of the present invention, one solvent having solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and another having solubility parameter of 10˜15 are blended at a ratio of, preferably 25˜80 parts by weight:75˜20 parts by weight, more preferably 25˜50 parts by weight:75˜50 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight totaling the solvents. The blending ratio is important to get deposited synthetic resin wax to release from the article to be cleaned in the shape of a powder.
In the cleaning methods of the present invention, the solvents are mostly used indoor, arousing the consciousness of offending odor occasionally. In such an event, one kind or more selected from the group consisting deodorant, deodorizer, odor preventing agent and aromatic are preferably introduced into the above-mentioned compositions. With these additives, the cleaning people can work comfortably, continuing the cleaning operation without a hitch. As the deodorant, deodorizer, odor preventing agent and aromatic, a great many substances are known, derived from the organic or inorganic families, plant origin or biochemical background or detergent series. They are for use in living rooms or bath rooms or to deal with garbage, to take care of household animals or to dispose of tobacco odor, classified into sensory deodorization, chemical deodorization, physical deodorization, biological deodorization and the like. All these substances can be used in the present invention as far as they make the cleaning people's work comfortable. The deodorant, deodorizer, odor preventing agent and aromatic are supplied by many manufacturers such as S. T. Chemical, Kao Corp., Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, Ekomu, Environment Purification Lab. and the like. The products are commercially available in many different shapes such as liquid, spray, fine powder and solid, and any of them are good to the present invention as far as they can be used as a component of the solvents thereof. For example, “Muko Kukan” (brand-name) sold by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has been found to be effective as a deodorant. The deodorant, deodorizer, odor preventing agent, aromatic and the like can be used singly or as a mixture of two kinds or more. They are incorporated into the solvents in whatever amount if it can achieve the object of the present invention but the preferable amount is in a range of 0.5˜10%.
Besides, pigments, colorants, insecticides, preservatives and the like can be blended optionally.
According to the present invention, the oily deposits are cleaned off the article to be cleaned with a release agent having a water content of 10% by weight or less. The so described release agent can be obtained by blending one solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and another having a solubility parameter of 10˜15. In blending, the solvents are either not diluted with water or diluted with water or a mixed solution of water and a surfactant at a ratio of 10 parts by weight or less to 100 parts by weight totaling the solvents. The water content is preferably in a range of 0˜6% by weight, more preferably 0˜2% by weight. As the surfactant that can be used in cleaning of the present invention, Ionet S-20. Sunmolin OT-70. New Pole 50HB-55 and the like made by SANYO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES can be cited. Of them, Ionet-20 is preferable. Water/surfactant are mixed at a ratio of 80 parts by weight/20 parts by weight ˜20 parts by weight/80 parts by weight. Of the ratios, that of 50/50 is particularly preferable.
Prepared from 25˜80% by weight of (A) a terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having a solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and 75˜20% by weight of (B) an alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having a solubility parameter of 10˜15, the detergent is coated on the article to be cleaned. After coating, a wax releasing device is preferably caused to release wax while the detergent remains wet without giving the time for its infiltration (within 3 minutes, preferably within 1˜2 minutes after coating). Thereafter, the surface of the article to be cleaned is polished by using one kind or more from among electric polisher, rolling cleaner, handy cleaner, brush and the like as the wax releasing device. In this way synthetic resin wax and the like are released in the shape of powder. Of the cleaning methods, the one simple and convenient to use is that synthetic resin wax and the like are released in the shape of powder by using a polisher into which a floor brush is fitted and powder is mopped up from the floor.
Since synthetic resin wax and the like are released in the shape of powder, it is no more necessary to collect dirty water resulting from cleaning. Whether or not synthetic resin wax is released as a powder has an effect on the cleaning time. For the sake of removal in the shape of powder, it is essential to use the detergent comprising 25˜80% by weight of (A) the terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having the solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and 75˜20% by weight of (B) the alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having the solubility parameter of 10˜15. Synthetic resin wax is not released in the shape of powder if the terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having the solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 is used singly. Synthetic resin wax cannot be released at all if the alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having the solubility parameter of 10˜15 is used singly. The removal of synthetic resin wax and the like is unsuitably insufficient with the combined use of one solvent having a solubility parameter of less than 8.0 and another having a solubility parameter of 10˜15.
The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples.
Four-layer coating of commercially available synthetic resin wax (Brand-name: Big Coat, made by Risdan Chemical) was provided on the homogenous vinyl floor tiles in a size of 2 m2. Mixed solvent compositions of limonene and alcohol as listed in Tables 1˜3 were prepared from alcohols having the solubility parameter in a range of 10˜15 and limonene having the solubility parameter of 8.5. In all Examples except for Example 3, the mixed solvent compositions were coated on the above-mentioned vinyl floor tiles without diluting them in water. In Example 3, however, 10 parts by weight of a 1/1 mixed solution of water and surfactant (Brand-name: Ionet S-20, made by SANYO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIE; a nonionic surfactant) were incorporated into 100 parts by weight of said mixed solvent composition and the resultant mixture was coated on said vinyl floor tiles. In Example 9, limonene used in Example 1 was singly coated on the floor, followed by coating of ethanol. In Example 10, the test was likewise conducted by using xylene in place of limonene in Example 1.
As Comparative Examples, a commercially available release agent for use in floor (Brand-name: Bomber, made by Mukojima Sansho; alkaline solvent for releasing chemical floor material) and a mixed composition of limonene and ethanol (at a ratio of 33/67) were respectively diluted 5-fold in water and coated. The other Comparative Examples used a single limonene, a single ethanol and a mixed solvent wherein octane having a solubility parameter of 7.6 was blended in place of limonene in Example 1, coating them without diluting them in water. In the next place, a floor brush (No. 73) made by Sumitomo 3M was fitted into a polisher made by Musashi Electric Appliances, and said vinyl floor tiles were polished with the use of so obtained device, to release the coats of synthetic resin wax therefrom. In Examples, the released substances in the shape of powder were dispersing over the floor and were mopped up after polishing, followed by recoating of synthetic resin wax. In the case of Comparative Example 1, dirty water was collected by a wet cleaner after polishing and furthermore moisture was wiped off from the floor with a mop lest the detergent content of the cleaning-releasing formulation should remain lingering on the floor. The floor was dried and thereafter synthetic resin wax was recoated. In the case of Comparative Example 2 wherein there was practically no dirty water, the released substances in the shape of powder were mopped up from the floor after polishing, and synthetic resin wax was recoated after one wipe of moisture.
The work properties were compared between Examples and Comparative Examples, by evaluating the coating time, infiltration properties of detergents (how long they were left to stand for after polishing), polisher use time, necessity of dirty water collection, necessity of moisture wipe and total operating time. The results of evaluation are shown in Tables 1˜3.
Examples 1˜10 describes the cleaning methods of the present invention. The methods comprise using the detergents prepared from 25˜80% by weight of (A) the terpene-based hydrocarbon and/or hydrocarbon-based solvent having the solubility parameter of 8.0˜9.8 and 75˜20% by weight of (B) the alcohol including one or more hydroxyl groups and having the solubility parameter of 10˜15. Unlike those using commercially available cleaning-releasing agents, methods of the present invention don't need to collect dirty water, having good infiltration properties. They also are excellent in workability of moisture wiping, capable of finishing with all the operations in a shorter span of time.
As compared with those of JP-A-2004-035651 by means of dilution in water (Comparative Example 2), the methods of the present invention have been found to be efficient in ending infiltration soon after coating, saving the total operating time by more than 30%.
It has been demonstrated in Comparative Examples 3 and 4 that the singly used solvents have a poor cleaning effect and that excellent results can be obtained only with the combination of two solvents disclosed in the present invention.
The cleaning methods of the present invention do not need to collect dirty water and are good in infiltration properties, excellent in workability of moisture wiping and capable of saving the total operating time. Therefore, they will be very useful as a method for cleaning the chemical tile-paved or stone-built floors of coated synthetic resin wax and the like in convenience stores, supermarkets, office buildings and the like.
The cleaning methods of the present invention can be used to clean the many different articles to be cleaned by stripping off deposited synthetic resin wax and the like in the same way as it is done in the building floors.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-378444 | Dec 2000 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/450,137 previously filed in U.S., relating to a detergent comprising limonene and ethanol.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10450137 | Jun 2003 | US |
| Child | 11213934 | Aug 2005 | US |
