WO2003090943A1

WO2003090943A1 - Non-scratch flooring top coat

Info

Publication number: WO2003090943A1
Application number: PCT/GB2003/001564
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manny Khorasani; Ali Kalantar
Original assignee: Chemco International Limited
Priority date: 2002-04-23
Filing date: 2003-04-10
Publication date: 2003-11-06
Also published as: GB2404195A; AU2003224268A1; GB0209235D0; GB0425483D0

Abstract

A material (1) is comprised of one or more resins (3) and a plurality of power components (2). In the preferred embodiment the filler components are ellipses or polyhedron with a substantially spherical shape and are manufactured from a durable hard material such as ceramic glass or a polymer. When applied, the material imparts on the surface a smoothly undulating surface.

Description

Non-Scratch Flooring Top Coat

The present invention relates to a material for use as a floor covering which has improved scratch resistance, is easy to clean and is also tough and flexible. In particular, the present invention relates to a top coat material.

The present invention describes a material which may be used in any situation where it is desirable to have a floor surface which is scratch resistant, easy to clean and also tough and flexible. A particular envisaged use of the present invention is on the decks, catwalks and floors of marine vessels, such as ships, shop/retail entrances, hospitals, food preparation and work areas.

Methods currently used to clean the floors of vessels are labour intensive, and carried out by personnel on board the ship. It will be appreciated that where the personnel are highly skilled, there is a growing reluctance to undertake such relatively mundane tasks, particularly if their time and skills would be better employed elsewhere. Other applications also use anti-slip coatings where the major filler is sand or quartz. This top coat is far easier to clean than existing systems. Typical applications would include:

• bakeries • work areas • food preparation areas • hospital ramps

The invention is far easier to clean.

Other applications use Carborundum™ strips to provide safe ingress/egress of retail, office and other public places. This product wears. Typical applications will include:

• retail entrances • office entrances • steps • outdoor/indoor ramps

These strips wear easily. The invention is far harder wearing.

A further problem with current methods lies in the fact that they generally employ the use of resinous compounds, typically gloss systems, which are used to buff or polish the surface of the flooring. These compounds are easily scratched and require continual polishing and cleaning, therefore increasing the time and workload needed to keep the surface clean. It would therefore be of advantage to provide a material which can be used in such situations which is not only easy to clean, but has improved scratch resistance.

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a material, which can be used on a surface to render it easy-clean and non-scratch. A particular aim of the present invention is to provide a material which can be used on a floor. A further aim is to provide a material which can be applied to a floor as a one coat material.

It is also a particular aim of the present invention to provide a material which can be used as a top coat on existing flooring, and which has improved scratch resistance, is easy to clean, and is also tough and flexible.

According to the present invention, there is provided a material, which on application renders a surface easy to clean and non-scratch, the material comprising one or more resins and a plurality of filler components, wherein the material has a smoothly undulating surface.

Preferably the filler components are ellipses or polyhedrons with a substantially spherical shape.

Preferably each of the plurality of filler components is in close contact with its neighbouring filler components. Each of the plurality of filler components may touch its neighbouring filler components. The material may be used as a topcoat on a floor.

The one or more resins may be chosen from the group of epoxy, PU (polyurethane) , polyester, vinylester, acrylic, silicone, phenolic, urea formaldehyde, acrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or a combination thereof.

The filler components may be manufactured from glass, ceramic, or a polymeric material.

The filler components may be beads.

Preferably the resin is present in the material in a quantity of 5-45pbw.

Preferably the filler components are present in the material in a quantity of 50-80pbw.

Optionally the material may include hardener. If required, the amount of hardener in pbw will be calculated from the resin weight.

The material may also comprise one or more co-fillers. The co-fillers may be selected from calcium carbonate, barium sulphate, talc, silica, fumed silica, fumed alumina, alumina, quartz, cement, gypsum, precipitated silicas and silica gel silicates. Where one or more co- fillers are present in the material, the co-fillers are typically present in a quantity of 10 to 25pbw. The material may also comprise additives such as anti- foam, anti-settling agent, wetting agent, anti-blocking agent or fire retardant.

The anti-settling agent may be selected from fumed alumina, fumed silica or betones or organo-clays .

The anti-blocking agent may be precipitated or fumed silica.

Where additives are added to the material, preferably they are present in a quantity of 3-5pbw.

Optionally the material may include a diluant, wherein the diluant may be water or solvent.

The resin may be set by self-curing, drying, UV cure, moisture cure, use of chemical hardeners or can be thermoset.

Preferably the resin acts as a binder to bind the filler components and to fill any voids between the filler components.

Preferably the material has a MoH hardness of 6-7.

Preferably the material is applied to a surface as a topcoat.

Preferably the material is manufactured by mixing the one or more resin with the filler components. The material may be applied by pouring, spraying, trowelling or rolling.

The material may be applied to the surface in a one coat application.

In an alternative embodiment the material may be provided in a pre-fabricated form.

Optionally the material may be provided in pre-formed tile form.

In a first embodiment the shape of the filler components may give the material the smoothly undulating surface.

In a second embodiment the material may be poured into a mould which creates the smoothly undulating surface. The mould will typically impart on the material the smoothly undulating surface. In this embodiment the material may then be provided in pre-formed tile form.

In a third embodiment the smoothly undulating surface may be created after application of the material to the surface. The undulating surface may be created by embossing or rolling.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to Figure 1, which is a schematic cross-section depiction of the material of the present invention, which on application renders a surface easy to clean and non- scratch. Referring to Figure 1, the material described in the present invention is depicted schematically at 1 and is comprised of one or more resins 3 and a plurality of filler components 2. In the preferred embodiment the filler components are ellipsoid or polyhedron with a substantially spherical shape.

The filler components will be manufactured from a durable, hard material. For example the filler components may take the form of glass or ceramic beads. The beads may also be manufactured from a polymeric material such as phenolic, urea formaldehyde, acrylic, acrylonitrile, PVC, polyethylene or polyacrylic. Other suitably hard polymeric materials could also be used. Each of the filler components is in close contact to its neighbouring filler components, and any voids or gaps 4 between the components is filled by resin 3.

The one or more resins in the material may be selected from epoxy, PU, polyester, vinylester, acrylic, silicone, phenolic, urea formaldehyde, acrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or a combination thereof. In a typical composition of the compound the resin is present in a quantity of 20-45pbw, whilst the filler components are present in a quantity of 50-80pbw.

One or more hardeners may also be included in the composition of the compound if required, and the amount of hardener used will be based on the weight of the resin. Furthermore, co-fillers at a quantity of 10-25pbw may be added. Typical co-fillers might include calcium carbonate, barium sulphate, talc, silica, fumed silica, fumed alumina, alumina, quartz, cement, gypsum, precipitated silicates or silica gel silicates.

Yet further, additives may be added to the compound to provide desirable properties. These may include anti- foam, anti-sagging, fire retardant, anti-settling agents or anti-blocking agents. In addition, a diluant such as water or solvent may be added to the compound if required.

The compound itself is manufactured by a simple mixing process where the resin and filler components are mixed, together with any co-fillers, additives, hardeners or diluants in a paste or ribbon mixer for approximately half an hour at a temperature of approximately 20°C to 25°C (or ambient) .

The compound is typically used a topcoat on existing surfaces, and most particularly on floors. Application of the compound to the surface may be achieved by, but is not limited to spraying, pouring, painting or trowelling on to the surface of the floor.

In one embodiment the filler components are sized and shaped so as to give the material the smoothly undulating surface, as depicted by the arrow in Figure 1. As can be seen from Figure 1, the upper surfaces of the filler components provide the undulating surface due to their proximity to each other.

In an alternative embodiment the material can be provided in a pre-manufactured form. For example the material could be provided as pre-formed tiles which are laid on the surface to be coated, as per conventional tiles. In this embodiment the material is poured into a mould to set, the mould being shaped so as to effect the smoothly undulating surface on the intended upper surface of the tile.

In a yet further alternative embodiment the smoothly undulating surface may be imparted on the material after it has been applied to the surface. This may be achieved by rolling or embossing the upper surface.

The advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that the topcoat can be applied to a floor surface, normally as a one coat system, to render it non-scratch and easy to clean. This greatly reduces the labour intensive cleaning methods, which are currently used. In one embodiment this advantageous property arises from the presence of the filler components which are ellipsoid or polyhedron with a substantially spherical shape. These give the material a smoothly undulating, curved and "wave-like" surface depicted by arrow 6 to the surface on which the top coat is applied. As a consequence, if a sharp object 7 which could scratch the surface falls on the topcoat 1, it will be impeded from penetrating the surface by the topcoat and will simply roll over the undulating surface.

Various modifications may be made to the invention herein described, without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. A material, which on application to a surface renders the surface easy to clean and non-scratch, comprising one or more resins and a plurality of filler components, wherein the material has a smoothly undulating surface.

2. A material as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the filler components are ellipses or polyhedrons with a substantially spherical shape.

3. A material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 2 wherein each of the plurality of filler components is in close contact with its neighbouring filler components.

4. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein each of the plurality of filler components touches its neighbouring filler components.

5. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims used as a top coat on a floor.

6. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the one or more resins are chosen from the group consisting of epoxy, PU (polyurethane) , polyester, vinylester, acrylic, silicone, phenolic, urea formaldehyde, acrylonitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or a combination thereof.

7. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims when the filler components are manufactured from glass.

8. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims when the filler components are manufactured from ceramic.

9. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims when the filler components are manufactured from a polymeric material.

10. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the filler components are beads.

11. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the one or more resins are present in the material in a quantity of 5 to 45 pbw.

12. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the filler components are present in the material in a quantity of 50 to 80 pbw.

13. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims including one or more hardeners.

14. A material as claimed in Claim 13 wherein the amount of hardener in pbw will be calculated from the resin weight.

15. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims also comprising one or more co-fillers selected from the group consisting calcium carbonate, barium sulphate, talc, silica, fumed silica, fumed alumina, alumina, quartz, cement, gypsum, precipitated silicates and silica gel silicates.

16. A material as claimed in Claim 15 wherein the co- fillers are present in a quantity of 10 to 25 pbw.

17. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims comprising additives selected from the group consisting of anti-foam, anti-settling agent, wetting agent, anti-blocking agent or fire retardant.

18. A material as claimed in Claim 17 wherein the anti- settling agent is selected from the group consisting of fumed alumina, fumed silica, betones or organo- clays.

19. A material as claimed in Claim 17 wherein the anti- blocking agent is precipitated or fumed silica.

20. A material as claimed in Claim 17 wherein the additives are present in a quantity of 3 to 5 pbw.

21. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims including a diluant such as water or solvent.

22. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the resin is set by self curing, drying, UV cure, moisture cure, use of chemical hardeners or thermal setting.

23. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the resin acts as a binder to bind the filler components and to fill any voids between the filler components.

24. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims having an MoH hardness of 6 to 7.

25. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims applied to a surface as a top coat.

26. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims manufactured by mixing the one or more resins with the filler components.

27. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims which can be applied to the surface by pouring.

28. A material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 26, which can be applied to the surface by spraying.

29. A material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 26, which can be applied to the surface by trowelling.

30. A material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 26, which can be applied by to the surface by rolling.

31. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims which can be applied to the surface in a one coat application.

32. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims which is provided in a pre-fabricated form.

33. A material as claimed in Claim in 32 which is provided in pre-formed tile form.

34. A material as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the shape of the filler components gives the material the smoothly undulating surface.

35. A material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 33 wherein the material is poured into a mould to set, wherein the mould imparts on the material the smoothly undulating surface.

36. A material as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 33 wherein the smoothly undulating surface is created after application of material to the surface.

37. A material as claimed in Claim 36 wherein the undulating surface is created by embossing or rolling.