Abrading – Abrading process
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-17
2002-09-24
Nguyen, George (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Abrading process
C451S041000, C451S058000, C451S060000, C451S353000, C404S078000, C052S741150, C264S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06454632
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for polishing concrete surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method for polishing and/or repairing concrete walls, floors, and the like using a silicon based compound so that the sheen appearance of the polished concrete remains for a longer period of time than the prior art.
2. State of the Art
Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials. Because of its strength, durability, ease of manufacture, ease of installation and relatively low cost, it is frequently the material of choice for floors, walls, and the like. However, there are many instances where it is desirable to provide a floor or wall surface that has a pleasing high gloss finish or shine. In such cases, concrete may be overlooked in favor of other more high cost materials such as marble, stone, terrazo, etc.
There are a number of known methods of cleaning and polishing marble and stone surfaces. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,493 issued to Donatelli et al. discloses a fairly typical method for stone polishing including the steps of applying a solution to a stone floor, mechanically polishing the floor with a rotary disc, and removing the excess slurry. This is accomplished by the use of a self-propelled battery operated stone floor polishing machine having dual rotating heads with detachable stone grinding, honing, and polishing pads. Also included in the machine is an integral solution tank for applying a liquid lubrication to the floor through the heads, a recovery tank for collecting the slurry generated by the grinding, honing, and polishing action and an integral squeegee system that removes the liquid and particle slurry and thereafter transfers the slurry to the recovery tank. The grinding pads are integrated with metallic alloys, bonding industrial diamond abrasives for grinding marble, granite, poured terrazzo, precast terrazzo, cement, concrete, porcelain tile, ceramic tile and teracotta tile.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,243 issuing to King discloses a similar apparatus. This device is used for cleaning, waxing, polishing and otherwise treating the surface of a floor, including such floors as wood, tile, vinyl, concrete and the like. The use of fluids are only discussed generally and no suggestion is made that a silicon based compound must be used.
Many different compounds have also been tried to polish concrete. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,662 issuing to Gehman et al., a water-clear aqueous coating composition containing a hydrophilic copolymer of low molecular weight, a water miscible organic coalescing agent or plasticizer, a polyvalent metal compound, an alkali-soluble resin and a wax are used to apply a transparent coating that increases shine to surfaces including concrete. Though this coating is used to increase shine, no silicon based compound is present.
However, the use of silicon based compounds as abrasives is well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,644 issuing to Smith et al. discloses a floor cleaning and waxing composition which may include silicate abrasives. U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,002 issuing to Davis discloses a floor care maintenance system including a floor finish stripper containing sodium metasilicate. U.S. Pat. No. 1,965,299 issuing to Patterson discloses an abrading and polishing composition for enamels, lacquers, etc., which may include a silicate abrasive agent. U.S. Pat. No. 2,196,992 issuing to Keller discloses a metal polish which contains sodium silicate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,891 issuing to Muhler discloses a household cleaning and polishing composition containing zirconium silicate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,305 issuing to Muhler discloses a dental amalgam polishing composition containing stannous silicate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,218 issuing to Gamble discloses a glass polishing composition containing zirconium silicate. Notably, none of these prior art methods mention or suggest the use of silicates or other silicon based compounds as a polishing and hardening/densifying compound for concrete.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of hardening, densifying, and/or polishing a concrete surface using a slurry containing organic or inorganic compounds of silicon, including silicates, siliconates, fluorosilicates, siloxanes, silazanes, halosilanes or combinations thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of mechanically polishing a concrete surface to obtain an aesthetically pleasing high gloss using a polishing solution comprised of silicates, siliconates, fluorosilicates, siloxanes, silazanes, halosilanes or combinations thereof.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of internally densifying and/or hardening a concrete surface using silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, or silane based compounds.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of honing, smoothing, and/or polishing a rough concrete surface using silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, or silane based compounds.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of improving the hydrophobic characteristics of a concrete surface using silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, or silane based compounds.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method that enables the user to determine the desired level of shine to be applied to the concrete and accomplish that level of shine.
These and other objects are realized in a specific illustrative embodiment of a method of hardening and polishing concrete surfaces. This method includes the steps of densifying and hardening the concrete surface by applying a silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, silicon ester, and/or silane based hardening/densifying compound, allowing the hardening/densifying compound to remain in contact with the concrete surface for a period of time sufficient to allow the surface of the concrete to undergo hardening/densifying, and polishing the surface with a diluted polishing compound comprising water or diluted silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, and/or silane. The surface polishing step includes applying to a concrete surface a diluted polishing compound comprising water or diluted silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, silicon ester, and/or silane, mechanically or otherwise polishing the concrete surface with a drum, disc or pad, e.g., a rotary drum or disc polishing machine may be utilized, cleaning the concrete surface and then repeating the above steps with polishing discs, drums or pads of increasingly finer grit until the surface obtains an aesthetically desirable level of shine.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a rough concrete surface may be honed and polished by the steps of cleaning the surface, honing the surface with a rough grit honing disc so as to produce a smooth even surface, using water or other another aqueous liquid as a lubricant, applying to the concrete surface a silicate, siliconate, fluorosilicate, siloxane, silazane, silicon ester and/or silane based hardening/densifying compound, allowing the hardening/densifying compound to remain in contact with the surface for a period of time sufficient to allow the compound to harden/densify the concrete surface, and polishing the surface with a diluted polishing compound as described above. Additional optional steps may be followed, including cleaning the concrete when appropriate, removing excess hardening/densifying compound and/or allowing the hardening/densifying compound in contact with the concrete surface to dry.
Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, based on the following description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A concrete surface, such as a floor or wall, may be polished in accordance with the present invention once it has cured sufficiently. Adequa
Jones Jerald W.
Maxfield Perry
Curecrete Chemical Company, Inc.
Nguyen George
Thorpe North & Western, LLP.
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