US3652301A

US3652301A - Polish composition

Info

Publication number: US3652301A
Application number: US866359A
Authority: US
Inventors: Almeda J Damron
Original assignee: ALMEDA J DAMRON
Current assignee: ALMEDA J DAMRON
Priority date: 1969-10-14
Filing date: 1969-10-14
Publication date: 1972-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 1989-03-28

Abstract

A new composition for the cleaning and polishing of copper and brass metals comprised of feldspar, sodium chloride, acetic acid, cereal starch and water in specific proportions.

Description

United States Patent Damron [451 Mar. 28, 1972 [54] POLISH COMPOSITION iT869,97'0 67T3 i Hbifiid. ...I ..l O6/3 [72] Inventor: Aimed J. Damn, 1120 Highland v 3,248,235 4/1966 Pryor ..l06/3 Avenue, Ashland, Ky. 41101 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1 Fi Oct- ,196 .Chem. Abstract v01; 65; 9187f, 1966 [21] Appl' 866359 Primary Examiner-Theodore Morris Attomey-Duckworth and Hobby [52] U.S. Cl ..106/5, 106/214 51 Int. Cl C09g 1/02 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search ..5 H302; 106/3, 5, 214; A new composition f the cleaning and polishing f copper 148/614 and brass metals comprised of feldspar, sodium chloride,

acetic acid, cereal starch and water in specific proportions. [56] References Cited 4 Claims, No Drawings UNITED STATES PATENTS 324,819 5/19 6 Mu rphy ..10m

POLISH COMPOSITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a new composition for cleaning metal and more particularly for cleaning and polishing copper and brass metal.

A further object of this invention is to produce a copper and brass cleaner and polish which may be readily applied and removed without waiting for the cleaning and polishing material to dry.

A further object of this invention is to produce a semifluid or gelatinous material which may be easily handled and uniformly applied so as to obtain a uniform and unstreaked surface on the metal cleaned and polished.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cleaning material which will quickly and efficiently clean copper or brass to a high luster but which will not scratch the surface of the metal so cleaned.

It is an additional object of this invention that it utilizes inexpensive yet efficient materials so as to allow the product to be sold at a price which is within the budget of the housewife.

2. Description of the Prior Art ln the past numerous attempts have been made to develop efficient and inexpensive compositions for the cleaning and polishing or buffing of copper and brass. Copper and brass are particularly difficult to keep in a condition of high luster due to their high reactivity to oxides, sulfides and the various other salts which are abundant in nature. This is particularly true where the brass and copper items to be cleaned are household utensils which may be handled frequently. The body salts and oils carried on the hands will readily be converted to copper oxides and salts at the metal surface after contact with the copper or brass, usually within minutes after the contact has occurred.

The previous attempts to provide copper or brass cleaning substances have not been uniformly successful. One of these materials has been of the type that is primarily harsh or coarse abrasives which remove the surface salts and oxides by scratching and scoring the surface of the metal to be cleaned.

This type of polishing then must be followed by a buffing operation to smooth the surface and restore the luster to the object polished. This type of mechanical cleaning and polishing causes early deterioration of the surface, especially if the copper or brass item is ofa decorative nature.

Another method of polishing metal which has not been entirely satisfactory involves the use of abrasive materials suspended in quick drying organic materials such as alcohols. These cleaning and polishing materials have the disadvantage of nonuniformity of abrasive particles which can result in streaked metal after the polishing process has been completed, thus necessitating additional polishing operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and novel copper and brass polishing composition acidic in nature and using only mildly abrasive material. The composition is so manufactured as to provide a uniform dispersion of the abrasive material which will allow uniform polishing action without numerous recleaning and repolishing operations. The method of manufacturing of the inventive cleaner and polisher provides for combining sodium chloride, acetic acid and water, and heating until the sodium chloride goes completely into solution. The solution is then cooled to ambient temperature and then combining it with a mixture of feldspar, soap and cereal starch. The resultant material is then agitated while being heated until it reaches the desired consistency for use as a metal polish.

The polish obtained by the instant invention is used by wetting the article to be polished, applying the polish with a brisk rubbing motion followed by immediately washing and drying.

and in any desired quantity from the small batch type operation to' the larger continuous automated manufacturing methods and therefore the proportions are described in relationship to each other so that any size batch may be produced.

In the manufacture of my improved brass and copper cleaner, as an abrasive I use feldspar (orthoclase). I have found that feldspar with a Mohs hardness of about 6 to be of sufficient hardness to provide the necessary abrasive qualities without scoring the surface of the item to be polished. It is considered to be an intermediate abrasive and when reduced in particle size to a minus 325 mesh has proven vastly superior in the instant invention to abrasives of greater hardness.

My abrasives are held in uniform dispersion throughout the polishing paste by the action of the cereal starch. The starch,

' preferably cornstarch, is a natural colloid and of large molecular size. The starch molecules are made up of large chains of multiple sugar units (polysaccharides) and will thicken when heated in the presence of the water and acetic acid of my invention. The starch so thickened and agitated in the presence of abrasive particles will serve to hold the abrasives in a uniform dispersion.

It is also necessary to add to my composition a trace amount of soap to act as a surfactant to assist in the removal of oils and other soluble materials which are on the surface of the item to be cleaned. This amount of soap may be varied to meet special application.

The method of making the metal polish of the instant invention includes the steps of combining together sodium chloride in a range of 16 percent by weight to 17 percent by weight of the total composition with acetic acid in a range of about 2 percent by weight to 6 percent by weight of the total composition and water in the range from 58 percent by weight of the composition to 62 percent by weight of the composition.

This mixture is then heated with mild agitation until all the sodium chloride has gone into solution. The resultant solution is then allowed to cool to ambient temperature. The cooled solution is combined with a mixture of cereal starch, preferably cornstarch, in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weight and feldspar in the range of 10.5 percent by weight to 11.5 percent by weight of the composition; and soap in an amount sufficient so as to act as a surfactant ingredient. The resulting mixture is then heated while being violently agitated until the composition reaches a pastelike consistency.

It is to be understood that the percentages of the various ingredients may be varied somewhat. Further, depending upon the nature of the tarnish on the copper or brass to be cleaned, one skilled in the art may vary the amounts of the ingredients of the polish or make the polish thicker or more fluid by regulating the amount of agitation and degree of heating done to the mixture.

A specific example of manufacture of the invention included combining for every parts, by weight, of composition prior to final heating 17 parts of sodium chloride, 3 parts of acetic acid, 7% parts of cornstarch, 11 parts of feldspar, with soap and 61% parts of water.

The components were combined in the order and manner described above. The resultant mixture was violently agitated with heat until a thickened consistency was reached. The thickened material was then applied to the copper portion of a kitchen pan which was severely tarnished in a brisk polishing motion. The pan was then washed and dried immediately and showed upon close examination a bright surface with a high degree of luster.

It is not completely understood the exact mechanism which causes my ingredients to act together to form a copper and brass polish. It is only known that the materials when combined and treated as described produce a polish which is unexpectedly superior to other products obtainable.

This invention is not'to be construed as limited to the particular forms described and disclosed herein, since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

I claim:

1. A composition for use as a metal polish consisting essentially of feldspar in a range of from 10.5 percent by weight to l 1.5 percent by weight, of the composition; sodium chloride in a range of from 16 percent by weight to 17 percent by weight of the composition; cereal starch in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weight of the composition; acetic acid in a range of from 2 percent by weight to 6 percent by weight of the composition; a surfactant agent; and water within the range of 58 percent to 62 percent by weight of the composition which has been heated to form a thickened pastelike substance.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.

3. The method of making a metal polish including the step of combining sodium chloride in the range of from 16 percent by weight to 17 percent by weight of the composition with acetic acid in a range of about 2 percent by weight to 6 percent by weight of the composition and water in a range of from 5 8 percent by weight to 62 percent by weight of the composition, heating said mixture until all of said sodium chloride is in solution, combining with the resultant solution a mixture of cereal starch in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weight of the composition and feldspar in a range of 10.5 percent by weight to 11.5 percent by weight of the composition and a surfactant and heating the mixture while agitating until said composition reaches a thickened pastelike consistency.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.

Claims

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.
3. The method of making a metal polish including the step of combining sodium chloride in the range of from 16 percent by weight to 17 percent by weight of the composition with acetic acid in a range of about 2 percent by weight to 6 percent by weight of the composition and water in a range of from 58 percent by weight to 62 percent by weight of the composition, heating said mixture until all of said sodium chloride is in solution, combining with the resultant solution a mixture of cereal starch in a range of from 6.5 percent by weight to 7.5 percent by weight of the composition and feldspar in a range of 10.5 percent by weight to 11.5 percent by weight of the composition and a surfactant and heating the mixture while agitating until said composition reaches a thickened pastelike consistency.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the cereal starch is cornstarch.