METHOD OF REFURBISHING VINYL COMPOSITION TILE

• US 20130065490A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Landin, Donald T., McArdie, James L.
• Application Number:
  US13/230,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 451/28
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 1/00 Processes of grinding or polishing; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such processes
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/186 with disc-type tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 11/00 Constructional features of flexible abrasive materials; Special features in the manufacture of such materials
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 13/14 acting by the front face

Abstract

A method of refurbishing vinyl composition tile flooring includes sequentially wet abrading an exposed surface of a vinyl composition tile floor with a series of structured abrasive members affixed to a machine driver pad, wherein the series of structured abrasive members have decreasing abrasive particle size. The method may include a prior abrading step using and aggressive nonwoven abrasive article. The method may include application of polymeric finish after abrading.

Claims

1. A method of refurbishing vinyl composition tile flooring, the method comprising sequential steps:

wet abrading at least a portion of an exposed surface of a floor comprising vinyl composition tiles with first structured abrasive members affixed to a first machine driver pad, the first structured abrasive members comprising first shaped abrasive composites affixed to a first compliant backing, wherein the first shaped abrasive composites comprise first abrasive particles dispersed in a first polymeric binder, wherein the first abrasive particles have a first average particle size; and

b) wet abrading said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor with second structured abrasive members affixed to a second machine driver pad, the second structured abrasive members comprising second shaped abrasive composites affixed to a second compliant backing, wherein the second shaped abrasive composites comprise second abrasive particles dispersed in a second polymeric binder, wherein the second abrasive particles have a second average particle size, and wherein the second average particle size is less than the first average particle size; and

wherein average surface roughness R_a of said at east a portion of the exposed surface of the floor decreases during each of steps a) and b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein average surface roughness R_z of said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor decreases during each of steps a) and b).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first structured abrasive members further comprise a first attachment interface system secured to the first compliant backing, the first attachment interface system having a plurality of loops opposite the first compliant backing, wherein the first structured abrasive members are affixed to the first machine driver pad by a first attachment interface member having two opposed major faces having hooks extending therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first structured abrasive members further comprise a compliant foam layer secured to the first compliant backing, and an attachment interface system having a plurality of hooks opposite the compliant foam layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the second structured abrasive members further comprise a compliant foam layer secured to the second compliant backing, and an attachment interface system having a plurality of hooks opposite the compliant foam layer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the second structured abrasive members further comprises a second attachment interface system secured to the second compliant backing, the second attachment interface system having a plurality of loops opposite the second compliant backing, wherein the second structured abrasive members arc affixed to the second machine driver pad by an attachment interface member having two opposed major faces having hooks extending therefrom.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second machine driver pads are compressible and resilient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first shaped abrasive composites, the second shaped abrasive composites, or both, are precisely-shaped.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the s average particle size is in a range of from 400 microns to 600 microns.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second average particle size is in a range of from 25 microns to 75 microns.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second shaped abrasive composites comprises superabrasive particles retained in a vitreous binder.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein after step b) the average surface roughness R_a of said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor is less than or equal to 95 microinches.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after step b):

c) wet abrading said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor with third structured abrasive members affixed to a third compressible resilient machine driver pad, the third structured abrasive members comprising third shaped abrasive composites affixed to a third compliant backing, wherein the third shaped abrasive composites comprise third abrasive particles dispersed in a third polymeric binder, wherein the third abrasive particles have a third average particle size, and wherein the third average particle size is less than the second average particle size; and

wherein the average surface roughness R_a of said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor decreases during step c).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein after step c), the abraded exposed surface of the floor has an average surface roughness of less than 80 microinches.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising, subsequent to step b), applying a clear polymeric finish to said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor.

16. A method of refurbishing vinyl flooring, the method comprising sequential steps:

a) wet abrading at least a portion of an exposed surface of a floor comprising vinyl composition tiles with a nonwoven abrasive member, wherein the nonwoven abrasive member comprises a nonwoven fiber web having first abrasive particles adhered thereto by a first polymeric binder, wherein the first abrasive particles have a first average particle size;

b) wet abrading said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor with first structured abrasive members affixed to a first machine driver pad, the first structured abrasive members comprising first shaped abrasive composites affixed to a first compliant backing, wherein the first shaped abrasive composites comprise second abrasive particles dispersed in a second polymeric binder, wherein the second abrasive particles have a second average particle size that is smaller than the first average particle size; and

c) wet abrading said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor with second structured abrasive members affixed to a second machine driver pad, the second structured abrasive members comprising second shaped abrasive composites affixed to a second compliant backing, wherein the second shaped abrasive composites comprise third abrasive particles dispersed in a third polymeric binder, wherein the third abrasive particles have a third average particle size, and wherein the third average particle size is less than the second average particle size; and

wherein average surface roughness R_a of the abraded exposed surface of the floor decreases during each of steps b) and c).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the nonwoven abrasive member comprises a floor finish stripping pad.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein average surface roughness R_z of said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor decreases during each of steps a) and b).

19. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the first structured abrasive members further comprise a compliant foam layer secured to the first compliant backing, and an attachment interface system having a plurality of hooks opposite the compliant foam layer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the second structured abrasive members further comprise a compliant foam layer secured to the second compliant backing, and an attachment interface system having a plurality of hooks opposite the compliant foam layer.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the first structured abrasive members further comprise a first attachment interface system secured to the first compliant backing, the first attachment interface system having a plurality of loops opposite the first compliant backing, wherein the first structured abrasive members are affixed to the first machine driver pad by a first attachment interface member having two opposed major faces having hooks extending therefrom.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the second structured abrasive members further comprises a second attachment interface system secured to the second compliant backing, the second attachment interface system having a plurality of loops opposite the second compliant backing, wherein the second structured abrasive members are affixed to the second machine driver pad by an attachment interface member having two opposed major faces having hooks extending therefrom.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second machine driver pads are compressible and resilient.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the first shaped abrasive composites, the second shaped abrasive composites, or both, are precisely-shaped.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the second average particle size is in a range of from 400 microns to 600 microns.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the third average particle size is in a range of from 25 microns to 75 microns.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first or second shaped abrasive composites comprises superabrasive particles retained in a vitreous binder.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein after step c) the average surface roughness R_a of the abraded exposed surface of the floor is less than or equal to 2.4 microns.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising, after step c):

d) wet abrading said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor with third structured abrasive members affixed to a third compressible resilient machine driver pad, the third structured abrasive members comprising third shaped abrasive composites affixed to a third compliant backing, wherein the third shaped abrasive composites comprise fourth abrasive particles dispersed in a fourth polymeric binder, wherein the fourth abrasive particles have a fourth average particle size, and wherein the fourth average particle size is less than the third average particle size; and

wherein the average surface roughness R_a of said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor decreases during step d).

30. The method of claim 16, wherein after step d), the average surface roughness R_a of said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor is less than or equal to 80 microinches.

31. The method of claim 16, further comprising, subsequent to step c), applying a clear polymeric finish to said at least a portion of the exposed surface of the floor.