Methods for grinding and polishing dried concrete using amorphous colloidal silica solution

• US 9,073,165 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Polishing Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Global Polishing Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Wetherell, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V
• Application Number:
  US14/171,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20140220867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 125/1, 125/26, 404/112, 451/28, 451/36, 451/41, 451/60, 510/240
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 1/00 Processes of grinding or polishing; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such processes
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 1/007 abrasive treatment to obtain an aged or worn-out appearance
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/044 characterised by the composition of the lapping agent
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/18 for grinding floorings, walls, ceilings or the like machines or devices for cleaning floorings A47L11/00, A47L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/186 with disc-type tools
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/22 for grinding inorganic material, e.g. stone, ceramics, porcelain
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 7/226 in which the tool is supported by the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/20 by planing, e.g. channelling by means of planing tools
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5089 Silica sols, alkyl, ammonium or alkali metal silicate cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/53 involving the removal of at least part of the materials of the treated article, e.g. etching, drying of hardened concrete C04B41/0036 - C04B41/0054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/68 Silicic acid; Silicates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/72 involving the removal of part of the materials of the treated articles, e.g. etching
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/16 Load-carrying floor structures wholly or partly cast or similarly formed in situ E04B5/43 - E04B5/48 take precedence; floors merely characterised by the prefabricated elements E04C
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/12 Flooring or floor layers made of masses in situ, e.g. seamless magnesite floors, terrazzo gypsum floorsinorganic or bituminous masses C04B; organic plastic masses C08L
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/24 of masses made in situ, e.g. smoothing tools E04F21/04 takes precedence; finishing of concrete roads or pavings E01C19/40; devices for levelling concrete floors E04G21/10; devices for solidifying concrete floors by vibrating E04G21/066
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/248 used by an operator walking behind the trowel, i.e. walk-behind power trowels

Abstract

Systems and methods for treating concrete, which includes the steps of wetting a surface of concrete with a amorphous colloidal silica, allowing time for the colloidal silica to penetrate the concrete surface, and cutting the surface of the concrete with a bladed tool wherein the longitudinal blade portion is positioned approximately at an angle between 30 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the surface of the concrete.

Claims

1. A method for grinding and polishing dried concrete, comprising the steps of:

wetting a surface of dried concrete with a solution including amorphous colloidal silica, wherein the solution acts as an abrasive to facilitate removal of stock from the concrete surface;

permitting the colloidal silica to penetrate the concrete surface over time;

cutting the surface of the concrete with a bladed tool; and

applying pressure to the bladed tool to facilitate penetration and cross-linking of the amorphous colloidal silica with shavings of the concrete surface to harden the dried concrete.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein wetting the surface includes soaking the surface with the amorphous colloidal silica.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of soaking the surface with water or an aqueous solution before wetting the surface with the amorphous colloidal silica.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

applying a densifier to the cut surface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of allowing the surface to dry and applying a coloring product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein wetting comprises wetting a surface of fully cured concrete.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the bladed tool has at least one blade portion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one blade portion of the bladed tool is at an angle between 30 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the surface of the concrete.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the bladed tool does not include a fixed-point abrasive.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous colloidal silica has a particle size between 1 nanometer and 10 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bladed tool includes at least one blade portion and at least one fixed-point abrasive.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the colloidal silica is permitted to penetrate the concrete surface for 30 minutes prior to commencement of the cutting.

13. A method for grinding and polishing dried concrete, the method comprising:

wetting a surface of dried concrete with a solution including amorphous colloidal silica, wherein the solution acts as an abrasive to facilitate removal of stock from the concrete surface;

permitting the colloidal silica to penetrate the concrete surface for at least 30 minutes;

cutting the surface of the concrete with a bladed tool, the bladed tool having the blade portion at an angle between 30 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the surface of the concrete;

applying pressure to the bladed tool to facilitate penetration and cross-linking of the amorphous colloidal silica with shavings of the concrete surface to harden the dried concrete;

permitting the concrete surface to dry;

applying a coloring product to the concrete surface;

applying a concrete hardener to the concrete surface, wherein the concrete hardener is permitted to penetrate the concrete surface for at least 30 minutes;

dry polishing the concrete surface using a tool;

spraying the concrete surface with a sealer; and

polishing the concrete surface with a burnishing pad.