Metal and fiberglass cleaning and polishing article

An abrasive metal and fiberglass cleaner and polish article comprises a substrate presenting an abrasive surface and being capable of absorbing and retaining a fluid, and a metal and fiberglass cleanser absorbed in the substrate, the cleanser being an oil-in-water emulsion comprising a solvent, a surfactant, an oxidation removing agent, an emulsifier, and a carrier, whereby cleansing action is achieved by the emulsion, and abrasive cleansing action is achieved by the abrasive surface of the substrate. The substrate can comprise a cloth-like towel. A plurality of such towels are packaged into a re-sealable, flexible, vinyl pouch, removed one at a time, as necessary, to accomplish the complete cleaning task.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 This invention relates in general to cleaning compositions, and, more
 particularly, to metal and fiberglass cleaners and polish.
 Metal cleaning and polish formulations typically contain a solvent to
 remove surface organic contaminants, surfactants to emulsify the solvent
 into a water vehicle, other surfactants to help rinse residues from a
 cleaned surface, acids to dioxide contaminants, and abrasives to help the
 acids deoxidize contaminants and to help polish the cleaned metal surface.
 However, these products generally contain sharp, jagged, abrasive
 particles of about 15 microns in size. Although these abrasives will
 polish metal surfaces, scratching generally occurs with the softer metals
 such as brass. In addition, current systems utilize sizable quantities of
 ammonia as a penetrating agent, and this can cause discomfort to the user.
 Other metal cleaners may solely comprise acids which are used to clean
 oxidation contaminants. These may be too aggressive in that permanent
 metal damage can occur, and the residues of such cleaners could result in
 environmental disposal concerns.
 After cleaning contaminated surfaces such as brass, a blackish colored
 residue must be physically removed with a cloth, or may sometimes be
 rinsed with clean water and a cloth. This process often results in
 re-application of these residues from rags back onto the metal surface,
 with undesirable cleaning results. Similar problems result from cleaning
 other metal surfaces, including copper, gold, silver, stainless steel,
 chrome, aluminum, anodized aluminum, magnesium, pewter, nickel, bronze and
 factory gun bluing.
 Some typical metal cleaners and polishes have gelatinous or paste-like high
 viscosity, requiring a separate rag or applicator to apply. Application is
 difficult due to this high viscosity, which is necessary so that finely
 divided polish powders can be held in even suspension throughout the body
 of the cleaner. If the cleaner is allowed to dry on the metal surface,
 removal of oxidation contaminants becomes very difficult using
 conventional dry polishing cloths. In most cases, the metal has to be
 re-wetted and cleaned once again with the paste-like cleaner so
 contaminants may be thoroughly removed. Another disadvantage with using
 this type of cleaner on surfaces having an excess of oxidation
 contaminants is that the powder polish portion of the formulation needs
 the assistance of additional abrasion such as metal brushes to completely
 clean the metal. An additional disadvantage is that if a plentiful supply
 of clean polishing cloths are not readily available, then the user has a
 tendency to reapply contaminants back onto the metal surface. Still other
 products are currently available that exhibit a non-gelatinous
 consistency. They are generally used by pouring the cleaner into a bowl
 and then dipping a cloth into the polish to distribute it on the surface
 to be cleaned. This process is very messy and time consuming, and produces
 a large amount of waste.
 Similarly, prior attempts to clean fiberglass have included compositions
 incorporating solvent, harsh acids, detergent, and mechanical abrasion.
 Problems associated with such prior conventional cleaning processes
 include softening, scratching, and discoloration of these types of
 fiberglass surfaces.
 There is, therefore, a need to provide a metal and fiberglass cleaning and
 polish article having non-scratching abrasive characteristics that will
 provide a low viscosity, easily applied cleaner which does not require
 numerous applicator and polishing towels. There is also a need to provide
 such a cleaning and polishing article which does not require the cleaner
 or oxidation contaminants to be rinsed or removed using additional towels.
 SUMMARY OF INVENTION
 It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a metal and
 fiberglass cleaner and polish article that is comprised of a low viscosity
 liquid that is saturated onto an abrasive, non-woven towel, so that a
 uniform, controlled amount of cleaner can be utilized for ease of
 application, and to prevent an excessive amount of liquid from damaging
 part of the metal surface.
 It is a further object of the present invention to provide a metal and
 fiberglass cleaner and polish article which utilizes a non-scratching
 abrasive surface (or surfaces) on the towel to aid the polish powders in
 the formulation to achieve better cleaning of oxidation contaminants, and
 to prevent scratching of softer metals such as brass. This non-scratching
 abrasive surface also eliminates the necessity of using brushes or other
 mechanical devices.
 It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a metal and
 fiberglass cleaner and polish article which utilizes a non-woven towel
 that has excellent absorption properties so that oxidation contaminants
 may be absorbed into the towel during the cleaning process, thereby
 greatly reducing the effort required in using dry polish cloths.
 It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a metal
 and fiberglass cleaner and polish article which incorporates a liquid
 cleaner and polish formulation absorbed into a towel so that no additional
 cloths or other devices are needed to completely accomplish the task of
 cleaning or polishing the metal and fiberglass surfaces.
 It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a metal and
 fiberglass cleaner and polish article which removes oxidation and other
 contaminants from a surface, and also provides polishing action on that
 surface, without the need to use an additional towel or other tool for
 polishing.
 To accomplish these and other related objects of the invention, a metal and
 fiberglass cleaner and polish article is provided comprising a substrate,
 such as a cloth-like towel similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No.
 4,833,003 to Kimberly-Clark, presenting at least one abrasive surface, the
 substrate presenting a matrix capable of absorbing and retaining a metal
 and fiberglass cleaning fluid, wherein the cleaning fluid in an
 oil-in-water emulsion comprising a solvent, a surfactant, an emulsifier,
 oxidation removing agents, and a carrier. The article is packaged into a
 re-sealable vinyl, flexible pouch. The towels are removed, generally one
 at a time, and used as necessary to accomplish the complete cleaning task.
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
 A metal and fiberglass cleaner and polish article is provided comprising an
 abrasive substrate having a metal and fiberglass cleanser incorporated
 therein. The abrasive substrate of the preferred embodiment comprises a
 cloth-like towel having at least one abrasive surface. The abrasive
 surface can be formed in several different manners from a number of
 different materials. According to one embodiment of this invention, the
 towel can be similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,003 to
 Kimberly-Clark entitled "Uniformly Moist Abrasive Wipes," issued May 23,
 1989, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The towel
 encompassed within the scope of this invention has two opposed surfaces,
 with an abrasive component being permanently attached to or an integral
 part of at least one surface thereof, although it is possible for the
 abrasive component to be present on both surfaces of the towel.
 The term "abrasive" as used herein refers to an abrasive ingredient or
 component which, as discussed above, comprises a surface texture that
 enables the towel to produce a mild scrubbing, scouring or abrading action
 to effectively remove oxidation and other similar contaminants from a
 surface, while not harming that surface by scratching or the like. The
 degree of abrasiveness can vary widely, depending primarily upon the
 abrasive component on the substrate and the degree of texture which is
 formed by such abrasive component. Typically, the abrasive surface is
 somewhat coarse and roughened as compared to a smooth surface of the
 towel. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, the
 preferred abrasive towel is adequately mildly abrasive so as to avoid
 scratching or otherwise harming the metal or fiberglass surface intended
 to be cleaned and polished by the towel, while having sufficient abrading
 qualities to effectively remove embedded soils, oxidized contaminants,
 soap deposits, grease and other contaminants from the cleaned surface.
 Although the abrasive properties are very mild in the sense of not cutting
 or scratching the surface being cleaned and polished, the texture is
 relatively high so as to remove dried or embedded contaminants from the
 object being cleaned and polished.
 This abrasive component may comprise a layer of fibers and/or globules
 bonded to the surface of a substrate, such as a layer of fibers or fiber
 bundles and minute, generally spherical masses having a wide range of
 acceptable diameters, namely from about 40 microns to about 200 microns.
 Due to the irregular nature of such fibers and globules it is recognized
 that the diameter is approximate, as such fibers and globules typically
 are not perfectly round. These fibers and globules can be formed from
 polymeric materials by known means, such as by melt blowing, bonding,
 spinning and the like. It is not necessary to incorporate a combination of
 fibers and globules, as it is possible to utilize either component by
 itself as the abrasive. Alternately, the abrasive component may comprise
 any number of known particulates which can function as an abrasive when
 bonded onto a substrate.
 In one embodiment, one side of the towel is provided with a smooth,
 non-abrasive surface which can be useful for polishing and wiping. Such a
 surface has minimal texture and minimal frictional resistance relative to
 the abrasive side of the towel.
 To be optimally effective, the abrasive component of this invention can
 account for a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 90% of the surface area of
 the abrasive side of the towel, with the remaining side having a smooth,
 non-abrasive surface for wiping and polishing. It is anticipated that both
 sides of the towel can have abrasive components incorporated thereon, and
 that the percentage of abrasive component on each side can differ as
 desired for a particular application.
 In addition, the towel must be capable of absorbing and retaining a
 predetermined amount of fluid, such as the liquid cleaning formulation
 which is associated herewith, sufficient to provide a uniformly moist
 towel. The absorbent character of the towel encompassed herein is achieved
 by a system of voids or pores which absorb and tightly retain the liquid
 formulation, such as by capillary action. The towel should also be capable
 of readily releasing the liquid during use. The specific void or pore
 volume of the structure of the towel regulates the amount of fluid which
 can be retained in the towel. In one embodiment, the towel is composed of
 a non-woven material which has an affinity to absorb the fluid and is able
 to absorb or otherwise retain oxidation and other contaminants which have
 been removed from the cleaned surface.
 The non-woven material contemplated for use with this invention can be any
 of a number of substrates. These fibers can be natural or manufactured,
 both regenerated and synthetic, as long as they incorporate the
 characteristics listed above. These fibers can include polypropylene,
 polyester nylon, rayon, cotton, wood pulp, cellulose, polyethylene,
 polyvinyl, viscose, polyurethane, and blends thereof.
 The liquid metal and fiberglass cleanser which is incorporated onto the
 towel is an oil-in-water emulsion formulation capable of removing
 oxidation contaminants, soap deposits, grease, embedded soils and other
 contaminants from metal and fiberglass surfaces. This emulsion formulation
 has a viscosity sufficient for being easily absorbed into the pores or
 voids of the towel through capillary action. The emulsion of the present
 invention comprises a solvent, a surfactant, am emulsifier, oxidation
 removing agents and a carrier. Such an emulsion formulation is as follows:

Ingredients Preferred Range (by wt. %)
 Solvent 5.0-40.0
 Surfactant 1.0-15.0
 Emulsifier 0.5-10.0.
 Oxidation removing agent 1.1-24.0
 Deoxized Water 15.0-70.0
 In a preferred embodiment, the emulsion comprises odorless mineral spirits
 as the solvent, anionic tall oil/fatty acid as the surfactant, an oleomide
 diethanolanime thickener as an emulsifier, and water as the carrier. The
 solvent is preferably one capable of solubilizing greasy, oily soils, and
 for example can include aliphatic solvents, dibasic esters, petroleum
 oils, vegetable oils, terpenes, alcohols, glycols, glycol ethers,
 furfuryls, petroleum distillates and polyols. The surfactant system
 preferably contains an anionic surfactant suitable for emulsification. The
 oxidation removing agents can include a variety of ingredients which
 remove oxidation and penetrate through oxidation contaminants. Other
 ingredients can optionally also include anti-bacterial preservatives and
 abrasive particulates.
 An example of a preferred formulation embodied by this invention is as
 follows, with the acceptable ranges of ingredients being indicated:
 EXAMPLE 2

Ingredients Acceptable Range of %
 Odorless Mineral Spirits 5.0-40.0
 Acintol FA-3 1.0-15.0
 Mackamide O 0.5-10.0
 Sulfamic Acid 0.5-10.0
 Aqua Ammonia 0.5-10.0
 Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate 0.1-4.0
 Deoxized Water 15.0-70.0
 The mineral spirits listed function as a solvent, which pre-cleans the
 metal or fiberglass surfaces to remove grease, soap deposits, oil or
 similar contaminants therefrom. Such a solvent useful in accordance with
 this invention is one which is capable of solubilizing greasy, oily soils.
 Some of the preferred solvents which can be substituted for the mineral
 spirits include other aliphatic solvents, aromatic solvents, acetones,
 ketones, terpenes, glycol ethers, dibasic esters, glycols, furfuyls,
 polyols, vegetable oils, alcohols, and other petroleum distillates.
 The surfactant can be Unitol LFA, a tall oil fatty acid, which acts as an
 emulsifier to achieve an oil-in-water emulsion with the mineral spirits.
 Other acceptable emulsifiers include oleic acid. Similar emulsions may
 also be prepared using non-ionic systems, however anionic systems are
 preferred in this formulation.
 A thickener is included in the emulsion, which also acts as a stabilizer to
 help achieve a stable water-and-oil emulsion. In the above formulation,
 the thickener and stabilizer is Mackamide O, which is an olemide
 diethanolamine. Equally useful in accordance with the teachings of this
 invention are cocoamide diethanolamines and sorbitan monoleate. Other
 suitable thickeners may include natural gums or cellulose.
 Water is provided as a carrier.
 Sulfamic acid is included in the preferred emulsion formulation of this
 invention to help remove oxidation from the metal. In addition to the
 sulfamic acid, other useful ingredients for performing this function
 include oxalic, citric and acidic acids. Ammonia is a penetrating agent to
 accelerate through oxidized metals for faster cleaning. Tetrapotassium
 pyrophosphate is used for faster and more complete removal of cleaned
 oxides from metal surfaces.
 A more specific example of an emulsion formulation in accordance with a
 preferred embodiment of the present invention is as follows:
 EXAMPLE 3

Ingredients Preferred % By Weight
 Odorless Mineral Spirits 30.000
 Acintol FA-3 8.000
 Mackamide O 2.000
 Sulfamic Acid 1.000
 Aqua Ammonia 2.2500
 Formaldehyde 37% 0.1500
 Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate 0.2000
 Alumina Oxide 25.000
 Deoxized Water 31.400
 In the above example, formaldehyde is optionally incorporated in the
 formulation as an anti-bacterial preservative. Also included in the above
 example is alumina oxide, a finely divided abrasive which can further
 enhance the abrasive component incorporated on one or both sides of the
 towel as previously described. This abrasive ingredient in the emulsion
 formulation of the present invention is optional, although it may be
 desirable to include in the formulation for removing excessive amounts of
 extreme oxidation found on some metal surfaces.
 Additional examples of emulsion formulations in accordance with the present
 invention include the following:
 EXAMPLE 4

Ingredients Preferred % By Weight
 Odorless Mineral Spirits 25.000
 Acintol FA-3 6.000
 Mackamide O 1.500
 Sulfamic Acid 8.000
 Aqua Ammonia 9.000
 Formaldehyde 37% 0.1500
 Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate 3.5000
 Alumina Oxide 30.000
 Deoxized Water 16.850
 In preparing the metal and fiberglass cleaning and polishing article of a
 preferred embodiment, a plurality of abrasive towels are provided in a
 container as a stack of individual towels. The metal cleaner and polish
 formulation is then added to the container, preferably by pouring the same
 over the stack of towels, thereby saturating the towels with the
 formulation within the container. The capillary action associated with the
 void volume of the towel as discussed above causes the metal cleaner and
 polish formulation to be distributed evenly throughout the stack of
 towels.
 An example of a suitable container for holding the towels comprises a
 resealable, flexible vinyl pouch which can be selectively sealed, and can
 provide an opening through which the towels can be removed from the
 container. This opening allows for the passage of towels from the interior
 of the container via the opening, whereby individual towels can be removed
 singly by pulling the towel through the opening.
 In use, an individual towel is removed from the container as described
 above. When properly prepared, the towel contains an amount of the liquid
 cleaner and polish formulation sufficient to thoroughly remove oxidants or
 other contaminants from surfaces. As the towel is rubbed on the surface,
 it releases the liquid cleaner and polish formulation and allows it to
 have extended contact time with the contaminants. It also provides for
 continuous removal action without the need to apply additional removal
 liquid. The abrasive character of the towel facilitates removal of
 embedded soils without leaving any abrasive residue on the cleaned
 surface, which residue would otherwise necessitate rinsing the surface
 with water after the cleansing process to thoroughly remove the abrasive
 residue. Further, the nature of the article facilitates removal of the
 dissolved oxidation and other contaminant residue, and leaves a clean and
 polished surface, without the need for rinsing or additional towels or
 other tools. It is understood, however, that surfaces which contain an
 excessive amount of oxidation may require rinsing or wiping with a clean
 towel.
 In one embodiment of the present invention, the article presents one
 abrasive surface and one non-abrasive, smooth surface. The abrasive
 surface assists in the removal of oxidation and other contaminants as set
 forth above. The non-abrasive surface is useful for wiping and polishing a
 surface once the oxidation and other contaminants have been loosened or
 removed.
 In one embodiment, the towel is comprised of a non-woven polypropylene that
 absorbs the softened oxidation and other contaminant residue to achieve a
 clean surface. Thus, an article for removing oxidation, soap deposits,
 grease and other contaminants is provided without the negative features
 associated with metal polishes in the prior art.
 The metal and fiberglass polish and cleaner article of the present
 invention also assures efficient use of the formulation, since the proper
 amount of liquid cleaner is provided for each individual use. Further, the
 removed contaminants are absorbed into the towel, preventing their
 reapplication onto the surface to be cleaned, obviating the need for using
 additional cleaning tools such as cloths or polishing brushes.
 This product is useful for cleaning and polishing metals and fiberglass.
 Examples of metal surfaces where this product is useful include, but are
 not limited to, brass, copper, gold, silver, stainless steel, chrome,
 aluminum, anodized aluminum, magnesium, pewter, nickel, bronze and factory
 gun bluing.
 From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted
 to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with
 other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the
 structure.
 It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of
 utility and may be employed without reference to other features and
 subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the
 claims.
 Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without
 departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter
 herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be
 interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.