Nonwoven surface treating articles and methods of making and using same

A nonwoven surface treating article suitable for treating surfaces while emitting little formaldehyde includes an open, lofty, three-dimensional nonwoven web of a plurality of thermoplastic organic fibers a bound together at places where they contact by a binder, binder comprising 1) a copolymer of an acrylate monomer and an acrylamide monomer, 2) the crosslinked reaction product of a polyol and a melamine crosslinking agent, and 3) the reaction product of a urea derivative and formaldehyde.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to nonwoven surface treating articles which are 
useful for surface treatment, particularly polishing of various surfaces. 
2. Related Art 
The appearance of a surface may be indicated by "shininess", or "gloss". 
The "gloss" produced by buffing a surface with a surface treating article 
attached to a conventional rotary floor machine depends on a number of 
factors. Among these are the type of abrasive article employed, the nature 
and amount of ancillary chemical used (if any) with the article, the 
pressure applied to the floor, the speed of rotation of the article, the 
treatment time at given pressure, etc. To ensure acceptable gloss 
production as a result of the treatment procedure, the user tries to 
optimize all of these parameters. The goal is a high gloss, high 
durability, stain resistant floor, achieved with a minimum of labor. 
Uniform, lofty, open, nonwoven three-dimensional abrasive articles are 
known for use in cleaning and polishing floors and other surfaces. 
Examples of such nonwoven surface treating articles are the nonwoven 
abrasive pads made according to the teachings of Hoover, et al., U.S. Pat. 
No. 2,958,593; McAvoy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,121; McAvoy, et al., U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,893,439; and McGurran, U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,496. Hoover et al. 
describe such nonwoven pads as comprising: 
many interlaced randomly disposed flexible durable tough organic fibers 
which exhibit substantial resiliency and strength upon prolonged 
subjection to water and oils. Fibers of the web are firmly bonded together 
at points where they intersect and contact one another by globules of an 
organic binder, thereby forming a three-dimensionally integrated 
structure. Distributed within the web and firmly adhered by binder 
globules at variously spaced points along the fibers are abrasive 
particles. 
Hoover, et al., at column 2, lines 61-70, column 3, line 1. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,496 (McGurran) describes nonwoven fibrous surface 
treating articles formed of entangled synthetic fibers bonded together at 
points where they contact one another by a binder resin comprising 
plasticized vinyl resin (e.g., polyvinyl chloride or "PVC") and a 
condensation polymerized amine-formaldehyde derivative (e.g., melamine). 
Nonwoven abrasive pads such as disclosed by McGurran, while finding wide 
ranging use, are disadvantageous from a production standpoint since the 
condensation polymerization reaction of the melamine during curing may 
generate volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOC). Various formaldehyde 
"scavengers", such as phenol, urea, dicyanodiamide, and 
beta-ketobutyramide, are known but each has its faults. Use of phenol is 
discouraged because it is a VOC. Dicyanodiamide and beta-ketobutyramide 
are incompatible with the melamine/PVC system because the system is 
organic in nature, and dicyanodiamide and beta-ketobutyramide are 
insoluble in the organic solvents frequently employed in production 
facilities used to dissolve or disperse the melamine/PVC. Urea is also 
insoluble in the organic solvents employed in production facilities, but 
can be incorporated into the melamine/PVC system in dry form; however, the 
resulting melamine/PVC/urea mixtures may be unstable. During the time 
period required for coating fibrous webs, phase separation of the urea 
from the melamine/PVC may occur, which may not be eliminated by decreasing 
the urea particle size. 
Urea, however, is much more soluble in aqueous solutions than either 
dicyanodiamide and beta-ketobutyramide, thus requiring less energy to 
remove water during coating, drying, and/or coating procedures. The Merck 
Index, page 1553, (1989) discloses that one gram of urea will be dissolved 
in only one milliliter of water at room temperature, whereas one gram of 
dicyanodiamide requires 3 milliliters of water, and beta-ketobutyramide 
requires 15 milliliters of water. 
Thus, it would be advantageous if binder precursor compositions could be 
developed for use in forming nonwoven abrasive articles having the 
performance characteristics described by McGurran, while avoiding the 
generation of VOCs and reducing energy consumption. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, surface treating articles are 
presented which address some of the above-noted concerns and which are 
useful in increasing gloss of vinyl, marble, wood, concrete, and the like. 
This invention provides a flexible and resilient, fibrous surface treating 
article comprising an open, lofty, nonwoven fibrous web formed of 
entangled, (preferably synthetic, organic fibers, such as polyester staple 
fibers) bonded together at points where they contact one another by an 
inventive binder. As used herein the term "binder" means a cured binder, 
whereas the term "binder precursor" means a coatable composition which 
includes a binder resin which, when exposed to curing conditions, becomes 
a binder. 
One embodiment of the inventive binder comprises 1) a copolymer of an 
acrylate monomer and an acrylamide monomer, 2) a crosslinked reaction 
product of a polyol and a melamine crosslinking agent, and 3) a reaction 
product of a urea derivative and formaldehyde. If the acrylamide monomer 
and melamine crosslinking agents have pendant alkylol groups (i.e., 
--RCH.sub.2 OH groups), it is within the scope of the invention that the 
urea derivative reacts also with the alkylol groups of the copolymer 
and/or the crosslinking agent. 
Formaldehyde is generated during curing from both the portion of the 
copolymer derived from acrylamide monomer, which has pendant --C(O)NR'R' 
groups, and the melamine crosslinking agent, which decomposes upon 
heating. 
The urea derivative (preferably urea) has at least one functional group 
which is reactive with aldehydes, and preferably another functional group 
independently reactive with groups selected from the group consisting of 
aldehydes and alkylol groups. The urea derivative also preferably has a 
solubility in water at room temperature (about 25.degree. C.) greater than 
1 gram per three milliliters of water. If two or more compounds are 
employed as the urea derivative, the solubility of the combination of 
compounds has the stated solubility. 
Another aspect of the invention is an aqueous, coatable, thermally 
condensable composition comprising: 
(a) an aqueous dispersible copolymer of an acrylate monomer and an 
acrylamide monomer; 
(b) an at least partially hydrolyzed polymer having a plurality of pendant 
hydroxy groups, the pendant hydroxy groups derived from a plurality of 
hydrolyzable pendant groups (preferably polyvinyl acetate); 
(c) a melamine crosslinking agent; and 
(d) a urea derivative. 
Preferred aqueous, coatable compositions are those wherein the urea 
derivative is urea, and those compositions which include a rheology 
modifying filler having a Mohs hardness equal to or less than calcium 
carbonate, such as calcium carbonate or amorphous silica. 
Another aspect of the invention is a second flexible and resilient, fibrous 
surface treating article as described in the first embodiment, except that 
the binder comprises 1) a copolymer of a styrenic monomer (preferably 
styrene) and a diene monomer (preferably butadiene), 2) a polyol, 3) an 
optional melamine crosslinking agent, and 4) an optional reaction product 
of a urea derivative and formaldehyde. It is within the scope of the 
invention that the urea derivative, if present, reacts with the hydroxyl 
groups of the polyol and with any formaldehyde originating from the 
optional melamine curing agent. Preferably, a melamine crosslinking agent 
is employed but at weight percentages low enough to avoid the use of a 
urea derivative for scavenging formaldehyde; any formaldehyde generated 
may then react with the hydroxyl groups of the polyol component. 
Another aspect of the invention is a second embodiment of an aqueous, 
coatable, thermally condensable composition comprising: 
(a) an aqueous dispersible copolymer of a styrenic monomer and a diene 
monomer; 
(b) an at least partially hydrolyzed polymer having a plurality of pendant 
hydroxy groups, the pendant hydroxy groups derived from a plurality of 
hydrolyzable pendant groups (preferably polyvinyl acetate); 
(c) an optional melamine crosslinking agent; and 
(d) an optional urea derivative. 
A further aspect of the invention is a method of increasing the gloss of 
hard surfaces. "Gloss" is determined in accordance with a standard test as 
described in the Test Methods section. The method comprises contacting a 
nonwoven surface treating article within the invention with the surface 
while causing relative movement between the surface and the article, 
thereby producing a high gloss surface. 
Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from 
the description which follows.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Binder Precursor Compositions 
A. Urea Derivatives 
The urea derivative has as its primary function the ability to react with 
aldehydes, particularly formaldehyde, generated during the thermal curing 
operations of the inventive binder precursor compositions. In the second 
article embodiment, where it is preferred that a melamine crosslinking 
agent is employed but at weight percentages low enough to avoid the use of 
a urea derivative for scavenging formaldehyde, any formaldehyde generated 
may react with the hydroxyl groups of the polyol component. 
The urea derivative may also participate in reactions with other binder 
precursors in dynamic equilibrium, functioning as a crosslinking agent 
between individual aqueous dispersible copolymer chains, between 
individual polyol chains, and/or between aqueous dispersible copolymer 
chains and polyol chains. 
A third function of the urea derivative is to react, also in dynamic 
equilibrium reactions, with nonreacted optional resin precursors, such as 
phenol and phenolic derivatives, such as resorcinol, m-cresol, 
3,5-xylenol, t-butyl phenol, p-phenylphenol and the like, and optional 
aldehydes such as additional formaldehyde (i.e. not generated form other 
binder precursors), acetaldehyde, chloral, butylaldehyde, furfural, and 
acrolein. 
Urea is one particularly preferred urea derivative because of its good 
water solubility and availability. Other particularly preferred urea 
derivatives are those compounds selected from the group consisting of: 
A) compounds selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by 
the general formula (I) 
##STR1## 
and mixtures thereof wherein X=O or S and Y=--NR.sup.3 R.sup.4 or 
--OR.sup.5, such that when X=S, Y=NR.sup.3 R.sup.4, each of 
R.sup.1,R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 is a monovalent radical 
selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl groups having 1 to 
about 10 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl groups having from about 2 to 4 carbon 
atoms and one or more hydroxyl groups, and hydroxypolyalkyleneoxy groups 
having one or more hydroxyl groups, and with the provisos that: 
(i) said compound contains at least one --NH and one --OH group or at least 
two --OH groups or at least two --NH groups; 
(ii) R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 or R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 can be linked to form a 
ring structure; and 
(iii) R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are never all hydrogen 
at the same time; 
B) compounds having molecular weight less than about 300 and selected from 
the group consisting of alkyl substituted 2-aminoalcohols, 
.beta.-ketoalkylamides, and nitro alkanes; 
C) poly(oxyalkylene) amines having molecular weight ranging from about 90 
to about 1000; and 
D) poly(oxyalkylene) ureido compounds having molecular weight ranging from 
about 90 to about 1000, 
and combinations of any two or more of these. 
Particularly preferred urea derivatives within general formula (I) include 
hydroxyethyl ethylene urea, or "HEEU" wherein X is O, Y=NR.sup.3 R.sup.4, 
R.sup.1 is 2-hydroxyethyl, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are linked to form an 
ethylene bridge, and R.sup.4 is hydrogen, and others listed in U.S. Pat. 
No. 5,039,759, columns 9-13, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
A preferred alkyl substituted 2-aminoalcohol useful in the invention is 
2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol. While some .beta.-ketoalkylamides, such as 
.beta.-ketobutyramide, are substantially lower in solubility than urea, it 
is within the scope of the invention to employ combinations of highly 
water soluble compounds (for example urea) with a compound having a low 
water solubility (such as .beta.-ketobutyramide). 
Additionally, nitroalkanes with at least 1 active hydrogen atom attached to 
the alpha carbon atom will react with aldehydes in the aqueous, coatable 
thermally condensable binder precursor compositions of this invention. 
Representative useful poly(oxyalkylene) amines include 
poly(oxyethylene-co-oxypropylene) amine, poly(oxypropylene) amine, and 
poly(oxypropylene) diamine, whereas representative poly(oxyalkylene) 
ureido compounds are the reaction product of urea and the 
poly(oxyalkylene) amines previously enumerated. These compounds are 
readily available from Texaco Chemical Company, Houston, Tex., under the 
trade designation "Jeffamine". 
B. Aqueous Dispersible Copolymer 
The primary function of the aqueous dispersible copolymer is to bind the 
fibers of the nonwoven article at points where they contact to form a 
nonwoven article which will not substantially disintegrate during use to 
buff, polish, or improve the gloss of a surface. The aqueous dispersible 
copolymer serves this function by supplying supple polymeric chains which 
form "soft" regions in the binder. 
Aqueous dispersible copolymers useful in the inventive coatable 
compositions may be anionic, cationic, or neutral charged. 
The aqueous dispersible copolymers useful in formulating the binder 
precursor compositions of the first preferred type comprise polymerized 
units of acrylate monomers and acrylamide monomers. The aqueous 
dispersible copolymers useful in formulating the binder precursor 
compositions of the second preferred type comprise polymerized units of 
styrenic monomers and diene monomers. In either case, the copolymer may 
include other functionalized or nonfunctionalized monomer units in the 
polymer backbone, such as chain extenders, and the like. Thus the term 
"copolymer" is not to be strictly construed as limited to polymers 
composed only of two specific different monomers, but includes polymers 
comprised of more than two different monomer units, and not all monomer 
units need be "acrylates" or "acrylamides" in the first embodiment or all 
"styrenic" or "diene" in the second embodiment. 
The distribution of acrylate and acrylamide monomers (or styrenic and diene 
monomers, as the case may be) within each copolymer chain is not critical, 
random or block copolymers being acceptable. The relative proportions of 
the acrylate and acrylamide monomer units in the dispersion of the first 
embodiment is somewhat more critical in that at least a portion of the 
copolymer chains must have at least one acrylamide unit so that at least 
one pendant --C(O)--NR'R" is available for generating an aldehyde 
molecule. 
From this it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the term 
"acrylamide" as used herein is not limited to the case where R' and R" are 
hydrogen. R' and R" may be independently selected from the group 
consisting of H (i.e. hydrogen) and C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 (inclusive) normal, 
branched or cyclic alkyl, wherein the alkyl group(s) may be substituted 
with moieties such as halogen, amino, alkylol, and the like. Preferably R' 
and R" are hydrogen due to current availability and cost. 
It should further be apparent that the terms "styrenic monomer" and "diene 
monomer" are not limited to styrene and butadiene, although these are the 
two preferred monomers in the second embodiment of the binder precursor 
composition. 
It is also within the invention for the backbone carbon atoms of the 
copolymer to have pendant groups, such as alkyl groups (straight, 
branched, or cyclic), aryl, substituted aryl, solubilizing moieties such 
as the COO moiety and the like. 
The "acrylate monomer" for use in the first binder precursor embodiment may 
be selected from acrylate monomers known generally in the art including 
acrylated isocyanurate monomers (such as the triacrylate of tris 
(hydroxyethyl) isocyanurate), acrylated urethanes, acrylated epoxies, and 
isocyanate derivatives having at least one pendant acrylate group. It is 
to be understood that mixtures of the above resins could also be employed. 
The terms "acrylate" and "acrylated" are meant to include monoacrylated, 
monomethacrylated, multi-acrylated, and multi-methacrylated monomers. 
One preferred aqueous dispersible copolymer for use in the first binder 
precursor embodiment of the invention is that known under the trade 
designation "Rhoplex ST-954", commercially available from Rohm and Haas, 
Philadelphia, PA. This copolymer is derived from ethylacrylate, 
butylacrylate, methylmethacrylate, and methylolacrylamide. This 
composition also contains about 0.05 % formaldehyde. Some properties of 
this particular copolymer, as given in the Rohm and Haas publication dated 
April 1992 entitled "Rhoplex ST-954", are as follows: 
______________________________________ 
appearance milky white 
solids content, % 45.5 
pH 3.5 
glass trans. temp. (.degree.C.) 
-23 
minimum film &lt;0 
forming temperature, .degree.C. 
density, lb./U.S. gal 8.7 
specific gravity 1.04 
ionic charge anionic 
viscosity, centipoise 40. 
______________________________________ 
The styrenic monomer for use in the second binder precursor embodiment may 
be selected monomers known generally in the art including styrene, p-ethyl 
styrene, p-divinylbenzene, .alpha.-bromostyrene, cinnamyl bromide, and the 
like. It is to be understood that mixtures of these could also be 
employed. Particularly preferred is styrene. 
The diene monomer for use in the second binder precursor embodiment 
functions to provide flexibility in the binder. Suitable diene monomers 
may be selected from diene monomers known generally in the art including 
butadiene, 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, 
1,4-pentadiene, and the like. 
The useful copolymers of the second binder embodiment preferably do not 
have to be polymerized by the user, since copolymer dispersions are 
commercially available, such as the copolymer of styrene and butadiene 
known under the trade designation "RES 5900", available from Rohm and Haas 
Company, Philadelphia, PA. This product comprises about 49-52 weight 
percent copolymer, having less than 0.1 weight percent residual monomers, 
a maximum of 0.2 weight percent ammonia, and the balance water. 
Preferably, the T.sub.g of the copolymer is no greater than about 
100.degree. C., more preferably no greater than about 0.degree. C. 
Copolymers having T.sub.g more than about 50.degree. C. are undesirable 
from the standpoint of hardness and resultant gloss improvement of 
surfaces treated using the inventive nonwoven surface treating articles. 
The concentration of the copolymer useful in the invention may range from 
about 30% solids to about 60% solids, more preferably from about 40 to 
about 50% solids, particularly from 44 to 46% solids. Copolymer 
concentrations higher than about 60% solids are not easily coatable, and 
lower than about 30% solids do not contribute to gloss improvement and 
increase the energy required to evaporate water. 
C. Polyols 
The polyol component functions to soften the binder in much the same 
fashion as the above-mentioned copolymer component, and also contributes 
to the ability of the nonwoven articles of the invention to improve gloss 
of various surfaces when used to condition a surface. 
Polyols useful in the invention are typically and preferably polyvinyl 
alcohols (PVA), including hydrolyzed copolymers of vinyl esters, 
particularly hydrolyzed copolymers of vinyl acetate and the like. 
One particularly preferred group of polyols is group of partially 
hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate-derived PVAs known under the trade 
designation "Elvanol", especially the grade having the designation 
"51-05". Also suitable are grades "52-22" and "50-42" (both "partially 
hydrolyzed") and "90-50" and "71-30" (both "fully hydrolyzed"). The 
various grades are described in Du Pont publication entitled "Elvanol 
Product and Properties Guide", publication date unknown. As defined by Du 
Pont, "fully hydrolyzed" means the polyvinyl acetate is 98% or above 
hydrolyzed, while resins with lower than 98% hydrolysis are referred to as 
"partially hydrolyzed." 
The partially hydrolyzed versions are preferred over the fully hydrolyzed 
versions since the fully hydrolyzed versions are more viscous. Viscosity 
of the various grades increases with increasing degree of polymerization, 
and decreases with increasing temperature. The materials having higher 
viscosities may tend to produce lower "gloss recovery" defined to mean 
simply the difference between the initial gloss before surface condition 
and the gloss after surface conditioning. The higher viscosity materials 
are also disadvantageous from the standpoint of coating, since higher 
viscosity materials tend not to be easily coated using convention roll 
coating techniques. 
The PVA known under the trade designation "Elvanol" grade "51-05" has a 
viscosity of 5-6 mPa-s (centipoise) when measured using a 4% solids 
aqueous solution at 20.degree. C., determined by Hoeppler falling ball 
method; a percent hydrolysis ranging from 87 to 89% (mole % of acetate 
hydrolyzed, dry basis); and solution pH (negative base ten logarithm of 
the hydrogen ion concentration) ranging from 5.0-7.0. The PVAs known under 
the trade designation "Elvanol" generally have a melting point ranging 
from about 200 to about 220.degree. C., a decomposition temperature 
ranging from about 210 to about 240.degree. C. and glass transition 
temperature ranging from about 75 to about 85.degree. C. 
Other polyols useful in the invention include polyester polyols and 
polyether polyols. Polyether polyols are addition products derived from 
cyclic ethers such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran, 
and the like. 
Polyester polyols are macroglycols (glycols having greater than about 5 
repeat units) with a low acid number and low water content, and typically 
have a molecular weight (number average) of about 2000. 
Polyester polyols for use in the present invention can be made by the 
reaction of caprolactone with a suitable glycol such as ethylene glycol, 
propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 
and 1,6-hexanediol. The reaction of caprolactone with a suitable diol 
yields a polycaprolactone, 
##STR2## 
where y is limited to values which will not exceed the viscosity 
limitations mentioned herein for coatable compositions of the invention. 
Preferably y ranges from about 10 to 100. 
Molar percentages of polyol in the coatable compositions are preferably no 
more than about 20 percent, more preferably ranging from about 4 to about 
12 percent of the total moles of reactants. Exceeding the upper limit may 
produce polyurethane binders which have less resistance to abrasion, while 
using less than 4 mole percent in conjunction with a crosslinking agent 
mole percentage exceeding about 60 produces crosslinked polyols which may 
be difficult to coat onto nonwoven webs. 
D. Melamine Crosslinking Agent 
The primary function of the melamine crosslinking agent in the binders of 
the first embodiment mentioned above is to at least partially crosslink 
the acrylate/acrylamide copolymer dispersion and the polyol component, 
forming linkages which gather to form "hard" regions in the binder. 
Formaldehyde will be generated during these reactions from the 
decomposition of the melamine. The melamine crosslinking agent is used to 
improve the water and solvent resistance of the inventive nonwoven surface 
treating articles of the invention, and to increase their firmness. The 
degree of firmness is a function of the specific melamine crosslinking 
agent used. 
Compounds useful as melamine crosslinking agents in the coatable, thermally 
condensable binder precursor compositions within the invention include 
melamine and substituted versions thereof within the general formula 
##STR3## 
wherein R.sup.7, R.sup.9, and R.sup.11 are independently selected from the 
group consisting of H and C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 (inclusive) alkyl groups 
(normal, branched, or cyclic) bearing one or more hydroxyl groups, and 
R.sup.8, R.sup.10, and R.sup.12 are independently selected from the group 
consisting of H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 (inclusive) alkyl groups (normal, 
branched, or cyclic) bearing one or more hydroxyl groups, and C.sub.1 
-C.sub.10 (inclusive) alkyl ether groups (normal, branched, or cyclic). 
One particularly preferred melamine crosslinking agent within general 
formula (III), particularly useful in binders of the first embodiment, is 
that known under the trade designation "Cymel 373" also from American 
Cyanamid. This product is the compound having all R groups being 
--CH.sub.2 OH. Another preferred melamine crosslinking agent within 
general formula (III), particularly useful in binders of the second 
embodiment, is that known under the trade designation "Cymel 303", 
commercially available from American Cyanamid, Wayne, N.J. This product is 
the compound having R.sup.7, R.sup.9, and R.sup.11 each being --CH.sub.2 
OH, with R.sup.8, R.sup.10, and R.sup.12 each being --CH.sub.2 
--O--CH.sub.3. 
E. Optional Binder Precursor and Binder Components 
Binder precursor compositions and cured binders suitable for use in the 
invention may contain nonabrasive fillers, pigments, and other materials 
which are desired to alter the final properties of the nonwoven surface 
treating articles of the invention. In particular, in the floor finishing 
field, the color of the nonwoven surface treating articles serves to 
characterize the article (white being the least abrasive, darker colors 
indicating more abrasive). Thus, the resins, binder precursor solutions, 
and binders useful in the invention are preferably compatible or capable 
of being rendered compatible with pigments. 
Fillers may be added to the binder precursor compositions to produce 
thixotropic compositions which are easier to coat onto nonwoven webs and 
reduce the tendency of the ingredients to separate into two or more 
phases. Fillers such as calcium carbonate and amorphous silica are 
particularly preferable. One preferred calcium carbonate is that known 
under the trade designation "Hubercarb" Q 325, available from Huber, 
Quincy, Ill. Fillers, if used, generally comprise no more than about 40 
weight percent of the cured binder on a dry weight basis, since beyond 
this amount the strength of the binder decreases. 
Antifoaming agents are sometimes used during production of the inventive 
binder precursors. If used, generally no more than about 0.1 weight 
percent is employed when used (dry basis). 
Catalysts are optional, but may be employed to catalyze the crosslinking of 
the acrylate/acrylamide copolymer, melamine crosslinking agent, and/or 
polyol. If used, the catalyst is typically and preferably applied to the 
binder precursor-coated nonwoven (i.e. after the web has been coated with 
binder precursor composition absent catalyst). 
Examples of suitable catalysts include, ammonium nitrate, diammonium 
phosphate, p-toluene sulfonic acid, and the like. Typically no more than 
about 2 weight percent (dry basis) is employed when used. 
Surfactants (wetting agents) may be employed, such as that known under the 
trade designation "DC Q2-3168" (a silicone emulsion surfactant available 
from Dow Corning, Midland, Mich.), and the like, at weight percent ranging 
from 0 to about 2 weight percent (dry basis). 
Binder precursor compositions and binders of the first and second 
embodiments may optionally comprise any thermoplastic or thermoset resin 
suitable for manufacture of nonwoven articles, but it will be clear to 
those skilled in the art of nonwoven manufacturing the binder in its 
final, cured state must be compatible (or capable of being rendered 
compatible) with the fibers of choice. 
The binder preferably adheres to all of the types of fibers in a particular 
nonwoven article of the invention, thus deterring (preferably preventing) 
the subsequently made nonwoven surface treating article from becoming 
prematurely worn during use. In addition, binders suitable for use in the 
invention preferably adhere to abrasive particles (if used) so as to 
prevent the particles from prematurely loosening from the nonwoven surface 
treating articles of the invention during use, but should allow the 
presentation of new abrasive particles to the surface being treated. 
Another consideration is that the binder should be soft enough to allow the 
nonwoven surface treating articles of the invention to be somewhat 
flexible during use as a polishing pad so as to allow the pad to conform 
to irregularities in the floor. However, the binder should not be so soft 
as to cause undue frictional drag between the nonwoven surface treating 
articles of the invention and the floor being treated. In the case of the 
articles of the invention being attached to a conventional electric- or 
propane-powered floor burnishing machine, high frictional drag may lead to 
actual removal of any previously applied surface finish. 
Suitable binders will not readily undergo unwanted reactions, will be 
stable over a wide pH and humidity ranges, and will resist moderate 
oxidation and reduction. The binder precursor composition should be stable 
at higher temperatures and have a relatively long shelf life. 
Optional resins may be added to the binder precursor compositions, 
partially substituting for the acrylate/acrylamide copolymer or 
styrenic/diene copolymer and/or polyol components, as the case may be. The 
percent substitution varies depending on the chemical nature of the 
proposed optional resin, but generally does not exceed 20 weight percent 
(dry basis). Such optional binders may comprise a wide variety of resins, 
including synthetic polymers such as styrene-butadiene (SBR) copolymers, 
carboxylated-SBR copolymers, melamine resins other than the melamine 
curing agents mentioned above, phenol-aldehyde resins, polyesters, 
polyamides, polyureas, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride, 
acrylic acid-methylmethacrylate copolymers, acetal copolymers, 
polyurethanes, and mixtures and cross-linked versions thereof. The amounts 
of such optional resins will vary with the specific acrylate/acrylamide or 
styrenic/diene copolymer, melamine crosslinking agent, polyol, and urea 
derivative employed, as well as their respective amounts. 
Preferred coatable binder precursor compositions of the first embodiment of 
the invention are presented in Table A (percent by weight, solids basis). 
Preferred coatable binder precursor compositions of the second embodiment 
of the invention are presented in Table B (percent by weight, solids 
basis). 
If the nonwoven abrasive articles comprise a substantial amount of 
polyamide (e.g., nylon 6,6) fibers, other resins may be preferred as the 
resin component of the binder. Examples of suitable optional binders for 
partially substituting for the polyol and/or aqueous dispersible copolymer 
components for use when the fibers comprise polyamides include: phenolic 
resins, aminoplast resins, urethane resins, urea-aldehyde resins, 
isocyanurate resins, and mixtures thereof. Resole phenolic resins are 
described in Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd Ed., 
John Wiley & Sons, 1981, N.Y., Vol. 17, p. 384-399, incorporated by 
reference herein. 
Examples of commercially available phenolic resins include those known by 
the trade names "Varcum" and "Durez" (from Occidental Chemicals Corp., N. 
Tonawanda, N.Y.), and "Arofene" (from Ashland Chemical Co.). 
In one preferred method for making the nonwoven surface treating articles 
of the invention, a coatable binder precursor composition, comprising 
uncured resin and other ingredients, such as fillers, depending on the 
coating procedure, is applied to a nonwoven web using roll coating. Then, 
during further processing, the binder precursor is cured or polymerized to 
form a cured binder. Other coating methods may of course be employed as 
are known in the art, such as spray coating, and the like. The binder 
precursor composition may be alternatively applied to the web with 
abrasive particles in the composition, with the abrasive particles 
electrostatically or mechanically deposited onto the web. 
TABLE A 
______________________________________ 
Preferred Binder Precursor Compositions* 
Broad wt % Preferred wt % 
Ingredient Range Range 
______________________________________ 
acrylate/acrylamide 
30-85 50-80 
("Rhoplex ST-954") 
melamine 1-25 1-15 
crosslinking 
agent 
("Cymel 373") 
urea 2-30 5-25 
PVA 1-30 1-10 
("Elvanol 51-05") 
CaCO.sub.3 filler 
1-30 10-20 
("Hubercarb Q 325") 
catalyst** 0-2.0 0-1.5 
(sol. of ammonium 
nitrate) 
antifoam agent** 
0-1.0 0.01-1.0 
surfactant** 0-2.0 0-1.0 
______________________________________ 
*weight percent solids basis 
**optional ingredient 
TABLE B 
______________________________________ 
Preferred Binder Precursor Compositions* 
Broad wt % Preferred wt % 
Ingredient Range Range 
______________________________________ 
styrene/butadiene 
40-99.9 50-70 
latex 
("RES 5900") 
melamine 0-15 0-7.5 
crosslinking 
agent** 
("Cymel 303") 
urea** 0-15 0-5 
PVA 0.1-12 0.1-5 
("Elvanol 51-05") 
CaCO.sub.3 filler** 
0-35 0-30 
("Hubercarb Q 325") 
catalyst** 0-2.0 0-1.5 
(sol. of 
diammonium 
phosphate) 
antifoam agent** 
0-1.0 0.01-1.0 
surfactant** 0-2.0 0-1.0 
______________________________________ 
*weight percent solids basis 
**optional ingredient 
II. Nonwoven Webs 
The open, lofty, nonwoven surface treating articles of the present 
invention are preferably made from crimped, staple, thermoplastic organic 
fibers such as polyamide and polyester fibers. Although crimping is not 
necessary to the invention, crimped, staple fibers can be processed and 
entangled into nonwoven webs by conventional web-forming machines such as 
that sold under the tradename "Rando Webber" which is commercially 
available from the Curlator Corporation. Methods useful for making 
nonwoven webs suitable for use in the invention from crimped, staple, 
synthetic fibers are disclosed by Hoover, et al., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
2,958,593 and 3,537,121, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
Continuous crimped or uncrimped fibers may also be used, but these tend to 
increase frictional drag of the article. 
The staple fibers may be stuffer-box crimped, helically crimped as 
described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,439, or a combination of 
both, and the nonwoven webs useful in making nonwoven surface treating 
articles of the invention may optionally contain up to about 50 weight 
percent melt-bondable fibers, more preferably from about 20 to about 30 
weight percent, to help stabilize the nonwoven web and facilitate the 
application of the coating resin. 
Suitable staple fibers known in the art are typically made of polyester or 
polyamide, although it is also known to use other fibers such as rayon. 
Melt-bondable fibers useful in the present invention can be made of 
polypropylene or other low-melting polymers such as polyesters as long as 
the temperature at which the melt-bondable fibers melt and thus adhere to 
the other fibers in the nonwoven web construction is lower than the 
temperature at which the staple fibers or melt-bondable fibers degrade in 
physical properties. Suitable and preferable melt-bondable fibers include 
those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,720, mentioned above. Melt-bondable 
fibers suitable for use in this invention must be activatable at elevated 
temperatures below temperatures which would adversely affect the helically 
crimped fibers. Additionally, these fibers are preferably coprocessable 
with the helically crimped fibers to form a lofty, open unbonded nonwoven 
web using conventional web forming equipment. Typically, melt-bondable 
fibers have a concentric core and a sheath, have been stuffer box crimped 
with about 6 to about 12 crimps per 25 mm, and have a cut staple length of 
about 25 to about 100 mm. Composite fibers have a tenacity of about 2-3 
g/denier. Alternatively, melt-bondable fibers may be of a side-by-side 
construction or of eccentric core and sheath construction. 
Preferred fibers for use in this invention are helically crimped polyester 
staple fibers and stuffer box crimped polyester staple fibers, 
particularly helically crimped polyethylene terephthalate (PET) staple 
fibers and stuffer box crimped PET staple fibers. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,738, incorporated herein by reference, discloses 
methods for the manufacture of helically crimped bicomponent polyester 
fibers suitable for use in this invention. The fibers produced by the 
method of that patent have a reversing helical crimp. Fibers having a 
reversing helical crimp are preferred over fibers that are crimped in a 
coiled configuration like a coiled spring. However, both types of 
helically crimped fibers are suitable for this invention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,868,749, 3,619,874, and 2,931,089, all of which are incorporated herein 
by reference, disclose various methods of edge crimping synthetic organic 
fibers to produce helically crimped fibers. 
Helically crimped fibers typically and preferably have from about 1 to 
about 15 full cycle crimps per 25 mm fiber length, while stuffer box 
crimped fibers have about 3 to about 15 full cycle crimps per 25 mm fiber 
length. As taught in the '439 patent, when helically crimped fibers are 
used in conjunction with stuffer box crimped fibers, preferably the 
helically crimped fibers have fewer crimps per specified length than the 
stuffer box fibers. 
Crimp index, a measure of fiber elasticity, preferably ranges from about 35 
to about 70 percent for helically crimped fibers, which is about the same 
as stuffer box crimped fibers. Crimp index can be determined by measuring 
fiber length with appropriate "high load" attached, then subtracting fiber 
length with appropriate "low load" attached, and then dividing the result 
value by the high load fiber length and multiplying that value by 100. 
(The values of the appropriate "high load" and "low load" depend on the 
fiber denier. For fibers of the invention having 50 100 denier, low load 
is about 0.1-0.2 grams, high load is about 5-10 grams.) The crimp index 
can also be determined after exposing the test fibers to an elevated 
temperature, e.g., 135.degree. C. to 175.degree. C. for 5 to 15 minutes, 
and this value compared with the index before heat exposure. Crimp index 
measured after the fiber is exposed for 5 to 15 minutes to an elevate 
temperature, e.g., 135.degree. C. to 175.degree. C., should not 
significantly change from that measured before the heat exposure. The load 
can be applied either horizontally or vertically. 
The length of the fibers employed is dependent on upon the limitations of 
the processing equipment upon which the nonwoven open web is formed. 
However, depending on types of equipment, fibers of different lengths, or 
combinations thereof, very likely can be utilized in forming the lofty 
open webs of the desired ultimate characteristics specified herein. Fiber 
lengths suitable for helically crimped fibers preferably range from about 
60 mm to about 150 mm, whereas suitable fiber lengths for stuffer box 
fibers range from about 25 to about 70 mm. 
The thickness (denier) of the fibers used in the nonwoven surface treating 
articles of the present invention is not critical. As is generally known 
in the nonwoven field, larger denier fibers are preferred for more 
abrasive articles, smaller denier fibers are preferred for less abrasive 
articles, and fiber size must be suitable for lofty, open, low density 
abrasive products. The denier of fibers typically used for nonwoven 
abrasive articles of the invention may range broadly from about 6 to about 
400, preferably from 15 to about 200 denier, more preferably from about 50 
to about 100 denier. Finer deniers than about 15 may result undesirable 
frictional drag when the nonwoven surface treating articles of the 
invention are attached to conventional floor machines (i.e., one designed 
to rotate and force the abrasive article against the surface and thus 
finish the surface). Fiber deniers larger than about 200 may reduce drag, 
but torque from the floor machine may twist the web rather than rotate the 
web as is desired. 
Natural fibers may also be employed, preferably in combination with 
synthetic fibers. Vegetable fibers such as hemp, jute, and the like, may 
be used, and animal hair fibers may employed. One preferred animal hair 
fiber is hog's hair fiber. If natural fibers are employed, they preferably 
and typically range from about 0 to about 30 weight percent of the total 
weight of fibers. 
Uncoated fibrous webs useful in the invention typically and preferably have 
a weight ranging from about 300 to about 1000 grams/meter.sup.2 ("gsm"), 
more preferably ranging from about 300 to about 600 gsm. The binder 
coating weight on the fibrous web is generally about 1.0 to about 4.0 
times the weight of the uncoated web, more preferably form about 1.0 to 
about 3.0 times the weight of the uncoated web. 
The nonwoven surface treating articles of the invention may be attached to 
and used with conventional burnishing machines, such as those known under 
the trade designations Pioneer "2100" Super Buffer, from Pioneer Co., 
Sparta, N.C., which is a propane driven machine, and Clarke "2000" 
Burnisher, from Clarke Co., Denver, Colo. an electric machine. For 
efficient operation using these types of machines, the nonwoven surface 
treating articles of the invention preferably have a non-compressed 
thickness of at least about 0.5 cm, more preferably ranging from about 2 
cm to about 4 cm. As mentioned above, the thickness is dependent upon the 
fiber denier chosen for the particular application. If the fiber denier is 
too fine, the nonwoven surface treating articles of the invention will be 
less lofty and open, and thus thinner, resulting in the article tending to 
be more easily loaded with floor finish and/or detritus from the floor or 
surface being treated. 
III. Abrasive Particles 
In optional nonwoven surface treating article embodiments within this 
invention, the nonwoven web is coated with an binder precursor composition 
as herein described, and further includes abrasive particles. 
Abrasive particles, when employed, are preferably dispersed throughout and 
adhered to the fibers of the three-dimensional nonwoven web by the binder. 
Abrasive particles useful in the nonwoven surface treating articles of the 
present invention may be individual abrasive grains or agglomerates of 
individual abrasive grains. 
The abrasive particles may be of any known soft or hard abrasive material 
commonly used in the abrasives art. Soft abrasive particles are those 
having hardness from 1 to 7 Mohs, while hard abrasive particles have 
hardness greater than about 8. Examples of useful soft abrasive particles 
include garnet, flint, silica, and pumice, and such organic polymeric 
materials such as polyester, polyvinyl chloride, methacrylate, 
methylmethacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate and polystyrene. 
Examples of useful hard abrasive particles include garnet (7 Mohs), 
aluminum oxide (9+Mohs), silicon carbide (9+Mohs), topaz, fused 
alumina-zirconia, boron nitride, tungsten carbide, and silicon nitride. 
The abrasive particles are preferably present in a coatable binder 
precursor composition at a weight percent (per total weight of coatable 
composition) ranging from about 0 to about 35 weight percent, more 
preferably from about 0 to about 20 weight percent. 
The abrasive particles, if employed, are not required to be uniformly 
dispersed on the fibers of the nonwoven articles, but a uniform dispersion 
may provide more consistent abrasion characteristics. 
IV. Method of Polishing Vinyl Tile Floors 
The method of the invention comprises forcefully contacting a surface with 
a nonwoven surface treating article of the invention while causing 
relative movement between the surface and the article. The method and 
articles of the invention are particularly adept at buffing and polishing 
vinyl tile floors having surface coating finishes thereon, such as that 
known under the trade designation "Sprint" from S. C. Johnson & Son, 
Racine, Wis., and the like. "Sprint" is an ultra high-speed floor finish 
comprising styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer crosslinked with zinc ammonium 
carbonate. 
The articles of the invention are preferably attached to a conventional 
burnishing machine (for example propane or electric powered) adapted to 
operate at high speed (1000-4000 rpm). The exact machine, pad, rotary 
buffing speed, and weight are not critical to the practice of the 
invention. In the case of conventional floor machines, the nonwoven 
surface treating articles of the invention will preferably have a diameter 
ranging from about 25 to about 75 cm, more preferably ranging from about 
40 to about 60 cm. 
In the Test Procedures and Examples which follow, all parts and percentages 
are by weight. 
TEST PROCEDURES 
GLOSS 
In order to test the efficacy of the binders and nonwoven articles of the 
invention to improve the gloss of dulled surfaces while emitting less 
formaldehyde, conventional propane and electric powered burnishing 
machines were each equipped with one 50.8 cm diameter nonwoven article to 
test the inventive nonwoven articles for gloss improvement. 
The test procedure was as follows: white composition vinyl test tiles (305 
mm by 305 mm) were coated with 4 coatings of the floor finish known under 
the trade designation "Sprint" from S. C. Johnson & Son, Racine, Wis. (an 
ultra high-speed floor finish comprising styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer 
crosslinked with zinc ammonium carbonate), allowing 30 minutes for drying 
between coatings. The coated tiles were allowed to stand for at least 24 
hours before being used in this test. 
The coated tiles were then pretreated (dulled) with a nonwoven pad (any pad 
which is mildly abrasive could have been used). The nonwoven pad used for 
dulling the tiles used in the Examples to follow was that known under the 
trade designation "LP 96" 3M General Purpose Commercial Scouring Pad, 
available from Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., St. Paul, Minn. The 
dulling procedure produced a uniform and reproducible starting surface on 
the test tiles having glossmeter reading less than 10.degree. at 
60.degree. viewing angle when using natural fiber webs, and glossmeter 
reading between 10 and 20 for polyester speed burnish webs, using American 
Society of Testing and Materials ("ASTM") D-523. 
One 50.8 cm diameter test nonwoven (inventive or comparative) was then 
attached to the particular machine as indicated in the examples. Then the 
machine was started and run across the test tiles such that the floor pad 
and the test tile came into contact for one pass (one pass is defined as 
passing the rotating pad in contact with the tile at a rate of about 
45m/minute). After one burnishing pass ("burnishing" refers to using high 
rotary speed to increase gloss on a surface), the test tile in each case 
was rinsed with water and wiped dry. 
The 60.degree. glossmeter geometry gloss measurement, roughly seven per 
test tile/test nonwoven combination, were made after burnishing, and the 
average of these recorded. Test method ASTM D-523 was followed for 
determining specular gloss values. Note that "60.degree. glossmeter 
geometry gloss" value (i.e., incident light reflected from the test 
surface at incident angle measured 60.degree. from vertical) relates to 
the "shininess" of the surface and correlates to the appearance of the 
floor about 3 meters in front of the observer. A reading off a glossmeter 
is an indexed value, with a value of "100" given to the glossmeter reading 
(from any angle) from a highly polished, plane, black glass with a 
refractive index of 1.567 for the sodium D line. The incident beam is 
supplied by the tester itself. A value of 0 is no or very low gloss, while 
"high gloss" at 60.degree. geometry is about 75 or greater (or 30 or 
greater at 20.degree. geometry), which are preferred. A glossmeter known 
under the trade designation "Micro-TRI", from BYK Gardner, was used. 
EXAMPLES 1-12 and Comparative Examples A and B 
Examples 1-6 used a low density prebonded web formed by a conventional web 
making machine (trade designation "Rando Webber"). The web formed was a 
blend of fibers comprising 75 weight percent of 84 mm long, 50 denier 
stuffer box crimped polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") polyester staple 
fibers having crimp index of 26%, and 25 weight percent of 58 mm long, 25 
denier crimped sheath-core melt-bondable polyester staple fibers (core 
comprising polyethylene terephthalate, sheath comprising copolyester of 
ethylene terephthalate and isophthalate) having about 5 crimps per 25 mm 
and a sheath weight of about 50 percent. The formed web was heated in a 
hot convection oven for about three minutes at 160.degree. C. to bond the 
melt-bondable fibers together at points of intersection to form a prebond 
web. The prebonded web weighed about 523 gsm. Six discs of 50.8 cm 
diameter were cut from this web for Examples 1-6, and designated "web 1" 
in Table 3. 
Another web was similarly made comprising 20 weight percent hog hair 
(referred to as "web 2" in Table 3), 25 weight percent 58 mm long, 25 
denier crimped sheath-core melt-bondable polyester staple fibers (core 
comprising polyethylene terephthalate, sheath comprising copolyester of 
ethylene terephthalate and isophthalate) having about 5 crimps per 25 mm 
and a sheath weight of about 50 percent, and 55 weight percent of 84 mm 
long, 50 denier stuffer box crimped polyethylene terephthalate ("PET") 
polyester staple fibers having crimp index of 26%. Six discs of 50.8 cm 
diameter were cut from this web for examples 7-12. 
Six binder precursor compositions within the invention A-F were prepared by 
combining the ingredients in the amounts indicated in Table 2. 
General procedure "A" was to first introduce the urea into the 
acrylate/acrylamide copolymer and then dissolve the urea with continuous 
stirring at room temperature (about 25.degree. C.). Then the crosslinking 
agent was added with stirring, followed by the CaCO.sub.3 with continued 
stirring. Finally the PVA was added and stirred until dissolved. Water was 
added as necessary to decrease viscosity of the compositions. 
An alternative procedure "B" was to introduce the urea and PVA into the 
acrylate/acrylamide copolymer and then dissolve the urea and PVA, also 
with continuous stirring at room temperature. Then the crosslinking agent 
was added with stirring, followed by the CaCO.sub.3 with continued 
stirring. Water was added as necessary to decrease viscosity of the 
compositions. These compositions tended to foam, but gave good results for 
improving gloss. 
TABLE 2* 
______________________________________ 
Binder precursor composition** 
Ingredient A B C D E F 
______________________________________ 
acrylate/ 65 54 52.6 34 35.5 30 
acrylamide 
("Rhoplex 
ST-954") 
melamine 3 8 9.8 19 19 16 
crosslinking 
agent 
("Cymel 
373") 
urea 5 16 19.6 19 21 17 
PVA 9 5 1.6 20 2.5 17 
("Elvanol 
51-05") 
CaCO.sub.3 filler 
18 17 16.4 8 22 20 
("Hubercarb 
Q 325") 
______________________________________ 
*weight percent, dry basis 
**Binder precursors A-F used General procedure "A 
The binder precursor compositions A-F were each separately applied to one 
of the twelve prebonded webs by passing the prebond web between the 
coating rolls of a two roll coater, adding binder precursor composition 
equal to 2.2 times the weight of the uncoated web for "web 1", and 2.0 
times for "web 2". The rotating lower roll, which was partially immersed 
in the binder precursor composition, carried the composition to the 
prebond webs so as to evenly disperse the compositions throughout each web 
structure. The wet prebond webs were dried and the saturant cured in a hot 
air oven at 150.degree. C. for about 25 minutes (lower temperatures could 
be used with longer residence times). Test discs (50.8 cm diameter) were 
cut from the cured webs, and are tabulated in Table 3, with "web 1" and 
"web 2" as described above being denoted in Table 3. 
Comparative Example A consisted of a nonwoven surface treating article made 
in accordance with Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,496 (McGurran), made 
from a web bonded together with a binder resin comprising plasticized 
vinyl resin and a condensation polymerized amine-formaldehyde derivative. 
This article, although improving 60.degree. gloss, emitted considerable 
formaldehyde, as detect by smell. 
Comparative Example B comprised a commercially available animal fiber-based 
surface treating article known under the trade designation "3M Brand 
Natural Blend High Speed Burnishing Pad", from 3M, St. Paul, Minn. As with 
Comparative Example A, this article improved 60.degree. gloss somewhat but 
also emitted considerable formaldehyde, as detected by smell. 
TABLE 3 
______________________________________ 
60.degree. Gloss 
Initial, Final 
(electric) 
Example Disc 
Web Binder [propane] 
______________________________________ 
1 1 A 13-15, 
(33) 
[47] 
2 1 B 13-15, 
(36) 
3 1 C 13-15, 
(45) 
[65] 
4 1 D 13-15, 
(28) 
5 1 E 13-15, 
(35) 
[39] 
6 1 F 13-15, 
(36) 
[41] 
7 2 A 5-7, (37) 
[50] 
8 2 B 5-7, (26) 
9 2 C 5-7, (36) 
[46] 
10 2 D 5-7, (20) 
11 2 E 5-7, (30) 
12 2 F 5-7, (22) 
A 1 PVC/melamine 13-15, 
(25) 
[45] 
B 2 polyol 5-7, (27) 
[37] 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLES 13-14, and Comparative Example C 
Test were run to determine the amount of formaldehyde emitted from the 
binder precursor composition of the invention and the binder used in U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,030,496 (Comparative Example C) during curing. Each sample of 
binder precursor to be tested contained 0.40 grams of solids. A volume of 
each sample to be tested was placed into a forced air circulation oven at 
a temperature of 160.degree. C. A tube was connected to the top of the 
oven in a position to continuously sample the vapor generated from each 
sample tested. A formaldehyde emissions tester known under the trade 
designation "Interscan" (model #1160) from Interscan Corporation was 
connected to the opposite end of the tube. The samples were heated at 
160.degree. C. for a total of 15 minutes. Table 4 indicates the results of 
this test for Example binder precursor compositions A (Example 13) and C 
(Example 14) and Comparative binder precursor C. 
TABLE 4 
______________________________________ 
Formaldehyde Emissions (ppm)* 
time (sec.) 
Comp. Ex. C 
Ex. 13 Ex. 14 
______________________________________ 
0 0 0 0 0.0 
25 1 0 0 0.4 
50 4.5 0 0.01 0.8 
75 7.5 0.01 0.025 1.2 
100 8.3 0.05 0.045 1.7 
125 7.5 0.1 0.065 2.1 
150 6.9 0.16 0.075 2.5 
175 6.2 0.2 0.085 2.9 
200 5.65 0.21 0.09 3.3 
225 5.2 0.2 0.1 3.8 
250 4.8 0.18 0.1 4.2 
275 4.4 0.15 0.1 4.6 
300 4.2 0.12 0.1 5.0 
325 4 0.09 0.1 5.4 
350 3.8 0.08 0.1 5.8 
375 3.6 0.06 0.09 6.2 
400 3.5 0.05 0.08 6.7 
425 3.4 0.03 0.075 7.1 
450 3.28 0.01 0.075 7.5 
475 3.14 0.01 0.065 7.9 
500 3.1 0.01 0.06 8.3 
525 2.95 0.01 0.06 8.8 
550 2.91 0 0.05 9.2 
575 2.8 0 0.05 9.6 
600 2.72 0 0.05 10.0 
625 2.68 0 0.05 10.4 
650 2.58 0 0.05 10.8 
675 2.5 0 0.04 11.2 
700 2.43 0 0.04 11.7 
725 2.38 0 0.04 12.1 
750 2.31 0 0.03 12.5 
775 2.3 0 0.03 12.9 
800 2.2 0 0.02 13.3 
825 2.22 0 0.02 13.8 
850 2.18 0 0.02 14.2 
875 2.1 0 0.02 14.6 
900 2 0 0.02 15.0 
______________________________________ 
*ppm = parts per million 
EXAMPLE 15 
A binder precursor composition made in accordance with the second 
embodiment was prepared consisting of 60.5 parts styrene/butadiene 
copolymer latex (49-52 weight percent solids) known under the trade 
designation "RES 5900" (Rohm and Haas, Philadelphia, Pa.); 7.5 parts 
melamine curing agent known under the trade designation "Cymel 303" 
(American Cyanamid, Wayne N.J.); 29.6 parts CaCO.sub.3 known under the 
trade designation "Hubercarb Q-325", from Huber Corp , Quincy Ill.; 0.7 
part diammonium phosphate (40% solution in water, from Hawkins 
Chemical,Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.); and 1.8 part polyvinyl alcohol known 
under the trade designation "Elvanol 51-05" (25% in water, from Dupont, 
Wilmington, Del.). This binder was prepared by first introducing the 
melamine curing agent into the styrene copolymer with continuous stirring 
at room temperature (about 25.degree. C.). Then the diammonium phosphate 
was added with stirring, followed by the CaCO.sub.3 with continued 
stirring. Finally the PVA was added and stirred until dissolved. Water was 
added as necessary to decrease viscosity of the composition. 
This binder precursor was applied via a two roll coater to nonwoven webs 
identical to those used in Examples 1-6. The coating weight add on was 
equal to 2.2 times the weight of the uncoated web. A disc was cut from 
this web and attached to the electric burnishing machine and tested for 
gloss improvement on vinyl tiles having floor finish, all as above 
described. The 20.degree. initial gloss was 4, and 20.degree. final gloss 
was 10, while the 60.degree. initial gloss was 12, with a 60.degree. final 
gloss reading of 34. 
While this invention has been described in connection with specific 
embodiments, it should be understood that it is capable of further 
modification. The claims herein are intended to cover those variations 
which one skilled in the art would recognize as the chemical and physical 
equivalent of what has been described herein.