RENOVATION AGENT FOR ELEMENTS AND MEMBERS SUCH AS MOULDINGS OF RUBBER AND PLASTICS, AS WELL AS A SPECIAL USE OF SAID AGENT

Abstract: An account has been given of a renovation agent for cleaning and renovating (renewal of) mouldings and similar elements of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, rubber-elastic and rubber-like materials on a plastics base, as well as substitute substances for rubber. The liquid renovation agent containing a mixture (30:70 - 70:30) of ethanol and ricinoleic acid, wherein the latter may be dissolved in the former, is smeared on e.g. discoloured, dull, cracked rubber mouldings which have been subjected to weather and wind, sun rays and relatively large amounts of dust and dirt for some time in outdoor surroundings, possibly following an initial cleaning operation using ethanol only; finally wiping off possible excess renovation agent. In connection with such rubber mouldings which are mounted around windows and in doors of cars, such a smearing treatment of the rubber mouldings, using the liquid renovation agent, could be followed by an ordinary car washing, whereafter the surfaces of the rubber mouldings at both sides will appear as completely new mouldings.

Description: RENOVATION AGENT FOR ELEMENTS AND MEMBERS SUCH AS MOULDINGS OF RUBBER AND PLASTICS, AS WELL AS A SPECIAL USE OF SAID AGENT The present invention relates to a renovation agent for elements and members such as mouldings e.g. such rubber mouldings that are used around the windows and in the doors of e.g. cars and other vehicles, consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, rubber-elastic and rubber-like materials, particularly plastics materials having rubber-like properties. A common term for rubber comprises substances the characteristic constituent thereof being natural or synthetic high molecular substances having a distinct high elastic nature; rubber may be with or without additives, and the high elasticity may exist already when the rubber is raw or worked or, possibly, first when it is in a vulcanized state. The present invention deals with a renovation agent for e.g. rubber mouldings, wherein the mouldings, etc. may consist of natural rubber or synthetic rubber, e.g. rubber-elastic plastics materials or substitute substances for rubber, i.e. rubber-like materials. The renovation agent is intended to, as the term indicates, not only to clean such rubber mouldings and other rubber elements/ members, but simultaneously to renovate/renew them such that they, wholly or approximately, recover the same appearance as originally, i.e. as new rubber mouldings, etc. Such rubber mouldings and similar elements and members, especially for outdoor areas of use, are easily influenced by wind and weather, not at least from the sun rays and will after a while burst and crack and receive a dull, discoloured and unattractive surface, simultaneously as they then are particularly inclined to crack or burst and to get dirty. It is previously known to clean i.a. rubber mouldings by means of e.g. methylated spirit, but such treatment results only in a cleaning of the mouldings, not in a renovation thereof. As well known, methylated spirit is an ethanol to which is added colouring matter giving the liquid the characteristic light red colour, the colouring matter in combination with other denatured agents making it undrinkable. Thus, methylated spirit is primarily used as a cleaning agent of spirit type for technical uses. Methylated spirit is a liquid not known to have any renovating effect on natural rubber, synthetic rubber and/or rubber-like substances, either alone or in combination with another/other substances. It has now surprisingly been found that an excellent renovation agent for renovating said rubber mouldings and other rubber element/members/objects, rubber products having outdoor areas of use can be achived by mixing ethanol, e.g. in the form of methylated spirit, with castor oil, the latter dissolving itself in the ethanol. Ricinoleic acid in the form of castor oil is used as a purgative. Ricinoleic acid is an oil from the endosperm in the ricinus plant, and appears mostly in the form of glyce- ride of the hydroxy fatty acids ricinoleic acid. It is known that ricinoleic acid can be dissolved in ethanol, but not in aliphatic hydrocarbons. Ricinoleic acid has a number of other areas of use, i.a. as plaεticizer, e.g. in cellulose nitrate lacquer. It is known that ricinoleic is only insignificantly inclined to turn yellow. Experiments were conducted using various proportions of ingredients, e.g. 60% castor oil, 40% methylated spirit; 50% castor oil, 50% methylated spirit. Currently, it is not possible to decide on invariable limits for the proportion of ingredients, but it seems as if the renovation agent should contain at least 30% of the constituent, e.g. methylated spirit, appearing in the smallest share according to percentage. Thus, the proportion of ingredients between castor oil and methylated spirit - ricinoleic acid and ethanol - will normally range between 70:30 and 30:70. A special area of use for the renovation agent according to the invention comprises renovation of those rubber mouldings or rubber-like mouldings which are mounted around the windows and in the doors of cars, other motor vehicles and vessels/ crafts of various kinds, such as boats, especially rubber mouldings used outdoors where they are subjected to the effects of wind and weather, sun light, realtively large amounts of dust and dirt, etc. Before using the renovation agent according to the invention, it is suitable to wipe off such rubber mouldings at both side faces thereof by means of a rag sprinkled in methylated spirit. Thereafter, liquid renovation agent, in which the castor oil is dissolved in the methylated spirit, is smeared on the rubber mouldings using a rag. After this renovation treatment of the rubber mouldings, the car etc. may be washed as usual and, after washing, one will discover that the rubber mouldings around the windows and in the doors appear as new ones. When the rubber mouldings are saturated with the renovation agent according to the invention, one can wipe them off by means of drying paper, in order to prevent that the mouldings should come or rub off. The smearing using the liquid renovation agent according to the invention should be repeated when the rubber mouldings have become dry, partly cracked/bursted and discoloured as well as coming off upon touching. The rays from the sun light corrode very much on such rubber mouldings, and cracks in the mouldings attrack and retain dirt. Treated with the renovation agent according to the invention, where the application is facilitated through the liquid nature thereof, causes, however, a very surprising renewing effect which hitherto has not been obtainable on rubber mouldings or other elements/members/ objects/articles of rubber or rubber-like materials.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. A renovation agent for cleaning and renovating mouldings and similar elements and members of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, rubber-elastic and rubber-like materials, e.g. plastics, especially such rubber mouldings which are mounted around windows and in doors of cars and similar motor vehicles/vessels/crafts, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the renovation agent consists of a mixture of ethanol and ricinoleic acid, wherein the latter may be dissolved, wholls or partly, in the former, and where the mixture constituents, preferably, appear in a proportion of ingredients ranging from 30:70 to 70:30. 2. A renovation agent as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the proportion of ingredients is substantially 60:40, about 60% ricinoleic acid (castor oil) and about 40% ethanol (methylated spirit) . 3. A renovation agent as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the proportion of ingredients is substantially 50:50. 4. Use of a renovation agent consisting of a mixture of castor oil and methylated spirit for cleaning and renovating rubber mouldings and the like.

Inventors: ASBJOERNSEN EINAR, ASBJOERNSEN, EINAR
Applicants: ASBJOERNSEN EINAR, ASBJOERNSEN, EINAR
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B29C73
IPC codes: C11D1, C11D3, C11D11