When a floor polish (wax or finish) becomes unsightly,
i.e. dirty, discolored, etc. it becomes necessary to remove it from the floor. This
process cannot be accomplished with a neutral floor cleaner. Thus the need for a
floor finish stripper or wax remover. Traditionally these strippers or removers are
formulated at a strong alkaline pH level with the prudent use of water miscible solvents,
alkaline builders and amines. Ammonia and monoethanolamine are examples of amines
added to strippers to unlock the zinc cross linking bond in metal interlocked floor
finishes. Traditional strippers and wax removers re-emulsified
the film by reacting with the residual emulsifier in the dried film. Todays
strippers use a combination of fast acting solvents, amines and alkalis that soften and
swell polish films quickly. Thereby allowing the amines unlock the zinc crosslinks
easier and faster.
FIXED ALKALI
Alkalies differ greatly in their damaging effects on flooring.
The fixed or non-volatile alkalies have a much more severe action than those which are
volatile. The reason for this is easy to explain. A diluted solution of fixed
alkaline salt may have a pH which is not high enough to cause damage to flooring.
However, as the water evaporates from this solution after it is applied to the floor, the
pH rises higher and higher as the solution becomes more concentrated, since the alkali
does not evaporate with the water. Under these conditions the alkalinity quickly
rises to dangerous levels.
As the solution dries, the alkaline salts become so concentrated
that they crystallize out of the solution in solid form. In addition to the chemical
damaging effect of high pH on resilient floors, fixed alkalies of this type have a harmful
effect on non-resilient floors, such as marble and terrazzo, which is purely
physical. The salt solution penetrates the marble and as it dries, the crystals form
inside the pores causing tremendous pressure which is sufficient to cause pitting and
spalling of the surface.
Fixed alkali residues may also interfere with later applications of
finish. The alkali on the floor tends to combine with the emulsifying agents in the
floor finish causing streaks, poor gloss, and loss of water resistance. Troubles of
this sort are usually blamed on the finish, whereas it is actually the highly alkaline
cleaning powder which is at fault. Many of these difficulties can be avoided by the
use of liquid cleaners made without fixed alkalies.
VOLATILE ALKALI
With volatile alkalies such as ammonia or monoethanolamine, the
alkaline material evaporates along with the water and the pH does not increase as the
solution dries. Instead, the solution becomes less alkaline as it evaporates from
the floor surface. By the time the floor is dry, the ammonia is completely gone and
the floor is neutral. Consequently there is no residual alkalie to cause damage to
the floor or to interfere with subsequent maintenance operations. Since ammonia is a
gas which dissolves in water, it cannot crystallize in the pores of non-resilient floors
to cause cracking and spalling.
TYPES OF STRIPPERS
Conventional - Ammoniated/Non-Ammoniated Strippers
Conventional strippers can be ammoniated or non ammoniated.
They have a high pH and are usually highly dilutable. They work well on traditional
waxes and finishes. They can be very economical to use. They contain highly
alkaline fixed alkalies. Fixed alkali does not evaporate, it remains on the floor
and if not removed with repeated rinsing will interfere with the bonding and reapplication
of floor finishes.
No Rinse Strippers
The next step in stripper evolution was to remove the fixed
alkali found in conventional strippers and replace it with volatile alkali
(amines). The name "no rinse" has caused a lot of confusion among users.
What it really means is that no neutralization is required (most of the alkali
evaporates leaving the floor neutral). These stripping products are a little more
expensive, but save valuable labor dollars. Also these products are generally not as
high dilution as conventional strippers.
Mop On Mop Off Strippers
The next step was to take more labor out of the stripping cycle by
making the strippers more powerful to work faster. Solvents were incorporated into
stripper formulations at ever increasing percentages. Butyl cellosolve was and still
is the solvent of choice. These strippers are more expensive, but save labor by
working so quickly.
Autoscrub Strippers
The next step in reducing labor was to create a stripper that worked
with automatic scrubbers to reduce labor even further.
The various ingredients used to make the stripper will determine if
it will need repeated rinsing after removal of the finish.
In addition to the proper ingredients it is also important to
properly dilute strippers. Too weak a concentration can result in only partial
removal of the film. While too strong a concentration can turn the finish and
stripper mixture stringy and gummy, making it difficult to get off the floor. |
