JP6944099B2 - Cleaning tool - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning tool made of semi-rigid urethane foam in which a surfactant is dispersed.

In automobiles, the outer surface of the automobile, especially the painted surface on the outer circumference, window glass, wheels, tires, etc., becomes dirty due to rain or dust, and it is often necessary to clean and maintain the automobile. Also, the kitchen is easily soiled with oil and needs to be cleaned every time it is used.
Cleaning scrubbing brushes such as melamine scrubbing brush and steel wool scrubbing brush are used to remove these stains. (For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2) These scrubbing brushes are used in combination with a cleaning agent for cleaning plastic products, enamel products, pottery products, glass products, and the like.

Utility Model Registration No. 3,035,613 JP-A-2009-189595

However, when the plated or painted plastic product is washed with a melamine scrubbing brush, there is a problem that the plated or painted product is peeled off. Steel wool scrubbing brushes cannot be applied to fragile surfaces such as plastic and hollow, fluorinated resin-processed painted surfaces, and fragile materials such as bare wood, and sinks and wash basins become rusty if steel wool pieces remain. There is a problem. Further, these scrubbing brushes have a problem that dirt is hard to be removed on a curved surface such as a spherical surface or small irregularities even if a cleaning agent is used in combination.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning tool that does not have surface peeling or scratches even when a low-hardness, easily scratched product is washed, and that cleans well even on an uneven surface without using a cleaning agent. ..

As a result of diligent studies, the inventor has found that the above object can be achieved by allowing a surfactant to be present in the semi-rigid urethane foam, and has arrived at the present invention. Further, conventionally, it has not been possible to stably generate bubbles during use by impregnating a semi-rigid urethane foam with a surfactant. In the present invention, a method for producing a semi-rigid urethane foam capable of stably generating bubbles during use has been found, and the present invention has been reached.

The invention according to claim 1 is a cleaning tool made of semi-rigid polyurethane foam.
The semi-rigid polyurethane foam is produced by reacting a raw material mixed with surfactant particles.
The softening point or melting point of the surfactant particles is 100 ° C. or higher, and the ratio of the surfactant particles to the semi-rigid polyurethane foam is 20% or more and 35% or less by weight.
The surfactant particles are present in the bubbles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam,
The semi-hard polyurethane foam has a C hardness of 20 or more and 60 or less.
The semi-rigid polyurethane foam has brittleness, and the brittleness is 0.07% or more by the following test method.
When the object to be cleaned is polished and washed with the cleaning tool, the semi-rigid polyurethane foam is scraped off to generate particles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam, and the surfactant particles emerge from the bubbles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam. It is a cleaning tool characterized by polishing and cleaning.
Brittleness test method: Prepare sandpaper with an average particle size of about 300 μm, set a cleaning tool of 8 cm × 6 cm and a thickness of 25 mm on it, apply a load of 500 g from above, and push and pull the cleaning tool. Make a reciprocating motion of 4 cm one way and measure the weight loss after 5 reciprocating movements.
Weight reduction (%) = (Weight of cleaning tool before test (g) -Weight of cleaning tool after test (g)) x 100 / Weight of cleaning tool before test (g)
Further, the foam density of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam is at most 0.093 g / cm ³ or more 0.109 g / cm ^3, and closed cell ratio of claim 1, wherein the 35% or less than 15% It is a cleaning tool.
Further, when the cleaning tool according to claim 1 is immersed in water to polish and clean the object to be cleaned, the particles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam generated by scraping off the semi-rigid polyurethane foam and the bubbles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam are contained. It is a method of using a cleaning tool, which is characterized by polishing and cleaning with bubbles generated from surfactant particles.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning tool that does not have surface peeling or scratches even when a low-hardness, easily scratched product is washed, and that cleans well even on an uneven surface without using a cleaning agent. ..

It is a photograph (drawing substitute photograph) explaining the evaluation (◯, Δ, ×) of the detergency test of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Within the same and equal scope as the present invention, various modifications can be made to the following embodiments.

The semi-rigid urethane foam (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as urethane foam) in the present invention has a surfactant present at the time of production, but except for this, the polyol and the organic polyisocyanate are used as in the conventional production method. , Can be produced by reacting in the presence of catalysts, foam stabilizers, foaming agents and additives. The above-mentioned surfactant is produced by mixing it with a raw material such as a polyol.

As the polyol, the polyol conventionally used for urethane foam can be used. Generally, the polyol compound is a compound having two or two or more active hydroxy groups, and examples thereof include polyester polyols and polyether polyols.

Specific examples of polyether polyols include polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, triethylene glycol and neopentyl glycol; polyvalent phenols such as pyrogallol and hydroquinone; bisphenol A and bisphenol S, Bisphenols such as bisphenol F; aliphatics such as alkylenediamine (propylene diamine, hexamethylene diamine, etc.), polyalkylene polyamines (diethylene triamine, triethylene tetramine, etc.), alkanolamines (monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, etc.) Amines; aromatic amines such as aniline, phenylenediamine, xylylene diamine; alicyclic amines such as isophoronediamine, cyclohexylene diamine; complex alicyclic amines such as aminoethylpiperazin; and alkylene oxides on these active hydrogen compounds. Examples thereof include compounds to which the above is added. These active hydrogen compounds may be a mixture of two or more kinds.

Of these, polyhydric alcohols and polyhydric phenols are preferred. Examples of the alkylene oxide added to the active hydrogen compound include ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), butylene oxide, and a mixture of two or more of these. Of these, preferred are EO, PO and mixtures thereof.

Specific examples of the polyester polyol include polyvalent alcohols (the above-mentioned dihydric alcohols and trimethylolpropane, glycerin, etc.) and polybasic acids (succinic acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid, maleic acid, dimeric acid, and other aliphatic polycarboxylic acids. Condensed polyester polyol obtained by reacting with an acid, phthalic acid, terephthalic acid, dimer acid, aromatic polycarboxylic acid such as trimellitic acid), polylactone obtained by ring-opening polymerization of a lactone such as ε-caprolactone. Examples include polyols. Two or more of these polyester polyols may be used in combination. Of these, preferred are polyester polyols obtained by condensation reaction of dihydric alcohol (one or more of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 1,4-butanediol) and phthalic acid. It is preferably a polyether polyol. More preferably, it is a polyether polyol having a propylene oxide added at the end.

The organic isocyanate may be any organic isocyanate used for producing polyurethane. These isocyanates may be used alone or in combination of two or more, or modified products having been modified such as nurate-modified, prepolymer-modified, and uretdione-modified thereof may be used, and a plurality of polyisocyanates and modified products may be used in combination. You may.
Specifically, 2,4- or 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), crude TDI, diphenylmethane-2,4'-or 4,4'-diisocyanate (MDI), polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate (crude MDI). , Aromatic polyisocyanate of naphthylene-1,5-diisocyanate (NDI); aliphatic polyisocyanate such as 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), 4,4'-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, 1,4-cyclohexyldiisocyanate; Alicyclic polyisocyanates such as isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 1,4-cyclohexyldiisocyanate; and modified products thereof (eg, carbodiimide modification, allophanate modification, urea modification, burette modification, isocyanualate modification, oxazolidone modification, etc.) , Isocyanate group terminal prepolymer and the like. Specific examples of the modified polyisocyanate include carbodiimide-modified MDI, sucrose-modified TDI, and castor oil-modified MDI. Of these, preferred are MDI, TDI, carbodiimide-modified MDI and sucrose-modified TDI and their prepolymers.

The amount of organic polyisocyanate used in producing urethane foam is almost the same as that in ordinary urethane foam, and the NCO / OH (molar ratio) is preferably 0.7 or more and 5.0 or less, more preferably. Is 1.0 or more and 3.0 or less, and particularly preferably 1.0 or more and 1.4 or less.

As the catalyst, all known catalysts usually used for urethane foaming can be used. For example, amine-based catalysts [triethylenediamine, tetramethylhexamethylenediamine, dimethylcyclohexylamine, N-ethylmonophorin, dimethylethanolamine, 1,8-diazabicyclo- (5,4,0) -undecene-7, etc.]; metals Catalysts (stantined octylate, dibutylstantic dilaurylate, lead octylate, etc.), aliphatic monocarboxylic acid alkali metal salts having 1 to 8 carbon atoms (potassium acetate, sodium acetate, potassium octylate, sodium octylate, etc.) Etc.) and so on. The amount of the catalyst used is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 3% by weight, more preferably 0.5 to 2% by weight, based on the weight of the polyol.

Examples of the foaming agent include water, carbon dioxide gas, hydrocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and hydrofluoroethers (HFEs). These foaming agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. For example, low boiling point hydrocarbons such as water and carbon dioxide, water and methane, ethane, propane, pentane, isopentane, and cyclopentane, and water and halogenated hydrocarbons can be used in combination.
The amount of the foaming agent can be preferably 0.5 to 10 parts by weight, more preferably 1.0 to 9.5 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the total polyol component.

The defoaming agent is used to uniformly disperse water to obtain a product having a fine foam structure that is uniform and has a high closed cell ratio. Such a defoaming agent includes a silicone compound such as a polyoxyalkylene silicone polymer.

The ratio of the surfactant particles to the urethane foam is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20% or more and 35% or less by weight. Within this range, the urethane foam cells contain a large amount of surfactant particles, and when cleaning the object to be cleaned, the surface of the cleaning tool, which is brittle, gradually comes off and new cells appear on the surface. The surfactant in the cell is released, and sufficient foaming property and detergency can be imparted.

Further, the urethane foam preferably contains a plasticizer together with the surfactant particles. The plasticizer can be dissolved in the raw material mixture of urethane foam to reduce the viscosity so that foaming can be facilitated, and the wettability of urethane foam can be significantly improved. Examples of the plasticizer include dibutyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, butyl lauryl phthalate, tricresyl phosphate, and polyoxyalkylene derivatives. Of these, polyoxyalkylene derivatives are preferred. This is a polyoxyalkylene mono or polyalcohol terminal esterified with a fatty acid. Examples of this fatty acid include caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, alginic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and the like. Such examples include mono or dicarboxylic acid esters (mono or dicaprylic acid esters, mono) such as ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (eg n = 2-20), polypropylene glycol (eg n = 2-20). Or dioleic acid ester, mono or distearate). One or a mixture of two or more of these can be used.

Urethane foam containing a plasticizer has significantly improved wettability, and water or hot water can rapidly permeate the surface and inside of the urethane foam, dissolve surfactant particles, and rapidly develop foaming property.

The plasticizer is preferably a plasticizer that is difficult to dissolve in water having an HLB of less than 10, more preferably a plasticizer that does not have active hydrogen, and particularly preferably a dioleic acid ester of polyethylene glycol (for example, n = 2 to 20). Is. The amount of the plasticizer can be 5 to 20 parts by weight, more preferably 8 to 15 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the total foam components.

Furthermore, other additives such as hyaluronic acid, coenzyme Q10, AHA peach leaf extract, AHA aloe extract, Bincho charcoal, urea, silk, activated carbon, polyton pigment, antibacterial agent, fungicide, etc. are mixed in urethane foam. You may. Further, in order to further enhance the antibacterial property, antibacterial fine particles such as copper and catechin sun powder can be mixed.

The surfactant used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is dispersed in the produced semi-rigid urethane foam, but a nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant are preferable. Examples of the nonionic surfactant include alkylene oxide adducts of hardened castor oil; fatty acid esters of higher alcohols, alkylphenols and polyhydric alcohols, and alkylene oxide adducts thereof. Examples of the anionic surfactant include salts of fatty acids such as stearic acid, oleic acid and erucic acid, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates and alkyl phosphates.

The above surfactants are used alone or in combination. More preferred of the surfactants are nonionic surfactants and / or anionic surfactants that are easily soluble in water of HLB 10 or higher and have detergency.

Bubbles (hereinafter also referred to as cells) are present in the urethane foam, and the surfactant in the cells dissolves in water to impart hydrophilicity to the urethane foam, and the urethane foam exerts foaming and detergency. The surfactant in the urethane resin, not in the cell, is surrounded by the resin and cannot easily go out even if there is water, but the surfactant in the cell easily dissolves in water and foams. Can be done.

Further, the reaction temperature during the production of urethane foam is often 40 to 100 ° C. At a temperature higher than this reaction temperature by about 10 ° C. or higher, the solid surfactant does not melt and remains as a solid, and easily enters the cell. Since the reaction temperature of urethane foam varies depending on the material used, catalyst, etc., the softening point or melting point of the surfactant may be selected according to the reaction temperature during production, but the temperature during production of urethane foam is as high as 40 ° C. Since it is possible, in the present invention, the softening point or melting point of the surfactant is preferably 50 ° C. or higher in order to clarify the temperature. Actually, it is more preferable to select a surfactant having a softening point or a melting point higher than the urethanization reaction temperature by 10 ° C. or more. Therefore, when the softening point or melting point of the surfactant is 50 ° C. or higher, the surfactant easily enters the cell in the urethane foam, and the solubility of the surfactant in the cell in water at the time of use is good. As a result, foaming property and detergency are improved.

Further, since the softening point or melting point of the surfactant is 50 ° C. or higher, the surface of the urethane foam is not sticky even when it does not contain water, and it is easy to handle. When the temperature of the surfactant is above or near its softening point or melting point, it melts and the surface of the urethane foam becomes sticky. The softening point or melting point of the surfactant is particularly preferably 100 ° C. or higher. When the temperature is 100 ° C. or higher, the surfactant particles easily enter the cells of the urethane foam, and the surface of the urethane foam is smoother and feels good to the touch.

Further, if the surfactant having a softening point or a melting point of 50 ° C. or higher is in the form of particles, it can enter the cell as particles as they are. Further, even at room temperature after production, the surface or the surfactant inside the urethane foam does not melt and the surface of the urethane foam is not sticky. Therefore, the preferred shape is particulate. The average particle size of the surfactant particles can be measured by a known method such as a sieving method.

Further, the size of the cells in the urethane foam is easily affected by the particle size of the dispersed particles, and the cells are likely to be small cells of 500 μm or less, so that a urethane foam having fine cells can be formed. More preferably, it is 50 to 300 μm, and a urethane foam having finer cells can be produced.

When the surfactant is particles, the average particle size of the particles is not particularly limited, but is preferably 500 μm or less. When the particles are 500 μm or less, it is easy to enter the cell, and more particles of the surfactant can enter into the larger cell in the urethane foam, so that the foaming property and the detergency are further improved.

As a method for producing urethane foam, a normal method for producing urethane foam can be applied. For example, first, a predetermined amount of a polyol, a surfactant, a foaming agent, a defoaming agent, a catalyst and other additives are mixed. Although the timing of adding the surfactant is not specified, it is preferable to use it after mixing it in the polyol because the dispersibility is good. The mixture (resin premix) and polyisocyanate are rapidly mixed using a polyurethane foamer or stirrer. The obtained mixed solution is poured into an arbitrary open container for free foaming. After a predetermined time, remove from the container to obtain a semi-rigid polyurethane foam.

The semi-rigid urethane foam thus obtained becomes a foam having brittleness and flexibility.
The C hardness of the obtained semi-rigid urethane foam is 20 or more and 60 or less. If the C hardness is less than 20, it is too brittle to be washed by pressing it against the surface of the object to be cleaned, and sufficient shape retention and detergency cannot be obtained. If it exceeds 50, the foam itself is brittle when it is pressed against the surface of the object to be cleaned and is scraped off little by little from the surface, but there is a risk of damaging the surface of the object to be cleaned. It is preferably 25 or more and 55 or less.

Further, urethane foam having the following foam density and closed cell ratio is preferable as the cleaning tool in the present invention.
Foam density of the semi-rigid urethane foam 0.05 g / cm ³ or more, 0.20 g / cm ³ or less. If it is 0.05 g / cm ³ or more, the foam does not become too brittle and problems such as breakage during processing do not occur, foaming property and detergency are good, and if it is 0.20 g / cm ³ or less, the closed cell ratio, Good detergency can be obtained without the C hardness becoming too large.

The closed cell ratio of the semi-rigid urethane foam is preferably 7% or more and 50% or less. More preferably, it is 10 to 30%. When it is 50% or less, the cell communication rate in the urethane foam is 50% or more, and the surfactant existing in the inner cell dissolves in water and gradually bleeds out to the outside through the communication cell. Foams on the surface, resulting in improved detergency during use.

When the closed cell ratio of the urethane foam is 30% or less, the communication rate of the cells in the foam is further increased, and as a result, a surfactant dissolved in more water comes out on the surface, so that the foaming property is further improved. Increases cleanability.
However, if the communication rate is too large, the surfactant in the cell may be released too quickly, and the foaming effect may be reduced if the cell is used repeatedly. Therefore, closed cells are required to some extent, preferably 5% or more. Even if it is a closed cell, the urethane foam on the surface is gradually scraped by the contact friction of the urethane foam and new closed cell appears, and the surfactant in the closed cell dissolves in water and foams, contributing to cleanability. can do.

Further, the tear strength of the urethane foam ^{is preferably 0.5 kg / cm 2} or less. When the tear strength is 0.5 kg / cm ² or less, the foam is not too strong and moderate brittleness appears, and it becomes easy to remove stains on details.

The urethane foam produced as described above is cut into an appropriate size and finished as a cleaning tool. The size and shape of the cleaning tool are not limited and can be determined according to the application.

It can be inferred that the cleaning tool of the present invention removes dirt well in every detail as follows.
It is presumed that the semi-rigid urethane foam in the present invention has brittleness, and when the object is polished, the urethane foam is scraped off, which acts as an abrasive against stains and makes it easier to remove stains softer than the foam. NS. Since the polished material is atomized into a wide range of diameters from large to fine, it can enter even fine pores and can bring about a polishing effect and a cleaning effect. At the same time, the surfactant is present in the cell from the beginning, and the surfactant in the cell easily dissolves and disperses in the dirt on the surface, and exhibits a synergistic effect of polishing effect and detergent effect in the fine structure. As a result, even a low-hardness object to be cleaned, such as a conventional melamine scrubbing brush or steel wool scrubbing brush, can be washed without peeling or damaging the surface. Moreover, since the cleaning tool of the present invention is not metal, it does not resemble the cause of rust.

Further, in order to improve the above-mentioned polishing effect, an abrasive may be contained in the urethane foam. It is obtained by mixing in a polyol mixture before making urethane foam. The hardness of the abrasive is preferably a Mohs hardness of less than 6. The use of lower hardness abrasives reduces surface damage to the object to be cleaned.

As the polishing agent, known ones can be used, and examples thereof include particle zeolite, square stone, silica, silicate, carbonate, alumina, bicarbonate, borate, sulfate, and polyethylene. Preferred abrasives are calcium carbonate (as a calculus), a mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate (as a dolomite), sodium hydrogen carbonate, potassium sulfate, zeolite, alumina, alumina hydrate, pebbles, talc and silica.

The abrasive is particles, and the preferred weight average particle size for polishing is 0.5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably about 10 μm or more and 200 μm or less. Within this range, an acceptable compromise between good cleaning action and low substrate damage is achieved.
The amount of the abrasive used is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5% by weight or more and 70% by weight or less, and more preferably 10% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less with respect to the urethane foam.

The cleaning tool of the present invention can remove stains as a cleaning tool without soaking it in water, but it is preferable because it foams when it is used by immersing it in water, so that the effect of the present invention can be efficiently exhibited. By rubbing the dirty surface with the cleaning tool, the cleaning tool is polished and scraped off to generate a polished material, and the polished material can remove stains on details well. Moreover, since urethane foam is semi-rigid, it is possible to wash relatively soft materials without damaging them.

The cleaning tool of the present invention is used for cleaning car aluminum wheels, bodies, glass, tires, etc., for cleaning sinks and washrooms, for cleaning window glass, for cleaning water-repellent parts, back mirrors, etc. It can be applied for cleaning mirror surfaces, but is not limited to these.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be further described with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

(Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3)
First, resin premixes A to C were produced according to the formulation shown in Table 1.

Sanniks HD-402: Pentaerythritol-based polyether polyol, OHV400, Sanyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. Sanniks NP-300: Ethylene diamine-based polyether polyol, OHV760, Sanyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. Sanniks PL-910: Dipropylene-based polyether Polyol, OHV400, Ethylene glycol manufactured by Sanyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd .: Reagent special grade, TEDA 33LV manufactured by Wako Junyaku Co., Ltd .: Tertiary amine catalyst, SH-193 manufactured by Toso Co., Ltd.

106 parts by weight of Resin Premix A was adjusted to 25 ° C, and 138 parts by weight of isocyanate prepolymer (TDI-80 series, NCO content 29.6%) was adjusted to 25 ° C, and 100 parts by weight of Additive A. , Surfactant A 100 parts by weight was added and stirred at 3000 rpm for 15 seconds, and then left at room temperature for 170 mm (length) x 170 mm (width) x 150 (height) mm. , It was poured into a container which is an open system, and after about 5 to 10 minutes, it was taken out from the container to obtain a semi-rigid polyurethane foam of Example 1. The initial reaction temperature during production was around 50 ° C.

Table 2 shows the compounding prescription (foaming prescription). In addition, semi-rigid polyurethane foams of Examples 2 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 based on the formulation shown in Table 2.
Table 2 also shows the fluidity of the mixture during production, the raw material temperature, the stirring time, the rise time, the C hardness of the finished foam, the foam density, and the closed cell ratio.

Additive A: EB-200 (polyethylene glycol dibenzoic acid ester, manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.)
Additive B: Ionet DO-400 (polyoxyethylene dioleic acid ester, Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.)
Surfactant Particle A: Mixture of fatty acid soap, sodium stearate, polyoxyethylene monoalkyl ether;
Softening point 200 ° C or higher, average particle size 150 μm
Surfactant Particle B: Mixture of fatty acid soap and polyoxyethylene monoalkyl ether; melting point 50 ° C., average particle diameter 100 μm
Surfactant Particle C: A mixture of fatty acid soap, polyoxyethylene monoalkyl ether, and polyoxyethylene monofatty acid ester; melting point 45 ° C., average particle diameter 500 μm

Fluidity of the blended mixture: A mixture containing a raw material other than the isocyanate prepolymer was left to stand for one week, and the one having fluidity was evaluated as ◯, and the mixture having thixophilicity and being difficult to flow was evaluated.
Raw material temperature: Temperature of the mixed mixture before the start of the reaction Stirring time (seconds): The stirring time from the start of stirring to the start of foaming was measured.
Rise time (seconds): The time until foaming is completed, including the stirring time.

C hardness (surface hardness): Measured with an Asker rubber hardness tester (C type, manufactured by Polymer Meter Co., Ltd.).
Foam density (g / cm ³ ): Bulk specific gravity was measured.
Closed cell ratio (%): Measured with an air comparative hydrometer (manufactured by Beckman) according to ASTM D 2856.

Semi-rigid polyurethane foams of Examples 2 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were cut into 6 cm × 8 cm × 3 cm to prepare a cleaning tool, and a detergency test, a polishing test, brittleness, surface stickiness, wettability, Foam foaming was evaluated.

(Comparative Examples 4 to 7)
In addition, a commercially available steel wool scrubbing brush (with soap powder inside) (Comparative Example 4), a melamine scrubbing brush (Comparative Example 5), a sponge urethane impregnated with a commercially available detergent (Comparative Example 6), and a metal scrubbing brush (Comparative Example 6). Example 7) was also evaluated. These results are shown in Table 3. In Comparative Examples 5 to 7, a cleaning agent was used in combination.

(Evaluation method)
Detergency test: A grid-like groove with a width of 1 mm and a depth of 1 mm is formed on an aluminum plate at intervals of about 4 mm, and about 5 g of a dispersion liquid containing salad oil (98 parts by weight) and graphite (2 parts by weight) is applied to the tissue. After wiping with paper, it was rubbed by hand with a cleaning tool 5 times each vertically and horizontally. Then, the surface was observed at a magnification of 100 times with Keyence's digital inkcope VHX-500.

FIG. 1 is a photograph (drawing substitute photograph) for explaining the evaluation (◯, Δ, ×) of the detergency test. In FIG. 1, a grid-like groove 2 is provided on the aluminum plate 1. (A) shows that almost no graphite 3 remains in the grid-like groove 2, and (b) shows that graphite 3 clearly remains in the corner 4 of the intersection of the grid-like grooves 2. In c), graphite 3 remains in addition to the corner 4 of the intersection of the grid-like grooves 2, and is designated as × (c). (D) is a photograph before cleaning.

Polishing test: The surface of the aluminum plate is rubbed 50 times with a cleaning tool, and the one in the same state as before rubbing is marked with ◯, and the one with traces of scratches is marked with x.
Brittleness: Prepare sandpaper with an average particle size of about 300 μm, set a cleaning tool of 8 cm x 6 cm (thickness 25 mm) on it, apply a load of 500 g from above, and push and pull the cleaning tool 4 cm one way. Make a reciprocating motion. Measure the weight loss (%) after 5 round trips.
Weight loss (%) = (Weight of cleaning tool before test (g) -Weight of cleaning tool after test (g)) x 100 / Weight of cleaning tool before test (g)
Weight loss (%) is 0.07% or more ○,
Less than 0,07%, 0.05% or more △,
Less than 0.05% is defined as x.

Surface stickiness: The stickiness on the surface of the cleaning tool after the cleaning tool was allowed to stand at 40 ° C. for 1 hour was judged by touching the presence or absence.
Wetness: Three drops of water were dropped from a 100 ml pipette on the cross section of the new cleaning tool, and the time (seconds) until the luster of the water disappeared was measured.
Foaming: The foaming when the cleaning tool was soaked in water and the aluminum plate was rubbed by hand 5 times was evaluated with the naked eye. When rubbing, it was rubbed with the same force. (○ for immediate foaming, × for non-foaming, △ with less foaming)

From Table 3, the cleaning tools of Examples 1 to 8 had good cleaning power and did not damage the aluminum plate. The cleaning tool of Example 8 had a poor surface stickiness, but it can be used as a cleaning tool.

The cleaning tool containing no surfactant (Comparative Example 1) had poor detergency. The cleaning tool of Comparative Example 2 had a high C hardness and poor polishability (damaged aluminum plate). The cleaning tool of Comparative Example 3 had a low C hardness and good polishability, but the cleaning power was reduced. None of the commercially available cleaning tools (Comparative Examples 4 to 7) satisfied both the detergency test and the polishing test.

From the above, it was confirmed that the cleaning tool of the present invention is an excellent cleaning tool that has excellent detergency and does not damage a soft object to be cleaned.

1 Aluminum plate 2 Lattice groove 3 Graphite 4 Corner of the intersection of the lattice groove

Claims (3)

A cleaning tool made of semi-rigid polyurethane foam.
The semi-rigid polyurethane foam is produced by reacting a raw material mixed with surfactant particles.
The softening point or melting point of the surfactant particles is 100 ° C. or higher, and the ratio of the surfactant particles to the semi-rigid polyurethane foam is 20% or more and 35% or less by weight.
The surfactant particles are present in the bubbles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam,
The semi-hard polyurethane foam has a C hardness of 20 or more and 60 or less.
The semi-rigid polyurethane foam has brittleness, and the brittleness is 0.07% or more by the following test method.
When the object to be cleaned is polished and washed with the cleaning tool, the semi-rigid polyurethane foam is scraped off to generate particles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam, and the surfactant particles emerge from the bubbles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam. A cleaning tool characterized by polishing and cleaning.
Brittleness test method: Prepare sandpaper with an average particle size of about 300 μm, set a cleaning tool of 8 cm × 6 cm and a thickness of 25 mm on it, apply a load of 500 g from above, and push and pull the cleaning tool. Make a reciprocating motion of 4 cm one way and measure the weight loss after 5 reciprocating movements.
Weight reduction (%) = (Weight of cleaning tool before test (g) -Weight of cleaning tool after test (g)) x 100 / Weight of cleaning tool before test (g) Further, the foam density of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam is at most 0.093 g / cm ³ or more 0.109 g / cm ^3, and closed cell ratio of claim 1, wherein the 35% or less than 15% Cleaning tool. When the cleaning tool according to claim 1 or 2 is immersed in water to polish and clean the object to be cleaned, the semi-rigid polyurethane foam particles generated by scraping off the semi-rigid polyurethane foam and the bubbles of the semi-rigid polyurethane foam A method of using a cleaning tool, which comprises polishing and cleaning with bubbles generated from surfactant particles.

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