US3080257A - Fill-seal wood finishing method and product - Google Patents

Description

March 5, 1963 J. M. BERRY 3,080,257

' FILL-SEAL wooD FINISHING METHOD AND PRODUCT Filed May 20, 1959 sANDED -wooD FG l APPLY CLEAR FIXING AGENT (LIGHT coAT) APPLY PIG MENTED FILLER-SEALER APPLY TOP COATS JOHN M. BERRY ATTORNEYS W73@ fm' United States Patent Office asstra? Patented Mar. 5, lg

3,080,257 Fill-SEAL WDD FlNiSHiNG METHQD AND FRDUCT John M. Berry, Martinsville, Va., assigner to Mitliand Chemical Corporation, Dayton, hio, a corporation of Delaware File-d May Ztl, i959, Ser. No. 814,535 2 Claims. (Cl. lli-JZ) This invention relates to wood finishing systems wherein the wood is provided with a surface adapted for the decoration and preservation of the wood; more particularly the invention relates to wood finishing systems provided to greatly accentuate differences in color between the pore and iiake of the Wood.

Contrasting colorations, such as black a-nd white, sometimes termed a sea foam finish, are desired on decorative furniture pieces and such finishes must also exhibit protective `and preservation qualities. Normally aqueous materials are avoided for such purposes, as water stains, for example, tend to raise the grain of the wood, resulting in much labor and expense in overcoming the raised grain effect. Consequently aqueous treating materials have been limited in their application even though the Water stains, such as aniline dyes, have long been considered more desirable than the oil and spirit stains.

In the co-pending application of John M. Berry, Serial No. 735,239, filed May 14, 1958, there are described aqueous system wood finishing methods which materially reduce the costs involved while permitting the attainment of the advantages of an aqueous system.

It has now been found that such aqueous methods may be employed in connection with the preparation of wood surfaces having greatly improved contrast between the pore areas and the flake areas of the wood with the fiake area of one background coloration and the pore area of another coloration. The system is thus effective to emphasize naturally occurring dierences between the pore and ake as well as to produce contrasting colorations in the pore and flake areas. Further, while flake areas are accentuated the surface is itself smooth and the high labor costs attendant other aqueous systems are eliminated.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide an improved economical wood finishing process whereby the naturally occurring differences in the pore and flake areas of the wood and of contrasting colorations are greatly accentuated.

In the practice of the method of the co-pendinL7 application referred to hereinbefore the wood treatment involves essentially the application to a smooth Wood surface of a fixing agent followed by a filler-sealer coat which provides on the wood a hard translucent film. Over this film protective lacquer coats or varnish, for example, may be applied.

In the practice of the present invention two coloring materials are utilized; the background coloration is applied in a light coat-insufficient to ll the pores of the wood but effective to provide a background on the flake. Suitably, prior to the application of this first color material, a clear translucent water soluble, hard fixing agent film is provided on the wood surface to limit any tendency of the background color to pore penetration. The soluble fixing agent film is reactive with the agen containing the background color material and is curable to xa hard thin film. Over this latter lm a glaze is applied; this glaze is preferably of the same nature as the fixing agent film but contains the second coloring agent. After application of the glaze a filler-sealer which effects final lling and sealing is applied and cured; this filler-sealer is aqueous, dissolves the film containing the glaze and reacts therewith to form a hard film over which the usual protective top coats of lacquer, resin or the like may be applied.

The glazing operation involves rag wiping of the second color across the background color and the pores become filled with the second color material; in the case of a sea foam black and white finish the black color material is retained substantially solely by the pores While the white pigment covers the flake of the wood.

The product is a hard finish characterized by strong adherence of the cured undercoat to the overcoats and a substantial elimination of a tendency of the finish to check.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the attached drawing wherein:

FlGURE l is a flow sheet illustrating the process; and

FIGURE 2 is a plan view illustrating the product.

As illustrated in the drawing, to produce a black and white finish the sanded wood suitably has first applied thereto a spray of a xing agent formed as follows:

Fixing Agent "A Water lbs 29.2

(8.3 gals.) Powdered alum lbs-- 1.5 Powdered boric acid lbs 1.5 Sugar lbszl0 Mono-butyl ether of diethylene glycol (Butyl Car- 4bitol) gal 6.5

The above are mixed together with simple agitation and the following is added:

H2SO4 5 liq. ounces (9.5 oz. av.). H2O 5 liq. ounces (5 oz. av.). Mono-butyl ether of di-ethylene glycol (Butyl Carbitol)- 5 liq. ounces (5 oz. av.). Boric acid 1.25 oz. av. Alum 1.25 oz. av.

The formulation given yields 5 gallons of fixing agent; the components dissolve readily in the water.

This fixing agent is dried on the wood; over the dried fixing agent a very light spray of a white pigmented fillsealer is applied, formed as follows:

Fill-Sealer A (4.1 lbs.) and add to the resin solution the sugar solution.

Five gallons of the last named solution were then modified with:

Mono-butyl ether of ethylene glycol (Butyl Cellosolve) Amyl acetate Mono-butyl ether of diethylene glycol (Butyl Carbitol)- lliq. ounce (1 oz. av.).

3 pints (4.3 oz. av.). Zliq. ounces (1.7 oz. av.).

Pigmentad F z 'll Sealer Fill-sealer A gals 3/2 Titanium dioxide lbs 2 Water gals 1/2 The above are ground together in a ball mill; then a very light spray of the pigmented fill-sealer is applied over the fixing agent. The fill sealer-fixing agent are cured at a temperature of 110 VF. to 140 F.

The film applied is a very light one'and does not close the pore areas. i

' VFor the purpose of applying `the .second color-to one gallon of the fixing agent-A'there is added 4 ounces of raw umb er to produce the glaze.

This glaze is sprayed in a heavy .wet coat `over the dried *white toner; the glaze is permitted to air dry for a 3 to 5 minute period and then the glaze is wiped across the grain of the wood to Vobtain a Ysmooth veven closed glaze surface. A simple rag wiping accomplishes the purpose. By this wiping action a white background having black in the pore areas only of the wood is achieved.

After t-he glazing the wood is air dried for a short period and then is oven dried at 110 F. for 30 to 60 minutes. This surface is smooth and suitably is lightly sanded in preparation for the final ll-seal coat.

The fill-sealer is sprayed over the dried glaze and then the wood is air dried for to 30 minutes, and finally is oven ydried for 30 to 60 minutes at 110 F.

Air drying before force drying tends to avoid blistering which sometimes occurs and is accordingly a precautionary measure.

No sanding of the film is required before applying the finish coats. These coats may be three coats of nitrocellulose lacquer; or alternatively urea-alkyd varnishes or natural resin varnishes may be applied.

The application of the clear fixing agent and the light coat of the .pigmented filler-sealer priorY to `the application of the glaze provides a receptive surface for the glaze. The glaze combines the function of `partially filling the pores of the wood without causing grain raising to any substantial extent; thus eliminatingV the necessity' for any substantial sending. The -film provided by-the -glaze is homogeneous, water soluble, ,continuous and hard.

The earth colors of the glaze distribute evenly but are retained substantially only by the pore areas after the wiping.

The filler sealer composition wets the dry fixing agent, which results in the'hard transparent film through which the emphasized differential pore and ake areas are visible.

The principal function of theV sucrose in the system is to fill the pores of the wood; in addition, however, the sucrose contributes to the viscosity necessary for proper spraying, and also aids in the formation of a continuous film on the surface of the wood.

The boric acid, sulfuric acid and aluminum sulfate serve as catalysts for the polymerization of the urea formaldehyde; in addition the boric acid and alum 4inhibit against the raising of the grain kof the wood.

The Butyl Carbitol and vButyl Cellosolve provide for control of the flow and the wetting properties of the ved hicle, and also serve to some extent in the prevention of grain raising.

The urea formaldehyde itself serves the dual function of filling and sealing or insolubilizing. A particularly suitable urea formaldehyde is that marketed as a dry partially polymerizable powder having a particle size of about 30 mesh. Other characteristics of one such suitable resin include a Storrner viscosity of 20-70 r.p.m. at 21 C. (50 grams of water plus grams of the resin); a gel time at 70 F. of 90-140 minutes k(100 grams of resin and 50 grams 4% ammonium chloride solution).

Urea formaldehyde is reacted to form a hard transparent insoluble surface which is receptive to the application of the usual lacquer top coats.

In effect the product comprises a coating on the wood of superposed hardened films which are durable, ad-

herent, transparent, continuous and resinous; a first film includes one coloring material and the second film the second coloring material. This second coloring material is confined to the pore area since the pores are incompletely filled by the formed film.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order -to adapt it to different usages and conditions and accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a wood finishing process wherein color contrast is provided on a surface of wood between the pore and iiake grain areas of the wood, the steps of sanding `the wood surface, applying on the surface of the sanded wood an aqueous acidic fixing agent solution containing sucrose, boric acid and an alum and pigment, thereafter drying the same on the wood at a temperature of F. to F. to provide a continuous water-soluble film, applying over the `fixing agent iilrn an aqueous dispersion of urea-formaldehyde resin which hardens in contact with the aqueous acidic fixing agent and which resin dispersion contains a pigment of the desired coloration of the flake areas of the wood, applying over the resultant treated wood surface an acidic wiping glaze containing coloring matter, wiping the glaze into the pore areas of the wood and to substantially remove the glaze from said ake grain areas, drying the glazed Wood at a temperature of approximately 110 F. for 30 to v60 minutes and finally applying to the wood surface an aqueous resin dispersion containing urea-formaldehyde lresin which is hardenable in contact with the glaze Vto provide a substantially water-insoluble film and drying the latter dispersion at approximately 110 F. in contact with the glaze, said resin dispersion of urea formaldehyde resin forming a filling and sealing coating and which resin is hardened by contact with said fixing agent.

2. In a wood finishing process wherein color contrast is provided on av surface of wood between the pore and flake grain areas of the wood, the steps of sanding said wood surface, applying on the surface of the wood thus sand-ed an aqueous acidic fixing agent solution containing sucrose, boric acid, sulfuric acid and an alum, drying `said solution at a temperature of 110 F. for 30 to 60 minutes on the wood to a continuous water-soluble film, applying to the fixing agent an aqueous dispersion of urea-formaldehyde resin which is hardenable in contact with the aqueous acidic fixing agent and which dispersion contains titanium dioxide, said fixing agent and dispelsion being insufficient to completely fill the pores of the wood, hardening the fixing agent and dispersion to .seal the pigment on the wood surface, applying to the wood surface over the sealed pigment an acidic wiping glaze containing burnt umher, wiping the glaze to provide the same in the pore areas of the wood and to Isubstantially remove the glaze from the iiake grain area,

drying the glazed wood at a temperature of approximately 110 li. for 30 to 60 minutes and applying to the wood surface an aqueos resin dispersion of urea-formaldehyde resin which is hardenable in Contact with the glaze to provide a lling and sealing substantially Water insoluble film; and heat hardening said latter dispersion in contact with the glaze by subjecting the resultant glazed wood to a temperature of about 110 F. for 30 to 60 minutes.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Lehman Oct. 30, 1951 McCullough et al Mar. 3, 1953 Robison Aug. 11, 1953 Golick et a1. Dec. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Ian. 29, 1931 Great Britain Mar. 4, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES 10 Wood Finishing, Vanderwalker, Drake & Company,

1944, pp. 340-341 relied on.

Claims (1)

1. IN A WOOD FINISHING PROCESS WHEREIN COLOR CONTRAST IS PROVIDED ON SURFACE OF WOOD BETWEEN THE PORE AND FLAKE GRAIN AREAS OF THE WOOD, THE STEPS OF SANDING THE WOOD SURFACE, APPLYING ON THE SURFACE OF THE SANDED WOOD AN AQUEOUS ACIDIC FIXING AGENT SOLUTION CONTAINING SUCROSE, BORIC ACID AND AN ALUM AND PIGMENT, THEREAFTER DRYING THE SAME ON THE WOOD AT A TEMPERATURE OF 100* F TO 140* F. TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS WATER-SOLUBLE FILM, APPLYING OVER THE FIXING AGENT FILM AN AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF UREA-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN WHICH HARDEN IN CONTACT WITH THE AQUEOUS ACIDIC FIXING AGENT AND WHICH RESIN DISPERSION CONTAINS A PIGMENT OF THE DESIRED COLORATION OF THE FLAKE AREAS OF THE WOOD, APPLYING OVER THE RESULTANT TREATED WOOD SURFACE AN ACIDIC WIPING GLAZE CONTAINING COLORING MATTER, WIPING THE GLAZE INTO THE PORE AREAS OF THE WOOD AND TO SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVE THE GLAZE FROM SAID FLAKE GRAIN AREAS DRYING THE GLAZED WOOD AT A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 110* F. FOR 30 TO 60 MINUTES AND FINALLY APPLYING TO THE WOOD SURFACE AN AQUEOUS RESIN DISPERSION CONTAINING UREA-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN WHICH IS HARDENABLE IN CONTACT WITH THE GLAZE TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE FILM AND DRYING THE LATTER DISPERSION AT APPROXIMATELY 110* F. IN CONTACT WITH THE GLAZE, SAID RESIN DISPERSION OF UREA FORMALDEHYDE RESIN FORMING A FILLING AND SEALING COATING AND WHICH RESIN IS HARDENED BY CONTACT WITH SAID FIXING AGENT.

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