Solvent-based compositions, for example based on methylene chloride or other volatile organic compounds, are known for cleaning surfaces and/or removing organic coatings from surfaces. Such compositions, and the fumes they emit, are generally irritant, smelly and toxic. This necessitates special storage and handling procedures, particularly for commercial use, as well as protective clothing and equipment for users. It is thus desirable to provide aqueous compositions to replace these solvent-based compositions, which have the desired cleaning and coating-removal effects.
Aqueous cleaning compositions based on caustic acids or alkalis are also known. The chemical reactivity of such compositions poses substantial health and safety concerns, necessitating special storage and handling procedures, particularly for commercial use. It is thus desirable also to provide safe aqueous compositions which have the desired cleaning and coating-removal effects, to replace the known caustic compositions.
Non-toxic aqueous compositions for removing organic coatings, including for example for plasticising or softening coatings such as paint prior to stripping, are known. Such compositions are described in EP-B-0869997 and EP-B-1064334, both to the present applicant Eco Solutions Limited of Winscombe, GB. The disclosures of these prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. However, there remains a need to provide improved aqueous compositions for cleaning surfaces and removing coatings from surfaces.
The present invention is based on our surprising finding that the compositions described in EP-B-0869997 and EP-B-1064334 retain a highly effective cleaning and coating-removal activity and can exist as a stable and optically clear emulsion, both in a thickened and unthickened form, at water contents in excess of those described in the prior art, for example in excess of 80% water by weight, for example in excess of 85% or 90% or 95% water by weight, up to about 99.0% water by weight.
Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,510, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an aqueous floor polish composition including tributoxyethyl phosphate, dibutyl phthalate and a surfactant, and an aqueous dispersion containing these ingredients from which the polish composition can be manufactured by addition of other components.