United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 4,601,755 Mélard Et Al
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United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 4,601,755 Mélard et al. 45 Date of Patent: Jul. 22, 1986 (54) CERIUM BASED GLASSPOLISHING (56) References Cited COMPOSITIONS U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 75 Inventors: Pierre Mélard, Lagord; Marcel 3,262,766 7/1966 Nonamaker ........... ... 51/309 Peltier, La Rochelle; Francis Tastu, 3,768,989 10/1973 Goetzinger et 51/309 Nieul/sur/Mer, all of France 4,161,463 7/1979 Myers et al... ... SO2/263 73 Assignee: Rhone-Poulene Specialites 4,62,921 7/1979 Litvinov et al. P ... O - 0 - - - - - - - - - - - A as - - 50/9 Chimiques, Courbevoie, France Primary Examiner-Amelia B. Yarbrough Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burns, Doane, Swecker & 21 Appl. No.: 635,828 Mathis 22 Filed: Jul, 30, 1984 57 ABSTRACT (30) Foreign Application Priority Data Cerium based glass polishing compositions, well adapted for the polishing, e.g., of optical glass, are com Jul. 29, 1983 FR France ................................ 83 2519 prised of (i) at least one crystalline phase of CeO2 type, 51) Int. Cl'................................................ C09G 1/02 and (ii) a crystalline phase which comprises a rare earth 52 U.S. C. ........................................ 106/3; 51/308; pyrosilicate having the formula Ln2-CeSi2O7, 51/309; 156/DIG. 63; 423/263 wherein Ln is at least one lanthanide or yttrium and x is 58 Field of Search ................... 106/3, 288 B, 287.34; a number ranging from zero to less than 2. 51/309, 308; 423/263; 156/DIG. 63; 502/263, 302, 304,303 59 Claims, No Drawings 4,601,755 1. 2 forming insoluble rare earth compounds, with the num CERIUM BASED GLASS POLISHING ber of equivalents of base being greater than or equal to COMPOSITIONS the number of equivalents of cerium and the pH of the reaction medium being higher than 6; BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 (b) the resultant precipitate is filtered; 1. Field of the Invention: (c) dried; and The present invention relates to novel cerium based (d) thence calcined. polishing compositions, a process for the preparation This process provides polishing compositions having thereof, and to the use of same in the polishing of glass, good homogeneity and reproducibility, good stability ceramics and other vitreous type materials. 10 upon suspension in water and good polishing efficacy. 2. Description of the Prior Art: However, the immediately aforedescribed process is Among the polishing compositions currently in use in not entirely satisfactory, since the anion typically em the glass industry, those based on the rare earths, and in ployed is fluoride which gives rise to those problems particular cerium, are generally the most effective and necessarily associated with the use of fluorides, in par efficient. Different processes too are known for the 15 production of such compositions. Thus, it has been ticular pollution which may be caused by the effluent proposed, in German Pat. No. 2,426,110, to precipitate therefrom, whether in liquid or gaseous state. an aqueous solution of a rare earth sulfate with sodium SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION hydroxide in the presence of molochite, and to then filter, wash, dry and calcine the precipitate to obtain the 20 Accordingly, a major object of the present invention desired polishing composition. Such a process does not is the provision of improved cerium based polishing permit the obtainment of polishing compositions having compositions which exhibit the following desirable completely satisfactory efficacy, particularly in view of characteristics: their heterogeneity, undefined structure and lack of (i) effectiveness, i.e., they enable the polishing of a reproducibility of the final products. These disadvan 25 generally ground glass surface as rapidly as possible; tages originate specifically from the operating condi (ii) acceptability, i.e., they will not scratch the glass tions of the process, wherein the concentration of the during the polishing operation; reagents changes over the course of the reaction and it (iii) inertness, i.e., they will not cause a detrimental is thus impossible to obtain defined products in a repro reaction on the surfare of the glass, e.g., they do not ducible fashion; they are also occasioned by the exis 30 display excessive chemical activity with respect to the tence of foreign compounds (molochite) and the pres glass, thereby avoiding the problems of burning, orange ence of sulfates, the precipitation of which by sodium peel, blisters, and the like; hydroxide yields mixtures of complex molecules, such (iv) a very long useful life or longevity, i.e., they are as double sulfates, hydroxysulfates and hydroxides, the suitable for use for the longest possible period of time amount and nature of which may vary-over the course 35 without deterioration or difficulties; of the reaction. (v) good stability in suspension, i.e., permitting a It has also been proposed, Chemical Abstracts, 80, homogeneous distribution of particulates or powder 51688 (1974), to produce cerium based polishing com thereof in appropriate bath and avoiding any deposits positions by precipitating ceric hydroxide with ammo thereof. nia from a solution of a rare earth nitrate, wherein the The dispersion, as aforesaid, is effective as soon as the cerium has been previously oxidized. Such a process composition is placed in suspension and remains so mandates a supplementary purification step by recrys during the entire operation. tallization with the ceri-ammoniacal nitrate and taking Such dispersions, moreover, do not foam; foaming up the calcined oxide in a dilute acid. The final prod causes overflowing, clogs the lines, reduces yields and ucts, moreover, do not have a satisfactory polishing 45 inconveniences the operating personnel. Furthermore, efficacy. Furthermore, such final compositions also do the subject compositions are readily re-suspended after not have satisfactory homogeneity or structural charac an extended stoppage and settling period, even if the teristics, and they are not reproducible. bath is charged with particles of polished glass (the In U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,989 a process is described for phenomenon of "caking'). the preparation of polishing compositions by the forma 50 tion of a precipitate of a rare earth carbonate-wollasto Also, the compositions of the invention are not toxic, nite, separation of the precipitate and the calcination thus preventing any problems of skin disorders or other thereof. And in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,766 a process is diseases. They are, moreover, uniform, possess a pleas described for preparing polishing compositions by treat ing color and are easy to work with. They do not ad ing solutions of commercially available rare earth car 55 here to the glass after polishing, thereby permitting bonates with either fluosilicic or hydrofluosilicic acid. rapid cleaning, and are easy to flocculate, to eliminate Polishing compositions prepared by the processes de manufacturing rejects. scribed in either of these two U.S. patents, however, Briefly, the novel cerium based glass polishing com have disadvantages akin to those described above for positions of the present invention comprise at least one the compositions prepared according to the teachings of 60 crystallographic phase of the CeO2 type and a crystallo the 110 German patent. graphic phase comprising a rare earth pyrosilicate hav To eliminate the disadvantages of the aforementioned ing the formula Ln2-xCex.Si2O7, wherein Ln represents processes, a novel process has been proposed in French at least one element selected from among the lantha Pat. No. 2,472,601, assigned to the assignee hereof, in nides and yttrium and whereinx is greater than or equal accordance with which: 65 to 0 and less than 2. (a) a solution of a cerium salt is continuously mixed In addition to the aforesaid two essential crystallo with a basic solution and a solution of at least one acid graphic phases, the compositions of the invention may and/or salt, the anion or anions of which are capable of optionally comprise in certain cases other crystallized 4,601,755 3 4. phases of rare earth oxides or phases of silicon oxide, The normality of the basic solution used too is not a more or less crystallized. critical factor according to the invention; it also may vary over wide limits, but advantageously it ranges DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE from to 5N. INVENTION The proportion of the basic solution and the cerium More particularly according to the present invention, salt solution should be such that the number of equiva it has now surprisingly been found that unexpectedly lents of the basic solution introduced is greater than or desirable glass polishing properties are imparted to the equal to the number of equivalents of cerium introduced subject compositions by inclusion therein of the simultaneously. It may be advantageous to use a greater Ln2-xCex.Si2O7 phase. O than 5% excess of equivalents of base with respect to By the term "glass" as utilized herein, there are in the equivalents of cerium. The pH of the reaction me tended not only glass and ceramics, but also the other dium may range from 5 to 10. It advantageously ranges materials of vitreous type. from 7 to 9. It may be especially advantageous to con The present invention also features a novel process trol the pH at a constant value within +0.1 pH unit. for the preparation of the subject compositions, said 15 The aqueous solution of the salt of at least one triva process comprising: lent rare earth or yttrium must be soluble under the (i) simultaneously mixing a solution of a cerium salt, a operating conditions of the process of the invention. basic solution, an aqueous solution of a salt of at least Exemplary of suitable salts, representative are the chlo one trivalent rare earth or of yttrium, and a solution of rides or nitrates of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, at least one oxide derivative of silicon capable of form- 20 neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, ing insoluble rare earth compounds; dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lute (ii) filtering the precipitate which results; and cium, and of yttrium.