ANDERSON LESLIE MICHAEL (AU)
| US5196401A | 1993-03-23 | |||
| US4959164A | 1990-09-25 | |||
| US6316394B1 | 2001-11-13 | |||
| EP0495579A2 | 1992-07-22 |
| 1. | A cutting fluid for use in the cutting of stone such as granite wherein a cutting edge is located adjacent a surface of the stone to be cut and wherein the cutting fluid is applied to an interface between the cutting edge and the surface of the stone, the cutting fluid comprising: (i) a salt component, and, (ii) a polymer component. |
| 2. | A cutting fluid according to claim 1 wherein the salt component includes a calcium, sodium or potassium salt. |
| 3. | A cutting fluid according to claim 1 wherein the salt is calcium chloride. |
| 4. | A cutting fluid according to claim 3 wherein the salt component is formed by dissolving calcium chloride in water at a rate of 2kg to 1 ,000 litres of water. |
| 5. | A cutting fluid according to claim 3 wherein the polymer component comprises polyethylene oxide dissolved in ethylene glycol. |
| 6. | A cutting fluid according to claim 5 wherein the polyethylene oxide is dissolved in the ethylene glycol at a rate of 1 kg polyethylene oxide to 5 litres of ethylene glycol. |
| 7. | A cutting fluid according to claim 5 wherein the fluid has at least 10 ppm polyethylene oxide at the interface. |
| 8. | A cutting fluid according to claim 5 wherein the cutting fluid is made up as follows: (i) preparing a salt component by dissolving calcium chloride in water at the rate of 2 kg to 1 ,000 litres of water, preparing the polymer component by dissolving polyethylene oxide in ethylene glycol at a rate of 1 kg polyethylene oxide to 5 litres to ethylene glycol, adding the polymer component to the salt component and diluting with water so as to maintain a fluid of not less than 10 ppm polyethylene oxide. |
| 9. | A method for cutting granite comprising locating a cutting edge adjacent a surface of the granite to be cut, applying a fluid to an interface between the cutting edge and the surface and causing the cutting edge to cut the surface, the cutting fluid comprising: (i) a salt component, and, (ii) a polymer component. |
| 10. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 9 wherein the salt component includes a calcium, sodium or potassium salt. |
| 11. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 9 wherein the salt is calcium chloride. |
| 12. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 11 wherein the salt component is formed by dissolving calcium chloride in water at a rate of 2kg to 1 ,000 litres of water. |
| 13. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 11 wherein the polymer component comprises polyethylene oxide dissolved in ethylene glycol. |
| 14. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 11 wherein the polyethylene oxide is dissolved in the ethylene glycol at a rate of 1 kg polyethylene oxide to 5 litres of ethylene glycol. |
| 15. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 11 wherein the fluid has at least 10 ppm polyethylene oxide at the interface. |
| 16. | A method for cutting granite according to claim 11 wherein the cutting fluid is made up as follows: (i) preparing a salt component by dissolving calcium chloride in water at the rate of 2 kg to 1 ,000 litres of water, (ii) preparing the polymer component by dissolving polyethylene oxide in ethylene glycol at a rate of 1 kg polyethylene oxide to 5 litres to ethylene glycol, (iii) adding the polymer component to the salt component and diluting with water so as to maintain a fluid of not less than 10 ppm polyethylene oxide. |
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to rock cutting and, more particularly to the cutting of granite for the dimension stone industry.
BACKGROUND ART
Typically, granite may be cut by a saw with a cooling medium of water being present at the interface between the cutting edge of the saw and the surface of the granite being cut.
Various additives have been proposed for the cooling medium - see for example Australian Patent No. 609,689 - but by and large these additives have not lead to any substantial improvement in the rate of cutting.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a fluid for use in the cutting of stone particularly granite comprising:- (i) a salt component, and, (ii) a polymer component. In a preferred form of the invention, the salt component includes a calcium, sodium or potassium salt. It is further preferred that the salt is calcium chloride but potassium chloride or sodium chloride may also be used.
Preferably, the polymer component comprises polyethylene oxide dissolved in ethylene glycol. It is further preferred that the salt component be formed by dissolving calcium chloride in water at the rate of 2 Kg to 1 ,000 litres of water.
It is further preferred that the polymer component comprises polyethylene oxide dissolved in ethylene glycol at a rate of 1 Kg polyethylene oxide to 5 litres of ethylene glycol.
It is further preferred that the fluid has at least 10 ppm polyethylene oxide at the interface.
Preferably, the fluid of the invention is made up as follows: - (i) preparing a salt component by dissolving calcium chloride in water at the rate of 2 Kg to 1 ,000 litres of water, (ii) preparing the polymer component by dissolving polyethylene oxide in ethylene glycol at a rate of 1 Kg polyethylene oxide to 5 litres to ethylene glycol, (iii) adding the polymer component to the salt component and diluting with water so as to maintain a fluid of not less than 10 ppm polyethylene oxide.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for cutting granite comprising locating a cutting edge adjacent a surface of the granite to be cut, applying a fluid as defined above to an interface between the cutting edge and the surface, and causing the cutting edge to cut the surface. Preferably, the cutting edge is that of a coresaw.
MOPES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
So that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the following examples, in which Example 1 is of a prior art method for cutting granite, and Example 2 is of a preferred method of the present invention.
EXAMPLE 1
A large block of granite was suitably located for cutting by a coresaw. A cooling medium of water was applied to the interface between the cutting edge of the coresaw and the granite surface to be cut. The coresaw was then operated so that its cutting edge cut the granite surface kept constantly wet with the cooling medium until the granite was cut into two pieces. The duration of the cutting operation was 15 seconds. EXAMPLE 2
One block of the two pieces resulting from the method of Example 1 was subject to further cutting by the same coresaw. A fluid prepared in accordance with the method detailed above was applied to the interface between the cutting edge of the coresaw and the granite surface to be cut. The coresaw was then operated so that its cutting edge cut the granite surface kept constantly wet with the fluid until the granite block was cut into two pieces. The duration of the cutting operation was 7 seconds. Furthermore, it was noticed by the operator that less effort was required to feed the block through the blade of the coresaw and that the electric motor used was under less strain during the cutting than in Example 1.
Although the mechanism leading to the improved cutting of granite is not fully understood, it is believed that the fluid of the invention leads to a reduction of the stand-off and the maintenance of micro-cracking at the interface of the cutting edge and the granite being cut. Stand-off is the distance between the cutting edge and the granite occupied by the fluid wetting the edge.