COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING STAIN RELEASE OR STAIN REPELLENCY TO SUBSTRATES

1 . Composition for treatment, the composition comprising dispersed in water (i) a fluorinated compound, (ii) a potassium or lithium silicate and (iii) an acrylic polymer.

2 . Composition according to claim 1 wherein said acrylic polymer is selected from the group consisting of homo- and copolymers of an acrylate.

3 . Composition according to claim 2 wherein said acrylic polymer is a copolymer of an acrylate and styrene.

4 . Composition according to claim 1 wherein the total amount of solids is between 0.5 and 60% by weight.

5 . Composition according to claim 1 wherein the amount of fluorinated compound is between 10 and 70% by weight of the total weight of solids.

6 . Composition according to claim 1 wherein the fluorinated compound comprises one or more perfluorinated hydrocarbon residues having at least 3 carbon atoms.

7 . Composition according to claim 6 wherein the perfluorinated hydrocarbon residues have 4 to 6 carbon atoms each.

8 . Composition according to claim 1 wherein the fluorinated compound comprises one or more units deriving from a fluorinated monomer of the formula:

R f -Q-E

wherein R f represents a partially or fully fluorinated aliphatic group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, Q represents a covalent bond or a non-fluorinated organic linking group and E represents a free radical polymerizable group.

9 . Composition according to claim 8 wherein the fluorinated compound comprises an oligomeric residue of the formula:

G-(M f ) i -(M h ) j -S—

wherein G represents H or a residue of a free radical initiator, M f represents a unit deriving from a fluorinated monomer, M h represents a unit of a non-fluorinated monomer, i has a value of 1 to 20 and j has a value of 0 to 20 with the proviso that the sum of i+j is at least 2.

10 . Composition according to claim 1 wherein the fluorinated compound corresponds to one of the following formulas:

[(A) m -L] n R or (A) m [L-R] n

wherein m is a value of 1 to 4, n is a value of 1 to 4, L represents a linking group, R is an aliphatic group and A is a fluorinated residue of the formula:

wherein a has a value of 1 to 100, b has a value of 0 to 100 with the sum of a and b being at least 2, R 1 and R 2 each independently represent H or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, Q and Q′ each independently represent a covalent bond or an organic linking group, Rf represents a fluoroaliphatic group, Rh represents a non-fluorinated group and X is H or the residue of a free radical initiator.

11 . Method of treatment wherein a composition according to claim 1 is applied to at least part of a surface of a substrate.

12 . Method according to claim 11 wherein said substrate is natural or man-made stone.

13 . Use of a composition according to claim 1 for providing stain release or stain repellence properties to natural or man-made stone.

14 . Use according to claim 13 for providing stain release of stain repellence properties against stains selected from the group of stains caused by oils, food dressings, wine, coffee, tea and soft drinks.