Search Results

Conventional paint strippers cannot be used on composite surfaces without damage to the substrate. Current practice is the use of hand sanding for paint removal from these surfaces. Plastic Media Blast (PMB) offers a more economical means of paint removal. In this paper, it is our intent to provide data supporting PMB as a viable process for paint removal from composite surfaces. The PMB process eliminates health hazards associated with chemical stripping and reduces hazardous waste. Plastic media dust is classified as a hazardous waste only if the paint system being removed contains sufficient quantities of hazardous ingredients.

Many topics are covered in this discussion of the ninth year since production dry stripping began in May 1985. Chemical strippers continue to be heavily regulated or banned. All other alternate coating removal processes are still in developmental stages, have not shown viability for production use and have not been accepted by maintenance operations or received manufacturer approvals. Dry media stripping continues to expand and to produce a very successful record--particularly wheat starch media. In a no technical objection letter dated April 30, 1993, America West Airlines, Phoenix, Arizona, received authorization for five time stripping of Boeing airframes utilizing wheat starch media. Additional approvals for graphite-epoxy and fiberglass composite dry paint stripping were recently published by Boeing. Hill Air Force Base, Utah, generates zero hazardous waste from its dry stripping operation.