Alternative Paint Strippers to Methylene Chloride

摘要

Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) currently uses a methylene chloride - 25 percent formic acid solution to remove coatings from parts being refurbished. The stripper works well to remove the Army's epoxy primer/polyurethane topcoat Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) system. The chemicals used for this process are hazardous both to the environment and workers. Ocean City Research Corporation (OCRC) conducted a program to evaluate more environmentally friendly liquid paint stripping materials. An industry survey was completed to determine some properties of alternative strippers, including their usage temperature, suitability for dip application, applicability to remove both epoxy and polyurethane coatings, and compatibility with both aluminum and steel substrates. Promising paint strippers were then evaluated in the laboratory to compare their effectiveness at removing CARC coating systems from test panels. Although the methylene chloride formula was found to be the most effective material for the stripping of the CARC coatings using current operating procedures, it was determined that other alternative materials may have an acceptable performance with small modifications to the process.