Evaluation of the Effects of a Plastic Bead Paint Removal Process on Properties of Aircraft Structural Materials

摘要

An abrasive blasting process using plastic beads has been proposed for removing organic coatings from aircraft surfaces and component parts. During the prototype development of the plastic bead blasting process for paint removal many concerns surfaced relative to the potential effects of the process on metal and composite aircraft structural materials. This evaluation of the plastic bead blasting paint removal showed that it removed protective metal coatings such as aluminum cladding and anodize coatings from aluminum alloys and cadmium plating from steel structure. Surface roughness resulted on clad aluminum alloys. Warpage as a result of surface cold working occurred on unsupported thin skin metal materials. The bond strength of thin skin adhesive bonded structure was not affected. The process is less damaging in fatigue to 7075-T6 aluminum structure blasted at 60 psi nozzle pressure than at 38 psi nozzle pressure. Epoxy/graphite composite structure which was plastic bead blasted showed statistically significant losses in the matrix dominated properties. No significant reductions occurred in the fiber dominated mechanical properties. Keywords: Paint Removal; Fatigue; Fatigue LIfe; Epoxy Graphite.