Performance Evaluation of Hap-Free Paint Strippers vs. Methylene- Chloride-Based Strippers for Removing Army Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARC)

摘要

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intends to enact new National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs). One of these NESHAPs is expected to directly impact many of the Department of Defense organic coating stripping operations that involve methylene-chloride- based paint strippers. Overall, there are two chemical depainting processes that will be impacted: 'manual' (brush-on, scrape off) and 'immersion' (dip tanks). The purpose of this effort is to investigate HAP-free alternative chemical paint strippers as potential replacements for the methylene-chloride- based chemical strippers currently used in both processes. Historically, methylene-chloride- based strippers have been faster and more effective at stripping the MIL-P- 46168 chemical agent resistant coatings (CARC) system than many alternatives. Therefore, finding a HAP-free chemical stripper that will minimally impact the U. S. Army depots throughput rate is an important consideration. This report compares the performance of methylene-chloride strippers vs. HAP-free alternatives in timed laboratory paint stripping experiments to remove four different CARC systems: MIL-P-46168, MIL-P-53039, and MIL-P-64159 Type I and Type II from both aluminum and steel substrates.