Find substitute for Methylene Chloride in depaint operations at Hill AFB

ABSTRACT: Hill AFB paint stripping operations for aircraft landing gear components is currently achieved by soaking landing gear components in a methylene chloride-based (MeCl) solution for 30 minutes, followed by plastic media blasting to remove residual paint. Their current operations use over 16,000 gallons of MeCl-based stripper each year. OSHA classifies MeCl as a potential carcinogen and regulates occupational exposures accordingly. As a consequence, the Hill AFB is seeking environmentally-friendly approaches to paint removal for aircraft landing gear components. The replacement chemistry must not contain HAPs and be at least as effective as MeCl in order to fit the current timeline for processing. Any material used for paint removal must not cause any deleterious effects to the aircraft landing gear components. In addition, since Hill AFB operates its own industrial wastewater treatment plant (IWTP), it is also imperative that the replacement technology not interfere with the waste water treatment process. This proposal addresses the MeCl-replacement requirements through a structured work plan that will leverage previously developed environmentally friendly depainting technology, significant expertise in testing and evaluation of aircraft landing gear materials, and familiarity with Hill AFB IWTP operations. The proposed program will clearly meet all of the objectives of the program and establish a solid foundation for technology transfer and implementation. BENEFIT: The results of this SBIR program will immediately address MeCl replacement requirements in Hill AFB landing gear depainting operations. Once demonstrated, the replacement technology should be adaptable to other DoD depainting operations, as well as parallel processes used in the commercial aircraft industry. Other applications include automotive and other industrial painting"re-work"operations where parts require repainting due to initial quality issues, as well as possible adaptation to cleaning equipment and facilities used in painting operations.