Biotechnological Processes to Strip Polyurethane Paint from Naval Aircraft

1Certain microorganisms are capable of degrading polyurethane coatings. This feat is accomplished by enzymes normally produced by these microorganisms. But microbial paint stripping, an environmentally compatible alternative to chemical and physical paint stripping, is unacceptably slow. The rate of polyurethane deterioration can be markedly enhanced by using the stable enzymes of thermophilic microorganisms. The objective of this proposal is to identify thermophiles with the ability to degrade polyurethane paint. Labratory techniques will be selected for ease of conversion to scaled-up process. Selected microorganisms will be grown in labratory scale reactors to produce the desired enzymes. Using tangential flow technology, enzymes will then be applied to painted test strips with the objective of rapidly digesting polyurethane paint