An environment-friendly method for stripping paint has been developed. This process works in conjunction with UV light and an environmentally benign aqueous stripping medium that facilitates the debonding and peel-off of the paint from the underlying substrate. Generally, the stripped paint is obtained in a solid, compact mass unlike in chemical stripping and PMB procedures. Further, the liquid effluent from the process is largely water, thus posing no disposal problems. This process has been tested with a variety of coatings including polyurethane, epoxy, acrylic, and lacquer formulations. It strips these coatings from many types of metallic and non-metallic or composite surfaces with equal felicity. The process can be configured to varying degrees of automation, and once the operational parameters are set, it can be left unattended. A prototype unit has been designed and fabricated to strip paint from components such as radomes, fuselage, and rotor blades. This unit features automated operation of the light source, a tray unit that holds the item to be stripped, and the chemical delivery components.
Keywords: photo-strip, paints/coatings, metallic and non-metallic substrates, non-toxic, zero-discharge, non-polluting, aircraft components, radomes, rotor blades