Technology Description

The Air Force and Navy have funded studies to identify and evaluate environmentally friendly technologies or processes for safely and efficiently removing aged sealants and coatings from the internal and external surfaces of aircraft structures. Technologies included primarily mechanical (i.e., pressurized water, customized dry media blends, ultrasonic scrapers, and bristle brushes), light energy (i.e., handheld Nd:YAG lasers, FLASHJET), and various combinations of these processes. Advantages and disadvantages have been identified for each process; however, the underlying conclusion is that there is no one technology, method, or procedure that quickly removes the sealant or coating materials without potential damage to the substrates or surface sealants.

This project will generate the laboratory and field data necessary to validate the performance of COTS environmentally friendly chemical removers to support their insertion for multiple applications in maintenance repair operations facilities. The chemical removers have been successfully tested and approved for some commercial aircraft. They also have been tested by the University of Dayton Research Institute on military sealants and coatings and have been examined by weapon-specific engineers. A preliminary set of removal tests conducted on aged polysulfide and silicone sealants was successful. Additional process and facility baselining activities will be completed during the initial phase of this project. The information collected is expected to provide technical, economic, and environmental support for DoD-wide use of the COTS removers.