Use of Plastic Media Blast (PMB) on Composite Surfaces

Conventional paint strippers cannot be used on composite surfaces without damage to the substrate. Current practice is the use of hand sanding for paint removal from these surfaces. Plastic Media Blast (PMB) offers a more economical means of paint removal. In this paper, it is our intent to provide data supporting PMB as a viable process for paint removal from composite surfaces. The PMB process eliminates health hazards associated with chemical stripping and reduces hazardous waste. Plastic media dust is classified as a hazardous waste only if the paint system being removed contains sufficient quantities of hazardous ingredients.