Environmentally Preferred Paint Stripper Evaluation

In 1993, Grumman St. Augustine Corporation (GSAC) initiated a pollution prevention project to replace the methylene chloride based paint stripper that is currently used at the site. A total of eighteen different paint strippers were evaluated. Testing was conducted in the laboratory and field to ensure performance in an operational environment. Testing included: coating removal rates, sandwich corrosion, intergranular attack/end grain pitting and hydrogen embrittlement Stripping efficiency was evaluated on several different coating schemes: Epoxy Primer (MIL-P-23377TY1CL3) + Polyurethane Topcoat (MIL-C-83286), Epoxy Primer + Polysulfide (MIL-S-81733) + Polyurethane Topcoat, Epoxy Primer + Koroflex (TT-P-2760TY1CL2) + Polyurethane Topcoat.