Ten Plus Years Later - Alternative Processes to Methylene Chloride - A Review of Progress to Date

In May 1985, the US Air Force at Hill AFB near Ogden, Utah, and Republic Airlines in Atlanta, Georgia, began production dry paint stripping of F-4 Phantom and DC-9 airframes, respectively, and began a revolution in aircraft maintenance. In one decade, non-chemical stripping, overwhelmingly via dry media blast with plastic and starch, has taken over a majority of US military airframe and component stripping, civilian helicopter airframe and component stripping and airline component stripping.

Most major airframe and component manufacturers have published approvals for dry media stripping; its use is world wide and is becoming the de facto paint stripping standard.