Ocean City Research Corp. (OCRC) – in cooperation with Anniston Army Depot -- conducted laboratory tests of numerous methylene chloride alternatives. Because the stripper works exceptionally well in removing the Army’s epoxy primer/polyurethane topcoat Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) system, depot workers use methylene chloride to remove coatings from refurbished parts.
In its evaluation, OCRC conducted laboratory tests of 15 different stripper chemicals. Engineers at Anniston required any potential substitute to be able to use existing facilities with minimal investment. To meet this requirement, OCRC evaluated all candidates on their ability to function as a drop-in replacement to methylene chloride. While none of the 15 candidates could perform as well as methylene chloride, given residence time and post-treatment constraints, OCRC still identified 3 alternatives that could adequately strip the coatings with minor process modifications.
With 2 full-scale materials and coatings labs, OCRC was able to develop a custom test methodology to identify methylene chloride substitutes that would be effective.
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