Transitioning laser technology to support air force depot transformation needs

The U.S. Air Force and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) funded a multi-year collaborative project to test the ability of portable hand-held laser coating removal systems (PLCRS) to remove organic coatings from metallic and non-metallic substrates in an effort to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and/or solid waste generated from more conventional removal methods. A 250 W carbon dioxide, 40 W neodymium: yttrium, aluminum, garnet (Nd:YAG), and 120 W Nd:YAG laser systems were evaluated for removing a variety of primer and topcoat combinations on 2024 T-3 and 7075 T-6 (bare and aluminum clad with chromate conversion coatings or chromic acid anodize), 4130 steel, honeycomb materials, Kevlar, graphite epoxy, and fiberglass epoxy substrates. Engineering tests were conducted to assess coating removal rate, physical substrate damage, modification of substrate properties, and impact on subsequent paint adhesion. The results of engineering tests were compared to baseline data (i.e., virgin material) and test data available in the literature for conventional coating removal techniques.