NSF Award
9560763
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses a pulsed-plasma ablative method for safely removing leaded paint from structural materials such as steel, concrete, and wood. The method is evaluated theoretically in Phase I using a computational model to determine expected operating parameters and to optimize performance. An engineering analysis will be performed, and prototype hardware would be tested in an early experimental demonstration of the technique in Phase II. The method removes paint without the use of abrasives and without damage to the substrate. Residual waste is reduced to nearly the irreducible minimum, i.e., the paint, itself. Potential health risks to workers and the local population are avoided, and the local environment is not contaminated. Bubble enclosures, as often needed in sandblasting, are not required. Major application areas are removing paint from bridges, ship hulls, tank farms, other exterior structures, and aircraft. The technique is also expected to find use in the removal of other types of coatings besides paint.
