| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2024 ASC Technical Conference, US-Japan Joint Symposium, D30 Meeting
|
| Symposium
|
2024 ASC Technical Conference, US-Japan Joint Symposium, D30 Meeting
|
| Presentation Title |
Qualification of Type VII Blast Media For Paint Removal on Thin Carbon Fiber/Fiberglass Epoxy Composites and Epoxy/Metal Mesh Lightning Protection Materials |
| Author(s) |
Haripriya Nilakantan, Stoney Middleton, Alyssa Zamora, Matthew Chu, Sam Small , Justin Massey |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Haripriya Nilakantan |
| Abstract Scope |
Currently, the only approved method for paint removal on composites for Naval aircraft at NAVAIR Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) is mechanical sanding. Mechanical sanding causes damage to composites when performed too aggressively by inexperienced personnel. Mechanical sanding is also highly labor intensive and time consuming, which results in significant delays in component turnaround times. Additionally, mechanical sanding generates large amounts of hazardous waste, which poses a safety hazard to shop personnel performing paint removal operations.
Type V acrylic plastic media blast (PMB) is currently used at FRCSW for paint removal on metallic aircraft components. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Archer Daniels Midland company introduced several types of starch based blast media to be used for paint removal on Naval aircraft components made from composite materials. The starch based media was found to induce significantly less damage on various substrates compared to Type V media, while maintaining good paint removal efficiency. Starch based media has now been qualified as MIL-DTL-85891B Type VII.
FRCSW Materials Engineering performed an extensive evaluation of Type VII media in regards to its effect on composite and lightning strike protection materials commonly used on Naval aircraft. Specific composite material properties that were analyzed through mechanical testing and optical microscopy included honeycomb sandwich flexural strength, composite skin to honeycomb core tensile bond strength, and fiber damage. The results from all testing and analysis revealed that Type VII media did not negatively impact composite material properties, provided that the proper blasting parameters were utilized. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Definite: Post-meeting proceedings |