The NAVAIR team developed a new, more environmentally friendly paint stripper as an alternative to the toxic chemicals currently used. Led by chemist Young Han, the team created a stripper using benzyl alcohol that removes paint from naval aircraft approximately six minutes faster than the methylene chloride-based stripper it aims to replace. Initial tests showed the new stripper elongated the stripping process by almost two hours compared to methylene chloride, but the team continues working to improve its efficiency. Their goal is to develop a stripper that maintains the environmental compliance of benzyl alcohol while matching the fast performance of methylene chloride strippers.

1. Painting the Navy green
NAVAIR team goes green with new paint stripper
By Elana Wigfall
Public affairs intern
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — As an innovative
contribution to NAVAIR’s new kick of environmental friendliness, based on findings from a
DoD Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, a team of scientists has
developed a friendly and faster alternative to the current chemicals used in the paint stripping
method of naval aircraft.
In April 2009, the team headed by chemist Young Han, fashioned a project titled the
Scientific Basis for Paint Stripping Mechanism of Methylene Chloride (MC) Based Paint
Stripper (WP-1682) featuring benzyl alcohol, an alternative for the toxic-based stripper. The
objective of the SERDP project was to identify the de-paint mechanism of the MC based paint
strippers. Although MC is fast and efficient, scientific experts discourage its use because it’s a
hazardous air pollutant, Han said. So ideally, the team, which includes members from the Naval
Air Station in Patuxent River; the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.; the Air Resources
Laboratory in College Park and Stony Brook University — SUNY in Stony Brook, N.Y.; wanted
to form a new solution that would quickly remove the paint without the ongoing exposure to
polluted air while decreasing the time in which the paint diffuses from the aircraft.
“MC diffused approximately 12 times faster than benzyl alcohol,” said Han. “This
translates into a quicker turnaround time for the fleet.”
The use of MC saved a great deal of time by allowing the process to complete in minutes.
Preliminary tests done in the same laboratory conditions as MC, removing the same paint coating
as MC, showed that the benzyl alcohol formulation elongated the process nearly two hours
longer. Subsequently, although the objective of the SERDP was met; the project ended in June
2011.
During the team’s hiatus between the conclusion of the SERDP project and the birth of
their discovery in 2012, they diligently worked on other Science and Technology projects and
continued searching for funding for the new de-paint stripping project.
In spring 2012, the team created an alternative called the New Paint Stripper. Thus far,
the formula strips the paint off the aircraft approximately six minutes faster than MC. The team
plans to complete the laboratory and field tests of the new solvent in the next two years, Han
said.
The importance of this research and project is to ensure the aircrafts skin is durable.
Aircraft requires a brand new paint job about every five to 10 years. The maintainers
have to de-paint then re-paint the aircraft when the current coat of paint becomes old and worn.
The method of de-painting is the removal of paint from aircraft without damaging the substrate.
Sometimes that process can last as long as several days or as minimal as a few hours; which is
the method that Han and his team are attempting to perfect.
“In the realm of the Department of Defense aerospace maintenance, the new product will
be instrumental in reducing the usage of hazardous air pollutants, such as methylene chloride and
phenol, and reducing process turnaround time relative to current benzyl alcohol-based products,”
said chemist Dane Hanson.

2. The New Paint Stripper is expected to maintain the environmental compliance of benzyl
alcohol and the instantaneous performance of the methylene chloride based strippers.
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Above is a depiction of the diffusion cell experiment and schematic diagram of the diffusion cell,
both from the SERDP proposal. Diffusion front lines are taken at various second intervals.