Protecting and maintaining assets in highly corrosive environments has been a challenge for centuries. Assets that require precision coating removal around compromised structures require a precision tool that does not impact the structure leading to failure. Removal of any metal or damage to surfaces must be avoided in these scenarios, which disqualifies highly abrasive removal methods such as blast cleaning, needle-gunning, and water-jetting. Atmospheric plasma has been shown to be an effective precision tool that can remove the layers of the original coating and prepare a surface for inspection. In addition, atmospheric plasma provides another benefit of surface functionalization which promotes chemical adhesion between the substrate and coating. In the world of new construction and maintenance, there is need for a precision tool that can provide coating removal for inspection, but also enhancing the adhesion between coating and substrate would extend the service of assets in corrosive environments.
Protecting and maintaining assets in highly corrosive environments has been a challenge for centuries. Assets that require precision coating removal around compromised structures require a precision tool that does not impact the structure leading to failure. Removal of any metal or damage to surfaces must be avoided in these scenarios, which disqualifies highly abrasive removal methods such as blast cleaning, needle-gunning, and water-jetting. In large-scale construction and manufacturing industries such as shipbuilding and naval maintenance, coating removal is an essential but time-consuming process required for constructing and maintaining vessels and other structures. Although some new technologies have emerged in recent decades, the technologies of abrasive blasting, grinding, and needle-gunning remain the dominant coating removal methods employed today. Grinders, needle guns, or hand tools (such as wire brushes and chisels) are often required for small-scale removal, and each comes with their own drawbacks such as hazards to operator health, slow removal rate, and damage to substrates. In the naval engineering industry, there is a significant need for a tool that will accelerate small scale coating removal operations without negatively impacting the health of the operator or the underlying substrate.
