| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L55360/01 |
| Title: |
DEVELOPMENT OF A DIODE LASER PORTABLE PAINT STRIPPING SYSTEM - FEASIBILITY & CHARACTERISTICS |
| Principal Investigator: |
Li, Professor L |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Mechanical, Aerospace & Manufac Eng |
| Organisation: |
UMIST |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 September 1997 |
Ends: |
31 August 1999 |
Value (£): |
65,542
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
Coatings in the form of paint and epoxies are used in various places such as buildings, bridges, ships aeroplanes, car bodies, industrial machines and instruments to protect the substrates from corrosion and contamination (radioactive, chemical or biological), in addition to the decorative effects. In nuclear processing plants, paints are used in low level radioactive environment to form a sacrificial layer to protect the substrates and to tie down active contamination. During decommissioning, these paints have to be removed and disposed of in a controlled manner. Currently this is carried out by using chemical solutions and mechanical means (up to 0.5 inch depth of the substrate is also removed using mechanical means). This practice generates additional waste volume which adds to the cost of waste disposal (20,000/m3). Although there are some paint stripping techniques including laser paint stripping (the most controllable methods) in the market which do not generate additional waste volumes, none is portable and convenient to use without relying on a 3-phase power supply. This project aims to develop a novel high power diode laser portable paint stripping technique (run on batteries or a single phase power supply) and to study the process characteristics. The work will also compare the effectiveness and characteristics of diode laser paint stripping with other light based paint stripping techniques. The project has industrial collaborations: BNFL as an end user and Diomed Ltd as a diode laser manufacturer, contributing to the project in the form of cash (20K), equipment (a prototype 120W diode laser and delivery fibres), analytical facilities and technical support (total (130K).
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
|