Laser Cleaning

I cant imagine the mechanism of how that works, its not chemistry or abrasive. I suspect its a scam.
Actually, I read a few yrs ago where our Air Force was using this method during overhaul on some aircraft parts.... F-16 radomes iirc. I'll see if I can find it.
 
Well that was easy.... In typical military fashion they call it LASER DECOATING. :rolleyes:
This was from 2001, so it's been around for a while. Link.


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Different materials absorb different wavelengths. The coating absorbs the radiant energy very heavily, the substrate does not. The coating is vaporized and the fumes are extracted, leaving a very clean and undisturbed surface. This is why you need different lasers depending on the materials you are cutting or machining. Somethings cut well at CO2 wavelengths (9-10micron) Nd:YAG wavelengths (1064nm) or Excimer UV wavelengths (300-400nm) Or Ti:Sapphire wavelengths (can't remember now, 800nm I believe). It is also why you can't transmit CO2 9-10 micron wavelength light down a glass fiber optic cable, since glass absorbs energy in that wavelength range and will melt.
 
And if you get bored, you can set up a side business removing unsightly tatts or limbs.
 
Well real ones start at 500 thou and go up from there. I'm sure scam units sell for less. and somewhere in between those two numbers there's a market. No question the dirty business of stripping paint needs a cleaner alternative.
 
Well that was easy.... In typical military fashion they call it LASER DECOATING. :rolleyes:
This was from 2001, so it's been around for a while. Link.


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I only recently realized how toxic methylene chloride is. Apparently one teaspoon is enough to kill you. It converts to carbon monoxide in your bloodstream and you die of oxygen deprivation. I remember a warning on Hylomar years ago about carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. I guess it's in it as a solvent.

It is also used to decaffeinate coffee.....

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=methylene+chloride+coffee&t=brave&ia=web

I have yet to find any paint stripper without it that works worth a damn. If you are still looking for it, Loctite Chisel gasket removed still has it as well as Lawson products "The Stripper" gasket remover. I don't think Lawson products are available to retail customers though.
 
I only recently realized how toxic methylene chloride is. Apparently one teaspoon is enough to kill you. It converts to carbon monoxide in your bloodstream and you die of oxygen deprivation. I remember a warning on Hylomar years ago about carbon monoxide in your bloodstream. I guess it's in it as a solvent.

It is also used to decaffeinate coffee.....

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=methylene+chloride+coffee&t=brave&ia=web

I have yet to find any paint stripper without it that works worth a damn. If you are still looking for it, Loctite Chisel gasket removed still has it as well as Lawson products "The Stripper" gasket remover. I don't think Lawson products are available to retail customers though.

Years back at the shop where I worked we had a large tank that we dipped parts in, it was big enough to do a V-12 Cummins engine block along with several other parts at the same time. That stuff would strip paint like crazy and soften most the the carbon in exhaust ports of the diesel engine heads over night.

Well do to changes at upper levels of the company we started getting out of the major engine work and the tank was set outside. Then in an effort to clean up the area the boss contacted some place to get rid of the left over chemicals in the tank. I happened to be around when they came to haul away the crap in that tank and out of curiosity asked them what possible use could there be for that nasty stuff other than what we had used it for.

To my shock the use they mentioned was "decaffeinate coffee"! Sure made me think twice about the decaf I drank at times!
 
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