Low VOC Coatings and Depainting Technologies Field Testing Phase 2

• Coatings Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment for Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. (Coating alternatives identified).
• The Testing and Demonstration of Metal Wire Arc Spray Materials on Rocket Launch Facilities (Coating alternatives identified).
• Depainting Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment for Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. (Depainting alternatives identified)
• Low Emission Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies for Structural Steel (Depainting alternatives identified)
• Isocyanate Urethane Replacements on Structural Steel (Coating alternatives identified).

Objective
This effort is to demonstrate/validate environmentally preferable (low-VOC, non-hazardous) coatings and depainting technologies.  Successful completion of this project will result in one or more materials/processes being qualified for use on support equipment, launch structures, test stands, ranges, and any other carbon steel structures at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center, Florida. 

Period of Performance

• Oct-06 to Apr-09.

Stakeholders
Kennedy Space Center, Air Force 45th Space Wing and Headquarters Air Force Space Command.

Benefits

• Reduces environmental, safety, and health risks with use of paints and coatings of high VOC content.
• Reduces environmental, safety, and health risks with use of depainting media.
• Reduced material obsolescence risks.
• Findings applicable to both NASA and AFSPC.

Document Status

• Project Management Plan – Complete.
• Field Demonstration Plan – Complete.

Recent Progress

• Conducted evaluation of coatings placed on the Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Fixed Umbilical Tower after launch of a GPS satellite – March 2008.
  • Temperature sensitive liquids were applied to determine what temperature ranges the coatings experienced.
  • The thermal spray coatings were examined for any areas of damage or penetration to the substrate.
  • Based on the evaluation, it was decided to that the thermal spray coatings could be left on the Fixed Umbilical Tower and exposed to a third launch.

Milestones

• Completed Project Management Plan, Work Breakdown Structure, and Schedule – October 2006.
• Completed Field Demonstration Plan – January 2007.
  • Testing locations were identified at Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
  • Depainting and coating alternatives identified by TEERM and Air Force Space Command.
    • One liquid coating system was selected based on its performance in the Alternatives to Aliphatic Isocyanate Urethanes for Structural Steel project.
    • Two liquid coatings systems were selected based on their performance in previous Air Force Space Command studies.
    • The topcoat for the Thermal Spray Coatings tested was selected based on its performance in the Alternatives to Aliphatic Isocyanate Urethanes for Structural Steel project.
    • The Thermal Spray Coatings were selected based on their performance in previous Air Force Space Command studies and field experience.
    • The ablative alternative was selected based on its performance on other Kennedy Space Center structures.
  • Testing requirements were identified:
    • Field Evaluation Requirements for Surface Preparation/Depainting Technologies are shown in the table below.

• Field Evaluation Requirements for Low VOC Coating Alternatives are shown in the table below.

• Conducted field demonstration at Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL – January 2007.
  • Three depainting alternatives were demonstrated—two media and a blast and vacuum system.
  • Two thermal spray coatings and an alternative ablative coating were applied to areas on the Fixed Umbilical Tower in areas where they will be subjected to the extreme heat and exhaust experienced during a launch.
  • The two thermal spray coatings and three liquid coating systems were applied to an area on the Mobile Support Tower where they will be evaluated at 6-, 12-, and 18-month intervals.
• Conducted six-month evaluation of coatings placed on the Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Mobile Support Tower – July 2007.
  • All six coating systems are performing well with no signs of corrosion present.
  • The next evaluation is at the 12-month interval.
• Conducted evaluation of coatings placed on the Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Fixed Umbilical Tower after launch of the “Phoenix” mission launch – August 2007.
  • The thermal spray coatings were examined for any areas of damage or penetration to the substrate.
  • Post-launch adhesion testing was performed and compared to pre-launch results for the thermal spray coatings.
  • Temperature sensitive liquids were applied to determine what temperature ranges the coatings experienced.
  • The ablative coating alternative performed as expected, but it was determined that a thicker layer than that applied during this demonstration is required.
  • It was decided to leave the thermal spray coatings on the Fixed Umbilical Tower to be exposed to a second launch.
• Conducted evaluation of coatings placed on the Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Fixed Umbilical Tower after launch of a GPS satellite – October 2007.
  • The thermal spray coatings were examined for any areas of damage or penetration to the substrate.
  • Based on the evaluation, it was decided to that the thermal spray coatings could be left on the Fixed Umbilical Tower and exposed to a third launch.
• Conducted evaluation of coatings placed on the Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Fixed Umbilical Tower after launch of a GPS satellite – December 2007.
  • Temperature sensitive liquids were applied to determine what temperature ranges the coatings experienced.
  • The thermal spray coatings were examined for any areas of damage or penetration to the substrate.
  • Based on the evaluation, it was decided to that the thermal spray coatings could be left on the Fixed Umbilical Tower and exposed to a fourth launch.
• Conducted 12-month evaluation of coatings placed on the Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Mobile Support Tower – March 2008.
  • All six coating systems are performing well with no signs of corrosion present.
  • Color and Gloss Retention measurements were also taken.
  • The next evaluation will be in six months – September 2008.

Near-Term Goals

• Evaluate coatings placed on Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Mobile Support Tower at 18-month interval – September 2008.
• Evaluate coatings placed on Space Launch Complex 17, Pad A, Fixed Umbilical Tower after fifth launch – Fall 2008.

+ Reports