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POC: Russell McLaughlin, (321-867-3351)
russell.l.mclaughlin@nasa.gov
Background
Historically, solvents such as
1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane and 1,1,1-trichloroethane have been the
chemicals of choice for NASA, the Department of Defense and the aerospace
industry in cleaning aviation oxygen systems and components. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency classified and regulated these chemicals as
Class I (most harmful) ozone depleting substances. In the mid 1990’s, in
response to the U.S. Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, aerospace
organizations began replacing these Class I ozone depleting chemicals with less
harmful hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), which are still ozone depleting
substances (Class II). Two common HCFCs are 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane
(HCFC-141b) and 1,3-dichloro-1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HCFC 225g). The
Class II solvents provide only a temporary solution, however, because the Clean
Air Act and Montreal Protocol have set finite caps and phase-out dates for their
manufacture. Other qualified solvents, such as hydrofluoroethers, are not ozone
depleting but are limited in the applications in which they can be used.
Objective
Engage academia’s green
engineering and environmentally benign design capabilities to overcome existing
barriers of using Class II ozone depleting substances as qualified cleaning
agents for oxygen systems and related components. A thorough understanding of
oxygen cleaning standards and cleanliness verification science must be examined
and evaluated for potential exploitation by new chemical science to overcome the
inclusion of environmentally hazardous components to achieve the desired
results.
Period of Performance
- Initial period of performance was 12 months. This period was exploratory in nature and has lead to a
follow-on plan to perform additional testing and move the technology to
demonstration phase.
Stakeholders
NASA White Sands Test Facility and Yale University.
Benefits
- Eliminate the obsolescence risk due to pending phase out of
existing ozone depleting substances for cleaning oxygen systems and components
- Provide environmentally benign cleaning technology for space and
aviation breathing systems.
Document Status
- End of First Year Report - October 2008
Milestones
- Briefed the Oxygen Standardization Coordinating Group on Yale University’s environmentally benign
green chemistry approach – June 2007
- NVR Test completion – December 2007
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