Method for Removal of Airfield Paint Markings and Aircraft Tire Rubber Build-up from Installed AM2 Mat Surfaces
Navy SBIR FY2015.1


Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2015.1
Topic No.: N151-022
Topic Title: Method for Removal of Airfield Paint Markings and Aircraft Tire Rubber Build-up from Installed AM2 Mat Surfaces
Proposal No.: N151-022-0799
Firm: Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc.
9063 Bee Caves Road
Austin, Texas 78733
Contact: John Bulluck
Phone: (512) 263-2101
Abstract: Portable landing strips in the field have non-skid coated mats (AM-2) that must connect to one another and coated with reflective traffic paint in order to simulate an airport runway. Removal of the traffic paint must be done periodically for maintenance, as well as when moving these AM-2 mats from one location to another. The main difficulty in removing this reflective top-coat is in not harming the underlying non-skid coating necessary for the aircraft to land safely. Current technologies are slow and/or non-selective. TRI/Austin proposes the use of blasting Sponge-Jet media consisting of typical grit blast media encased in polyurethane foam coating to solve this problem. The media can be applied relatively dust free, and when combined with a vacuum system, create little to know extraneous particulate on the runway surface. TRI/Austin will develop application processes that allow for optimum removal of typical military reflective top coats from non-skid surfaces. Testing will be conducted on non-skid, painted non-skid, and various surface contaminated with typical fluids found in the field. We propose to analyze varying sponge media, test and optimize the physical properties and application properties to provide NAVAIR with a broadly applicable new technology for the maintenance of their AM-2 mats.
Benefits: The newly developed coating removal system will be applicable for use on all Naval non-skid runways, and all other Military landing surfaces. Use of the new technology will save the Navy from performing hundreds of hours of runway maintenance in non-skid removal and replacement, and is expected to result in the savings of time, material, and money. In addition, these blast media are expected to be useful in the maintenance of all commercial aircraft runway coatings.

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