Prepared by Dave Fairbourn Aeromet Technologies, Inc Sandy Utah Prepared for ITSA Symposium Woodlands Texas 9 October 2018 Why Strip? • Repair In process flaws • Remove the old coating to replace it with a new coating of better value • Recover coating materials for recycle reuse • Repair a used item for reuse Quotations as Background • Dr. Wim van Ooij – deceased Prof University of Cincinnati “All corrosion is electrochemical”, • All stripping I really just a corrosion event • To be in aqueous solution, all metals must be in a Werner complex • Dr. Alan Bard defined the Nernst Layer or the Helmholtz layer, gave the truest most complete explanation of the reaction • Dr. Dennis A Jones “Principles and Prevention of Corrosion” Water and Acids • Strong acids are HCL, HF, HNO3, H2SO4, H3PO4 • When added to water, the first H+ ion comes off, forms Hydroniuim, leaving a negative ion • Anions, negative ions are Cl-, F- NO3- HSO4-, H2PO4- Metals and Valences • Look at the Periodic Table • All metals will lose one or more electrons with a minus charge and result in a positive ion with a positive valence • Other atomic species on the right hand side of the Periodic Table like Chlorine will gain an electron and become a negative anion or ion • To support a metal in water, a Werner complex must be formed which is a electrically neutral ionic bond of a metal and an onion Nernst Layer or Helmholz Layer • Metal loses electrons equal to valence • Water molecules are attracted to surface to eliminate the or neutralize the electrical charge • Water molecule H2O are polar either slightly negative (O- side) or slightly positive (H+ side) • Layer builds up to completely neutralize the charge imbalance • Becomes identical to a capacitor Werner Complexes • Werner was a German who did his work in the 1930’s • For more information go to Wikipedia • Anions are called ligands • Chemists study orientation of the complexes • Complexes are the metal ion you want to strip in ionic bond to the ligand or anion which comes from your bath chemical recipe • In the past most recipes have been acids dissolved in water • Newest recipes are alkaline mixtures Surface Conditions Active or Passive • Active surface completely clean, no oxides easy to bond to, what the condition of the surface when we either weld or plasma spray • Passive surface is usually oxidized but you could also consider a surface covered with a chemical like oil as passive. Difficult to react, not clean • Passive Surfaces are also protected from corrosion, and attack, and pitting Pitting/Surface Attack • Analytical definition defines pitting as a chloride attack • If an impressed voltage is used, surface will likely be passive and protected up to 5 volts applied, then pitting will occur • All city water contains chloride • Effluent even after cleaned up, from turkey farms and chicken houses will always contain chemicals which will damage items being stripped Plasma Coatings • Use the METCO (Oerlikon) catalog to determine the coating recipe. • Find the ligand which forms the strongest Werner Complex with the metal ion you wish to remove • Coatings which are more active than the substrate can almost always be removed • Coatings which are passive when compared to the substrate will usually not be easily removed, resulting in surface attack. Ex: Magnesium Cases on Helicopter engines - Use non–inorganic chemistry Black Belt KPV Key Process Variables • 1. Agitation, the solution must be agitate. There are no engineering units for agitation. • 2. Bath Temperature, hotter goes faster. Heat may also result in surface damage. • 3. E value is a tabulated value found as the Open Cell Potential or Standard Elelctrode Potential • 4. Recipe Which ligand is going to be used to form the Werner Complex – consumption • 5. Concentration of the ligand Chelating Agents • Ideal ligands resulting in the optimum stripping rate • Most universal is EDTA, ethylene diammine tetra-acetic acid • Wondering if citrate ion is good chelating agent for cobalt • Reverse of acidic stripping, OH- ion is used for removal of chromium which has been electroplated • OH is not a chelating agent, it is negative anion • Vary useful for anything more active on the E-value table than aluminum Stripping System Designs • Must have compatible material for tanks and pumps with regards to chemical recipe • Halogens (F-, Cl-, Br-, I- As-) all will attack Stainless Steel • SS304 can be used for most alkaline stripping recipes • Most pumps have or are available with KYNAR (PVDF) wetted agents • Best agitation is to remove the solution from the tank, heat it filter it and return it to the tank using a pump • Alternative is Flo-King pumps performing the same operation but inside the tank Some Examples • Rochelle Salts BAC 5775, the ligand is the L-Tartaric acid ligand • Very common in practice • We replace with sodium citrate and sodium percarbonate • Sodium hydroxide is used for chromium removal, NaOH is the most common chemical used in the US (This is my opinion) • HCl dilute used with graphite plate works for most MCrAlY’s • Citric acid and peroxide used for WCCo or WCCoCr on Titanium substrates • Local FIC on Cobalt Materials Aeromet Technologies • One or two inquiries per week • “can you strip this” • Beaker studies launched into full scale systems • 50-60 Systems Done Round the World • PW 1100 G and Rolls Royce Trent Main Engine Disk • Controlled Partial Strip for Chromalloy Mexicali • Compressor Blades for LHT Hamburg • Dave is Retiring if possible • Hearing Chair for Deaf Persons • Super accurate ammunition in partnership with John Grubbs