Paint stripping: heat and chemical metal stripping

Chemical and Heat Paint Stripping for Metal and Ferrous Surfaces

Metals and iron alloys are often stripped to recover magnetized or oxidized surfaces and to recover painted materials. Two types of stripping methods are used: chemical and thermal (or heat stripping).

Chemical Stripping

Chemical stripping is used in industry to remove paint and layers of oxidation from delicate, fragile ferrous materials that are sensitive to high temperatures.

It is applied in particular to iron, copper, or aluminium wire and heat-treated materials.

Compared to heat stripping, chemical stripping relies on lower temperatures, so it is less aggressive for the material.

The Chemical Stripping Process

In chemical stripping, the iron or metal elements are immersed in a stripping liquid which has different characteristics depending on the type of material and the paint that was used.

Suitable for sensitive, delicate materials subject to deformation, such as copper, aluminium, plastic, and zamak, chemical stripping is used to recover both rejected products with painting defects, and aluminium and plastic parts in the painting line.

This process also guarantees notable savings in equipment management.

The Advantages of Chemical Stripping

The main advantage of chemical stripping is its ability to leave the material unchanged with respect to colour, surface properties, and dimensions.

This technique therefore does not deform or damage even the most delicate elements.
In addition, since products and equipment can be recovered, important savings are guaranteed in terms of production and economic resources, avoiding waste.

With chemical stripping, the treated surface is clean, unchanged, and in tact, ready to be treated anew.

Thermal Stripping

Also known as heat stripping, thermal stripping is a technique used to remove layers of paint using hot air in a pyrolitic oven. The process eliminates any type of coating, regardless of the thickness or composition; however, the very high temperature means that only materials that are resistant and not sensitive to high temperatures can be used.

The product is placed in an oven at about 300°C and gradually heated in successive well-defined steps lasting several hours.

Pyrolitic stripping is a low-emission process because the gases produced pass through a post-combustion chamber where they are oxidized at about 800°C and broken down into water and carbon dioxide.

The Advantages of Heat Stripping

Heat stripping is therefore a high-efficiency process for:

• cleaning equipment and parts used for powder coating and liquid enamel painting, such as hooks, stands, grilles, fans, etc.;
• cleaning pipes and couplings for transporting solidified liquids;
• stripping products previously painted with either powder or liquid enamel;
• eliminating oil, tar, and grease stains from surfaces.

Argos recommends high-efficiency chemical and thermal stripping treatments performed with the utmost safety and environmental respect. A process performed by highly qualified personnel, guaranteeing professional work.