Laser-Based Paint Stripping Emerges as Efficient and Sustainable Technique for Removing Paints/Coatings from CFRP Composites

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from Western Sydney University have published a new report on materials research, shedding light on the development of laser-based paint stripping as a precise, efficient, and environmentally sustainable technique for removing paints/coatings from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The study highlights the importance of addressing thermal effects, ensuring layer-specific selectivity, and achieving process scalability to translate laser-based stripping into reliable maintenance solutions for various industries.

Key Takeaways:

  • Laser-based paint stripping has been identified as a precise, efficient, and environmentally sustainable technique for removing paints/coatings from CFRP composites, with a focus on thermal ablation, thermally induced interfacial failure, plasma shock wave generation, and photochemical bond disruption.
  • The research reviewed the key laser processing parameters, including stripping efficiency, substrate preservation, and thermal loading, demonstrating the importance of thermal and optical properties of CFRP and paint on interaction dynamics and removal behaviors.
  • Experimental methods used for monitoring process response and evaluating removal quality were also reviewed, along with numerical modeling approaches based on the finite element method, focusing on simulating transient heat transfer, interfacial stresses, and coupled effects.
  • The study concluded that while laser stripping offers selective, damage-free paint removal, challenges remain in managing thermal effects, ensuring layer-specific selectivity, and achieving process scalability.
  • The research provides a comprehensive review of laser-assisted paint removal from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer, highlighting the need for further research to address the limitations of current models and achieve reliable maintenance solutions for various industries.

Statistics:

  • Composites Part C: Open Access is a journal published by Elsevier, which has published the research article "A critical review on laser-assisted paint removal from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer: Insights into process parameters, material integrity, and numerical modelling" (Composites Part C: Open Access, 2025, 18():100654).
  • The research received financial support from the Australian Research Council and involved a team of researchers from Western Sydney University, including Shiyao Zhu, Jojibabu Panta, Richard (Chunhui) Yang, Lin Ye, and Y.X. Zhang.

Sources:

  • Composites Part C: Open Access (Elsevier) - https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jcomc.2025.100654
  • Research Results from Western Sydney University Update Knowledge of Materials Research (NewsRx) - Journal of Engineering, October 20, 2025, p 3073
  • A critical review on laser-assisted paint removal from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer: Insights into process parameters, material integrity, and numerical modelling (Composites Part C: Open Access, 2025, 18():100654)