Environmentally Compliant Thinners for Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings

MIL-T-81772 Type I and Type II is a volatile organic hazardous air pollutants (VOHAP) containing, high volatile organic compound (VOC) thinner. It is the only specification for thinning Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARC.)  As CARC evolves to become completely VOHAPs free and contain lower VOC, a VOHAPs free with low or no VOC must be deployed. A new environmentally friendly solvent blend must be universal and must work in all applications that MIL-T-81772 Type I or Type II would have been used including thinning, flushing, and cleaning. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory in coordination with Sustainable Painting Operations for the Total Army (SPOTA) is evaluating new formulations that are environmentally friendly and that can be used for both solvent-borne polyurethanes and solvent-borne epoxies that are specified by The U.S. Army Research Laboratory and The Naval Air System Command. The ultimate objective of the process is to demonstrate that a VOHAPs free, low VOC or zero VOC thinner can provide a “drop-in” solution to the environmental issues associated with specified material MIL-T-81772 Type I and Type II currently in use, providing equal or better corrosion and weathering performance, involving no significant changes to procedures currently used in the field.