Investigating the usability of some environmentally friendly media in removing paint from wood materials

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the removability of aged and lost protective layers on the surfaces of wood materials with the help of pressurized systems, one of the modern paint removal methods, using some environmentally friendly media and different parameters. For this purpose, synthetic and water-based paints were first applied to the surface of yellow pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) samples samples samples, and then the samples were kept in seawater conditions (Black Sea) for 100 days. Then, with the support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with project number 221O709, an cabin type fully automated paint removing machine (CTFAPRM) was designed and manufactured. With this machine, the aged layers on the sample surfaces were removed dry and wet using some environmentally friendly media and different removing parameters. Moisture (TS ISO 13061-1), contact angle (TS EN 828: 2013), hardness (ASTM D 2240-15), gloss (TS EN ISO 2813; 2014), color (ASTM-D 2244-22), surface roughness (TS EN ISO 21920-2), surface abrasion amount (ASTM-G76-95) tests were applied to determine the changes on the sample surfaces after the paint removing process. In addition, changes in the sample surfaces and chemical structures were determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). As a result of the research, it was observed that the paint layers on the sample surfaces were effectively paint removed with apricot kernel granules using the dry method at 90° removing angle, 2.5 bar pressure, 5 mm nozzle diameter, 7 cm removing distance. In accordance with these parameters, compared to the control samples, a decrease of 313% in gloss values, 26% in hardness values, 17% in abrasion values, 109% in contact angle values and an increase of 14935% in surface roughness values were determined. In the total color change, a change of 733% was obtained between the highest and lowest value. According to the results obtained from SEM images, it was determined that the surface profiles of the samples were degraded compared to the control samples after the paint removing process, and according to FT-IR analysis, there was no change in the chemical structure of the samples.