Proper surface preparation is essential in obtaining adequate adhesion of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) during laminate repairs on existing FRP substrates. In order to reduce the time required for the surface preparation of large areas, abrasive blasting was considered as an alternative to traditional power tool techniques. A pilot test was performed on a damaged hydrochloric acid FRP storage tank. Based upon the results, an operating pickling solution tank was repaired during a time-sensitive outage. This paper provides an overview of FRP materials and the types of damage that can occur, and presents a case history involving the use of abrasive blast cleaning as an innovative surface preparation technique for repairing this material of construction.

Subject
Abrasive blasting, Materials, Laminates, Thermal degradation, Grinding, Outages, Fiber reinforced plastic, Surface preparation, Repair, Equipment, Cracking, Damage, Resins
© 2000 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. This work is protected by both domestic and international copyright laws. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2000
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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