VAPOR STRIPPING PROCESS

摘要

VAPOR STRIPPING PROCESS Protective and residual organic coatings are stripped from a surface by substantially sealing the surface from the atmosphere to provide a stripping zone, forming a stream of gaseous stripping composition in an evaporation zone, contacting the surface with the stripping composition in the gaseous state at about ambient temperature and recirculating the gaseous mixture from the stripping zone to the evaporating zone and back to the stripping zone to rapidly increase the concentration of gaseous stripping composition in the stripping zone. Optionally the surface may be rinsed by raising the temperature of the gaseous stripping composition slightly above ambient temperature, whereby the gaseous stripping composition condenses on the surface and flushes the surface free of adhering particles. This process is useful for objects which can be placed in a stripping zone and substantially sealed from the atmosphere, especially objects having an irregular surface, and also for interior surfaces which can be substantially sealed from the atmosphere, including extensive surfaces such as those of storage tanks, tank cars and the holds and ballast tanks of ships .