Assessing the feasibility of laser ablation coating removal (LACR) on legacy bridge steel: Coating removal and adhesion, and effects on mechanical properties

The application of protective organic coatings is one of the most effective and commonly used corrosion mitigation strategies. To maintain the protective nature of coatings on long-term-exposed surfaces such as steel bridge components, coatings must be periodically removed and reapplied. A relatively new method called laser ablation coating removal (LACR), which incorporates a high energy nanosecond pulsed laser beam in combination with a high efficiency filtration system, allows for safe and effective removal of coatings and contamination from metal surfaces. In this study, LACR cleaning is tested on legacy bridge steel components to investigate the effect on substrate cleanliness and steel mechanical properties. These bridge sections were never blasted and contain a 20–100 μm thick mill-scale layer (iron oxide) below several coating layers (including lead-rich coatings). The top micron of the oxide layer is melted by LACR and also thermally insulates the underlying steel and prevents any melting within the metallic substrate. The resulting surfaces are analyzed using microscopy, hardness testing, tensile, and fatigue testing, and it is shown that LACR does not cause any measurable detrimental effects to the bulk mechanical properties of the bridge steel, as well as effectively removes all paint coatings. Furthermore, adhesion testing on LACR-cleaned substrates shows excellent adhesion, qualifying above adhesion requirements for coated steel.