Oxygen Cleaning Products Preliminary Testing
Project Number: NT.1403
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POC: Rusty McLaughlin,
(321-867-3351)
russell.l.mclaughlin@nasa.gov
Wade Olsen, (321-867-8467)
wade.l.olsen@nasa.gov
Background
Historically, solvents such as
1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane and 1,1,1-trichloroethane have been the
chemicals of choice for NASA, the Department of Defense and the aerospace
industry in cleaning aviation oxygen systems and components. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency classified and regulated these chemicals as
Class I (most harmful) ozone depleting substances. In the mid 1990’s, in
response to the U.S. Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, aerospace
organizations began replacing these Class I ozone depleting chemicals with less
harmful hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), which are still ozone depleting
substances (Class II). Two common HCFCs are 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane
(HCFC-141b) and 1,3-dichloro-1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HCFC 225g). The
Class II solvents provide only a temporary solution, however, because the Clean
Air Act and Montreal Protocol have set finite caps and phase-out dates for their
manufacture. Other qualified solvents, such as hydrofluoroethers, are not ozone
depleting but are limited in the applications in which they can be used.
Objective
Engage academia’s green
engineering and environmentally benign design capabilities to overcome existing
barriers of using Class II ozone depleting substances as qualified cleaning
agents for oxygen systems and related components. A thorough understanding of
oxygen cleaning standards and cleanliness verification science must be examined
and evaluated for potential exploitation by new chemical science to overcome the
inclusion of environmentally hazardous components to achieve the desired
results.
Period of Performance
- October 2008 – September 2009
Stakeholders
NASA White Sands
Test Facility and Yale University
Benefits
- Eliminate the obsolescence risk due to pending phase out of
existing ozone depleting substances for cleaning oxygen systems and components
- Provide environmentally benign cleaning technology for space and aviation
breathing systems
Document Status
- Not applicable at this time.
Recent Progress
- Collecting current NASA
alternatives and requirements
- Drafted Joint test protocol
Milestones
- Delivery Order awarded –
November 2008
Near-Term Goals
- Complete test protocol
- Prepare draft final report
+ Reports
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