Femtosecond Laser Cleaning: A Green Technology for the Removal of Antifouling Paint on Marine GFRP Composites

Glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) are worldwide used in shipbuilding, given their advantages in terms of weight and reduced production costs, as well as minimal maintenance costs, thanks to the notable resistance to marine organisms and corrosion. Despite this, it is necessary the protection of submerged structures with antifouling paints which need periodic removal. Laser cleaning offers the advantages of high efficiency, possibility of process control and automation, as well as environmental protection. In this work it is analyzed the antifouling paint stripping on GFRP by means of a femtosecond pulsed laser and the process was controlled by Raman spectroscopy. the results show the ability of the laser as an effective paint removal technique in GFRP while providing a surface finish with superior characteristics for the subsequent repainting than the traditional sanding method; all this in a more respectful way for the environment.