Process for removing a composite coating present on the surface of a gas cartridge

[0040]In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the process of the invention, trials have were carried out under the following conditions.

[0041]A cylindrical gas bottle 1.68 m in height and 0.23 m in diameter, the steel or aluminum body of which was covered in a surface-coating layer of 10 mm of a KEVLAR / epoxy composite, was treated with liquid-nitrogen jets at 3200 bar and at a temperature of −155° C. Said nitrogen jets were ejected by a rotating tool having a number of nozzles, such as that in FIG. 2. The jets traced a 0.054 m strip. The rate of advance of the rotating tool was 1 m / min. When the entire length of the bottle had been processed over a width of 0.054 m, the bottle was rotated by 0.053 m (1 mm overlap).

[0042]The trial results showed that the composite “skin” or surface coating came off very easily from the body under the effect of the high-pressure liquid-nitrogen jets. The bodies of the bottles were stripped in about 18 to 20 minutes.

[0043]Moreover, the throughput