Removing Powder Coating
 

Methylene chloride is generally effective at removing powder coating, however most other organic solvents (acetone, thinners, etc.) are completely ineffective. Most recently the suspected human carcinogen methylene chloride is being replaced by benzyl alcohol with great success. Powder coating can also be removed with abrasive blasting. 98% sulfuric acid commercial grade also removes powder coating film. Certain low grade powder coats can be removed with steel wool, though this might be a more labor-intensive process than desired. Powder coating can also be removed by a burning off process, in which parts are put into a large high-temperature oven with temperatures typically reaching an air temp of 1100 to 1500 degrees with a burner temperature of 900. The process takes about four hours and requires the parts to be cleaned completely and repowdered. Parts made with a thinner-gage material need to be burned off at a lower temperature to prevent the material from warping.