| abstract |
In the fabrication of a variety of articles, organic contaminants become affixed to the surfaces of these articles and must subsequently be removed. The disclosed method is effective for the removal of organic contaminants from a variety of articles, and is efficient to enable the rapid removal of such contaminants without damage to the article. The method has special utility in the cleaning of components used in aerospace applications. In the disclosed method, a structural component bearing the contaminant is contacted in a pressure vessel with a gas under super-critical conditions of temperature and pressure whereby the contaminant is absorbed by the gas. The gas, having the contaminant absorbed therein, is then purged from the vessel to obtain the cleaned component. |