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Engineers help to solve fuselage pitting with new paint stripping formula

A reformulated paint stripper mitigates pitting corrosion, speeds maintenance and expands safe work in hot climates.

March 16, 2026 in Innovation, Safety

Katia Badaeva, paints and coatings engineer, tests different paint stripper formulations to find a solution to fuselage skin pitting. Her work helped qualify a reformulated paint stripper to reduce corrosion pits while maintaining stripping performance. (Maddie Chesbro-Crisalli photo)

Boeing teams have qualified a paint stripper to help prevent the small holes that used to appear on aluminum fuselage skins – known as pits. The previous paint stripping formula caused a chemical reaction that could corrode the metal, which was frequently documented by field operators and maintenance teams. 

Why it matters: Even tiny pits require inspection and potential repair and can delay aircraft return to service. Reducing the pitting issue reduces rework and allows maintenance teams to focus on scheduled maintenance rather than repairs.

Boeing engineers worked with paint technicians and suppliers to reformulate a paint stripper to effectively prevent corrosion pitting on fuselage skins. The new formula is dyed a distinct color (right) to help crews quickly identify it and avoid mixing with other products. (Maddie Chesbro-Crisalli photo)

Finding the root cause: Engineers re-created the problem in the lab and tested variables such as temperature, application method and chemical combinations. The team, which includes Katia Badaeva, Mark Johnson, Derek Mar, Harry Prepotente, Ryan Anderson, Elizabeth Lam and Christopher Meyer, identified three critical factors:

  • The pitting appeared where a specific yellow pigment was present in paint and interacted with paint stripper.
  • Damage occurred when acid- and peroxide-containing strippers were mixed and applied on the skins.  
  • A particular acid-activated product applied at elevated temperatures (greater than 85 degrees Fahrenheit) also created the damage.

“We tested countless paint pigments for interaction with the paint stripper,” said Johnson, chemical engineer. “Only one caused the pitting.”

Electron microscopy and pigment testing revealed a reaction at the pigment-metal interface where metallic ions in the yellow pigment precipitated as nanoparticles, creating micro-cathodes that drove localized galvanic corrosion. 

An engineer uses a microscope to examine corrosion pits on clad aluminum test panels. The work helped identify the chemical reaction between paint pigments and stripper components that caused the damage, using material representative of the aluminum fuselage skin. (Maddie Chesbro-Crisalli photo)

Collaboration leads to a solution: Boeing shared its findings with the paint stripper manufacturer, who reformulated the product to remove reactive ingredients while maintaining performance. The supplier tested at least five versions before achieving a formula that can:

  • Eliminate the reactive pit formation pathway
  • Maintain or improve stripping speed
  • Spray thicker and cling to paint better for consistent coverage
  • Be used in temperatures above 85 F
  • Be dyed a distinct color so crews can identify it quickly and avoid intermixing with peroxide-containing strippers

“Knowing which chemicals cause the skin pitting helped us focus on the solution,” Badaeva, paints and coatings engineer, explained. “Changing the chemistry affected performance in other ways, so we had to iterate to keep efficiency while preventing damage.”

Operational impact: Previously, operations above 85 F risked creating pits, limiting stripping in hot environments. With the new stripper, teams can more safely remove paint on airplanes across a wider range of temperatures without added inspections or repairs, reducing cycle time and cost.

By Sara Rosso