bz® Surface Integrity Cleaning Cloths: Engineered Surface Preparation and Hazmat Reduction for Defense Sustainment

Coatings/Corrosion Prevention

Problem Statement: Across military shipyards, combat vehicle depots, flight lines, and armories, surface preparation drives more than 80 percent of coating, sealant, and adhesive adhesion failures. Maintainers still rely on legacy wiping materials that shed lint, leave chemical extractables, scratch optics, and retain excessive solvent. Unvetted stock wipes often leave acidic or alkaline residues and ionic contaminants that disrupt passivation layers, initiate micro‑pitting, and accelerate corrosion across ships, submarines, vehicles, weapons systems, and aircraft.

Description of the Innovative Solution: The bz® Surface Integrity Cleaning Cloth platform delivers an engineered, zero‑infrastructure surface‑preparation capability developed under a DLA‑funded, NAVAIR‑managed modernization effort. bz® maintains strict SAE AMS3819D compliance through third‑party laboratory lot verification for pH neutrality, zero non‑volatile extractables, low lint shedding, and ketone compatibility, supported by mandatory seven‑year requalification. Aligned with NAVAIR 01‑1A‑509, Air Force TO 1‑1‑8, and Army TM 1‑1500‑344‑23‑2, all bz® product lines — dry wipers, DIY pre‑saturation buckets, and pre‑saturated solvent sachets (70/30 IPA, 100 percent IPA, acetone) — hold sole‑source National Stock Numbers. Following NAWCAD MER 2021PX0002 testing, bz® holds the sole active NSN authorized for acrylic and polycarbonate aircraft transparencies, displays, and optics.

Benefits to the DoW: bz® Cloths transform surface preparation into a certified, highly controlled process. bz® releases up to 98 percent of absorbed solvent directly onto work surfaces, compared to cotton shop towels that retain 50 percent and require industrial laundering. Pre‑saturated foil sachets provide unlimited shelf life, eliminate expiration tracking, reduce VOC exposure in confined spaces, and prevent static‑spark fire hazards. At Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, adopting bz® closed‑dispensing systems enabled avoidance of a 200,000 dollar VOC air‑quality permit. At Tinker AFB (CMXG), replacing MEK‑soaked rags with bz® acetone sachets reduced exposure profiles from a 200 ppm OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit to a 1,000 ppm threshold. bz® supports corrosion control, environmental compliance, hazard reduction, and sustainment modernization across aviation, ships, weapons, and ground fleets.

Innovation Challenges: Transitioning from legacy wiping materials required overcoming entrenched procurement habits and securing multi‑service technical approvals. These challenges were resolved through AMS3819 qualification, NAVAIR transparency authorization, and cataloging across DLA, Base Supply Centers, and 4PL networks, with AbilityOne integration pending final approval, ensuring full sustainment pathway compatibility.

Technical Maturity and Demonstration Results: bz® is a fully fielded, commercial capability operating at Technical Readiness Level 9 with more than $1.2 million in documented near‑term demand. Active operational use spans NAVAIR, Navy shipboard environments (CVNs, LHDs, LHAs), Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons, Army aviation and ground units, and Air Force sustainment organizations, with formal recognition in USAF C‑130 CPCP guidance. Requiring no capital infrastructure, specialized tooling, or retraining, bz® enables immediate scale across the defense sustainment enterprise.