Stripping

Stripping is the act of removing a covering, coating, layer, or adjacent material from a substrate or surface. The term is used across many disciplines, and the precise meaning depends on context.

In industrial and chemical engineering, stripping describes processes that remove volatile components from a liquid or solid by contacting it with a gas, vapor, or steam. Examples include steam stripping and air stripping in water treatment, and the stripping section of a distillation column where light components are carried away. In mining, stripping refers to removing surface layers of soil and rock to reach ore, a practice known as strip mining. The stripping ratio expresses the amount of overburden removed per unit of ore extracted.

In environmental remediation, stripping methods volatilize and remove contaminants from soils, groundwater, or air via gas transfer.

In surface finishing and manufacturing, stripping means removing coatings, paints, solder, or plating from a surface using chemical or mechanical methods.

In electrical work, wire stripping is the process of removing insulation from conductors to expose metal for connections.

In the performing arts, stripping denotes a form of stage entertainment in which clothing is removed as part of a routine; it is subject to legal and venue regulations.

Related terms include stripping ratio, steam stripping, air stripping, and wire stripping.