the objective of this investigation is the identification of aircraft operational and specialty chemical which are potentially detrimental to the integrity of organic matrix composites. in this report, results of several studies made with the graphite/epoxy hercules as/3501-6 are disclosed. several alternatives to the problem of paint removal are discussed. it is concluded that water and maintenance fluids containing water produce significant plasticization of graphite/epoxy, while most solvents, oils, hydraulic fluids, and fuel cause no significant mechanical losses paint removal was found to be a significant problem due to the activity of chemical removers. removal is complicated by the fact that stripping thermoset coatings from graphite/epoxy is more difficult than stripping from aluminum. a 'weak link' coating system using a nitrocellulose primer is, thus far, the best strippable composite coating if used with the simple methylene chloride remover designated 4-70-1. it is recommended that confirmational testing with tensile, flexure, compression, fatigue and dynamic mechanical specimens of graphite/epoxy and possibly some adhesive, be made following these tests, the nitrocellulose/polyurethane coating system should be field tested on graphite/epoxy aircraft substrates