ResiCor VCI - Corrosion Preventor

ResiCor VCI – Corrosion Preventor

08

Mar

2022

Introduction

The losses incurred due to corrosion are equivalent to about 3.4% of the Global GDP!

Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable form such as oxide, hydroxide, carbonate, or sulphide. It occurs when the metal comes in contact with air (oxygen), water (moisture), or acids during its lifetime. It is the gradual destruction of materials by chemical and/or electrochemical reactions with their environment. This hampers the mechanical properties of the metals making them inefficient for use leading to huge losses.

Need to prevent corrosion in automobiles

It makes protecting the automobile parts against corrosion vital for value retention, safety, customer satisfaction, and ultimately the image of the OEM/Brand.. The various traditional methods are now replaced with easy-to-use, new-generation VCI packaging materials made of plastic or paper.

New or Evolved technologies

“Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor,” “Vapour Corrosion Inhibitor,” or “Vapour Phase Corrosion Inhibitor,” abbreviated as VCI a revolutionary technology that simplifies corrosion protection and is ideal for keeping enclosed void spaces (e.g., packages, equipment internals, or structural metal cavities) rust-free by chemical volatilization at room temperature to form a thin deposition layer on the nearby surfaces. This is an ideal solution for automobiles as the various metal parts (small or big) used in an automobile are sourced from different locations and assembled on a single assembly line. Protection of the automotive components is needed during transit as well as storage before it is taken up for assembling. The VCI packaging is also very essential for storage and distribution of automotive spare parts. At NICHEM, we have developed a full range of VCI Packaging Additives to serve the required purpose

Performance Testing of VCI

The VCI product performance can be analyzed by industry-accepted standards namely German APL TL 8135-002 (German Military Test), ASTM B117 (Salt Spray Test), Razor Blade Test, Humid cyclic Test, and Climate Stress Test. At NICHEM, we have developed various grades of VCI Additives which provide MS as well as multi-metal protection and comply with these international standards. As per a latest development with one of our customers, where he sent an inquiry for VW 51064 (Volkswagen) compliant VCI product. VW 50164 is known as one of the most stringent test standards followed by the automobile industry for VCI packaging. Considering the growing demand by our customers, we developed a suitable grade of VCI Additive to comply with VW51064.

About VW51064 Test Standard

The VW 51064 Test Standard demonstrates the severity and longevity of compliance of the final product in the corrosion prevention of metals. It consists of 3 types of tests – K (Jar Test), KON (Humid Cycle Test), and KDW (Preserving Jar Test). Each test has its own significance and corrosion environment for evaluation purposes as follows:

The K Test (Jar Test) is similar but more severe to the German TL Military 8135 002 standard with few changes in the test setup. The conical flask has a rubber bung has a hole on which a metal sample is mounted at the bottom and a glass tube with frozen water is mounted on the metal sample from the top. According to this test, the film samples were rated as per the scale. ResiCor 006 VCI-OS Films successfully passed the K test as seen in Fig.1 with a Level 3 score (Good corrosion protection) at 14000 ppm active

Fig 1: K Test Results of VCI-OS & Control Film

The KON Test (Humid Cycle Test) is conducted under constant humid conditions for a minimum of 30 climatic loading cycles. In this test, VCI OS film showed excellent resistance to humid climatic cycle as seen in fig.2.

Fig 2: KON Test - VCI-OS Film before and after 30 cycles

In KDW Test (Preserving Jar Test) the metal samples are enclosed in the glass jar with the help of a plastic spacer which is surrounded by VCI film. It is the most stringent test of the three. The VCI OS film passed the most critical test with an RN 1 rating which assures the high performance of corrosion prevention during the transit. It shows a protection factor SF of more than 5 which ensures good corrosion resistance to the packed metal sample as seen in fig.3.

Fig. 3: KDW Test - VCI-OS film before and after 45 cycles

VCI-OS films were able to comply with all the 3 tests -K, KON & KDW as summarized in Table 1.
Table 1 – ResiCor 006 VCI-OS Film VW 50164 Test Results

VW 50164 Test type	SF	Performance of VCI-OS Film
K-Test	Not applicable	Good corrosion Protection (Level 3)
KON Test	≥4,5	Good corrosion Protection
KDW Test	≤5,5	Good corrosion Protection

Conclusion:

ResiCor 006 VCI-OS Film/coating complies with the VW 15064 Automobile Test Standard. The unique combination of actives gave a controlled and stabilized atmosphere to the PE film which resulted i a corrosion protection rating in all the respective tests. This study indicates that the VCI-OS film can be successfully used in metal packaging applications during transportation and can withstand stringent climatic stresses such as temperature and humidity ranging to 25-55°C and RH 90-98% respectively. It does not release any harmful vapors into the atmosphere and is safe to use. With ResiCor 006 VCI-OS Films, we can ensure metal protection for a longer duration as desired by the automobile industry.

ABOUT NICHEM

Longstanding player in Specialty Chemicals, ISO 9001:2015 Certified, providing niche solutions for over 25 years. Headed by – Senior experts in the chemicals Industry with a collective experience of over 100 years. Having core strength as Research & Development, customization, with a focus on eco-friendly, non-toxic Products. You can find out more about NICHEM at http://nichem.solution