Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI)

VCI (Vapor corrosion inhibitor or volatile corrosion inhibitor) bags and VCI packaging are commonly used in industrial and manufacturing settings to protect metal components and machinery from corrosion and rust during shipping and storage. VCI bags and packaging contain chemicals that vaporize and create a protective layer around the metal, preventing oxidation and rusting. This makes VCI bags and packaging ideal for protecting tools, machinery, and other metal components from damage during transit and storage. VCI bags and packaging are also helpful for extending the shelf life of metal products, reducing the need for costly maintenance and repairs. Other benefits of VCI bags and packaging include their ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, as they can be recycled and do not require any additional coatings or treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a VCI bag the same as VCI paper?

Both of the VCI packaging products are useful, but based on the job, one may be better. It takes longer for VCI paper to break down than VCI film, but VCI paper does so faster. Water mist can't get through VCI film, but dry paper can easily soak up moisture. Other attributes that might be of interest would be the fact that VCI products and their ability to be shaped, the ability of the VCI poly products to show parts clearly, and their outer packaging. The application should focus on the items that need to be secured and the specifics of how the manufacturer packages those items.

How does moisture accelerate corrosion?

By serving as an electrolyte and making electrochemical reactions easier on metal surfaces, moisture speeds up corrosion. Moisture can dissolve oxygen and other impurities, making a space where different parts of a metal or metals that are linked to each other can act as anodes and cathodes. This difference makes an electrochemical cell. At the anode, the metal loses electrons and rusts. The presence of water not only makes these processes possible, but it also helps move the ions that speed up the corrosion process. In other words, the conditions needed for the electrochemical processes that cause corrosion are much less favorable without water. This makes the rate of corrosion much slower.

What should you expect when you put parts that have already rusted into VCI products?

The corrosion process is decelerated when a rusted item is enclosed in ZERUST® VCI products. Unfortunately, ZERUST packaging products are unable to eliminate pre-existing corrosion.

What is the predicted duration of corrosion resistance for parts once they are removed from VCI packaging?

Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) tests indicate that after 2-4 hours of removing a steel panel from a ZERUST® VCI package, the surface of the item is completely free of the corrosion preventing molecular layer.

The onset of corrosion on a part is contingent upon the cleanliness of the part and the surrounding environment, including factors such as relative humidity, presence of contaminants or wood, and temperature, etc.