WHAT IS VCI AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Rusting or corrosion has been a serious concern for the engineering and automotive industry in particular. For industries, it poses a threat to their machinery, components and infrastructure.
Corrosion takes place when the surface of any metal, ferrous or non-ferrous is exposed to moisture.Therefore, one needs to adopt the best practices to prevent it. One of them is Vapour Corrosion Inhibitors.
What are Vapour Corrosion Inhibitors or VCI?
VCI or Vapour Corrosion Inhibitors are a blend of chemical compounds used for preventing corrosion or rusting on metals. They evaporate at room temperature and form an invisible protective layer over the component which is to be protected.The vapours can reach confined or hard to reach spaces which would not have been otherwise accessible. These enclosed spaces retain the VCI applied compounds and prevent corrosion in the long term.
VCI lengthens the life span of metal components by protecting the surfaces from rust and corrosion.They are sold as powders, liquids, pellets and oil formulations
The automotive industry, electronics, parts packaging, industrial machinery and others are the largest users of VCI. The majority of applications of VCI are done on pipe segments, beneath tank floors, pipe casings, pipelines, spare parts enclosures and many more.
Now, what should you do about the difficult areas where you cannot reach?
Often in hard to reach and less visible areas, providing protection against rusting and corrosion is difficult. Moreover, maintenance and accessibility for prevention of the same are difficult too. With VCI, they provide exceptional protection against corrosion in hardly accessible and difficult to see areas. Also, they can help in preventing corrosion without needing additional painting or greasing. They have been widely used today in several industries to protect valuable equipment and parts.
How does it work?
On evaporation, Vapour Corrosion Inhibitors create a protective environment for the parts, equipment or surface on which it is applied. VCI’s volatilize at room temperature and create an invisible protective shield on the surfaces of the enclosed spaces. This protective layer does not alter or affect the properties of the metal or surface.
It prevents or blocks moisture, oxygen and other corrosive substances from attacking the metal surfaces and making them rust. The metal parts, machinery or products are available for immediate use without any need for cleaning or degreasing.
Above all this, VCI technology brings along plenty of advantages for you. Apart from not needing to remove any coating or grease, it reduces waste disposal and labour time. With solvent-based oils, you often have to clean the surface which is not the case with VCI. Also, it is effective in protecting the intricate internal equipment and internal surfaces that are difficult or impossible to reach. It effectively helps in saving money, time and effort by acting as a reliable, thorough and easy to use rust preventive alternative over other prevention or preservation techniques, practices or strategies.