YOU ASK AND WE ANSWER—THIS COLUMN IS DEVOTED TO ANSWERING OUR CUSTOMERS’ MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Should I compare the amount of VCI inside of ARMOR WRAP® paper vs. ARMOR POLY® bags by weight or percentage?

Comparing VCI items by the amount of VCI chemical they contain is not necessarily an accurate indicator of the strength or capabilities of the product. Typically, paper chemical loading is measured in grams of VCI per square foot while films are measured by weight or rather percentage of VCI by weight. For example, VCI paper contains ingredients that are more volatile than the ingredients contained in poly film.

In addition, other differences include paper’s capacity to absorb moisture (main corrosion promoter) while plastic does not and paper’s ability to release VCI at a faster pace than poly. The VCI ingredients in poly first need to diffuse inside the film toward the surface, a process that takes time, while with paper the VCI ingredients are right on the surface and are more easily dispersed into the enclosed air space.

Above - ARMOR WRAP®

Above - ARMOR POLY®

While ARMOR WRAP® and ARMOR POLY® both contain VCI they contain different chemical ingredients and comparing them by weight is not an effective way to determine which is stronger or more effective for a metal part.

For a more detailed explanation of the differences between ARMOR WRAP® paper and ARMOR POLY® film, read “Paper or Poly – Which is the Right Choice?” from a past ARMOR SENTINEL Corrosion College article.

For more information on Armor Protective Packaging®’s full line of corrosion management products, visit the ARMOR website or contact your ARMOR sales representative.