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

Question: Is airtight packaging required for VCI to work?

The answer to this question isn’t as definitive as a “yes” or “no” answer. While absolute airtight packaging is ideal for VCI rust protection, it is not required for a VCI product to work. What is critical in all uses of VCI is that the VCI vapors must be enclosed in some fashion – the more airtight the enclosure the more effective the VCI protection. Conversely, if the packaging is not airtight the strength of the VCI vapors will be diminished as they are able to escape the packaging.

For example, metal parts can be placed onto a sheet of ARMOR WRAP® paper for protection. With ARMOR WRAP®, parts should be completely wrapped or enclosed for maximum protection or it can be used to interleave between layers of parts. To further protect metal parts from corrosion, place the ARMOR WRAP® packaged part into an airtight package such as an ARMOR POLY® bag and seal it. The combination of the two products, combined with the airtight packaging, would offer the most effective, longest protection, and best results over time.

For additional details on ARMOR WRAP® paper and ARMOR POLY® film and their specific VCI contents, contact ARMOR’s Customer Service at (800) 365-1117 for additional information or to place an order for any of ARMOR’s corrosion management products.