Description
MilCorr® VpCI® Shrink Film is Cortec’s heavy-duty 10 mil VCI shrink film, built for equipment that has to sit outside and come out serviceable. This listing is the 20′ × 100′ roll (Cortec item #21302963), 2,000 square feet of film, the size to buy for a single large machine or a handful of skids rather than a yard full.
MilCorr is the top of Cortec’s shrink-film ladder. Standard VpCI-126 shrink film (6 mil) is for indoor or in-crate storage; VpCI-126 HP UV (10 mil) handles outdoor exposure for up to three years; MilCorr, with its UV stabilizers, is built for longer outdoor exposure (Cortec’s ASTM G53 weathering test shows no degradation after more than three years and is still running), and it is the only packaging film in the Cortec Product Consultation Guide rated 4 (outside, uncovered storage). The film combines three mechanisms: a physical barrier against rain and dust, contact inhibition where the film touches metal, and vapor-phase VpCI that migrates into voids, bores and recesses a spray cannot reach. It protects steel, iron, brass, copper, solder, aluminum and nickel, and the wrapped part comes out ready to use with no degreasing. It passes NFPA 701-1999 Test #1 and the German TL-8135-002 VIA test, and is recyclable.
Typical applications
- Military vehicles and equipment preservation
- Mothball preservation of industrial equipment
- Export packaging of expensive larger equipment
- Heavy equipment covers
- Recreational vehicle (boats, snowmobiles, etc.) preservation
- Pallet shrouds
- Turbines, generators, transformers and switchgear staged outdoors before installation
- Spare gears, rolls and machined assemblies stored in a yard for three years or more
How to apply MilCorr
- Prepare the equipment. The surface must be clean and dry, free of dirt, grease and active corrosion. Derust with VpCI-422 or VpCI-423 gel, neutralize with VpCI-414 and dry. For three years or more outdoors, coat machined surfaces with VpCI-368 or VpCI-369. Treat internal voids: add VpCI-322 or M-531 to oil and hydraulic systems and VpCI-705 to fuel, fog large voids with VpCI-337, and place emitters such as VpCI-111 or BioPad in any enclosed space over 8 cubic feet.
- Measure and cut. Measure height, width and length from the farthest points. Film length = (2 × height) + (2 × width) + overlap; film width = height + length + overlap; allow at least 12 inches of overlap. Cut straight with square corners and do not walk or drive on the film unless unavoidable. Widths up to 30′ are available from Cortec on request.
- Pad and position. Pad sharp edges and corners with the minimum of flame-resistant padding secured with 3M shrink tape. Lay the film on a clean, dry area and place the equipment centered across the width and about four-fifths of the way toward one end, so the seam lands over a support and not on the top or bottom.
- Wrap and seam. Pull the short end up over the equipment as the inside seam, then bring the long end over it as the outside layer, leaving at least 12 inches of overlap. Tack with tape. Form a pocket between the layers, heat from at least 6 inches away, and pat the outer layer to the inner as the film begins to shrink. Fold the ends in gift-wrap triangles, bottom flap first, top flap over it so water sheds, and seam the same way. One side needs no seam.
- Shrink. Work the whole surface in short passes, bottom to top on large units, angling the heat so the film pulls toward the base. Typical shrink temperature is 340 to 440 °F (171 to 227 °C) and sealing temperature 240 to 320 °F (116 to 160 °C). Multiple layers need more heat. If the unit will sit outdoors, under-shrink slightly, especially on top: UV keeps shrinking the film in service.
- Finish. Cut minimal openings for lift points, tape and heat-seal around them, and add zipper doors or adhesive vents where inspection access is needed. Patch any hole with a piece 6 to 12 inches larger, corners first. Check the printed identification on the film at receiving and on the wrapped unit; since August 2026 Cortec prints its MilCorr plate on the film during production so you can confirm the grade months later.
- Storage of the film. Store rolls indoors at ambient conditions, sealed in the original packaging; shelf life is up to 24 months.
- Read the step-by-step MilCorr shrink-wrap guide for the photographed procedure, and Cortec’s guide notes that a hot-work permit may apply.
Where it fits in the Cortec line
The 20′ × 210′ roll is Cortec’s standard size and the better buy for a preservation program; this 100′ roll is the one for a single project or a shop that wraps a few units a year. If the equipment will be indoors or under roof, VpCI-126 film and bags are the lower-cost choice; for outdoor storage up to three years, VpCI-126 HP UV shrink film; for longer outdoor storage, MilCorr. Pair every roll with 3M white shrink tape for seams and lift-point openings. Machined surfaces under the film get VpCI-368 or VpCI-369; voids get VpCI-337 fogging or emitters. Clean the part first: an aqueous parts washer is the place to start (see Clean It, Then Protect It). Browse the full Cortec VpCI line.
Field notes
An offshore rig mothballed in the Gulf of Mexico in 2015 had its hydraulic power unit, heat exchanger, helicopter fuel station, BOP parts, pumps and panels wrapped in MilCorr. The rig took a near-direct hit from a hurricane in 2017; at the 2019 inspection every wrap was intact and nothing under it had rusted, and the HPU returned to service by cutting the film open. (Cortec Case History #662)
A mobile preservation team serving offshore-equipment repair shops between Houston and New Orleans applies one rule to rebuilt pumps, gearboxes and compressors: VpCI-126 HP UV if storage will be two years or less or the part is headed offshore, MilCorr if it will sit longer than two years. About 60 visits and 70 to 80 parts by mid-2024. (Cortec Case History #837)
At a Lima, Ohio refinery a nitrogen purge on new equipment idled for three years failed early and the internals rusted. The recovery package fogged VpCI-337 under a blower draft, sprayed electrical boxes with ElectriCorr VpCI-239 plus a VpCI-105 emitter each, put CorShield VpCI-369 on hinges and bolt threads and VpCI-308 pouches in external voids, then heat-sealed everything in MilCorr until startup. (Cortec Case History #519)
Specifications
| Type | Heavy-duty multimetal VpCI shrink film with UV stabilizers; patented |
|---|---|
| Film thickness | 10 mil (250 µm) |
| Outdoor service | UV-stabilized for uncovered outdoor storage; the only Cortec packaging film rated for it in the Product Consultation Guide. Cortec ASTM G53 weathering exposure: no corrosion or film degradation after more than 3 years (test still running) |
| Consultation guide rating | 4 – outside, uncovered storage |
| Metals protected | Steel, iron, brass, copper, solder, aluminum, nickel |
| Protection mechanism | Barrier, contact and vapor-phase corrosion inhibition |
| Fire test | NFPA 701-1999 Test #1: Pass (MilCorr FR grade: NFPA 701-2010 Test #2) |
| VIA test | German Military Standard TL-8135-002: Pass |
| UV weathering (ASTM G53) | No corrosion or degradation of the film observed after 3+ years of exposure (test in process per the Cortec data sheet) |
| Cortec corrosion tests | VIA, Razor Blade, SO2 and F-12 Cycling: Pass |
| Water vapor transmission (ASTM F1249) | 0.083 g/100 in²·day (1.29 g/m²·day) at 100 °F, 100% RH |
| Mechanical (typical values, not specifications) | Breaking factor 30.4 lb/in MD / 30.3 TD; tensile at break 2,906 / 2,960 psi; elongation 899% / 951%; Elmendorf tear 18,678 / 22,916 mN; dart drop over 1,300 g (ASTM D882, D1922, D1709) |
| Chemical resistance | Unaffected by most solvents, strong acids and alkalies |
| Shrink temperature | 340–440 °F (171–227 °C) |
| Sealing temperature | 240–320 °F (116–160 °C) |
| Seam overlap | At least 12 in (30 cm) at all seams |
| Film sizing | Length = (2 × H) + (2 × W) + overlap; Width = H + L + overlap |
| Available widths | Up to 30′ (9.2 m) on request; sheeting and tube |
| Rolls per pallet | 16 |
| Shelf life | Up to 24 months stored indoors, sealed in original packaging |
| Recyclable | Yes |
| Size | 20′ × 100′ × 10 mil roll (2,000 sq ft) |
| Shipping weight | 105 lb (47.6 kg) |
| Availability | In stock |
| Cortec product number | 21302963 |
Solvent Recycling Systems is an authorized Cortec® distributor. See the full Cortec VpCI line, browse the VpCI product selection guide, or contact us for volume pricing and lead times.
