Biobased VpCI Emitter Pad, 85% PLA – 57” x 132′ (Cortec® BioPad®)

Description

The BioPad® roll is Cortec’s cut-to-size biobased VpCI® emitter: 132 feet of 57″-wide non-woven PLA fabric impregnated with vapor-phase corrosion inhibitor, protecting up to 15 ft³ of enclosed space per square foot of material. Cut strips for crate liners, coil eyes, motor covers and any custom void the stock 2″ × 6″ and 8″ × 8″ pads do not fit, and get multimetal protection from a material that is 85% biobased and free of isocyanates, nitrates and chromates.

The substrate is an 85% biobased non-woven polylactic acid (PLA) fabric with VpCI impregnated through its whole thickness. Cortec puts a high VpCI concentration on a thin sheet, so a BioPad uses up to 94% less material than a polyurethane foam emitter of the same coverage, and it contains no isocyanates, nitrates or chromates. It protects aluminum, galvanized steel, brass, carbon steels, copper and zinc, so mixed-metal assemblies share one package. In the Cortec Product Consultation Guide BioPad is rated 1, enclosed: it works inside a sealed bag, box, crate, cover or shrink wrap, not on an open rack, where it replaces oil dips and desiccant-only packs. One caution from the data sheet: BioPad is not designed for direct contact with metal or painted surfaces, so on cosmetically critical items attach it to the packaging rather than laying it on the part.

Typical applications

• Enclosed packaging of machined, ground and stamped metal parts
• Boxed assemblies, kits and OEM service parts
• In-process storage racks and bins between operations (with VpCI-126 covers)
• Spare gears, motors and armatures in shrink-wrapped storage
• Multimetal components: steel with copper, brass, aluminum or zinc parts
• Export crates and shipping containers
• Inside VpCI-126 bags, MilCorr or VpCI-126 HP UV shrink wrap as the VpCI source
• Programs that need a biobased, isocyanate-free alternative to polyurethane foam emitters

How to use the BioPad roll

1. Start with clean, dry parts. Wash off coolant, fingerprints and salts and dry completely; the pad protects clean metal, it does not clean it.
2. Size the dose. Cut 1 ft² of BioPad for every 15 ft³ (0.45 m³/m²) of package volume: by that rule a 4′ × 4′ × 4′ crate (64 ft³) takes about 4.3 ft², or a strip roughly 57″ × 11″. For coils and large fabrications run a strip along the length so the whole surface has direct vapor access, then wrap in VpCI-126 film. Use twice the area for aggressive marine or overseas conditions.
3. Place it in the shared air space. Tape or staple the pad to the box lid, bag wall or crate side, or lay it on a separator, so it breathes the same air as the metal without touching a finished surface.
4. Close the package. Seal the VpCI-126 bag or CorrCap, tape the carton, or shrink the MilCorr or VpCI-126 HP UV film. A sealed enclosure with minimal free air holds the VpCI concentration.
5. Allow the void to saturate. The inhibitor condenses as a molecular layer on every metal surface, including bores and threads, within about a day. After shipping, keep the package closed for 24 hours after arrival so it acclimates before it is opened.
6. Reopen and reclose as needed. The layer is self-replenishing while the pad is inside, so racks and bins can be worked from and re-covered. If a package is not airtight, add a fresh pad sooner.
7. Return to service. Remove the part; no cleaning is required.
8. Store unused pads sealed. Shelf life is 2 years; keep opened cartons resealed in plastic bags.

BioPad formats and approximate dosages (Cortec BioPad data sheet):

Format	Protects	Packaging
BioPad 2″ × 3″	Small boxes and kits; see sizing note	1,000 per carton
BioPad 2″ × 6″	Up to 1.5 ft³ (0.042 m³) per pad	250 per carton
BioPad 8″ × 8″	Up to 8 ft³ (0.23 m³) per pad	250 per carton
BioPad roll, 57″ × 132′	Up to 15 ft³ per ft² of material (0.45 m³/m²)	1 roll

Combining with other VpCI packaging

Cortec’s standard system is a VpCI barrier plus a pad in the void: a VpCI-126 Blue bag or 126 tubing for indoor storage and container shipments, MilCorr shrink film or VpCI-126 HP UV with a BioPad inside for outdoor storage (one of Cortec’s published outdoor-storage recipes), VpCI-146 paper interleaved between stacked parts, and Desicorr VpCI pouches where humidity is the driver. Parts should be clean and dry before they are packaged; see the Build-All and Magido aqueous parts washers, and where parts wait more than a day or two before packaging, VpCI-377 or BioCorr bridges the gap.

Where it fits in the Cortec line

BioPad covers the same volumes as the VpCI-130 series foams, 1.5 ft³ for 2″ × 6″ against VpCI-131 and 8 ft³ for 8″ × 8″ against VpCI-132, on a thinner biobased substrate; the foams add static dissipation to MIL-PRF-81705D, so choose foam where ESD matters and BioPad where a biobased, isocyanate-free or thinner insert matters. The roll replaces cartons of pads wherever the void is large or irregular, the same job VpCI-137 foam roll does at 10 ft³ per ft². BioBoard is the rigid board version for cartons; Cor-Pak tablets are the smallest dosing unit; VpCI-101 and VpCI-111 are the emitters for electrical cabinets. Browse the full Cortec VpCI line or the VpCI product selection guide.

Field notes

A Milwaukee, Wisconsin machine shop packed a spare marine-engine crankshaft for up to 10 years: VpCI-369 brushed into every surface and hole, the shaft laid on 10 mil VpCI-126 HP UV film in a long metal box with BioPads throughout, a second sheet over the bracing, and the film heat-shrink-taped with the upper layer overlapping the lower as a watershed. Fit for indoor or outdoor storage. (Cortec Case History #729)

A high-voltage switchgear maker in India had interrupters rust in export even inside vacuum-packed competitor VCI bags with local VCI foam. Six mil VpCI-126 bags with 8 by 8 inch BioPads and no vacuum passed the customer’s own VIA and razor-blade tests and three export trials to China; first order 2,000 pads and 150 custom film rolls. (Cortec Case History #680)

An Italian fabricator building 54 tanks and vessels for a U.S. Gulf Coast LNG project washed the internals with 5% VpCI-418 LM and, before shipment, installed BioPad at 1 m² per 4.5 m³ (11 ft² per 159 ft³) of internal volume. No corrosion through fabrication; residue-free removal at destination. (Cortec Case History #639)

Specifications

Protects	2″×6″: up to 1.5 ft³ (0.042 m³); 8″×8″: up to 8 ft³ (0.23 m³); custom: up to 15 ft³ per square foot
Construction	85% biobased non-woven polylactic acid
Metals	Aluminum, brass, copper, galvanized steel, zinc and carbon steels
Composition	Free of nitrates and chromates
Important	Not designed for direct contact with metal or painted surfaces — attach to packaging for cosmetically critical items
Shelf life	2 years
Roll coverage	Up to 15 ft³ per ft² of material (0.45 m³/m²); cut to size
Isocyanates	None
Material reduction	Up to 94% less material than a polyurethane foam emitter of equal coverage
Consultation guide rating	1 – enclosed (sealed bag, box, crate, cover or shrink wrap)
Removal	Remove the part; no cleaning required
Storage	Original packaging, indoors, out of direct sunlight, 40–100 °F (4–38 °C); keep unused material sealed in plastic bags
Size	57″ x 132′
Shipping weight	56.8 lb (25.8 kg)
Availability	In stock
Cortec product number	10500562

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.

Watch: BioPad in the packing routine

Cortec’s one-minute demonstration of packing metal parts for rust-free shipment: clean and dry the part, line the carton with VpCI-126 film, drop in a BioPad cut from this roll to raise the inhibitor concentration in the air space, and seal the package.