Cleaner/Degreaser & Temporary Coating Remover – 55 Gallon Drum (Cortec® VpCI®-414)

Description

VpCI®-414 is an alkaline water-based cleaner and degreaser that doubles as the stripper for Cortec’s own temporary coatings: Cosmoline-type films, VpCI-368, VpCI-388 and VpCI-389, and non-silicone waxes. Run it at 5 to 20 % for cleaning and at 60 % when you are removing coating rather than soil. The 55-gallon drum is the format for a production dip tank, a parts-washer immersion stage or a receiving department that strips coated parts every day.

VpCI-414 solves two problems with one drum. As a degreaser it is the strongest cleaner in Cortec’s water-based line, cutting grease, oil, waxes and difficult soils from bare and painted metal without solvents or VOCs. As a coating remover it is the specified stripper for Cortec’s temporary coatings, so a part shipped under VpCI-368 or VpCI-389 comes back to bare metal with a soak and a power wash instead of a solvent bath. Undiluted it is a viscous liquid that clings to vertical surfaces; diluted, it runs in a dip tank. It leaves short-term, multi-metal flash-rust protection behind, and in the Cortec Product Consultation Guide it is rated 1 (enclosed or packaged storage) on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, galvanized steel, copper, brass and solder. Cortec’s dip-tank guide cautions against long-term exposure of yellow metals in the bath.

Typical applications

• Removing Cosmoline-type coatings and other temporary coatings
• Stripping VpCI-368, VpCI-388 and VpCI-389 before machining, painting or assembly
• Removing non-silicone waxes and buffing compounds
• Degreasing heavily soiled equipment, engine blocks and machinery
• Spray or immersion cleaning in dip tanks and pressure washers
• Neutralizing parts after VpCI-422, VpCI-423 or VpCI-426 rust removal (5 to 10 % solution)
• Cleaning painted equipment where a caustic would lift the paint

How to apply VpCI-414

1. Pre-clean. Wipe or pressure-rinse loose soil and heavy grease first; the bath lasts longer.
2. Dilute. Mix with clean water; mineral water is acceptable but may spot. Start at 5 to 10 % with a longer dwell and adjust.

3. Concentration in water	Use
   1–3 %	Very light cleaning; add heat or agitation
   5 % (light) / 10 % (medium)	Routine degreasing; neutralizing after acid rust removers
   20 %	Heavy soils, faster cleaning
   30 % to concentrate	Toughest contaminants
   60 %	Removing temporary coatings (VpCI-368, 388, 389, Cosmoline-type)

4. Apply. Dip tank: submerge the part and let the cleaner work; dwell depends on concentration, temperature, agitation and soil. VpCI-414 foams, so use immersion, agitation tanks or manual spray rather than high-pressure spray cabinets. On vertical surfaces apply undiluted so it clings, soak, then power wash. Room temperature is normal; about 122 °F (50 °C) is the safe heated ceiling.
5. Coating removal. Apply the 60 % solution over the coating, let it soak and soften the film, then power wash. Repeat on thick builds.
6. Inspect and rinse. If soil remains, scrub, pressure-rinse or return the part to the bath. Rinse before the cleaner dries, particularly ahead of painting or plating.
7. Dry and protect. Air dry. The residual film protects for a few days to a few weeks indoors; follow with a VpCI rust preventative, coating or VpCI packaging for longer storage.
8. Bath maintenance. Cover the tank, skim sludge, and check concentration by refractometer or titration. Non-flammable; store at room temperature and keep from freezing.

Checking concentration

Concentration (% by volume) = 3.85 × Brix + 0.09 for VpCI-414 in DI water, valid across Cortec’s 0 to 25 % chart. Target readings are about 0.5 °Brix at 2 %, 1.3 at 5 %, 2.6 at 10 % and 5.2 at 20 %. Neat pH is 10.9 to 11.4 and Cortec’s chart shows working solutions between pH 10.0 and 11.4 over 0 to 25 %, so pH is a usable secondary check on this product. Field water hardness, oil load and carry-over from other chemistry shift refractometer readings, so build a site-specific reference chart with your own process water. See the refractometer and pH charts for every Cortec product.

Compatibility

Cortec’s elastomer testing rates VpCI-414 fully compatible at 100 % with EPDM, Viton (FKM), PTFE, neoprene, polypropylene, nylon, PET, acetal and fiberglass. Nitrile (Buna-N) is rated not compatible, so check pump seals, gloves and tank liners first. It is safe on most painted surfaces, but test any coating you want to keep before running the 60 % strip solution over it. See the full oil and elastomer compatibility charts.

Where it fits in the Cortec line

VpCI-414 is the foaming, strong-cleaning end of the range: choose it for the toughest soils and for stripping VpCI-368, VpCI-389 and similar removable coatings. VpCI-416 gives the strongest post-clean flash-rust protection (up to six months indoors) and tolerates hard water; VpCI-415 is the biodegradable, low-VOC cleaner for aircraft and defense work; the non-foaming VpCI-418 LM, VpCI-418 L and VpCI-408 are the ones to run in high-pressure spray cabinets. Because it foams, VpCI-414 belongs in the immersion, agitation and ultrasonic tanks of Build-All and Magido aqueous parts washers and in manual cleaning, not in spray cabinets. For touch-up and hard-to-reach spots, EcoAir VpCI-414 puts the same chemistry in a non-flammable compressed-air can. Browse all Cortec cleaners and degreasers.

Field notes

An excavator-gearbox parts washer in India ran a competitor’s cleaner at 5 to 6% and 65 to 70 °C with a 30 to 45 day sump life and still left oil on the parts. VpCI-414 at 0.5% at the same temperature, with no process change, cleaned better at a tenth of the concentration with no oil carryover and a 90-day sump life. (Cortec Case History #676)

An Indiana automotive-electrical plant had parts rusting before they left the building. Its replacement three-stage wash runs 5% VpCI-414 with 0.4% defoamer, a water rinse, then 10% VpCI-377 as the final stage; three months of testing showed no corrosion and the process was approved. (Cortec Case History #095)

A Virginia gantry-crane gearbox rusty inside was restored without disassembly: filled with VpCI-422, soaked 20 minutes and rotated 5 minutes, three times; drained and filled with 1:1 VpCI-414 and water, rotated 30 minutes and drained; a borescope confirmed the rust was gone; then filled with oil plus M-531 and run 5 minutes at low speed. Two years of preservation. (Cortec Case History #828)

Specifications

pH	10.9–11.4 neat
Dilution	Light 5%; medium 10%; heavy 20%; coating removal 60%
Non-volatile content	18–25%
Density	8.6–8.7 lb/gal (1.03–1.05 kg/L)
Compatibility	Safe on metal and painted surfaces
Pairing	Cortec specifies VpCI-414 at 1:5 and 1:10 after VpCI-426 Gel to prevent flash rusting
Appearance	Viscous liquid; clings to vertical surfaces undiluted
Foam	Foaming; for immersion, agitation and manual cleaning
Removes	Cosmoline-type coatings, VpCI-368, VpCI-388, VpCI-389, non-silicone waxes, grease, oil, dirt
Coating removal	Spray or immerse at 60% concentrate (76.8 oz/gal), let stand 10–15 min, then power wash at 50–300 psi and 115–160 °F (46–71 °C); reapply if patches stay tacky
Operating temperature	Mostly used at room temperature; a heated bath speeds removal of heavy hydrocarbons
Post-clean protection	Short-term multi-metal flash-rust protection, a few days to a few weeks indoors
Metals	Carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, galvanized steel, brass (<30% Zn), copper
Consultation guide rating	1 – enclosed or packaged storage
Concentration check	Vol % = 3.85 × °Brix + 0.09 (DI water); working pH 10.0–11.4
Elastomers	Compatible with EPDM, Viton, PTFE, neoprene, PP, nylon, PET, acetal, fiberglass; not compatible with nitrile
Flammability	Non-flammable, water-based, no VOC
Shelf life	2 years
Storage	Original packaging, indoors, out of direct sunlight, 40–100 °F (4–38 °C)
Size	55 Gallon Drum
Shipping weight	497 lb (225 kg)
Availability	In stock
Cortec product number	11600688

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.