Silicate-Free Non-Foaming Liquid Cleaner, No Residue – 55 Gallon Drum (Cortec® VpCI®-418 LM)

Description

VpCI®-418 LM is the residue-free grade of Cortec’s non-foaming VpCI-418 cleaner: silicate-free and sodium-free, it leaves nothing behind, which is what you want when parts go straight from the spray washer to paint or plating. It is milder than VpCI-418 L and still completely non-foaming. The 55-gallon drum is the format for a production spray cabinet or conveyor washer that is recharged on a schedule.

VpCI-418 LM is the grade Cortec names first for spray application. It is a liquid, non-foaming heavy-duty alkaline cleaner and degreaser for industrial cleaning equipment, formulated without silicates and without sodium, so it rinses clean and leaves nothing on the part to interfere with paint, plating or welding. At a pH of about 10 in solution it is milder than VpCI-418 L and much milder than a caustic, yet Cortec’s technical training describes it as the maximum cleaner for ferrous metals. It removes grease, oil, stamping, drawing and buffing compounds from machinery, engine blocks and stampings, and leaves short-term multi-metal flash-rust protection after cleaning. In the Cortec Product Consultation Guide the VpCI-418 family is rated 2 (inside storage) on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, galvanized steel, copper, brass and solder; Cortec Technical Service confirms VpCI-418 LM is not safe on aluminum, so keep aluminum parts out of the bath and use a silicated cleaner such as VpCI-418 L for them.

Typical applications

• Machinery and engine blocks with grease and oil
• Removing stamping, drawing and buffing compounds
• Metal preparation prior to painting or pickling
• Pressure washing operations
• Residue-sensitive cleaning before coating, plating or welding
• Spray-cabinet and conveyor parts washers
• Spray neutralizing of parts after VpCI-422 rust removal (5 to 10 %)

How to apply VpCI-418 LM

1. Pre-clean. Knock off chips, loose soil and heavy grease so the washer solution lasts longer.
2. Dilute. Charge the washer with water and add VpCI-418 LM to the target strength. Start at 5 to 10 % and adjust to the soil.

3. Concentration in water	Mix	Use
   5 %	6.4 oz/gal	Light soils; spray neutralizing after VpCI-422
   10 %	12.8 oz/gal	Medium soils; typical spray-washer setting
   20 %	25.6 oz/gal	Heavy soils

4. Apply. High-pressure spray in a cabinet or conveyor washer, a pressure washer, or immersion with vigorous agitation. Heating the solution to 120 to 160 °F (49 to 71 °C) improves cleaning; about 122 °F (50 °C) is the recommended ceiling where operators contact the solution.
5. Neutralizing after rust removal. Rinse the derusted part in water, then spray or wash with 5 to 10 % VpCI-418 LM and air dry; the dry film prevents flash rust.
6. Rinse. Rinse with water where the part goes to paint, plating or welding; the silicate-free formula rinses easily. Dry promptly after a DI rinse, which can flash rust on its own.
7. Dry and protect. Blow off or air dry. The inhibitor film gives short-term indoor protection; follow with a VpCI rust preventative or VpCI packaging for longer storage.
8. Bath maintenance and storage. Skim oil, cover the tank, and check concentration by refractometer or titration. Non-flammable; store at 40 to 100 °F (4 to 38 °C).

Checking concentration

Concentration (% by volume) = 6.25 × Brix + 0.06 for VpCI-418 LM in DI water, valid across Cortec’s 0 to 25 % chart. Target readings are about 0.3 °Brix at 2 %, 0.8 at 5 %, 1.6 at 10 % and 3.2 at 20 %; the readings are small, so use a refractometer with 0.1 °Brix resolution. A 1 % solution reads pH 10.0 to 10.5, and Cortec’s chart shows working solutions between pH 10.0 and 11.4 across the range, so pH is a usable secondary check. Field water hardness, oil load and other chemistry shift 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 Viton (FKM) fully compatible with VpCI-418 LM at 10 %; other elastomers were not reported. Test nitrile, EPDM and neoprene seals, hoses and gloves in your own solution before committing a washer, and keep aluminum out of the bath. See the full oil and elastomer compatibility charts.

Where it fits in the Cortec line

VpCI-418 LM is Cortec’s first choice for ferrous parts in spray washers and one of its most popular cleaners. VpCI-418 L is the silicated sibling for mixed-metal loads; VpCI-408 is the mild, non-foaming washer cleaner for sites that restrict high pH; the foaming VpCI-414, VpCI-415 and VpCI-416 belong in dip tanks and manual cleaning, with VpCI-416 giving the longest post-clean protection. VpCI-418 LM is a direct fit for the spray cabinets, conveyor washers and agitation tanks of Build-All and Magido aqueous parts washers, and it is the spray-applied neutralizer in Cortec’s VpCI-422 clean-and-protect procedure. Browse all Cortec cleaners and degreasers.

Field notes

An Oklahoma waste-to-energy plant had 364 spare boiler tubes, bundled in twelves, unusable from internal rust after years outdoors. Each bundle was connected in series to a VpCI-422 circuit of tank, pump and hoses: circulate 30 minutes, soak 30 minutes, circulate and filter back, then a VpCI-418 LM circuit for a 30-minute rinse and neutralization. Two weeks for the whole job, and the tubes went into service. (Cortec Case History #835)

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)

A stainless-steel memorial at a Minnesota taconite mine began corroding within months of dedication. VpCI-426 removed the corrosion and brightened the stainless, VpCI-418 rinsed and neutralized it, and VpCI-386 Clear went on as the topcoat for long-term protection without changing the appearance. (Cortec Case History #081)

Specifications

pH	10.0–10.5 (1% aqueous)
Density	8.6–8.8 lb/gal (1.03–1.05 kg/L)
Appearance	Yellow to amber clear liquid
Dilution	Light 6.4 oz/gal (5%); medium 12.8 oz/gal (10%); heavy 25.6 oz/gal (20%)
Key difference	Silicate free, leaves behind no residue
Storage	40–100°F (4–38°C)
Shelf life	2 years
Foam	Non-foaming; ideal for spray washers and pressure washing
Builder	Silicate-free and sodium-free
Compatibility	Safe on glass and most plastics; will not affect paint adhesion
Removes	Grease, oil, stamping, drawing and buffing compounds
Operating temperature	Heating to 120–160 °F (49–71 °C) improves cleaning
Post-clean protection	Short-term multi-metal flash-rust protection
Neutralizing use	5–10 % spray or wash after VpCI-422 rust removal
Metals	Carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, galvanized steel, brass (<30% Zn), copper; not for aluminum (Cortec Technical Service)
Consultation guide rating	2 – inside storage
Concentration check	Vol % = 6.25 × °Brix + 0.06 (DI water); working pH 10.0–11.4
Elastomers	Viton compatible at 10 %; test others
Flammability	Non-flammable, water-based
Size	55 Gallon Drum
Shipping weight	497 lb (225 kg)
Availability	In stock
Cortec product number	11602716

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.