VpCI Powder for Ferrous Metals – 100 lb (Cortec® VpCI®-309)

Description

VpCI®-309 is a vapor phase corrosion inhibitor powder for ferrous metals in cavities, voids and recesses. Fogged or sprinkled into a sealed space at 0.3 to 0.5 oz per cubic foot it protects steel and cast iron for up to 24 months, and it is a commercial equivalent to MIL-I-22110C. The 100 lb drum treats 3,200 to 5,300 cubic feet of void, the scale of a boiler or a pipeline section.

VpCI-309 is the low-depletion-rate ferrous powder in Cortec’s fogging range. It is not aggressive toward copper and yellow metals, so a trace of brass in a steel system is not a problem, but it is specified for ferrous protection: in the Cortec Product Consultation Guide it is rated 3, outside sheltered storage, on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum alloys and galvanized steel, with no rating on copper, brass or solder. Cortec’s fogging guide lists VpCI-309 among the silica-containing powders that resist clumping, which helps it flow through a blast pot or vacuum. It is the powder Cortec’s lay-up teams use in boiler tubes, and a silica-free VpCI-309 SF grade for steam and silica-sensitive systems and a Tyvek VpCI-309 pouch are also made.

Typical applications

• Tubular structures, pipes and vessels
• Turbines and internal surfaces of compressors and engines
• Tank interiors
• Dry lay-up of cooling systems
• Equipment protection after testing
• Boiler tubes and water sides during seasonal or indefinite shutdown
• Heat exchanger shells and steel piping before capping
• Crates and boxes of steel castings and forgings

How to apply VpCI-309

1. Surface preparation. SSPC-SP-1: clean of grease, oil, corrosion and foreign matter, and completely dry.
2. Break up clumps. Clumps do not reduce efficacy but must be broken apart so the powder disperses.
3. Equipment. A gravity-fed sandblaster at 60 to 100 psi with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch nozzle, or a shop vacuum set up to blow. Check that powder is dispersing in sufficient quantity before starting.
4. Seal the enclosure. Cover all but two openings, a low inlet and a high exhaust or the reverse, using pipe caps, CorrCaps or MilCorr shrink film.
5. Fog. Dose at 0.3 to 0.5 oz per cubic foot of void (300 to 500 g/m³); Cortec’s fogging guide works to about 0.5 oz/ft³. Fog until powder exits the second opening, cap the exhaust, finish the dose and seal the inlet. Powder travels up to 100 feet through piping; fog complex systems one section at a time.
6. Sprinkle. For crates and small tanks, distribute the same dose over the internal surfaces and close the enclosure.
7. Protection. Up to 24 months sealed; avoid water ingress. For longer, install corrosion coupons at the entry port, inspect every one to two years and re-dose with VpCI-309.
8. Return to service. Recover loose powder with a vacuum when the enclosure is opened.
9. Storage. Keep sealed and dry.

Where it fits in the Cortec line

VpCI-309 is the ferrous fogging powder. When the enclosure also holds copper, brass or bronze, use the multi-metal VmCI-307 or VpCI-308 pouches. VpCI-609 is the water-soluble powder that doubles as a hydrotest additive, higher in volatility but not for yellow metals. For a liquid fog that leaves no powder, VpCI-337 doses at 0.5 to 1 oz/ft³. Browse the full Cortec VpCI line.

Field notes

A Grand Rapids, Michigan mold shop shipped a 40,000 lb two-cavity P20 injection mold to Europe needing 5 to 6 weeks of protection: mold set on a cut sheet of MilCorr, cavity and core lightly sprayed with EcoAir tool-and-die rust preventive, one VpCI-309 pouch inside, then closed, locked and shrink-wrapped. No corrosion, and the cost was about half that of grease or oil. (Cortec Case History #626)

A Cincinnati, Ohio gas utility keeps a large emergency bypass valve ready for years with two products: a VpCI-309 pouch inside for the cavities and voids, and the whole valve sealed in MilCorr. (Cortec Case History #727)

Two land rigs in Iraq were stacked for shipment home by the drill crew: VmCI-307 inside major equipment for mixed-metal internals, VpCI-309 mixed with water and flushed through the mud tanks, VpCI-609 in ferrous piping, VpCI-368 on exposed metal, VpCI-369 on rotating equipment and VpCI-111 emitters in cabinets. (Cortec Case History #633)

Specifications

Dosage	0.3–0.5 oz/ft³ (300–500 g/m³)
Application	Fog or sprinkle
Character	Low depletion rate; not aggressive to copper or yellow metals; contains silica, so it is not recommended for steam service (boilers, turbines, steam piping) — use VpCI-309 SF there
Protection	Up to 24 months of continuous protection
Metals	Carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum and steel alloys (ferrous metals plus aluminum) — unlike VmCI-307 and VpCI-308, which are multi-metal
Consultation guide rating	3 – outside sheltered storage on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, galvanized steel; not rated for copper, brass, solder
Specification	Commercial equivalent to MIL-I-22110C
pH	6.5–8 (1% aqueous); bulk density 38–39 lb/ft³
Surface preparation	SSPC-SP-1, dry
Fogging equipment	Gravity-fed sandblaster, 60–100 psi, 1/4–3/8 in nozzle; or shop vacuum in reverse
Vapor travel	Up to 100 ft through piping
Storage	Sealed container in a dry warehouse, not above 150 °F (65 °C); shelf life up to 24 months
Precautions	Do not over-apply — powder can cake after wet/dry cycles; not soluble in hydrocarbon fluids; remove from weld areas before welding
Also available	VpCI-309 SF silica-free grade for steam and silica-sensitive systems; VpCI-309 Tyvek pouch
Size	100 lb
Shipping weight	109 lb (49.4 kg)
Availability	In stock
Cortec product number	13900006

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.