Description
EcoShield® 386 is a water-based acrylic direct-to-metal topcoat with excellent UV resistance, weldable before fabrication is finished. Cortec sells it under its own product number with its own data sheet, and its published specs differ from standard VpCI-386. The clear 5-gallon pail covers roughly 165 to 330 sq ft at the recommended film.
EcoShield 386 is the lower-VOC clear grade of Cortec’s water-based acrylic topcoat family: 0.6 lb/gal VOC, 31 % volume solids, fast dry, and a film that can be welded through so fabricators do not have to strip weld zones. It carries NSN 8030-01-481-8897 for military procurement. Cortec’s brochure describes the 386 chemistry as a blend of non-toxic organic inhibitors that can compete with most paints and zinc-rich primers, and lists it for harsh, outdoor, unsheltered service. In the Cortec Product Consultation Guide the 386 family is rated 4 (outside, uncovered storage) on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, galvanized steel, copper, brass and solder; on aluminum, galvanized or plated substrates apply VpCI-373 wash primer first. Use the figures on this page, not the VpCI-386 figures, when writing a specification around EcoShield 386.
Typical applications
- Harsh outdoor unsheltered applications
- Structural steel
- Production line coating
- Pre-weld corrosion protection
- Substation, wind farm and forklift maintenance
- Clear direct-to-metal finish where the metal must stay visible
- Military and government purchases against the NSN
- Topcoat over CorrVerter on previously rusted steel
How to apply EcoShield 386
- Surface preparation. The substrate must be free of grease, oil, dirt, fingerprints, drawing compounds, rust inhibitors and anything else that would affect adhesion. Cortec recommends VpCI-440 or a similar phosphatizing pretreatment on production lines and a minimum of NACE No. 3 / SSPC-SP6 commercial blast on structural steel. On aluminum, galvanized or plated substrates apply VpCI-373 at 0.5 to 1.0 mil first and test adhesion.
- Mixing and dilution. Power-agitate to a uniform consistency with a squirrel-cage or drill mixer. EcoShield 386 may be thinned with water up to 10 % by volume to adjust viscosity.
- Conditions. Apply between 45 and 90 °F (7 to 32 °C) with the surface at least 5 °F (2 °C) above the dew point. Avoid falling temperatures and high humidity with any water-based coating.
- Equipment. Spray, roll, brush or dip. HVLP or conventional spray: 0.009 to 0.021 in tip, 45 to 55 psi air and 10 psi fluid, 3/8 in ID fluid hose no longer than 50 ft, dual-regulated pot kept at gun height. Airless or air-assisted airless: 0.015 to 0.035 in tip, 1,800 to 2,500 psi, 3/8 in ID hose (a 1/4 in whip end is fine) no longer than 100 ft. Tip size depends on pressure and viscosity.
- Film build. Apply 1.5 to 3.0 mils (37.5 to 75 µm) dry, 4.8 to 9.6 mils wet. Theoretical coverage is 497 sq ft per gallon at 1.0 mil DFT.
- Drying. Dry to touch in about 30 minutes and dry to handle in about 1 hour; recoat once dry to touch. Force-dry 15 to 20 minutes at 150 °F (65 °C) if needed. Full cure takes 3 to 7 days.
- Welding. Weld through the dry film as required; no stripping of the weld zone is needed.
- Cleanup. Clean tools with water while wet; once dry use butyl cellosolve or MEK, following the solvent manufacturer’s safety directions.
- Storage. Keep the container sealed, do not let it freeze and do not store above 100 °F (38 °C). Shelf life is 1 year.
- See the Cortec coatings application guides and comparison table for the shared spray, prep and storage instructions across the Cortec coating range.
Where it fits in the Cortec line
EcoShield 386 and VpCI-386 are separate Cortec items; VpCI-386 is also sold in white, black and aluminum and carries higher published salt spray and coverage figures. Pick EcoShield 386 for the lowest VOC or when the NSN is required. Elsewhere in the permanent line, VpCI-375 is the one-coat acrylic with the highest salt spray, VpCI-395 the two-component epoxy primer for immersion, VpCI-396 the moisture-cure urethane for marginally prepared steel and VpCI-371 the high-temperature coating. For rusted steel, derust with VpCI-422 or convert the rust with CorrVerter before topcoating; where blasting is possible, an abrasive blast room gets you to SSPC-SP6 fastest. Browse the full Cortec VpCI line.
Field notes
A Texas tube mill needed a clear zero-VOC OD coating at 1 mil that force-dries fast enough for electronic stenciling. In four trials from October 2020 to June 2022, EcoShield VpCI-386 FD was applied at 1.0 to 1.2 mils after hydrotest and force-dried 22 minutes at 140 °F; several hundred pipes sat a year in a Gulf Coast yard with 5B adhesion and no OD rust, at 0.04 lb per gallon (5 g per L) VOC. (Cortec Case History #783)
A Kentucky power plant’s coal-yard loaders looked ten years old after one year. Clear EcoShield VpCI-386 applied over the factory paint of a new loader, a thin permanent acrylic with no annual reapplication, still looked relatively new years later, and the utility wanted to repeat it. (Cortec Case History #817)
A Wisconsin forklift-leasing company saw trucks leased 1 to 2 years into a brine and sauerkraut plant come back with slashed resale value. Now CorrVerter goes on rusted areas as needed, EcoShield VpCI-386 on all painted metal, CorShield VpCI-369 on unpaintable moving parts and ElectriCorr VpCI-239 on exposed electrical connections, touched up monthly. The trucks stay resalable and the program was copied for a foundry lease. (Cortec Case History #737)
Watch: Cortec coatings technology
Video by Cortec Corporation.
Specifications
| Salt spray (ASTM B117) | 1,000 hours |
|---|---|
| Humidity (ASTM D1748) | 1,000 hours |
| VOC | 0.6 lbs/gal (72 g/L) |
| Volume solids | 31% |
| Recommended DFT | 1.5–3.0 mils (37.5–75 µm) |
| Coverage | 497 sq.ft/gal @ 1.0 mil DFT |
| Listings | NSN 8030-01-481-8897 |
| Shelf life | 1 year |
| Type | Water-based acrylic topcoat, direct to metal, weldable; permanent coating |
| Color | Clear |
| Gloss (ASTM D523) | 80+ |
| Pencil hardness (ASTM D3363) | HB–H; adhesion 5B (ASTM D3359); flexibility ½″ mandrel (ASTM D522) |
| Recommended WFT | 4.8–9.6 mils (120–240 µm) |
| Viscosity | 50–60 s+ Zahn #3 |
| Weight per gallon | 8.58 lb (1.03 kg/L) |
| Flash point | >200 °F (93 °C) |
| Dilution | Water, up to 10% by volume |
| Dry to touch / dry to handle | 30 min / 1 hr |
| Recoat | After dry to touch (about 30 min) |
| Force dry | 15–20 min at 150 °F (65 °C) |
| Full cure | 3–7 days |
| Surface preparation | Clean and contaminant-free; VpCI-440 pretreatment on production lines; NACE No. 3 / SSPC-SP6 on structural steel; VpCI-373 wash primer on aluminum, galvanized or plated |
| Application temperature | 45–90 °F (7–32 °C), surface 5 °F above dew point |
| Metals | Carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, galvanized steel, copper, brass, solder |
| Consultation guide rating (386 family) | 4 – outside, uncovered storage |
| Storage | Original packaging, indoors, out of direct sunlight, 40–100 °F (4–38 °C); keep from freezing unless using the winterized version |
| Size | 5 Gallon Pail |
| Shipping weight | 47 lb (21.3 kg) |
| Availability | In stock |
| Cortec product number | 12400318 |
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.
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