Water-Soluble VpCI Powder for Hydrotesting & Layup – 5 lb (Cortec® VpCI®-609)

Description

VpCI®-609 is a patented water-soluble vapor phase corrosion inhibitor powder that works wet or dry: dissolve 4 to 8 % in hydrotest water, or fog 0.3 to 0.5 oz per cubic foot into a sealed void as a dry vapor charge. It protects ferrous metals and aluminum for up to 24 months. The 5 lb pail treats about 8 to 15 gallons of hydrotest water at 4 to 8 %, or 160 to 265 cubic feet of dry void.

VpCI-609 is the lay-up powder for cast iron and steel that has just been hydrotested, blasted or drained. In Cortec’s hydrotest practice it is one of the products for fresh-water testing of cast iron pumps, valves and housings: hold at test pressure for at least an hour, drain, and close the vessel without air-drying or purging, because the inhibitor left on the wet surface and in the vapor space is the protection. Cortec field data also lists it for refinery boiler lay-up and for heat exchangers shipped overseas. Of the four Cortec fogging powders it has the highest volatility, which is why it charges a void quickly, and the same property makes it aggressive toward copper and yellow metals: the Cortec Product Consultation Guide rates VpCI-609 at 5, immersion service, on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum alloys and galvanized steel, but carries an explicit caution not to use it with copper or brass, and no rating on solder. It passes the Vapor Inhibiting Ability test of NACE TM0208-2008 and complies with MIL-STD-3010C and MIL-I-22110C.

Typical applications

• Tubular structures, pipes and vessels
• Hydrostatic testing water treatment
• Internal surfaces of equipment
• Additive to blasting media
• Additive to standing water
• Fresh-water hydrotest of cast iron pumps, valve bodies and housings
• Dry lay-up of boilers and steam-side equipment
• Heat exchangers and pressure vessels sealed for overseas shipment
• Wet lay-up of vessels left partly filled after testing

How to apply VpCI-609

1. Surface preparation. SSPC-SP-1: clean and, for dry fogging, completely dry.
2. Wet use: hydrotest and standing water. Dissolve VpCI-609 at 4 to 8 % by weight in the test water and circulate to mix. Hold at hydrotest pressure for a minimum of one hour. Drain, then close the vessel; do not air-dry or purge, so the inhibitor film and vapor stay inside. A vessel can also be left filled with treated water as a wet lay-up.
3. Dry use: fogging. Break up any clumps (they do not reduce efficacy). Using a gravity-fed sandblaster at 60 to 100 psi with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch nozzle, or a shop vacuum set to blow, fog 0.3 to 0.5 oz per cubic foot (300 to 500 g/m³) into an enclosure sealed to two openings (pipe caps, CorrCaps or MilCorr on the rest). Fog until powder exits the second opening, cap it, finish the dose and seal the inlet. The powder travels up to 100 feet through piping.
4. Blasting media. VpCI-609 can be added to blasting media so freshly blasted steel is inhibited as it is cleaned; confirm the addition rate with us for your media and equipment.
5. Protection. Up to 24 months sealed; keep additional water out of a dry lay-up. For longer terms install corrosion coupons at the entry port, inspect every one to two years and re-dose.
6. Return to service. The powder is water-soluble, so a rinse or the first fill removes it; no degreasing is needed.
7. Storage. Supplied in moisture-barrier bags inside fiber drums; keep sealed. Shelf life 2 years.

Checking concentration

Concentration (% by weight) = 0.67 × Brix − 0.12 for VpCI-609 in DI water, valid from 0 to 14 % by weight. Target readings on a Brix refractometer: about 3.2 °Brix for 2 %, 6.1 for 4 %, 7.6 for 5 %, 12.1 for 8 % and 15.1 for 10 %. Cortec’s laboratory chart is built in DI water with no other chemistry; field water hardness, biocides, dirt and oil shift the reading, so make up standards in your own test water and build a site-specific reference chart. See the refractometer and pH charts for every Cortec product.

Compatibility

Do not use VpCI-609 on copper, brass or bronze components or in systems where the vapor can reach them; choose VmCI-307 or VpCI-308 for mixed metals. Cortec’s elastomer chart lists VpCI-609 solutions as compatible at 10 % with nitrile and Viton. Test gaskets and seals outside that list before a long lay-up. See the full oil and elastomer compatibility charts.

Where it fits in the Cortec line

VpCI-609 is the wet-or-dry powder for ferrous and aluminum systems. VpCI-609 S is the same product with silica to resist clumping. When copper or brass is present, fog the multi-metal VmCI-307 or drop in VpCI-308 pouches; for ferrous-only dry lay-up with a slower depletion rate, VpCI-309. For a liquid fog use VpCI-337. Because VpCI-609 is a blasting-media and hydrotest additive, it pairs with the abrasive blast rooms and cabinets we build, where blasted steel would otherwise flash-rust before coating. Browse the full Cortec VpCI line.

Field notes

An Indonesian fabricator of reactors, vessels, columns and drums ran VpCI-649 BD at 0.5% in hydrotest water and then applied VpCI-609 at 400 g per m³ to all equipment for six months of protection through shipping and storage. The fabricator dropped its nitrogen purge. (Cortec Case History #698)

A Saudi steel fabricator needed up to two years of protection on new pressure-vessel internals through transit and site storage. VpCI-609 is fogged in with compressed air at 500 g per m³ of void space and the inlets and outlets sealed; no corrosion problems since adoption. (Cortec Case History #558)

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 — dry/vapor	0.3–0.5 oz/ft³ (300–500 g/m³)
Dosage — wet	Pre-dissolve the powder in water before spraying, flushing or immersion; the VpCI-609 W liquid grade is dosed at 4–8% for hydrotesting — ask Cortec for powder dosing
Hydrotest procedure	Hold at pressure at least 1 hour; drain; do not air-dry or purge; close vessel
Character	Water-soluble (15% at 20 °C), high volatility; regular VpCI-609 tends to clump — use VpCI-609 S for dry fogging
Protection	Up to 24 months of continuous protection
pH	6–7 (1% in water); does not increase alkalinity
Bulk density	38–39 lb/ft³ (0.61–0.63 kg/L)
Metals	Ferrous metals and aluminum
Consultation guide rating	5 – immersion on carbon steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, galvanized steel; CAUTION – do not use with copper or brass; not rated for solder
Specifications	Passes Vapor Inhibiting Ability test per NACE Standard TM0208-2008; complies with MIL-STD-3010C and MIL-I-22110C
Offshore	Accepted by Cefas as an offshore chemical, OCNS number 25717, for use at 5,000 ppm; 100% biodegradable in marine environment (OECD 306)
Concentration check	Wt % = 0.67 × Brix − 0.12 (DI water, 0–14 % wt)
Elastomers	Compatible at 10 % with nitrile and Viton
Fogging equipment	Gravity-fed sandblaster, 60–100 psi, 1/4–3/8 in nozzle; or shop vacuum in reverse
Packaging	Moisture-barrier bags in fiber-lined drums
Also available	VpCI-609 W liquid version; VpCI-609 S silica grade
Storage	Original packaging, indoors, out of direct sunlight, 40–100 °F (4–38 °C)
Shelf life	2 years
Size	5 lb
Shipping weight	6 lb (2.7 kg)
Availability	In stock
Cortec product number	13903039

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.