Category: Press Release

Corrosion is an electrochemical reaction. It is therefore not surprising that truck and car batteries often experience extreme corrosion, accelerated by the electrical charge and corrosive acid inside. The resulting powdery grayish greenish buildup on battery terminals can interfere with the battery’s electrical connection to the wires-and potentially keep the vehicle from starting at all. While there is more than one method for cleaning and protecting corroded battery terminals, ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 is an easy way to do quick maintenance with a two-in-one product. Here’s how it works!

Dual Cleaning and Corrosion Protection

ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 is a multifunctional cleaner/corrosion inhibitor for outdoor or ventilated applications. It may be applied to electrical contacts, wires, and relays. Moisture-displacing, film-penetrating, and corrosion inhibiting characteristics allow it to be used in two main ways:

• Spraying ElectriCorr^™ on a dirty surface to easily clean and wipe away grease, grime, and other contaminants.
• Spraying a thin film of ElectriCorr^™ on a clean metal surface and leaving it to dry for ongoing corrosion protection.

ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 protects both ferrous and non-ferrous metals (e.g., brass contacts) and is safe to use with plastics, elastomers, and other non-metallics.

How to Clean and Protect Battery Terminals with ElectriCorr^™

It is always important to wear standard PPE such as safety glasses and gloves when cleaning a battery. For the most thorough cleaning, battery terminals should be disconnected first, following best practices for safety.* Basic cleaning and protection steps are as follows:

1. Spray ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 on exposed battery posts as needed to loosen corrosion products and wipe them away with a small brush or disposable cloth.
2. Spray a thin film of ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 onto the posts before reconnecting the battery terminals.
3. Reconnect battery terminals according to manufacturer’s safety instructions.
4. Clean corrosion off the outer battery terminals in the same manner as before, spraying ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®– 239 as needed to loosen and help remove corrosion products.
5. Spray a final coat of ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 on the battery terminals and allow to dry for one to two hours to slow down future corrosion.

Other Places to Use ElectriCorr™

ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 can be an invaluable tool at large preservation projects, construction companies, or industrial service providers where fleets of vehicles, heavy equipment, or other battery-powered assets sit outside year-round. In addition to protecting battery terminals, ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 is a great cleaner/protector for a variety of other electrical/electronic components.

• Electric motors
• Outdoor generators and junction boxes
• Outdoor and indoor electrical outlets
• Ventilated electrical panels
• Other electrical contacts

Whether you just need to touch up your personal car battery or maintain a parking lot full of company vehicles, ElectriCorr^™ VpCI^®-239 is one way to quickly and easily clean away the corrosion to promote a good electrical connection and discourage the aggressiveness of corrosion in the future. Contact Cortec® to learn more about this cleaning/protection option for battery terminal corrosion!

Keywords: how to clean corroded battery terminals, how to prevent corrosion on battery terminals, how to prevent corrosion on electrical connections, how to prevent corrosion on a car battery, Cortec, ElectriCorr, electrical corrosion, fleet maintenance, car battery maintenance, car battery won’t start

*Be sure to consult manufacturer’s recommendations for safe handling and removal, which typically involves disconnecting the negative terminal first and reconnecting it last.

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It is not uncommon for a new oil and gas construction project to cost anywhere from $10 million for a basic rig to upwards of $500 million for FPSO projects. Megaprojects with a $25 billion price tag may spend hundreds of millions of dollars on spares alone. At such high stakes, even a small buying or management change can have a big impact on increasing or reducing project costs. Proper preservation and asset management with Cortec^® VpCI^® Technologies can therefore add up to substantial monetary savings coupled with smoother, safer startup and ongoing operations.

Forecasting of Oil and Gas Spares

According to Sonny Reeves (President of CGSI), who has worked on some of the largest oil and gas development projects in the world, a typical oil and gas construction job will buy an additional 10% (on average) of spares in three different categories:

1) Construction spares
2) Startup/commissioning spares
3) Insurance and operating spares
The reason is that some components are expected to fail prior to startup due to mechanical damage, manufacturing flaws, or corrosion. Without backup spares, the discovery of defective equipment at the time of installation or startup could be disastrous, especially in remote areas where delivery lead time is excessive—even if replacement parts were readymade. Forecasting spares by 10%, 12%, or 15% extra is therefore a normal part of risk management.

Reducing Excess Inventory by Spare Preservation

Since corrosion is a major culprit for component failure, rust prevention itself can reduce the number of spares needed. Considering how quickly the cost of spares adds up, a little planning and some good preservation materials could have significant ROI.

Preservation of Construction Spares

Proper preservation must start with primary equipment to ensure that high-dollar—often custom—assets such as heat exchangers, fractionation towers, tanks, and modules will survive the transit and storage period without corrosion. Basic preservation materials such as CorroLogic^® Fogging Fluid VpCI^®-339 for internal void space preservation, VpCI^®-649 for hydrotesting and layup, and MilCorr^® VpCI^® Shrink Film for external protection are relatively simple to apply and go a long way toward preserving assets in like-new condition so that fewer backups are needed at installation and commissioning.

Preservation of Startup Spares

Startup spares should be preserved along similar lines. Hydrotesting valves, pumps, and vessels with a good dose of VpCI^®-649 will help protect against the residual moisture that inherently gets trapped inside during hydrostatic testing. Fogging of voids with Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors is also beneficial because the protective vapors form a molecular corrosion inhibiting layer on metal surfaces until the enclosure is opened. VpCI^® Films and Bags with UV resistance serve multiple functions by trapping these vapors inside a space, creating a durable barrier to wind and rain, and actively inhibiting corrosion through their own embedded rust preventative chemistry. Protective coatings such as VpCI^®-391 are great for temporary protection on exposed metal surfaces such as flange faces.

Preservation of Insurance and Operating Spares

Once the facility moves from startup to full operation, the plant will continue to require backups or “operational spares” to ensure continued uptime. As in other stages, good asset management and preservation of operational spares are critical to keeping parts corrosion free and ready to install on short notice. It can also be good evidence of a proactive safety management plan. In either case, Cortec^® VpCI^® fogging fluids, films, and coatings again provide an excellent path to preservation.

Optimizing Project Planning and Engineering

Preserving spares at all three stages and documenting the process is a growing trend in asset management with promising results. As Sonny Reeves pointed out in regard to CGSI’s own digital data preservation tool, “It is critical to not only take care of the assets throughout their life, but to be able to provide detailed proof of care to stakeholders.”

This “proof of care” gives project owners a greater chance of reselling or transferring the spares to the next stage of the project rather than scrapping excess inventory and writing it off as a loss. It offers peace of mind and facilitates smooth operations. It can also mean significant savings up front by reducing the number of spares needed.

If these benefits seem more attractive to you than the costs of forecasting excess spare inventory, contact Cortec^® for trusted go-to corrosion solutions used in oil and gas projects around the world.

Keywords: overbuying of spares, oil and gas industry, oil and gas spare parts, cost of corrosion oil and gas, forecasting oil and gas spares, spare parts calculation formula, reducing excess inventory, Cortec, metal preservation, rust prevention

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Cortec® is pleased to introduce M-535 HV, a high viscosity version of its corrosion inhibitor additive for ashless lubricating systems. Prior to this development, asset owners were limited to using M- 535 for protection of low viscosity lubrication systems. Now, M-535 HV gives preservation managers the option of applying the same corrosion inhibitor package to an even broader range of critical equipment.

Importance of Rust Prevention During Layup
Layup is a risky time for gearboxes, turbines, compressors, and other equipment with lubricating systems. Without normal operating frequency, equipment is more vulnerable to internal rust formation. Trapped moisture has ample time to condense on metal surfaces and eat away at the system via corrosion, leading to a variety of problems when the equipment starts back up. Worst of all, these complications can include equipment failure and shortened service life, which only add to company losses.

Benefits of Rust Preventative Oil Additives
Adding a corrosion inhibiting oil additive during layup can go a long way toward protecting the metal parts of a lubricating system. Standard M-535 is one such additive designed for use in ashless applications that use petroleum and synthetic lubricants such as naphthenic, paraffinic, and PAO. It protects in both the contact and vapor phase, meaning corrosion inhibitors are active on surfaces in direct contact with the treated oil and diffuse throughout the head space above the oil, where condensation can especially be a problem. This multiphase action allows M-535 to be applied either as an oil additive or fogged into a system that has been drained. M-535 protects at a low dose for greater economy. Another advantage is that it can sometimes be left in the system for intermittent operation during the layup period.

Different Viscosities for Different Applications
M-535 has a base oil viscosity of ISO 46, making it suitable for low viscosity systems such as turbines and compressors. With M-535 HV, the chemistry is identical, but the base oil viscosity is higher, bringing M-535 HV to ISO 320 for compatibility with high viscosity lubricant systems such as those in gearboxes. Since gearboxes are found everywhere in the industrial environment, preservation specialists have many opportunities to use a high viscosity rust preventative additive for temporary shutdown or layup of power plants, offshore platforms, paper manufacturing plants, or industrial facilities.

Extending Protection to High Viscosity Ashless Systems
M-535 HV opens up new possibilities for corrosion protection of ashless oil systems. Rust prevention can make a critical difference to the success of any industrial layup plan, and M-535 HV makes sure that protection extends to high viscosity ashless lubricating oil systems. Contact Cortec® to learn more about how to prevent rust in gearboxes and other high viscosity lubricant systems: https://www.cortecvci.com/contact-us/

Keywords: How to prevent rust in gearbox, high viscosity lubricating oil, new oil additive, Cortec, rust prevention during layup, rust preventative oil additives, rust prevention for turbines and compressors, rust preventative additives for layup, corrosion inhibitor, causes of equipment failure

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Some products get used over and over because they work so well and are easy to use. That is the case with VpCI®– 391, which continues to be a popular removable coating for temporary protection of metal components of all kinds. No matter the industry locale—whether on the offshore platform, back at the manufacturing plant, in the warehouse, or out in the field—chances are that a good candidate for VpCI®-391 is close at hand!

Inconspicuous Corrosion Protection
VpCI®-391 is a water-based removable coating that dries to a thin, inconspicuous non-tacky film. It offers corrosion protection in harsh conditions and can be sprayed, brushed, or dipped right over painted or unpainted metal. Its low VOC (0.4 lbs/gal [48 g/L]) is a great advantage both for users and the environment. As a versatile, effective, and easy to use coating, VpCI®-391 has been applied around the world and in practically every phase of the industrial cycle: manufacturing, shipping, storage, and even operation. Here is a closer look at how it can be used.

Transit Coating for Equipment Manufacturers
VpCI®-391 is a great choice for manufacturers of equipment that needs to get to the customer in like-new condition but is not well-suited to packaging due to shape and size. Often, an easy solution is to spray VpCI®-391 right over the component, machine, or service vehicle as an alternative to cumbersome tarps and shrink films. One firetruck manufacturer has happily adopted this method as a finishing touch to new fire engines before shipping them off. Another manufacturer sprays VpCI®-391 on sensitive areas (e.g., bolt heads, wheel rims, and metal tubing) of new construction equipment. In addition to providing protection before, during, and after transit, this coating offers much better aesthetics than the previous oily product that collected bugs and dust.

Protection on Standby for Layup and Warehousing Teams
Other end users focus on VpCI®-391 as a means of preservation for spare parts or items that will not be used for a while but need to be ready to return to service. An easily removable coating can meet this need on valves, heavy equipment, top drives, and even structural steel. VpCI®-391 is a great option because it can be coated right over previously painted handrails and equipment without minimizing usability. For example, one Pacific military base has applied VpCI®-391 to vulnerable areas such as wheel wells and firewall rims of airfield damage repair (ADR) vehicles. By using VpCI®-391 and other inobtrusive preservation materials, the ADR vehicles can be ready to drive away at a moment’s notice. Another good example is the protection of pipe segment weld-ends with VpCI®-391 during their time at a laydown yard or staging site.

A Removable Coating Left on by Operators
While VpCI®-391 is primarily intended for temporary use, as during shipping or storage, some industries leave it on for everyday operation. One company responsible for loading/unloading river barges with corrosive commodities such as fertilizer or deicing salts has implemented VpCI®-391 into its seasonal maintenance practice, recoating the front-end loaders annually with VpCI®-391 for at least a decade. By spraying VpCI®-391 over as much of the metal surfac -top, bottom, and sides—as they can reach, they have noticed a much better equipment lifespan.

Get to Know an Industry Favorite
Whichever part of industry you find yourself in, odds are high that a metal part, structure, or machine nearby needs a simple, practical way to hold back corrosion without extra packaging materials or significant change to the surface appearance. If this is the case, it may be time to get to know VpCI®-391 as an industry favorite yourself. Contact Cortec® today to learn more about using VpCI®-391 as a protective removable coating: https://www.corteccoatings.com/contact-us-2/

Keywords: removable coating, protective coating, paint for metal, best paints for metal, metal protection, water based coating, corrosion inhibitors, rust prevention, warehousing, Cortec

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Can something as small as one pint of admixture per cubic yard (0.6 L/m³) of concrete have much of an impact on construction when it comes to sustainability? In reality, a seemingly small decision like the choice of an admixture can have far reaching consequences on a structure’s environmental impact. MCI® admixtures, in particular, make an ideal option where sustainability is concerned.

The Quest for Sustainability
The quest for green buildings and sustainable construction is on the rise as society thinks more and more about the impact of human activities on the environment. This attitude is reflected in the American Concrete Institute’s “ACI 130R-19: Report on the Role of Materials in Sustainable Concrete Construction,” published in 2019. This report discusses how the choice of construction materials can affect sustainability in several respects such as carbon footprint, materials efficiency, construction practices, and service life. Among other topics, an entire chapter is devoted to chemical admixtures and additives. It is here the report underscores the huge potential ROI of concrete admixtures by stating, “Chemical admixtures in and of themselves contribute very little to the total environmental burden of concrete. This addition is dwarfed by the net reduction in the environmental impacts of concrete that use of chemical admixtures can provide.” How can such a seemingly small decision reduce the overall environmental impact of the concrete? The answer is by extending the service life of the concrete structure. Theoretically, this reduces the amount of concrete that will be needed for repair or replacement, which in turn reduces the carbon emissions of concrete production (a significant contributor to greenhouse gas) throughout the structure’s life cycle.

How MCI® Admixtures Extend Service Life
How, then, do MCI® admixtures extend the service life of a concrete structure? The means is corrosion inhibition. Corrosion of embedded reinforcement is one of the primary causes of concrete deterioration leading to repair or replacement. It is often caused by high chloride exposure in coastal environments or regions with severe winters where deicing salts are needed. It can also be the result of concrete carbonation, caused by the gradual loss of naturally protective high alkalinity levels after decades of exposure to the atmosphere. Corrosion products can cause the reinforcing metal to expand to several times its original size, pushing on the overlying concrete and making it crack or spall, which creates pathways for more corrosives to enter and continue the vicious cycle.

MCI® admixtures dosed into the ready mix at the time of construction fight the corrosion process by forming a molecular protective layer on the rebar. This interrupts the natural corrosion reaction, delaying time to corrosion and reducing corrosion rates once started. ASTM G109 testing has shown MCI® to reduce corrosion rates by five to 13 times when compared to untreated samples. This corrosion reduction can have powerful effects on a structure’s service life and delay time to the first needed repair by the simple addition of a concrete admixture at a fraction of the entire structure’s cost.

Other Sustainability Benefits of MCI® Admixtures
Another sustainability advantage is that several MCI® admixtures include biobased content. MCI®-2005 is a USDA Certified Biobased Product that contains 67% USDA certified biobased content. In addition, MCI®-2005 NS contains 27% biobased content, MCI®-2005 AL contains 20% biobased content, and MCI®-2006 NS contains 25% biobased content. This feature can help green building projects earn credits toward LEED certification (a nationally accepted US benchmark and globally recognized standard in green building) in the “Sourcing of Raw Materials” MR Credit category. By extending service life, MCI® admixtures can also contribute to the “Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction” MR Credit category for those who use a life-cycle assessment (LCA) to demonstrate the potential reduction in CO2 emissions.

Side Benefits of MCI®
Sustainability and life cycle aside, MCI® admixtures offer other practical benefits. Unlike calcium nitrite corrosion inhibitors, they do not accelerate set time, they are dosed independently of expected chloride threshold, and they have minimal impact on physical properties—often showing a marked advantage in workability and ease of finishing compared to CNI. Use of MCI® admixtures has also been known to offer significant cost savings compared with other strategies of corrosion mitigation such as epoxy coated rebar.

Small Addition, Big Impact
Ultimately, a small dose of corrosion inhibiting admixture can have a big impact on the sustainability of a structure. It is an excellent way for those engaged in green building to conserve natural resources with the goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the concrete manufacturing process. The even greater benefit of making a structure last longer is that it increases sustainability all around—both for the environment and for the pocketbook of the building owner. Contact Cortec® for further help making small decisions with a big potential impact: https://www.cortecmci.com/contact-us/

Keywords: concrete admixtures, green building materials, MCI admixtures, green buildings, sustainable construction, extend service life, sustainability in construction, building green can help conserve natural resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Cortec, concrete corrosion

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