Cortec Releases Brochure on Corrosion Control

Cortec Corporation has released a new brochure on VpCI Preservation Solutions, offering guidance on corrosion control and industrial asset preservation.

The brochure, titled VpCI Preservation Solutions: Innovative corrosion solutions to reclaim your time, money, and assets, explains the causes and consequences of corrosion and presents preservation solutions that can help industries reduce downtime and protect asset value.

The resource includes illustrations, flow charts, real-life examples and video links to help users understand practical ways to manage corrosion across industrial environments.

Citing estimates from the Association for Materials Protection and Performance, Cortec states that the direct cost of corrosion accounts for 3.4% of global GDP. It also highlights the potential to save 15-35%, equivalent to US$ 375-875 billion per year, through appropriate corrosion control measures.

The brochure also notes that one hour of unplanned downtime in the oil and gas sector can cost US$ 200,000-600,000 in lost production. It underlines the value of keeping critical spares rust-free and ready for commissioning.

The brochure defines corrosion as an electrochemical process that returns refined metals to their natural state, such as iron ore or rust. It explains that preventing corrosion requires breaking the “corrosion triangle”, which links metal, oxygen and an electrolyte.

Cortec’s Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors work by adsorbing onto metal surfaces inside void spaces, creating a molecular barrier between metal and moisture or oxygen.

The brochure presents real-world applications of the technology, including restoration of oil and gas spares, packaging and preservation of main terminal boxes, long-term preservation of vehicle transmissions, and steam turbine and generator preservation.

According to Cortec, many preservation solutions involve a combination of proper surface preparation, packaging and fogging materials, enabling easier commissioning at a later stage.

The brochure says corrosion prevention is relevant for any industry involving metal assets. Key sectors include oil and gas, warehousing and critical spares, pipeline crossings and aboveground storage tanks, automotive and heavy equipment, and power generation.

It also outlines preservation considerations across the project lifecycle, including front-end engineering design, procurement, construction, overseas shipment, pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up and critical spares warehouse management.

For industries with existing compromised inventory, the brochure explains the need for restoration before preservation. It outlines five basic steps for rust removal, followed by a preservation checklist for clean and dry assets.

Cortec also highlights practical alternatives to high-cost nitrogen blanketing for power plants and similar facilities that need to temporarily shut down boilers, heat recovery steam generators or other vessels.

The company said asset preservation can help protect asset value, avoid costly downtime and support better customer relationships across industrial supply chains, construction, maintenance and warehousing.

Cortec Corporation provides VpCI and MCI corrosion control technologies for packaging, metalworking, construction, electronics, water treatment, oil and gas, and other industries. Headquartered in St Paul, Minnesota, the company manufactures more than 400 products distributed worldwide.