Environmentally Friendly Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors

Abstract Volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) were originally developed to protect boilers and piping systems of ships to be mothballed. Their effectiveness and ease of application attracted early users. Over the years, the field of usage has increased to cover electronics, packaging, process industries, reinforced concrete, coatings, and metalworking fluids. Having clean parts is one of the main reasons of the ever-widening acceptance of VCIs. For example, applicators and end-users do not have to be concerned about removal and disposal as they would with petroleum-based products. A new class of VCIs has been developed in harmony with the concern for the environment. While these new chemicals offer excellent protection to metal surfaces, they have a very low impact on the environment. Corrosion protection and effect on the environment of several of these new VCIs were studied. Performance in typical applications was also investigated. These results are presented in this paper.