Having a quality product is critical to successful corrosion control. However, the benefit is lost if the product is contaminated. Cortec® therefore offers the following tips to avoid product contamination and achieve best results in dip tanks and recirculating applications.
Keep Your Product in Clean Containers
Whenever possible, it is best to store Cortec® rust preventatives, rust removers, and cleaners in their original containers and minimize transfer from one container to another. Each time the product is moved, it raises the risk of contamination from the container it is transferred to, or the hose used to transfer it. If a product must be stored in a tank, the tank should be thoroughly cleaned beforehand to avoid contamination and subsequent draining, cleaning, and refilling to remedy the situation.
Don’t Forget Surface Prep!
Another issue that is often overlooked is the surface prep of metal components being dipped in the product. If the parts are contaminated, they will contaminate the dip tank contents. Some ways to prevent this are to add a cleaning step to the process and allow enough time for the components to drip dry between rinses. Inspecting the parts for contaminants before they go into the dip tank can also be helpful.
Monitor and Maintain Your Dip Tanks
It is also vital to monitor and maintain the dip tank. The longer products such as VpCI®-422 and VpCI®-377 are used and reused, the more particulates will build up that need to be filtered out. At this point, the right filter size is critical: holes that are too small may cause clogging and pressure buildup; holes that are too large will not filter anything out. Simple visual inspection is also important to see if floating oil, particulates, or insoluble salts have built up and the product needs to be changed. Concentration monitoring goes hand in hand with this to ensure product effectiveness as pH changes and solids build up over time.
Maximize Efficacy, Reduce Contamination
Reusing rust preventatives, cleaners, and corrosion removers is a great way to economize, but it will necessarily diminish product efficacy over time. Preventing contamination helps make sure this does not happen prematurely. For more specific ideas on how to prevent product contamination and avoid related headaches, reach out to Cortec® today for help!
Keywords: how to avoid product contamination, Cortec best practices, rust preventatives, metal surface prep, dip tank maintenance, VpCI, rust removers, cleaners, tank cleaning, corrosion inhibitor effectiveness
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