1. What is VCI?  / What does VCI mean?
2. What is the difference between VCI & VPI?
3. How does VCI protect the metal?
4. Which are the different types of chemicals?
5. What is the Speciality of Safepack VCI’s vis / vis local competitors?
6. How many chemicals are used?
7. Are your VCI’s coated or impregnated?
   
8. What is impregnation?
9. Are the VCI Chemicals toxic?
10. What happens if we inhale the chemicals?
11. What is the shelf life of VCI paper / VCI powder / VCI Tablet / VCI Oil / VCI PE Film?
12. What is the protection period from the date of packing?
13. Is airtight packing required?
14. What happens if the package is opened for inspection purpose?
15. How much is the loss of chemicals when package is opened?
16. Will VCI’s increase our cost of packaging?
17. Which side of the paper to be used?
18. Is VCI Powder similar to Silica gel?
19. What are the benefits of VCI?
20. In what form is VCI paper / film available?
21. Is VCI paper HDW waterproof?
22. How to test the corrosion performance of VCI products?
23. How to identify whether there are VCI chemicals in present in the product?  (Any immediate test like litmus?)
24. What is 1 cycle test?
25. Can VCI’s protect from water?
26. What is the maximum temperature at which VCI’s can still work?
27. How to determine what qty of VCI paper / film / powder / tablet / oil is required to design the package?
28. How much surface area of metal can be covered by 1 liter of Prewash solution / VCI Oil?

1)  What is VCI?  / What does VCI mean?

VCI stands for Volatile Chemical Inhibitors (also known as VPI – Vapor Phase Inhibitor) These are high tech chemicals and are volatile in nature. They constantly vaporize & protect the metals from corrosion.-

2)  What is the difference between VCI & VPI?

VCI stands for Volatile Chemical Inhibitors whereas VPI stands for Vapor Phase Inhibitors. They mean the same.

3)  How does VCI protect the metal?

Refer the action given in brochure.

4)  Which are the different types of chemicals?

Broadly they belong to the group of Amines.

5)  What is the Speciality of Safepack VCI’s vis / vis local competitors?

Safepack VCI’s are high tech chemicals designed to suit specific applications.  They pass stringent laboratory tests and are made to international standards.  They withstand severe atmospheric conditions and work in Tropical conditions as well as at sub – zero climatic conditions.

6)  How many chemicals are used?

Safepack VCI’s are a combination of up to 8 to 10 different high - tech chemicals depending on the application and atmospheric conditions under which metals are to be protected.

7)  Are your VCI’s coated or impregnated?

Safepack VCI’s are impregnated on its sophisticated state – of – the – art processing line.

8)  What is impregnation?

Impregnation is a process by which the VCI chemicals are deposited with high pressure on the paper.  Unlike surface coated paper, impregnation ensures a uniform & homogenous absorption of the chemicals by the paper.

9)  Are the VCI Chemicals toxic?

No Safepack VCI’s are non toxic & environment friendly.  

10)  What happens if we inhale the chemicals?

The chemicals used are non – toxic.  However, as a precaution it is recommended to use them in a well ventilated area.  (Refer MSDS)

11)  What is the shelf life of VCI paper / VCI powder / VCI Tablet / VCI Oil / VCI PE Film?

Under normal conditions of storage, shelf life of Safepack VCI product is up to 2 years.

12)  What is the protection period from the date of packing?

The protection period depends on internal & external atmospheric conditions under which the VCI product is to be used.  The protection period is inversely proportional to the temperature & airflow. 

13)  Is airtight packing required?

No, airtight packaging is not required.  However, the package should not be left open to atmosphere & adequate secondary packing with polythene / HDPE sheet should be used wherever required.

14)  What happens if the package is opened for inspection purpose?

With Safepack VCI’s, the package can be opened for inspection purpose.  Though there will be some loss, very small VCI Vapors, still there is enough load of VCI’s available for protection.  Care should be taken to close the package immediately after inspection to ensure optimum protection.

15)  How much is the loss of chemicals when package is opened?

The loss of chemicals is inversely proportional to the Temp & Airflow (Please refer Point No: 12)

16)  Will VCI’s increase our cost of packaging?

No, when all direct & indirect costs with conventional packing are considered then on the contrary studies show that there is a 60% saving in costs by using Safepack VCI’s.

17)  Which side of the paper to be used?

The side on which VCI’s are coated should face the metal / component to be protected.  For case of VCI coated side from non – coated side, Safepack VCI coated side has a greenish color shade.

18)  Is VCI Powder similar to Silica gel?

No, VCI Powder is a concentrated form of high tech VCI chemicals which vaporizes & forms a mono – molecular protective layer on the metal surface to be protected.  Thereby it protects the metal from corrosion where as silica gel absorbs a certain amount of water vapor only & does not protect from corrosion.

19)  What are the benefits of VCI?

VCI’s offer a dry means of protection unlike conventional oils / greases / paints / varnishes etc which are messy.  VCI’s save costs in material & labor. 

20)  In what form is VCI paper / film available?

VCI paper & film is available in the form of Rolls, Cutsheets, 2 Dimensional Pouches, 3 Dimensional bags & Tubing.

21)  Is VCI paper HDW waterproof?

Yes.   The VCI Paper FEP x 90 HDW (SP- FE – 180 WF) has a layer of LDPE Film also which makes it waterproof.

22)  How to test the corrosion performance of VCI products?

Please refer the Safepack’s standard procedure for comparative corrosion performance test.

23)  How to identify whether there are VCI chemicals in present in the product?  (Any immediate test like litmus?)

There is a Test available but it is very complex & expensive.   Unfortunately, there is no quick test like litmus for detection of presence of VCI’s.

24) What is 1 cycle test?

1 cycle refers to the test of corrosion performance which involves 8 hrs of heating followed by 16 hrs of cooling.  This time span of 24 hrs is called as 1 cycle.

25) Can VCI’s protect from water?

If there occurs water flooding in a VCI package, then the VCI’s will get drowned / diluted in water and will be rendered in effective.

26)  What is the maximum temperature at which VCI’s can still work?

For optimum protection the temperature should not exceed 55 oC.  Any further increase in temperature will result in faster loss of VCI‘s and will reduce protection period.

27)  How to determine what qty of VCI paper / film / powder / tablet / oil is required to design the package?

As a thumb rule 1 sq. Mtr. of VCI Paper is required for protection of 2 sq. Mtr. of metal surface. 

1 gm of VCI Powder / Tablet for protection of 1 cu. ft of void space.

28)  How much surface area of metal can be covered by 1 liter of Prewash solution / VCI Oil?

1 Ltr VCI Prewash can cover approx 100 sq. Mtr. of surface area.

1 Ltr VCI Oil can cover approx 50 sq. Mtr. surface area.

ALUMINUM BARRIER FOIL LAMINATE (SAFEFOIL)

1. What is Barrier Foil?
2. How long does it protect?
3. How do we heat seal?
4. How do we vacuumise?
5. What are its benefits?
6. Does it increase the cost of Packaging? How much?
7. In what form is it available?
8. What are its applications?

1)  What is Barrier Foil?

It is a Trilaminate consisting of 3 layers:-

Top Most layer polyester. Middle Layer Aluminum Foil and Inner layer of polythene.

Safefoil is a specially designed multilayer laminate consisting of High-strength Polyester Film,

Aluminum Foil & Co-extruded polymer designed to give excellent barrier properties, delivering

to your customers a product as good as at point of manufactured.

2)  How long does it protect? 

  It can protect the products packed for up to 2 years.

3)  How do we heat seal?

It is to be heat sealed with the help of a special hand – held heat sealer at a temperature between 160 oC to 200 oC.

4) How do we vacuumise?

Vacuumising of Barrier Foil bag can be done with a domestic vacuum cleaner or a vacuum pump.

5)  What are its benefits?

It protects the packed products from moisture, corrosion, obnoxious gases, ultraviolet rays & mechanical damage.  It is 8000 % better than conventional 500 gauge thick polythene.  It has a very very low WVTR of only about 0.05 Gms/m2/24hrs.

6)  Does it increase the cost of packaging?  How much?

It is used for protection of high value sensitive products.  Cost studies show that the cost of packing is only a fraction of insurance cost of the product.

7)  In what form is it available?

In the form of Rolls, Cut sheets, Tubing,2 Dimensional Pouches,  2 Dimensional Gusseted Bags, 3 Dimensional Bags & Covers.

8)  What are its applications? 

Pharmaceuticals & Bulk Drugs, Machinery Packaging, X-ray machines / Optical and Electronic instruments, Engines and Transmission assemblies,Transformers, Defense & Aerospace, Chemicals & Dyes, Foodstuffs, Rubber Compounds, Polymer Granules etc., Computers and many more….

ACTIVE PACKAGING

1. What size desiccant do I need?
2. What types of desiccants are there?
3. What is a clay desiccant?
4. What is silica gel?
5. What is indicating silica gel?
6. What is molecular sieve?
7. What is saturation and equilibrium capacity?
8. Why do you say adsorption? Don't you mean absorption?

It depends. The answer to the size of desiccant needed depends on the size of the air space to be desiccated, the nature of the material in the package, the moisture barrier surrounding the package, the type of desiccant being used, the desired shelf life, the atmosphere conditions where the package is sealed, the type of seal on the package, etc. When we receive a call from someone looking for a desiccant, we will ask a number of questions to determine this information so we can calculate which size desiccant will work best in a particular application.

Multisorb deals mostly with three types of desiccants and occasionally with a fourth. The most commonly used desiccants are clay, silica gel and molecular sieve. Occasionally we run into an application that calls for calcium oxide.

Clay desiccants are made from montmorillonite clay which has a special affinity for moisture. Clay is a good basic desiccant that works satisfactorily below 120°F (approximately 50°C). Above 120° F, there is a possibility that the clay will give up moisture rather than pulling it in, so anticipated storage and transportation conditions should be considered. The upside to clay is that it is normally the least expensive desiccant per pound. Its appearance is that of small gray pellets.

Silica gel is silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is a naturally occurring mineral that is purified and processed into either granular or beaded form. As a desiccant, it has an average pore size of 24 angstroms and has a strong affinity for moisture molecules. The silica gel will pull in moisture at temperatures up to 220°F (105°C). As temperature goes above 100°F, the rate of moisture pick-up will slow down but the silica gel will still work. Silica gel performs best at room temperatures (70° to 90°F) and high humidity (60 to 90% Rh) and will drop the relative humidity in a container down to around 40% Rh. In the United States, silica gel is commonly used in food and pharmaceutical applications as only silica gel has been approved by the FDA for direct contact with these items.

Indicating silica gel is a silica gel bead or granule that has been washed with a concentration of cobalt chloride ( a heavy metal salt). The cobalt chloride is a deep blue color when it is dry and turns from blue to purple to pink as it becomes saturated with moisture. Typically, the color changes as the desiccant goes past 8% moisture levels (by weight) and indicates it is time to replace the desiccant. The most typical use for an indicating silica gel is for a moisture sensitive product that will be inspected regularly as it gives a quick visual indication of how well it is doing. Because of the addition of cobalt chloride, indicating silica gel should not be used in contact with products for consumption such as food or pharmaceuticals.

Molecular sieve is a synthetic desiccant that has a very strong affinity for moisture molecules. As part of the manufacturing process, the pore size on the molecular sieve particles can be controlled. The most commonly used pore size is 4 angstroms (4A) although 3 angstroms (3A), 5 angstroms (5A) and 10 angstroms (13X) are available. Because the pore size is controllable, molecular sieve can be used for picking up specific gases as well as moisture. Molecular sieve can hold moisture to temperatures well past 450°F (230°C). Because of its high affinity for moisture, molecular sieve is able to bring the relative humidity in packages down as low as 10% Rh.

Although technically they are different situations, for most practical purposes these two terms cover the point at which a desiccant no longer adsorbs moisture. Saturation is when the desiccant is full and even if there were moisture molecules to pick up, the desiccant could not do it. Equilibrium capacity is when the desiccant has pulled so much moisture out of the air that the air retains a stronger hold on the moisture molecules than the desiccant can exert. At equilibrium capacity, adding more desiccant will not bring the Relative humidity any lower.

Adsorption and absorption are two different things. Absorption is the chemical integration of one chemical into another. When you drink a glass of water, you are absorbing it, as the water becomes part of you. Adsorption occurs when one substance holds another via physical bonds. If you spill a glass of water on your shirt, it is adsorbed as the fibers will hold the water until heat dries out the shirt.