Case Studies

Rust Inhibitors and Corrosion Protection

Product Highlight:  Anti-Rust 124

Product Type:  Water-Based and Water-Soluble Synthetic Rust Preventative

Customer: Manufacturer of Deep Drawn Steel Automotive Components

Objective: Replace an Ineffective and Expensive Rust Preventative

Description: The customer manufactures deep drawn automotive components utilizing cold-rolled steel. In the final stage of a five-stage conveyor-type, in-line power spray washer, a water-soluble rust preventative was being applied at elevated temperatures. The RP solution required electronic monitoring and, just prior to seeking alternate vendors for this process, their consumption spiked. No explanation was given and no solutions were provided. In addition, during that calendar year, more than 100,000 individual parts had been returned due to surface rust. Additional processing—using a neutral de-rusting chemical provided by the same vendor that supplied the rust preventative—was performed on those components that could be saved; most were scrapped. Once the surface rust was removed, the components were reprocessed in the spray washer.

Following a thorough survey of the customer’s operations, ICC recommended comprehensive testing of Anti-Rust 124 in the final stage of their power spray washer. More than 3,000 parts were processed and shipped to their customers for verification of performance and final approval.

Conclusion: The customer received glowing reports from their customers and the change was made at the earliest possible convenience. Since implementing AR 124 in their operations, the customer has had no parts returned for rust due to the applied preventative.

The two performance requirements as stipulated by the customer were 1) the ability of the rust preventative to provide consistent corrosion protection of at least 100 hours in a 100°F humidity cabinet maintained at 100% humidity (commonly referred to as the “Triple 100 Spec”), and 2) noninterference with subsequent operations at their customers’ manufacturing and assembly locations (e.g. painting, powder coating, etc.). The applied film is thin and dry-to-the-touch. Routine spot checking of individual components since implementation has yielded performance results that exceed 300 hours in the humidity cabinets of independent laboratories.

AR 124 operates at a solution concentration of 5% by volume, requires simple titration to maintain the concentration, and provides these performance results in a bath which operates at ambient temperatures, saving the customer thousands of dollars annually in utility costs. By simply replacing the ineffective and expensive former product with a fully synthetic, water-soluble rust preventative—at nearly half the price—the customer has eliminated their rust problems and reduced their costs by almost a quarter of a million dollars during the first calendar year following implementation.