Milacron Marketing Co.

| Consumable Products Division | Cincinnati, Ohio 45209

Selecting A Corrosion
Inhibitor
INTRODUCTION
Corrosion, an ongoing concern for industry, may
cause reduced service life or complete failure of
manufactured parts and finished goods. These issues
directly impact the cost efficiency of the manufacturing
process and cost of the finished goods. Corrosion
inhibitors can be used to prevent the problems
associated with corrosion

Cold Rolled Steel Corrosion

WHAT IS CORROSION?
Corrosion is the destructive attack to metal by a
chemical or electrochemical reaction with its
environment.
The terms corrosion and rusting are often used
interchangeably. The term rust typically is applicable
to ferrous materials, iron and steel. The most term to
use is "corrosion" because it is inclusive of non-ferrous
metals as well.
Metallic staining is light corrosion resulting in
discoloration or tarnish of the metallic surface. Staining
does not need a wet environment to occur. Staining
may be white and powdery, green, black or brown in
color. This type of corrosion is generally found with
aluminum, brass & copper materials.

Examples of Corrosion

Galvanized part with white corrosion

Selecting A Corrosion Inhibitor

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Aluminum Staining

Cast iron with and without corrosion

What is a Corrosion Inhibitor?

A corrosion inhibitor is a material that attaches or coats
the metal surface, providing a protective barrier film,
which in turn stops the corrosive reaction from
developing. Temporary coatings are often used to
prevent corrosion during storage and shipment, and
between machining or processing operations. The most
effective corrosion inhibitor coatings, at one time, were
oil or solvent-based materials. In recent years water
based products have been developed and are being
used with success.

CIMCOOL Technical Report

Milacron Marketing Co. | Consumable Products Division | Cincinnati, Ohio 45209

Choosing a Corrosion Inhibitor

When choosing the corrosion inhibitor for your
application several things need to be considered.
Materials to be protected
Protection effectiveness timeframe (1week, 1
month, 1 year, etc.)
Method of application (dip, spray, brush, etc.)
Type of protection required (in process, storage or
shipping)
Part handling and fingerprint suppression
Type and thickness of coating residue desired
Storage, packaging and/or shipping conditions
(temperature, humidity & seasonal conditions)
Removal methods (if required)
Interaction with subsequent processes, if not
removed
Environmental, health and safety requirements
Type of product (Oil/Solvent or Water-based)
desired

Oil/Solvent-Based Inhibitors
Corrosion inhibitors of this type rely principally on the
formation of barrier coatings to prevent water from
contacting metal surfaces. These materials are
typically used direct from their container without any
need for thinning or preparation for use.
The protective coating they form varies (semi-hard,
soft, oily, transparent, colored) with the specific
product. Removal methods for these coatings are
dependent on the specific product and may vary from
the use of an alkaline cleaner or degreaser to the use
of a solvent. The coatings can be applied by brush,
dip, and spray methods.
For parts that need longer term protection (months to
years) or those stored in severe environmental
conditions (i.e. outside storage) oil-based inhibitors are
preferred due to their heavy film and the water
rejecting properties they possess.
For additional information on CIMCOOL CIMGUARD
Oil/Solvent Based Corrosion Inhibitors refer to Table1
at the end of this document.

Selecting A Corrosion Inhibitor

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Water-Based Inhibitors
Water-based corrosion inhibitors rely on modifying the
characteristics of the metal surfaces themselves to
decrease their susceptibility to oxidation and corrosion
formation. Water-based inhibitors are typically sold as
a concentrate and diluted with water for use, making
their cost less than most oil/solvent-based products.
Water-based corrosion inhibitors generally have very
desirable characteristics. The chemical films formed
are thin and typically transparent when dry. Application
methods for these coatings include spray, brush or
immersion. They are cleaner to use and eliminate
concerns of solvent fumes. The films rarely have to be
removed prior to subsequent operations but if removal
is necessary it is done easily with mild water-based
cleaners.
Water-based inhibitors can be effective in preventing
corrosion for extended periods of time (weeks to
months) under reasonable plant storage and protected
shipping conditions. Since water-based products work
by decreasing the susceptibility of the metal to
oxidation rather than by completely excluding water and
air, these inhibitors often are not as effective as
oil/solvent-based coatings in shipping and outside
storage of parts.
For additional information on CIMCOOL CIMGUARD
Water-based Corrosion Inhibitors refer to Table 2 at
the end of this document.

Supplemental Protection
Adverse atmospheric conditions encountered during
shipping and long-term storage may require more
protection for the metal than that provided by oil/solvent
or waterbased corrosion inhibitors alone. In these
cases Vapor-phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI) papers,
pellets or films may be used as supplemental
protection.

Consult with your regional CIMCOOL Technical

Service Engineer for specific recommendations, or call
CIMCOOL Technical Service at 1-513-458-8199.

CIMCOOL Technical Report

Milacron Marketing Co. | Consumable Products Division | Cincinnati, Ohio 45209

Table 1.

Selecting A Corrosion Inhibitor

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Table 2.