Intercept Technology™ - Simple Better Protection

Click on the following topic for more specific details: - Different Methods of Protection against CORROSION and their disadvantages. - Intercept Technology™ Benefits - Intercept Technology ™ Packaging Materials

Different Methods of Protection against CORROSION and their disadvantages

Oil / Wax / Coating (Passive Protection)



Overtime, evaporation of the applied layer of oil occurs and re-oiling is required. Furthermore, corrosive gases tend to sink into the oil and that is why in some instances, we could still see corrosion even though oil is applied. VCI oils are being used because normal grease and oils cannot handle the sinkage of the corrosive gases. However, even VCI oils will not be able to handle chlorine gases (This will be explained in the later sections.) Dust particles tend to get trapped in the oil as they settle. Dust alone is no problem but when coupled with SO₂ , corrosion occurs. For instance, a layer of dust settles down onto the layer of oil, overtime, the oil evaporates and a new layer of oil is applied over the old one. When that happens, the dust particles get trapped within the oil and when SO₂ sinks into the oil, because of the presence of dust, corrosion occurs.

Plastics / Foils / Desiccants (Passive Protection)



For Foil, the maximum number of years of protection is 7 . For Plastics, the maximum number of years of protection is 1.5 . Plain plastics are able to keep out moisture; however they do not stop the corrosive gases from penetrating through. As such, seeding of the corrosive gases occurs on the surface of the metal that is being protected. As long as the metal is not removed from the plastic, it will take a long time for it to corrode; however once it is being removed and exposed to the environment, rapid corrosion occurs. This is because, once out of the plastic bag, the metal is exposed to moisture vapor present in the environment. With both moisture vapor and the corrosive gases that were previously seeded, the metal part will begin to corrode in a matter of days. Foil is very good at keeping out moisture. However, in the automotive industry, it is a requirement for car makers to keep spares for at least 15 years. In this aspect, foil does not meet the requirement but INTERCEPT TECHNOLOGY™ do. Besides this, foil is very difficult in terms of sealing, packing and handling. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that there are no tears or puncture on the foil else the protection will be rendered useless. This will tend to pose a very big headache to foil users when it comes to handling of wrapped items during transportation or export. Because foil is opaque, custom officials have to rip open the foil to see what's inside when the exported goods arrive at the port. Once it is torn, the foil will not be able to protect any longer. There are many different types of desiccant namely: Clay and Silica Gel. Desiccant alone will not stop corrosion. This is because of the presence of corrosive gases that the desiccant will not be able to take out. For example, if we were to put desiccants in plastic bag, the initial moisture would be taken out by the desiccant but not the corrosive gases. The plastic itself will prevent any additional moisture from going through but not the corrosive gases from the outside. Seeding of the corrosive gases happens and once the metal is removed from the plastic bag, rapid corrosion occurs. Desiccants are required to be used together with Intercept in some applications, why? The desiccant helps to get rid of the initial moisture vapor that is being trapped in the bag. When the moisture vapor is taken out, the bag works as a preferred corrosion site to get rid of the remaining corrosive gases. Subsequent moisture vapor that passes through the bag will then be rid of all the corrosive ions by the copper ions in the bag, resulting in pure de-ionized moisture vapor remaining in the bag.


VCI – Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor (Interactive) VCI interacts with the metal that is being protected. VCI contains basic salts such as Sodium Nitrates / Nitrites and works best in the temperature range of 5°C to 35°C. Any temperature below the minimum or above the maximum, VCI stops performing. VCI comes in many different forms such as: coatings, fluids, adhesives (including emitters) and plastics. Below is an illustration of how the VCI film works.


VCI vaporizes and the additives are released from the plastics, these vapors then form a protective coating over the metal in the bag. What it does is to prevent sulphur based corrosive gases from penetrating or sinking through. Sulphur gases actually sits on the coating. However, VCI is unable to stop Chlorine from penetrating or sinking through because Chlorine is smaller in molecular size than the Nitrates and Nitrites. When the Chlorine gases sink, they displace the Nitrates and Nitrites as they take their place in the coating. That is why no VCI company will ever do a salt fog test on their products! When the additives are being released from the plastic, the plastic become more porous which leads to a increase in the moisture transmission rate of the plastic. More moisture and corrosive gases will be able to penetrate through at a faster rate. VCI films also have a shelf life and a good way to check if the VCI vendor practices first in last out method of supplying VCI bags, is to use a PH indicator to check if the VCI is still basic or not. Most VCI are hazardous to health and harmful to the environment, prompting the German authorities to introduce regulations ( TRGS 615 ) restricting their use. These regulations are expected to be implemented throughout the European Community of 25 Nations by 2006 if not earlier. Other advanced economies like Canada, Japan and the USA are expected to follow suit. Long term exposure to the VCI vapor will cause cancer! (Click here to read more on the hazardous effect of VCI )
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Intercept™ Technology Benefits

Cost Effective • Saves costly labor and time • No surface preparation required • No cleaning/degreasing required • Reduces raw material requirements • Need for oil is eliminated • Eliminates disposal costs • Fully recyclable and bio-degradable • Re-useable and durable • No hazardous waste disposal costs Simple Application • Just wrap, double fold and tape • No need for degreasing • No need for vacuum packing • No need for heat sealing Multi Functional • Corrosion protection for all metals including multimetals • Prevents degradation of rubber products • Permanent ESD protection • Inhibits growth of mould and mildew Safe for Personnel, Products and Environment • Non-toxic and bio-degradable INTERCEPT TECHNOLOGY™ alleviates health and environmental concerns. • Comply with stringent environmental guidelines • Do not contain chromates, amines, silicone, NITRITES & NITRATES or chlorinated hydrocarbons • Do not contaminate products • Dry protection without any coating on products.
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Intercept Technoloy ™ Packaging Materials Include:
-• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -•	Stretch Films Shrink Films Wraps and Bin Liners Extrusion-coated Paper and Fabric Static Shielding Bags Moisture Barrier Bags Cushioned Bags, Pouches and Rolls Foams – Die-cuts, Sheets and Cores Corrugated Sheets and Boxes Thermoformed Totes and Trays Injection-molded CD Inserts CD Sleeves
Structure, dimensions and designs of Intercept Technology™ materials can be customized to suit each specific application without compromising the protective properties of the technology. For example, bags can be flat, with or without zipper; gusseted or in cuboids, with widths ranging from 4” to 48”.
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