Abstract
Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors (VCIs) are used for safe and cost-effective protection of a wide range of metal articles. Cellulose based materials (paper and fiber board) are desirable packaging materials due to cost, material properties, and environmental attributes (bio-based content, recyclability), and these materials can be easily impregnated with VCIs to provide corrosion protection (e.g. for storage and transportation of metal parts). However, uses of these materials can be limited by the water affinity of paper/fiber board; and the highly porous nature which allow rapid depletion of the VCIs and exposure of the metal to corrosive elements in the surrounding atmosphere. The barrier properties of paper products can be greatly improved with wax or polyethylene coating, but such products are no longer suitable for recycling. Emulsion based coating products have also been used to improve the barrier properties of paper products. Unfortunately, many of these also reduce suitability for recycling. Some require multiple coats to achiever high barrier properties, thus increasing the product cost.
This paper presents studies with repulpable barrier coatings that are water-borne and applied in a single coating pass. When combined with VCIs, these provided recyclable packaging materials with excellent barrier properties and cost effective corrosion protection.
