Frequently Asked Questions
How Does a No-Rust Shield or VpCI Work?
Are No-Rust Shields Environmentally Safe?
How are No-Rust Shields Used?
Why use No-Rust Shields?
What About Protection of Silver, Gold, Tin and Other Metals?
How Does One Know When the No-Rust Shield is "Used Up"?
How Long Does it Take for a No-Rust Shield to Become Effective?
How Can No-Rust Shields be Made Effective Sooner?
Don't No-Rust Shield Vapors Disappear When the Box is Opened and Closed?
How Many Times Can a Container Be Opened and Closed Before Depleting the VpCIs?
What About Enclosures/Cabinets/Boxes Which are Not Completely Sealed?
What About Cabinets With Fans or Other Forced Air Throughput?
How Do VpCIs Affect Electrical Characteristics Such as Continuity, Resistance, Dielectric Strength, etc.?
What About VpCIs on Radio Frequency (RF) Equipment, such as Cell phones, Marine Radios and Satellite Dish devices?
What About Using No-Rust Shields in High Voltage Equipment?
Do No-Rust Shields Provide Desiccant Activity?
What About Use of No-Rust Shields Under Harsh Conditions?
What Are the Effects of Higher Temperature?
What About Using 3-IN-ONE No-Rust Shields in Older Equipment?
What's The Best Way To Prepare Metals For Long Term Storage, Using 3-IN-ONE VpCI Protection?
Are No-Rust Shield® Vapors Hazardous?
3-IN-ONE® No-Rust Shields contain chemicals which are not known to be hazardous, toxic or flammable. In fact, our No-Rust Shield chemicals have been approved by the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) to be used with food and beverage containers.
How Does a No-Rust Shield or VpCI Work?
The chemicals (
Are No-Rust Shields Environmentally Safe?
3-IN-ONE No-Rust Shields are very environmentally friendly and contain no known environmentally restricted or harmful compounds. How Do You Remove No-Rust Shield Films? You don't! The films left by No-Rust Shields are only a few molecule layers thick (-1/25,000th of 1µ or 1/500,000th of 1 mil). They are much thinner than most contamination layers which normally form on virtually any surface. It is unnecessary to remove them and they have little effect on adhesion or subsequent coatings.
How are No-Rust Shields Used?
No-Rust Shields are used to protect enclosed metal components from corrosion by placing one or more of the devices into a container, package or other enclosure. This includes all types of electronics, computers, electronic devices, electrical switches, electronic gear aboard ships and RVs, toolboxes, spare parts boxes and storage units, fuse boxes, telecommunications devices, such as cell phones, analytical equipment, gun safes and cabinets, as well as any enclosure that contains metals that will corrode.
Why use No-Rust Shields?
No-Rust Shields will save money (and time) for almost anyone using consumer electronics, electrical tools and any consumer product that contains vulnerable metals. No-Rust Shields reduce corrosion that affects the product quality and useful longevity in several ways:
- No-Rust Shields reduce electrical/ electronic failures in relays, switches and connectors by preventing corrosion, -the number one cause for failure of electronic and electrical devices.
- Reduce maintenance by reducing failures and parts replacement.
- Extend equipment lifetime.
- Improve electrical reliability by reducing noise levels, and increasing switch reliability and continuity.
- Reduce accumulation of contaminants. The quality and performance of electronic devices will also improve in that they will look cleaner, function more reliably.
What About Protection of Silver, Gold, Tin and Other Metals?
3-IN-ONE No-Rust Shields use a unique blend of several different chemicals to provide a corrosion inhibitor with one of the widest ranges of protection possible. They are multi-metal inhibitors and will protect most metals under many conditions.
How Does One Know When the No-Rust Shield is "Used Up"?
Your
How Long Does it Take for a No-Rust Shield to Become Effective?
This depends on the size, shape and temperature of the enclosure. In general, at room temperature, No-Rust Shields begin working immediately for metals immediately adjacent to them. It may require as much as 24 hours for metals at the extreme ends and internal spaces to become saturated with VpCI vapors.
How Can No-Rust Shields be Made Effective Sooner?
By using more than one No-Rust Shield and locating them at each end or along each edge of the enclosure.
Don't No-Rust Shield Vapors Disappear When the Box is Opened and Closed?
Yes. Some of the vapors may be lost when a container is opened, but the VpCIs already adsorbed on the metals will not be disturbed immediately and will continue protecting the metal. As soon as the container is closed, the VpCIs will again fill the containers with vapors.
How Many Times Can a Container Be Opened and Closed Before Depleting the VpCIs?
This depends on the chemical contaminants in the atmosphere. Under normal circumstances, if all of the vapor is lost from the container and all of the vapor is desorbed from all of the components in the container, the container can be opened and closed approximately 400 times!
What About Enclosures/Cabinets/Boxes Which are Not Completely Sealed?
Although No-Rust Shields are specified for "enclosures" they will still provide protection for systems that have some air flow through them. The degree of protection will depend on the level of contaminants in the air and the rate of air leakage. The VpCIs that are already adsorbed on metal components will not be easily displaced. Once they have been coated, protection will continue for a considerable time.
What About Cabinets With Fans or Other Forced Air Throughput?
Again, the lifetime of the devices may be shortened but they are still able to provide excellent protection depending on the quality of the air flowing through them. This protection is best achieved by allowing the VpCI vapors to equalize and coat the metals during off hours when the fan or forced air can be turned off, such as over the weekend or evenings.
How Do VpCIs Affect Electrical Characteristics Such as Continuity, Resistance, Dielectric Strength, etc.?
All testing and use of VpCIs used in No-Rust Shields to date indicates that they have no adverse effects on electrical parameters. In fact, Independent Testing Laboratories have shown that when VpCI No-Rust Shields are used, the contact resistance of contacts remains much lower because they inhibit oxide and contaminant build-up on the contacts. Other tests have indicated no increase of leakage currents at any point on PC boards or electrical circuitry.
What About VpCIs on Radio Frequency (RF) Equipment, such as Cell phones, Marine Radios and Satellite Dish devices?
Separate tests by an Independent Laboratory indicate that VpCI No-Rust Shields do not adversely affect the performance of RF equipment. In fact, when used on connections and PC boards it will actually extend the life of the treated area.
What About Using No-Rust Shields in High Voltage Equipment?
VpCIs have been used in equipment that has operating voltages exceeding 500OV. We suspect that if they are used at higher voltages there will also be no adverse interactions. In fact, it is very likely that they will minimize formation of corrosive components, which could otherwise lead to increased breakdown.
Do No-Rust Shields Provide Desiccant Activity?
VpCI No-Rust Shields provide a small amount of desiccant activity, but their main attribute is the protective "skin" or layer they produce on metal surfaces. This layer helps eliminate the normal destructive reactions which otherwise occur with moisture, making desiccant ability only a secondary feature.
What About Use of No-Rust Shields Under Harsh Conditions?
VpCI No-Rust Shields have been used very successfully under extremely adverse conditions, including remote control switch and relay boxes located near the sea, in atmospheres containing over 200 ppm of mixed acids such as S02, H2S, HCL, etc.
What Are the Effects of Higher Temperature?
In general, the higher the temperature, the faster the VpCIs will vaporize. At an operating temperature of 80 to 100F, you can expect the useful lifetime to start decreasing. This means that the No-Rust Shields will reach equilibrium sooner, but they will be depleted sooner. When No-Rust Shields are used continuously at these higher temperatures we suggest that they be replaced more often than once every two years.
What About Using 3-IN-ONE No-Rust Shields in Older Equipment?
Although No-Rust Shields will not reverse prior corrosion, when they are used in older equipment, they will extend lifetime, reduce failures and curtail further corrosion.
What's The Best Way To Prepare Metals For Long Term Storage, Using 3-IN-ONE VpCI Protection?
These steps offer an easy, safe, effective and economical corrosion protection. You can expect better protection of metal surfaces using the following guidelines.
