Cortec’s corrosion-inhibiting packaging paper has been used for more than a decade by an ammunition manufacturer in Southeast Asia to protect shotgun shells during storage. The applications illustrate the use of corrosion-inhibiting paper within ammunition packaging, with the aim of preserving metal components throughout extended storage and shipment.
Cortec® Corporation has highlighted the use of its CorShield® VpCI®-146 Paper to protect ammunition against corrosion during storage and transport, drawing on two case histories involving applications in Asia.
Tropical conditions and fluctuating humidity can expose metal ammunition components to corrosion, even inside sheltered storage environments. The company’s paper releases vapour phase corrosion inhibitors within enclosed packaging, forming a molecular protective layer on metal surfaces. This layer inhibits interaction with corrosive elements and dissipates when the components are removed from the enclosure.
CorShield VpCI-146 Paper provides protection for several metals, including carbon steel, brass, copper, aluminium alloys and solder. According to Cortec, it is a USDA Certified Biobased Product manufactured using paper made from 100% recycled content.
One application concerns an ammunition manufacturer in Southeast Asia that experienced oxidation on the brass-plated surfaces of its 12-gauge shotgun shells after prolonged storage. Having previously used the paper in its mortar division, the manufacturer introduced it into its shotgun shell packaging.
Small pieces of CorShield VpCI-146 Paper were cut to size and placed inside the boxes as liners before closure. Cortec reports that the approach provided the required corrosion protection while remaining straightforward to incorporate into the packaging process. More than ten years later, the manufacturer continues to use the same method.
A second case dates back to 1998, when a Cortec distributor supplied a corrosion protection solution to a defence research agency in Asia. Following two years of storage in a tropical environment, charge bags and 105 mm cartridge cases had suffered deterioration associated with corrosion.
The agency subsequently introduced CorShield VpCI-146 Paper together with absorbent material to protect the ammunition during storage. Given the value of the stored munitions, the case history estimated potential annual savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars through the prevention of corrosion-related losses.