Recent developments in the volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI) coatings for metal: a review

Corrosion is a crucial worldwide problem that strongly affects metals. Out of the several ways to prevent corrosion, volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) are predominantly used as a method of temporary protection. These compounds have the ability to vaporize and condense on the surface of the ferrous or nonferrous material and make the substrate less susceptible to corrosion but work only in a confined space. VCI compounds form a monomolecular layer over the metal surface, thereby preventing the electrochemical reactions on the metal surface which lead to corrosion. This review article outlines the use of volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) as a temporary corrosion protection technique, their working mechanisms and the various compounds used as VCI. It also anchors on the latest research works which have been carried out on VCI coatings along with a glimpse of the works that were carried out in the past. The various factors affecting the volatile corrosion inhibitors along with the merits of VCI coatings are discussed in this paper. Formulations for both strippable and permanent VCI coatings are also reported with the various testing methods. Lastly, an overview of the recent developments of VCI coatings along with the various green VCI is given.