Business View Magazine | December 2019

168 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 without the need for greases or painting. Zerust VCIs have been effectively and safely used to protect valuable parts and equipment for more than 35 years. “In the 1940s, during WWII, Shell came up with the concept of a vapor corrosion inhibitor where you essentially prevent rust by having a vapor land on a piece of metal and it would form a temporary layer on the metal and prevent that metal from corroding,” Ramdas explains. “But the Shell product was later found to be carcinogenic, so they didn’t sell it and nobody used it. In the 1970s, researchers at Northern Technology developed a safe vapor corrosion inhibitor based on FDA-approved food ingredients, and we started selling to manufacturers.” Zerust products work by releasing a harmless, non-toxic, odorless, colorless vapor into the air around metal items. Protective molecules settle on all exposed metal surfaces, forming a very thin protective layer that is just a few molecules thick. This molecular layer inhibits electrochemical reactions on the surface of the metal that cause corrosion. Exposed metal surfaces protected by Zerust benefit from a long- lasting shield against rust, tarnish, and corrosion. “The concept of vapor corrosion inhibitor was relatively unknown at that time, and if you were, say, a manufacturer of automotive parts, and you wanted to protect your pistons, crankshafts, turbines, or whatever, you’d normally put a lot of oil or grease on it, wrap it in plastic, put it in a container or crate, and then ship it out to your customer. But, over time, people found that these are not very effective ways. You always miss a spot here or there, or with complex geometry, you can’t get into all the nooks and crannies, and, at the other end, your customer has to remove this plastic and remove all the thick oil and grease. “With the vapor inhibitor you don’t have those issues. The chemistry is embedded into your