Rust Preventative for Iron Castings: Important Options

Summary for rust preventative for iron castings Discussion

Rust preventative for iron castings is the core issue here: Robert Snider says his company machines cast iron EGR valve housings for a Tier II automotive supplier, but the current phosphate-and-oil treatment is not giving acceptable rust-preventive life. He asks for other options to protect cast iron parts. The excerpted reply is incomplete and appears to be an advertisement or signature block rather than a usable technical recommendation, so no specific alternative coating or process is actually provided in the source shown. Because the thread text is truncated, the page does not supply a clear consensus solution or named technical advice beyond the original question about improving RP performance.

Q. My company machines Cast Iron EGR Valve Housings for a large Tier II Automotive supplier. We currently have the part Phosphated & Oiled but our Customer is not satisfied with it’s RP life. Does anyone have suggestions of other options for rust prevention of cast iron parts ?

Robert Snider
– Leslie, Michigan, U.S.A.
2003

A. We manufacture an environmentally safe product called Picklex®
[affil link]®, which can provide a very long term rust protection (applied at room temperature) if stored indoors (more than a year or two). If the part is pickled in Picklex® at around 145 °F, it passes 20 hours of salt spray test (astmb633.htmlb117.html” –>) without any top coat, which will provide a long term protection. With applying hot oil over the Picklex® coating (after heat drying), it passes 72 hours of salt spray test.

Ranjit Sen
– Huntsville, Alabama
2003


Do spray on rust preventatives work?

Q. I am looking for a simple method of preventing rust formation on stripped metal parts (steel and iron) after bead blasting or other chemical/mechanical rust removal. Online stores market spray bottle products (e.g., Picklex®
[affil link]) which they claim will prevent rust from forming on stripped parts. Do they work?

John Wogec
car restoration – Roseville, California
February 11, 2015

A. Hi John. You should apply a rust preventative after blasting or chemical stripping to prevent flash rusting; if immersion treatments aren’t practical for you, yes, the spray-on products work. But, like everything else in this world, rust preventatives have limitations. They are generally intended for short term storage until you get to the next step such as painting, plating, or powder coating. They are not intended for exterior exposure. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey



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February 2015