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USDA-Certified Biobased Rust Preventive (RP) is Biodegradable

Cortec’s EcoLine 3690 is a temporary RP designed for outdoor applications with sustainability in mind. Contractors working for federal agencies, as well as all environment-conscious manufacturers, can replace solvent- and mineral-oil based RPs with this approved, biobased product.

Posted: March 12, 2020

For best results, EcoLine 3690 should be applied to clean metal surfaces by spray, roll, brush, or dip at a recommended wet film thickness of 1.0-3.0 mils (25-75 μm).

U.S. federal agencies and their contractors have to meet special biobased requirements when purchasing products from 139 categories identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). One of these is corrosion preventatives, which must have 53% minimum biobased content to be a qualified product under the mandatory federal purchasing initiative of the USDA BioPreferred Program. Cortec Corp. (St. Paul, MN) meets this need with EcoLine 3690, a USDA Certified Biobased Product that can be used to replace solvent- and mineral-oil based (RPs).

EcoLine 3690 is a ready-to-use canola-oil-based temporary coating designed for corrosion protection in severe marine and high humidity conditions. It contains 72% USDA-certified biobased content and leaves behind an oily protective film that does not dry.

It works well for contractors who manufacture parts or equipment for the federal government and need to prevent rust in interim periods of storage or shipment in severe marine and high humidity conditions. Any manufacturer that wants to go to the next level of sustainability can benefit from EcoLine 3690 while also reducing VOCs and minimizing worker exposure to mineral-oil or solvent-based RPs. It can be easily removed with an alkaline cleaner and can help users avoid hazardous waste disposal costs associated with traditional rust preventatives.

One tubing manufacturer who used EcoLine 3690 for protection of newly manufactured tube ends was pleased with the corrosion protection results and safety benefits for its employees. The temporary coating replaced a solvent-based rust preventative and demonstrated consistent performance throughout a multimonth trial on tube bundles in outdoor storage.

For best results, EcoLine 3690 should be applied to clean metal surfaces by spray, roll, brush, or dip at a recommended wet film thickness of 1.0-3.0 mils (25-75 μm). It can also be applied over painted surfaces. The product has no VOCs and is temperature stable up to 180 °F (82 °C). It protects multiple metal types: