Tooling Refurbishment: Managing BOTH sides of Compression Molding Tooling… Corrosion Protecting Water-Cooling Jackets

Typically, the effectiveness of the working (face) surfaces of compression (and all other types as well) receive the most attention as their condition can be a reflection of declining through-put, rising scrap rates and/or other KPI’s.

When refinishing those surfaces for our clients, we are more likely so see serious corrosion within the water-cooling jacket is trending the tooling towards functional obsolescence well before the face side.  

The primary corrosion-Inducing factors causing corrosion to occur are:

• Dissolved Oxygen (O₂)
• pH Levels: Water pH significantly affects corrosion rates.
  • Low pH (acidic, typically below ~6.5–7) promotes general acid attack and higher corrosion rates on steels and other metals.
  • High pH (alkaline, often above ~8.5) can be protective for some steels by encouraging passive films or carbonate scaling, but it increases risks for aluminum (e.g., exfoliation or stress corrosion cracking) and can lead to issues like white rust on galvanized components.
  • Optimal ranges (often 8–9 or higher with inhibitors) are targeted in treated systems to balance corrosion control and scale prevention.
• Chlorides and Other Aggressive Ions
• Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC)
• Dissolved Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
• Temperature and Thermal Cycling
• Stagnation and Low Flow
• Galvanic Corrosion
• Abrasion/Erosion-Corrosion
• Scale and Deposits
• Other Water Chemistry Issues
• How the tooling is pulled out of service and stored if the remaining stagnant moisture isn’t removed/treated.

Ultimately, it’s usually a combination of these factors that causes rapid pitting and corrosion… easily within weeks to a few months of operation.

Industry preventative solutions for this corrosion can include the use of corrosion inhibitors additives, pH adjustment, biocides, filtration, regular cleaning (and downtime), proper drying during storage, and more expensive tooling materials (e.g., stainless or plated steels). 

ECS offers a solution that is not only less expensive than the costs of most of these options, but statistically offers the highest corrosion protection including all of the steel platings, galvanizing, and other legacy options.

This solution is a 2-coat system that provides the following:

• Adhesion and Compatibility: Our coatings create chemical bonds that produce outstanding adhesion properties. Without excellent adhesion to the surfaces, it doesn’t matter how good the coating finish is…
• Hydrophobicity and Water Repellency. Hydrophobic surfaces reduce exposure to dissolved oxygen, chlorides, and low/high pH conditions while also hindering biofilm formation that leads to microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC)—a frequent culprit in mold failures. In cases where MIC/chloride-induced pitting is prevalent, hydrophobicity alone will significantly limit microbial attachment and ion ingress.
• Barrier and Chemical Resistance: The 2-coat system inherently ensures there are no pinholes vs. 1-coat alternatives. It also forms dense, and highly effective inorganic-organic hybrid barrier capable of withstanding the corrosive ions (e.g., chlorides, CO₂) and aggressive water chemistries.
• Hardness and Abrasion Resistance: Our coatings offer a 3-dimensional molecular structure that results in high hardness without the typical brittleness that comes with hard materials. This hardness results in a strong deterrence to the abrasion of the constant circulation of the water/coolants.

What you can expect:

• Lifespan Extension:
  • Our coatings consistently produce a minimum of 2–3x’s better corrosion resistance compared to traditionally protected surfaces.
  • ASTM B117 salt spray resistance will exceeding 3000 hours (vs. ~1000 hours for hot-dip galvanizing),
  • Typically, this means a 50–200% increase in operational life.
  • Reduced downtime and maintenance costs.
• Scientific studies show that our coatings reduce corrosion rates by 80–95% in aqueous environments.

For more information on ECS’s comprehensive tooling performance and protective coating options, email us at Sales@nullecs-ww.com or call us at 816-381-9901.