There are a number of voids on each class of ships. These void spaces are supposed to be dry but often they are not due to using the spaces as ballast and condensation which leads to corrosion. The current practice of protecting them is to use desiccant containers per MIL-D-3263A with desiccant material IAW MIL-D-3716A. At 5 pounds each and one disc required for each 150 cubic feet of void volume, desiccant containers add significant weight (over 7 tons) to a ship. In addition, time and cost to replace the saturated desiccant containers with new ones is pretty high.

As an alternative method, VCIs are being considered to be installed in voids because the VCI technology is simple to install and has been used for several applications in the commercial world. Towards that end, a laboratory testing of commercially available VCIs to determine their effectiveness in protecting blasted steel, pre-corroded steel and coating damaged steel has been undertaken. This paper summarizes the results of laboratory testing, conclusions and recommendations made.