Cosmoline

Cosmolineis thegenericized trademarkfor a common class of brown,wax-likepetroleum-basedcorrosion inhibitors,typically conforming toUnited States Military StandardMIL-C-11796C Class 3.They areviscouswhen freshly applied, have a slightfluorescence,and solidify over time with exposure to air. The main ingredient in cosmoline isaliphaticpetroleum solvent, which is volatile and evaporates over time.

Description

Cosmoline was developed by Houghton International in the 1860s or 1870s as a pharmaceutical product. The original Cosmoline was an ointment and was used for many different cosmetic and medical purposes, it was even advocated to promote hair growth.It was kept in homes to disinfect wounds and was used by veterinarians to treat cuts, abrasions, bruises and sprains. Cosmoline could even be found on farms, where it was used to relieve swelling in cow's udders.

Cosmoline became widely known when it received a government specification as a rust preventive and began its use by the military to protect various equipment from rust andcorrosion.Cosmoline could be found on military equipment in the Spanish–American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.Cosmoline conforms toMIL-SPEC(MIL-C-11796C, Class 3) for Preservative and Sealing Compounds.

Chemically, cosmoline is ahomogeneousmixture of oily and waxy long-chain, non-polarhydrocarbons.It is always brown in color, but can differ inviscosityandshear strength.Cosmoline melts at 45–52 °C (113–126 °F) and has aflash pointof 185 °C (365 °F).

Use

The most common use of cosmoline is in the storage and preservation of somefirearms,hand tools,machine toolsand their tooling, and marine equipment. Entire vehicles can be preserved with cosmoline, as was attempted withMiss Belvedere.

Cosmoline is also frequently applied to automotive disc brake rotors at the factory, to prevent corrosion inside the box before the rotor is placed into service on a vehicle. It is easily removed by sprayingbrake cleaneron the braking surfaces of the rotor although brake pad manufacturers do not recommend this technique.These manufacturers recommend that rotors be washed with dish soap and water to remove cosmoline, as well as after machining brake drums and rotors.

DuringWorld War IIcosmoline was used to coat weapons, including entire tanks, for long sea voyages, to prevent corrosion in salty maritime conditions.U.S. Coast Artillerymenserving the hugecoastal artillerybatteries were known as "Cosmoliners" as they were regularly assigned the task of "greasing down" their big guns.

Cosmoline was also used during thePacific island campaignsin World War II by theUnited States Marines,who sang a song about it to the tune of the popular big-band hitTangerine:"Cosmoline...keeps my rifle clean". Many felt that it had been invented not merely to prevent rust on their weapons but for making soldiers' lives miserable. Historical fiction authorW.E.B. Griffin,in his 1986 novelSemper Fi,describes in great detail the difficulties that cosmoline removal presented to a typical group ofU.S. Marine Corpsofficer candidatesin the months leading up to U.S. involvement inWorld War II.

Aging and removal

Freshly applied cosmoline, or that which ishermeticallysealed in a plastic bag orshrink wrap,retains itsgrease-like viscosity and wipes near clean with a rag, leaving only a thin film behind. Older cosmoline which has had air exposure usually solidifies after a few years, once itsvolatilehydrocarbon fraction evaporates and leaves behind only the waxy remainder. This solid wax does not readily wipe off. It can be removed with laborious scraping but leaves crumbs to be swept or vacuumed away.

The most effective and non-abrasive method to remove all cosmoline safely is accomplished using a dry ice blaster. High pressure compressed air with solid CO₂particles is directed to any area to be cleaned until removed. An experienced operator is required in order to protect the underlying substrate. Once removed, the cosmoline is blown away from the subject with gravity bringing it to the floor or surrounding horizontal surface. If properly performed, the results do not harm or change the finish of the protected surface. Application of gentle heat sufficient to melt the waxy hydrocarbons allows cosmoline to drip off. Penetrating oil (such asWD-40orCRC 5-56CLP) sprayed and allowed to soak in until cosmoline is restored to a viscous-fluid state allows it to be wiped off. A closed-cabinetparts washermay be used to power wash smaller items. An aqueous rather than petrochemical-based wash requires high heat, the proper aqueous detergent, and the correct hydraulic impact pressure.

Soldiers in field conditions have often usedgasolineor another handy petroleum-based solvent (such askerosene) to clean cosmoline off stored weapons.

It is not recommended to use harsh chemical solvents that could strip paint, finishes, or other aesthetic/functional coatings from the gun's surface. A better solvent is Stoddard Solvent, or mineral spirits, Coleman fuel, or its camp fuel equivalent

All cosmoline cleaning methods create hazardous waste that must be disposed of in the proper manner. Aqueous or solvent cleaning both have accepted methods to dispose of the "sludge" created. It has been reported thattalcumpowder can be used as an absorbent of cosmoline by packing the powder around the item to be cleaned and applying sufficient heat to melt the solid film, allowing the compound to be wicked from the coated surface into the talcum, which can be scraped off more easily.

Cosmoline has been highly effectively cleaned from rifles usingultrasonic cleaningsystems.

See also

• Cathodic Protection for Vehicles
• Hot-dip galvanizing
• Iron pillar of Delhi
• Marvel Mystery Oil
• Oil additive
• Tinning
• Truscon Laboratories
• Volatile corrosion inhibitor

References

• Salecker, Gene Eric (2008).Rolling Thunder Against the Rising Sun: The Combat History of US Army Tank Battalions in the Pacific in World War II.Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. pp.13and18(?).ISBN978-0811703147.OCLC170058124.

External links

• Official How To Documents for Cosmoline
• Official MSDS and Tech Data Sheet for Industrial Grade Cosmoline
• Revision C military specification that covers the generic rust preventive known by the tradename "Cosmoline"
• Cosmoline Rust Preventive Compound & Mil-Spec MIL-C-11796C Cosmoline Grades 1-3
• The More You Know: Cosmoline Chemistry