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Dry Ice as Rust Protection
rhmc24
Member Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭✭✭
Does anyone have experience with this? In closed space like a safe, apiece of dry ice will turn to CO2 gas (sublimes?), a lot of CO2 from a small piece. It would largely replace the other gasses in the space, driving most of it out, including the oxygen that causes rust.
Probably of limited practical value for routine use but dry ice is easily available and for leaving one's safe unopened for a period of time the CO2 would produce a pretty much inert and oxygen free environment.
Is there anything harmful in CO2?
There used to be a powder Shell API 260, if memory is correct, called Vapor Phase Inhibitor that slowly turned to a gas and effectively prevented rust. It did cause heavy tarnish on brass.
Serious comments appreciated.
Probably of limited practical value for routine use but dry ice is easily available and for leaving one's safe unopened for a period of time the CO2 would produce a pretty much inert and oxygen free environment.
Is there anything harmful in CO2?
There used to be a powder Shell API 260, if memory is correct, called Vapor Phase Inhibitor that slowly turned to a gas and effectively prevented rust. It did cause heavy tarnish on brass.
Serious comments appreciated.
Comments
CO (carbon monoxide), a byproduct of combustion, IS dangerous to breathe as it combines with hemoglobin in the blood as readily as oxygen.
If you think of the kind of seal that is necessary to keep the CO2 from escaping from a carbonated beverage, you will understand how difficult it would be to keep it sealed inside a safe. If we were somehow able to seal a gunsafe, we would probably prefer nitrogen, an inert gas commonly used inside scopes.
Neal
As to whether it would prevent rust, I don't know, it is an intriguing idea.
Also, you wouldn't need as good of a seal in the gun safe as in the coke bottle, because the coke is under pressure, but you don't need the safe to be pressurized.
Now, there is plenty of oxygen in the CO2, but the oxygen is bonded to carbon atoms. In this configuration would oxygen cause rust?
Any more contributions???
I think the tried and true method is to just keep your stored guns in a thick coat of oil and bagged up.
...then you'll be working experimenting with the correct metallurgy, bluing, etc.
Best, Joe