Cosmoline is the
genericized trademark for a common class of brown,
wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low ...
-like
petroleum-based corrosion inhibitors, typically conforming to
United States Military Standard
A United States defense standard, often called a military standard, "MIL-STD", "MIL-SPEC", or (informally) "MilSpecs", is used to help achieve standardization objectives by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Standardization is beneficial in achievin ...
MIL-C-11796C Class 3. They are
viscous
The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water.
Viscosity quantifies the inter ...
when freshly applied, have a slight
fluorescence
Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...
, and solidify over time with exposure to air. The main ingredient in cosmoline is
aliphatic
In organic chemistry, hydrocarbons ( compounds composed solely of carbon and hydrogen) are divided into two classes: aromatic compounds and aliphatic compounds (; G. ''aleiphar'', fat, oil). Aliphatic compounds can be saturated, like hexane, or ...
petroleum 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 and
corrosion
Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...
. 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 to
MIL-SPEC (MIL-C-11796C, Class 3) for Preservative and Sealing Compounds.
Chemically, Cosmoline is a
homogeneous
Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts often used in the sciences and statistics relating to the uniformity of a substance or organism. A material or image that is homogeneous is uniform in composition or character (i.e. color, shape, siz ...
mixture of oily and waxy long-chain, non-polar
hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ex ...
s. It is always brown in color, but can differ in
viscosity
The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water.
Viscosity quantifies the inte ...
and
shear strength. Cosmoline melts at 113–125 °F (45–52 °C) and has a
flash point
The flash point of a material is the "lowest liquid temperature at which, under certain standardized conditions, a liquid gives off vapours in a quantity such as to be capable of forming an ignitable vapour/air mixture". (EN 60079-10-1)
The fl ...
of 365 °F (185 °C).
Use
The most common use of Cosmoline is in the storage and preservation of some
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s, hand tools,
machine tool
A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, boring, grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some sort of tool that does the cutting or shaping. All m ...
s and their tooling, and marine equipment. Entire vehicles can be preserved with cosmoline, as was attempted with ''
Miss Belvedere
''Miss Belvedere'' is a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that was sealed in an underground vault on the grounds of the Tulsa city courthouse on June 15, 1957, as a 50-year time capsule.
The car, a desert gold and sand dune white two-tone sport coupe wh ...
''.
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 spraying
brake cleaner
Brake cleaner, often also called '' parts cleaner'', is a mostly colorless cleaning agent, mainly used for cleaning the brake disks, the engine compartment and underfloor of motor vehicles. An important feature is that the brake cleaner leaves n ...
on 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.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
cosmoline was used to coat weapons, including entire tanks, for long sea voyages, to prevent corrosion in salty maritime conditions.
U.S. Coast Artillerymen serving the huge
coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications.
From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...
batteries were known as "Cosmoliners" as they were regularly assigned the task of "greasing down" their big guns.
Cosmoline was also used during the
Pacific island campaigns in World War II by the
United States Marines, who sang a song about it to the tune of the popular big-band hit
Tangerine
The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...
: "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 author
W.E.B. Griffin
William Edmund Butterworth III (November 10, 1929 – February 12, 2019), better known by his pen name W. E. B. Griffin, was an American writer of military and detective fiction with 59 novels in seven series published under that name. Twenty-one ...
, in his 1986 novel ''Semper Fi'', describes in great detail the difficulties that cosmoline removal presented to a typical group of
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
officer candidates in the months leading up to U.S. involvement in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Aging and removal
Freshly applied cosmoline, or that which is
hermetically sealed in a plastic bag or
shrink wrap, retains its
grease-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 its
volatile hydrocarbon 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.
[Aqueous Parts Washer Applicatio]
"Cosmoline Removal"
Retrieved on June 2, 2015
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 CO
2 particles 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 as
WD-40
WD-40 is an American brand and the trademark of a penetrating oil manufactured by the WD-40 Company based in San Diego, California. The formula for WD-40 was invented for the Rocket Chemical Company as early as 1953 before it evolved into the ...
or
CRC 5-56 CLP) sprayed and allowed to soak in until cosmoline is restored to a viscous-fluid state allows it to be wiped off. A closed-cabinet
parts washer
A parts washer is a piece of equipment used to remove contaminants or debris, such as dirt, grime, carbon, oil, grease, metal chips, cutting fluids, mold release agents, ink, paint, and corrosion from workpieces. Parts washers are used in new ...
may 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 used
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
or other handy petroleum-based solvent (such as
kerosene
Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...
) 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.
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 that
talcum powder 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 using
ultrasonic cleaning systems.
See also
*
Marvel Mystery Oil
Marvel Mystery Oil is an automotive product of the American Marvel Oil Company, founded by Burt Pierce in 1923. It is used as a fuel additive, oil additive, corrosion inhibitor, penetrating oil, and transmission leak stopper and seal relubricato ...
*
Oil additive
Oil additives are chemical compounds that improve the lubricant performance of base oil (or oil "base stock"). The manufacturer of many different oils can utilize the same base stock for each formulation and can choose different additives for each ...
*
Truscon Laboratories
Truscon Laboratories was a research and development chemical laboratory of the Trussed Concrete Steel Company ("Truscon") of Detroit, Michigan. It made waterproofing liquid chemical products that went into or on cement and plaster. The products ...
*
Volatile corrosion inhibitor
A volatile corrosion inhibitor (VCI) is a material that protects metals from corrosion. V.VCI is also called Vacuum VCI meaning they have special properties of performance in vacuum as well as corrosion protection properties. Corrosion inhibitors ...
*
Hot-dip galvanizing
Hot-dip galvanization is a form of galvanization. It is the process of coating iron and steel with zinc, which alloys with the surface of the base metal when immersing the metal in a bath of molten zinc at a temperature of around . When expose ...
*
Tinning
Tinning is the process of thinly coating sheets of wrought iron or steel with tin, and the resulting product is known as tinplate. The term is also widely used for the different process of coating a metal with solder before soldering.
It is most ...
*
Iron pillar of Delhi
The iron pillar of Delhi is a structure high with a diameter that was constructed by Chandragupta II (reigned c. 375–415 AD), and now stands in the Qutb complex at Mehrauli in Delhi, India.Finbarr Barry Flood, 2003"Pillar, palimpsets, and pr ...
*
Cathodic Protection for Vehicles
References
* {{cite book , first=Gene Eric , last=Salecker , title=Rolling Thunder Against the Rising Sun: The Combat History of US Army Tank Battalions in the Pacific in World War II , location=Mechanicsburg, PA , publisher=Stackpole Books , year=2008 , isbn=978-0811703147 , oclc=170058124 , page
13an
18?)
External links
Official How To Documents for CosmolineOfficial MSDS and Tech Data Sheet for Industrial Grade CosmolineRevision 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 1-3The More You Know: Cosmoline Chemistry
Corrosion prevention
Firearm terminology
Petroleum products