Will metal rust in a container that has been purged of air by filling it with carbon dioxide?
Hi…I’m not an expert here, so ignore me if it seems like anyone else really knows what they’re talking about. CO2 is somewhat acidic, so if any moisture at all gets in, you’ll see some rust. How about using nitrogen? You can get it cheaply from a welding supply shop, and I don’t think it reacts with metals. Is your air tight container really air tight for the long term? I’d just worry that whatever gas you use will slowly leak out over years. If you’re storing parts that can survive being soaked in oil, you could just keep them in an oil bath. Simply greasing/oiling the parts before storage might do the trick…there’s something called Boeshield T9 that I’ve never used myself, but heard good things about. EDIT: the first poster said that nitrogen can react with some metals, which I didn’t know. He’s right that argon is the absolute best, but that’s getting a little exotic.
