Smoke Grenades Rusting Through Body.

[ron3350]

I think this subject was discussed on a forum before BUT has anybody discovered how to preserve a used steel -bodied Smoke Grenade when the chemicals have penetrated the steel and ruin the surface with a wet rust patch if left for a few years . You can rub or wipe the area but it will deteriorate till it destroys itself if left un-attended.
I refer to M18 USA smoke grenades and any other steel body grenades.Aluminium ones seem to be OK from damage.

I thought of a rust converter rotated inside for some time and then emptied out and dried. Maybe some layer of filler or paint inside??
Any help or ideas are appreciated as some of my nice items are deteriorating into wet rusted spots on the outside through the body. Ron.

 

[BMG50]

Smoke if fired either grenade or 2" mortar needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, as soon as the damp is drawn into the soot then the rot starts, this applies to modern Brit smoke grenades. The soot has to be cleaned thoroughly then sprayed with a WD40 or penetrating oil. Sometimes in some smoke grenades and mortar rounds the compound is compressed in cardboard which is difficult to remove or has also been contaminated with moisture, another thing to remove. I have held mint smoke in my hands only to crumble in my very hands.
I did have a mint 2 inch smoke which had its active compound removed but rust kept appearing in a certain spot no matter how i cleaned it, either with spot blast cleaning and rust chemicals. I think the original compound was quite corrosive but saying that the rest of the mortar was rust free after being in contact for more than 80 years.

The only way to support a smoke if it is holed and properly cleaned of corrosion would be to slosh the inside with resin to give the the body support.