Rouge in polishing media - effect on powder

[MikeSD]

I have always used untreated crushed walnut shells. I have seen some mfgs. put rouge in with the walnut shells. Far too messy for me to use but I was wondering:

Does the rouge, in any way, affect the shelf-life of a loaded cartridge?

Thanks

 

[buck460XVR]

Rouge is ferric oxide. Kinda no different than using a steel case to hold the powder/bullet. Walnut/Corncob dust itself would have more effect probably as they could affect combustion.

 

[Ifishsum]

I've wondered the same thing - I have some but only used it once on some really ugly 5.56 brass (shot from a suppressed M4) that corncob media wasn't working well on. It's super messy, but the brass tumbled in the rouge/walnut shell media came out really nice and clean, with a rich gold color. I'd think the rouge itself is pretty well inert as far as reacting with the powder, but it is a very fine abrasive. Not sure if enough would get down the barrel to have any effect.

 

[MikeSD]

Rouge is ferric oxide. Kinda no different than using a steel case to hold the powder/bullet.

Except that "ferric oxide" is more like "rust" than virgin steel That's why I asked the question. oxides are new material created by oxidation. derivatives aren't always the same as the original. The other reason is because "rouge" might just be a common term and not specifically a chemical name. Not all Kleenex are the same.

But I suspect the answer is still correct.

PS: I have also read that it might have an effect on a sizing die, although I can't imagine that a small amount of rouge could impact a carbide sizing die.

 

[buck460XVR]

Except that "ferric oxide" is more like "rust" than virgin steel That's why I asked the question. oxides are new material created by oxidation. derivatives aren't always the same as the original. The other reason is because "rouge" might just be a common term and not specifically a chemical name. Not all Kleenex are the same.

Ferric Oxide consists of iron and oxygen. In any steel cased cartridge the powder will be exposed to....iron and oxygen.

Jewelers Rouge used in polishing media is still Jewelers Rouge(Ferric Oxide) and not Kleenex.

That said, do you really think any legitimate company that sells reloading components/supplies would include any harmful/detrimental additive to their media?

 

[GLOOB]

rouge might just be a common term and not specifically a chemical name.

I've seen a seller listing buffing compounds as "[green/white/black] rouge." But it's pretty rare to see someone make that mistake. Rouge is the French word for red. So green rouge is a misnomer if there ever was. When it comes to buffing compound, rouge should always be ferric oxide. But that's just my opinion.

BTW, many of the other hard metal oxides are colorless. Chromium oxide and alum oxide, for instance. Any coloration of those compounds is just an added water soluble pigment. I prefer to mess with rouge as little as possible. Ferric oxide is one of the most chromatic pigments known to man, and it's near completely water insoluble. Stains are removable with acids, but it's hard to completely remove this stuff from anything porous that it touches.

 

[brickeyee]

Rouge is one of the softest surface polishes.

One of the reasons it is used on gold (also very soft).

With walnut shells it makes an excellent polish for brass cases.

 

[Conservidave]

Just run the cases through some corn cob or untreated media for a few minutes to clean the rouge off and put a shine on them. After you lube and resize, run them through the untreated media again for another 20-30 minutes for a great shine.

Dave,

 

[cordercorral]

How much of each in a bowl?

 

[rcmodel]

It has no effect!

Or all the reloading equipment manufactures would not be selling it!!!

In the grand scheme of things to worry about, even a little?

That's not it.

rc