The name “corten” refers to the two distinctive properties of steel: corrosion resistance and tensile strength. The name “CorTen” refers to a weathering steel alloy material produced by United States Steel.
During the 1930s, U.S. Steel developed a product called Corten Steel. Corten Steel was originally designed to help build railroad coal wagons. During the 1960s, coal wagons became a popular material for outdoor art projects due to their success.
Speaking of Corten Steel, specialized Corten Steel is used for proper functioning. Cortensteeltube.com Is one leading Manufacturer, Supplier & Stockist Of Corten Steel ASTM A423 Grade 1 Tubes.
Cor-Ten was discovered only in the 1960s. Eero Saarinen, the architect of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the TWA Flight Centre at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, pioneered the use of this weathering steel.
It is of brown-orange steel. The coloration is caused by the self-protecting rust layer that naturally forms over time. Once it has matured, this layer protects against corrosion. The metal oxide is called a « patina ». Corten steel is a metal that changes over time under the influence of atmospheric conditions.
Corten steel, also known as Korten, is a steel with a rusty appearance that has very aesthetic qualities and is being increasingly used in the design. It is found particularly in buildings (architecture and construction), in public spaces (street furniture) or to make upmarket works of art, signs, chimineas, and fire bowls.
Corten steel is a brown-orange steel. The coloration is due to the self-protecting rust layer that naturally forms over time. Once it has matured, this layer of metal oxide is called a « patina ». Corten steel is a metal that changes over time under the influence of atmospheric conditions. Due to its chemical properties, rusty corten steel is also known as weathering steel and self-healing steel.
Its name « COR-TEN » comes from its two main properties: CORrosion resistance and tensile strength.
What causes corten steel to rust?
The composition of rusty steel
As a result of the addition of phosphorus, copper, chromium, and nickel-molybdenum, corten steel is more resistant to atmospheric corrosion. These alloys create a protective patina on the surface, protecting the steel from corrosion. It usually takes between one and three years for this patina to form, depending on the climate and the alternation of wet and dry periods that help it stick. The phosphorus in this protective layer regenerates continuously on the surface and forms a barrier against moisture, oxygen, and pollution.
The formation of the patina
Metals such as conventional steel form rust on their surfaces when they are moist and exposed to air. When this rust dries, it becomes porous and detaches from the metal leaving it vulnerable to another cycle of rust.
Corten steel rusts exactly the same way, except it does not regenerate itself. The addition of the alloys discussed above results in rust that adheres more tightly. As a result of the succession of wet and dry periods acting on corten steel, corrosion occurs on its surface until a layer of metal oxide forms that is both protective and resistant. When this layer matures, it no longer gets any marks and makes the steel less permeable.
The orange-brown colored patina that forms this way is not perfectly consistent all over. Bad weather can also slow or disrupt its formation. For example, sea air does not create an effective protective layer. Moreover, rust cannot stabilize in this environment due to the high concentration of corrosive products.
What is the reason for the lack of rust on my corten steel?
Corten steel is quite easy to work with for all types of projects. Corten steel panels are sold as milled steel so we can avoid damaging the laser head during cutting. On arrival, this means you can assemble projects by welding or screwing several metal plates together. Corten MIG welder wire will be required if you wish to weld corten steel.
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