Rust rules!
What does CorTen steel mean?
COR-rosion resistance : corrosion resistance
TEN-sile strength : tensile strength
It was developed by US Steel with the aim of creating weather-resistant (also called weather-resistant) steel. It is a metal alloy consisting of iron to which copper, silicon, nickel and chromium have been added.
Properties CorTen steel
Characteristic of CorTen steel is the brown-orange rust color and the long life.
By adding the other metals to the iron, a solid rust layer develops at CorTen steel, the oxide skin, which shields the deeper material from oxygen. In contrast to normal steel, the rust formation is therefore not wear and tear, but rather a protection of the steel.
The solid rust layer that has to develop will take 2 to 6 months, depending on the weather. After this, the CorTen steel no longer gives off rust (water).
Faster start-up of the rust process
Speeding up and rusting more evenly is possible with a salt or acid solution. For salt, table salt will suffice and for acid you can think of vinegar. Mix this with water in a plant sprayer and inject the product.
Advantages of CorTen Steel
- nice appearance and gets a warm rust color
- very durable (lasts about 10x longer than regular steel)
- very strong material (similar to stainless steel)
- does not require treatment
- it is 100% recyclable
Disadvantages of CorTen steel
- rust water that is released in the beginning can cause rust spots on eg tiles
- relatively expensive material