What does CorTen steel mean?
COR-rosion resistance : corrosion resistance
TEN-sile strength : tensile strength
It has been developed by US Steel with the aim of creating weatherproof steel. It is a metal alloy consisting of iron to which copper, silicon, nickel and chromium have been added.
CorTen steel properties
Characteristic of CorTenstaal is the brown-orange rust color and the long lifespan.
Through the addition of the other metals to the iron, CorTen steel develops a solid layer of rust, the oxide skin, which shields the deeper material from oxygen. In contrast to ordinary steel, corrosion is not a wear, but rather a protection of the steel.
The solid rust layer that has to develop will, depending on the weather, take 2 to 6 months. After this, the CorTen no longer delivers rust (water).
Faster start-up of the rust process
Accelerating and allowing to rust more evenly is possible with a salt or acid solution.
For salt, kitchen salt works fine and for acid can be thought of vinegar. Mix this with water in a plant spray and inject the product.
Benefits of CorTen steel
• beautiful appearance and gets a warm rust color
• very durable (lasts about 10 times longer than ordinary steel)
• very strong material (similar to stainless steel)
• does not need to be treated
• it is 100% recyclable
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