Corten is a weathering steel, which is commonly used in projects where painting is not required or not preferred. When exposed to weather, Corten Steel (COR-TEN™) forms a stable rust-like appearance and due to its specific mix of steel alloys, it continues to resist corrosion due to harsh weather conditions for many years.
Corten gets the name ”weathering Steel” due to its ability to form a protective layer on its surface as a result of being exposed to atmospheric conditions. Due to its chemical composition, it is able to resist atmospheric corrosion better than other forms of mild steel.
The protective layer forms as a result of the specific concentration and distribution of the element alloys in it, and the protective surface layer develops and regenerates continuously as the steel forms rust.
With the rising popularity of aged and weathered looking outdoor structures, so too is the popularity of Corten Steel. Also known as ’weathered Steel’, or ’COR-TEN ™’, this very durable material can be used for many different purposes in an outdoor landscape setting. With a number of considerations to take into account that vary from other mild steel projects, Metalmac can produce top quality customised Corten Steel fabrications for any purpose.
Because of its rustic visual appeal, Corten is commonly used for some of the following examples:
| Planter Boxes | Doors | Lighting | Gates |
| Fences | Retaining Walls | Landscape Artwork |
Corten Steel was originally developed in 1933 and patented by the United States Steel Corporation. Not along after this, the developers realised that this steel had unique controlled corrosion properties and applied the trademark name Cor-Ten.
Due to the exceptional mechanical resistance of corten, it was used early on in railroad passenger cars both painted and un-painted, storage containers and for bulk transport purposes.
See Full Article here: COR-TEN Steel. as seen on https://metalmac.com.au
