Weathering steel, best-known under the trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as "Corten steel", is a group of steelalloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years.
"Weathering" means that due to their chemical compositions, these steels exhibit increased resistance to atmospheric corrosion compared to other steels. This is because the steel forms a protective layer on its surface under the influence of the weather. The corrosion-retarding effect of the protective layer is produced by the particular distribution and concentration of alloying elements in it. The layer protecting the surface develops and regenerates continuously when subjected to the influence of the weather. In other words, the steel is allowed to rust in order to form the 'protective' coating.
Weathering steel is popularly used in outdoor sculptures, such as in the large Chicago Picasso sculpture, and as exterior facades, for its rustic antique appearance. Examples include The Angel of the North, Gateshead, UK and the Humanities and Arts complex at Leeds Metropolitan University - Broadcasting Place - Leeds, UK
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