Corten steel has a protective rust layer and is resistant to atmospheric corrosion. It can be used to manufacture low-alloy structural steels for steel structures such as vehicles, bridges, towers, and containers. Compared with general structural carbon steel, corten steel has better corrosion resistance in the atmosphere. Compared with stainless steel, weathering steel has only a small amount of alloying elements, such as phosphorus, copper, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, etc. The total amount of alloying elements is only a few percent, unlike stainless steel, which reaches 100%. Ten percent, so the price is relatively low.
The addition of phosphorus, copper, chromium, nickel and other trace elements to the steel will form a dense and highly adherent protective film on the surface of the steel, hinder the spread and development of rust, and protect the substrate below the rust layer to slow its corrosion rate. An amorphous spinel oxide layer of about 50 μm to 100 μm thick formed between the rust layer and the substrate is dense and has good adhesion to the base metal. The presence of this dense oxide film prevents oxygen and The infiltration of water into the steel substrate slows down the development of rust into the steel material and greatly improves the atmospheric corrosion resistance of the corten steel.
