ASTM A588 Corten Weathering Steel

Weathering steel is a kind of alloy steel, which can form a relatively dense rust layer on the surface after several years of outdoor exposure, so it does not need to be painted for protection. Weathering steel is best known as "COR-TEN", which is abbreviated as "Corrosion resistance" (corrosion resistance) and "Tensile strength" (tensile strength), so it is often referred to as "Corten Steel" in English. Different stainless steels can be completely rust-free, and weathering steels are only oxidized on the surface and will not penetrate deep into the interior, and have anti-corrosion characteristics like copper or aluminum.

The weathering resistance of weathering steel is due to the specially designed chemical composition and chemical composition distribution, which enables it to form a protective layer on the surface of the material under the influence of environmental weather, and is more resistant to corrosion and weathering than most steel grades (such as stainless steel).

The specially designed distribution of alloying elements in the weathering steel provides a protective layer, which in turn produces a corrosion-inhibiting effect. The protective layer on the surface of weathering steel will slowly grow and regenerate with the influence of weather. In short, this type of steel forms a protective layer by producing rust on the surface.

ASTM A588
Alloy A 588 has a yield strength of 50 kpsi (340 MPa) and an ultimate tensile strength of 70 k for all rolled sections and sheets up to 4 in. (100 mm) thick pounds per square inch (480 megapascals). Sheets in the thickness range of 4 to 5 inches (100 to 130 mm) have a yield strength of at least 46 thousand pounds per square inch (320 MPa) and an ultimate tensile strength of at least 67 thousand pounds per square inch (460 MPa). megapascals). Sheets with a thickness of 5-8 inches (127-203 mm) shall have a yield strength of at least 42 thousand pounds per square inch (290 MPa) and an ultimate tensile strength of at least 63 thousand pounds per square inch (430 MPa). megapascals).

Due to its unique rough appearance and antique-like rust, weathering steel is widely used for artistic purposes such as sculpture and architecture.

Weathering steel is not afraid of the sun and rain, and it is very suitable for public art, outdoor sculpture and building exterior wall decoration in carving. The more famous ones are "Chicago's Picasso", "Pivot", "Angel of the North", Manasseh Kadishman's "Suspended", Robert Indiana's Hebrew version of "LOVE" and so on.

Weathering steel is also used in buildings, constructions, bridges or other huge structures for both corrosion resistance, structural support and artistic value. For example, the first building using weathering steel in 1964, the John Dieu World Headquarters, the Australian Contemporary Art Center, the Old and New Art Museum in Tasmania, the Barclays Center, the main building of Odense University, the New River Gorge Bridges, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, poles supporting overhead cables in Denmark, and more. But there are also function-only applications such as sheet pile parts for the M25 motorway in the UK.

In ocean shipping, weathering steel is used to make shipping containers.