Characteristics of Corten steel Corten steel is steel to which a relatively large amount of copper has been added and relatively
small amounts of other materials (including nickel Ni, chromium Cr and phosphorus P). This results in a great increase in
corrosion resistance in the untreated state, and in an increase intensile strength. The corrosion resistance increases because the
copper causes a dense, stable layer of oxide toform after a period of time that protects the underlying metal quite well. With
regular steel the oxide layer is not dense and the oxidation process continues without decreasing!
