COR-TEN
Sweet Home is constructed with COR-TEN steel, a material patented by the United States Steel Corporation in 1933, which introduced it as low-alloy steel with 0.2-0.5% copper, 0.5-1.5% chromium, and 0.1-0.2% phosphorus.
Over the years, the composition has undergone some modifications, such as the introduction of 0.4% nickel, the reduction of phosphorus to 0.04%, as well as the addition of small amounts of other elements capable of improving its mechanical strength.
The name COR-TEN is derived from the main characteristics of COR-TEN steel:
high corrosion resistance (CORrosion resistance)
high tensile strength (TENsile strength)
The characteristic of COR-TEN is its ability to self-protect from electrochemical corrosion by forming a compact, passivating surface patina composed of oxides of its alloying elements. This avoids the progressive spread of corrosion, and over time, this film typically takes on a brownish hue.
The oxidation of COR-TEN steel occurs over six months, but if the material is sandblasted and subjected to various cycles of wetting and drying, oxidation is accelerated.
Sweet Home appears rusted, and the surface component that creates this coloration is characteristic of the protective passivation that ensures durability over time.