A rare and unique piece of art work at the West Park development on the outskirts of Darlington involved installing 61 linear meters of curved edging strip 400mm wide x 15mm thick rolled to various diametersCOR-TEN' is the material used on the Angel of the North. It is a copper rich carbon steel which gives the appearance of rust forming on the surface
but never actually corrodes.
The alloying elements used, eg chrome and copper, react to produce a 'patina' (or oxide film) which is much more dense and therefore adheres tightly to the base metal. As the oxidation process develops over time, the 'patina' impedes the access of oxygen and moisture to the metal surface, thus reducing the rusting process considerably, giving increased performance to the steel.
Cor-Ten has been used extensively throughout the world where environmental considerations have been of prime importance, such as the necessity to blend high strength steel structures with the natural environment. Cor-Ten is the nearest thing to 'living steel' similar to wood and stone it weathers and ages over time.
