CORTEN STEEL
As the years come and go, the seasons pass and the weather changes, Domani’s corten steel vessels are slowly brought to life. Their colour shifts gradually from steel grey to vibrant orange, then to dark red and finally to deep brown. Corten steel, fittingly also called weathering steel, is continuously transformed by the elements, getting more beautiful as time passes.
The metal alloy consists of iron, to which copper, phosphorus and chromium have been added, making it weather resistant. This resistance is caused by the oxidation that occurs when the metal is exposed to the elements. The wind and rain create the protective outer layer and patina which, in turn, eternally protects the base material against further weathering. In its initial stages, corten steel will shed some of its layer of rust. This process slowly subsides to form a stable base coat.
The oxidation process takes months, or even years, depending on the conditions. This is why all corten steel that we use in our manufacturing process has been treated to achieve the effect of approximately a year of natural ageing. The outcome is a steel structure that can be used outside for decades to come.
