Weathering steel

Trude Ellingsen <trudelutt [at] yahoo__com> writes

>I'm currently carrying out research into the deterioration and
>conservation of weathering steel (Cor-ten) sculpture. As few iron
>alloy sculptures are cast, any information on the manufacture,
>solders and treatment of the welds would be of great help. Another
>area of interest is the effect of environmental factors like bird
>droppings, tree residues and trapped water on the corrosion of
>weathering steel. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how these
>conditions could be simulated experimentally? ...

A good deal of information about weathering steel and its welding is
available at the Bethlehem Lukens Steel web site
<URL:http://www.bethsteel.com/customers/pdfs/weather.pdf>.  My web
site <URL:http://www.greenisles.com/indexmp.htm> has information on
the weathering of weathering steel. On receipt of a mailing address
I will be happy to send a pertinent paper, The Performance of
Weathering Steel in Sculpture.

As for contaminants, in my judgment the work would be more valid if
actual materials were used, rather than simulations.

Patrick Gallagher
Materials Preservation
Sunnyvale, California


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:74
                    Distributed: Friday, May 3, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-74-003
                                  ***