What Is Weathering Steel?

Weather-resistant steel, that is, atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel, is a series of low-alloy steels between ordinary steel and stainless steel. Weather-resistant steel is made of ordinary carbon steel with a small amount of corrosion-resistant elements such as copper and nickel. Properties such as drawing, forming, welding, abrasion, high temperature, fatigue resistance, etc .; weather resistance is 2-8 times that of ordinary carbon steel, and paintability is 1.5-10 times that of ordinary carbon steel. At the same time, it has the characteristics of rust resistance, corrosion resistance and life extension, thinning and consumption reduction, labor saving and energy saving. Weathering steel is mainly used for steel structures used in railways, vehicles, bridges, towers, photovoltaics, high-speed engineering and other long-term exposure to the atmosphere. It is used to manufacture structural parts such as containers, railway vehicles, petroleum derricks, seaport buildings, oil platforms and containers containing hydrogen sulfide corrosive media in chemical petroleum equipment.

Weathering steel

Weather-resistant steel, that is, atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel, is a series of low-alloy steels between ordinary steel and stainless steel. Weather-resistant steel is made of ordinary carbon steel with a small amount of corrosion-resistant elements such as copper and nickel. Properties such as drawing, forming, welding, abrasion, high temperature, fatigue resistance, etc .; weather resistance is 2-8 times that of ordinary carbon steel, and paintability is 1.5-10 times that of ordinary carbon steel. At the same time, it is resistant to rust, making the components resistant to corrosion

It is characterized in that the alloy composition and weight percentage content of weathering steel are: C: 0.12, Si: 0.25 to 0.75, Mn: 0.2 to 0.5, S 0.02, P: 0.06 to 0.12, Cu: 0.25 to 0.5, and Cr: 0.3 ~ 1.25, Ni: 0.12 ~ 0.65, the rest are Fe and trace elements. Through alloying of Cu, Mn, Si, Al, etc., and simple adjustment of some element content of ordinary low carbon steel (Q235 steel), it can produce good atmospheric corrosion resistance without changing the production process conditions of Q235 steel Economical weathering steel with comprehensive mechanical properties.

Weather-resistant steel (that is, atmospheric corrosion-resistant steel) is one of a series of steels at the cutting-edge level of world super-steel technology after being integrated into new metallurgical mechanisms, technologies and processes. Weathering steel is made of ordinary carbon steel with a small amount of copper, nickel and other corrosion-resistant elements. It has the characteristics of toughness, plastic extension, forming, welding, abrasion, high temperature, fatigue and other characteristics of high-quality steel; weathering resistance is 2 ~ 8 times, 1.5 to 10 times the coating properties of ordinary carbon steel, can be used thin, bare or simplified coating. This steel grade is resistant to rust, making the components resistant to corrosion

Engineering example

I. High-performance weathering steel and refractory steel can reduce the maintenance cost of steel structures, and provide new solutions for the fire and corrosion protection of exposed and unprotected steel structures, such as high-voltage electrical tower

2. The manufacturing and installation process of fire-resistant and weather-resistant steel is basically the same as that of conventional steel, and the design method is also the same as that of ordinary steel structure, but more tests are required for verification.

3. High-strength weathering steel has been promoted and applied in bridge engineering, and design theory and methods need to be researched

Fourth, fire-resistant and weather-resistant steel can also be used for floor plates

Weathering steel, as a new generation of advanced steel materials, has atmospheric corrosion resistance 2 to 5 times that of ordinary carbon steel, and the longer it is used, the more prominent the corrosion resistance. Due to its features such as rust resistance, no coating, thinning and consumption reduction, energy saving, etc., it can be applied to steel structures used in buildings, vehicles, bridges, towers and other long-term exposure to the atmosphere, and can also be used to manufacture containers and railway Structural components such as vehicles, oil derricks, harbour buildings, and production platforms.

The "12th Five-Year Plan" for the development of the steel industry shows that the demand for weathering steel in China is gradually increasing, and it is prominent in the construction of railways, highways, and power towers. In developed countries such as the United States and Japan, weathering steel has been widely used. China's weathering steel started late, but with the rapid development of the national economy, the application of weathering steel has attracted great attention from relevant domestic departments. Therefore, the research and development and upgrading of weathering steel and its corrosion resistance are of great practical significance and are also conducive to Promote the upgrading of the product structure of the steel industry.

Weathering steel has good resistance to atmospheric corrosion. Although the initial investment cost of weathering steel is slightly higher than that of ordinary carbon steel, compared with methods such as spraying anticorrosive coating on the surface of ordinary carbon steel, the later maintenance costs of ordinary carbon steel are weathering steel. 1.5-2 times. Therefore, weathering steel can reduce environmental pollution and is a key promotion technology for energy saving and emission reduction. Most domestic weathering steels are painted and used, and their original design intentions of no-painting and "rust prevention" have not been brought into full play. In harsh service environments, weathering steels are difficult to densify the rust layer. In addition, in the initial service period, the appearance of the steel structure is uneven and related problems, so the weathering steel application environment and surface treatment technology have been plagued by weathering steel applications.

The National Pavilion of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The main building's exterior is rusty because the building materials are a special steel called weathering steel. Weathering steel is also known as Corton steel. It is special because it is exposed to the natural environment. After being exposed to air and rain, the steel surface will automatically form a corrosion-resistant protective layer. No paint protection is required. The life of the material is 80. More than years. Following the use of weather-resistant steel as the building's exterior by the Tongji University Sino-French Center in 2004, the Luxembourg Pavilion used it again. After the completion, the Luxembourg Pavilion will present the natural primary colors of weathering steel, and the interior wall of the exhibition hall will be composed of fir trees. The new type of weathering steel and natural fir trees create a sculptural castle, which is not only full of artistic sense, but also harmonizes contemporary concepts of environmental protection and sustainability. At the same time, this also portrays the image of Luxembourg, which is closely related to steel. For more than 100 years, Luxembourg has been famous for its superb steelmaking technology. The steel used to build the Eiffel Tower in Paris came from Luxembourg. All the weathering steel used in the Luxembourg Pavilion will also be imported from Luxembourg. In addition, the weathering steel that builds the entire Luxembourg Pavilion can be recycled 100% after the exhibition hall is dismantled.

The evolution of weathering steel

The Australian pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is made of weathering steel in red ocher color. The weather-resistant steel plate forms a continuous wave of external walls, which represents the coastline of Australia and also reflects their resource advantages in iron ore. Weathering steel is sourced from a mine in Western Australia and produced at a local factory. The pavilion deliberately placed natural ore around the exhibition hall. The floor tiles around the Australian Pavilion are all red. The raw materials of these floor tiles are also produced in the red soil zone. More than ten containers are transported to Shanghai by sea. Inside and out, red not only represents nature, but also reflects the concepts of "industrial" and "urban".