Exposition : « Quand la rouille illumine l'acier »

The origin of self-spinning steels lies in CorTen or Cor-Ten steel, a trademark registered in 1933 by the American company United States Steel Corporation (US Steel) to meet the specific needs of its railway customers. The name was formed by the contraction of the two main characteristics of this steel (Corrosion resistance and Tensile strength). It has now entered common parlance, like Frigidaire for a refrigerator. The family of self-smoothing steels, which is not limited to Corten, such as Arcelor-Mittal's Indaten, refers to a range of steels characterised by the progressive formation of an oxide layer: rust.
By forming on the surface of the metal object, it offers resistance to corrosion and does not require the application of paint or other protective treatments.
In several sectors of activity, industry and construction, the lack of maintenance has led to a growing popularity. Self-smoothing steels are constantly being put to new uses, making them more and more familiar in architecture and urban development, but also as a material of choice for sculptors.

Curator of the exhibition: Mr Jean-Philippe PASSAQUI, Professor at the Lycée militaire d'Autun and associate researcher at the Institut d'Histoire Moderne et Contemporaine-UMR8066.

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