Corroding Materials

In the a project ("The Big Picture") I felt the need to delve deep into the materiality of a structure that would not only be in almost constant contact with crashing seawater, but also corrode slowly enough that this structure would last more than just one year (it was however, always the plan to have this structure corrode and wither away, part of the story of it all). The following is excerpts of my material exploration and experimentation:

I took five metals: Tin (Top Left) , Brass (Top Right) , Aluminum (Lower Left) , Steel (Lower Middle) , and Copper (Lower Right) And soaked them in a Saline solution then let them rest for two weeks to test the effects of salt water on the corrosion and weathering of different metals.

Brass stayed relatively unweathered and uncorroded in comparison to the other metals, despite its thinness. This could be attributed to it being a Copper-Zinc Alloy, both metals known for their corrosion resistance and anti-rusting properties.

Aluminium is notoriously corrosion resistant due to the creation of a protective, impermeable layer of Aluminum-Oxide on the surface.

Tin corroded due to the saltwater which created oxidisation layers on the surface.

Steel was the metal that corroded and rusted the most out of all of them, this could be due to the iron reacting with the saltwater, which causes accelerated rust and corrosion due to the presence of chloride.

Copper creates an impermeable layer of Copper-Oxide and Verdigris, protecting it from weathering and eroding for long periods of time, this explains its historical use as roofing and as a skin for permanent installations such as the statue of liberty.