Why can weathering steel rust but not rot?
Weathering steel is different from ordinary steel. At the beginning, it will also rust on the surface like ordinary steel. Due to its higher degree of alloying, the process is even faster than with regular steel.
However, because the internal crystal lattice of weathering steel is more complex, a dark black dense rust layer will grow under the loose rust on the surface.
In this dense rust layer, nickel atoms replace the positions of some iron atoms, making the rust layer cation selective and resisting the penetration of corrosive anions.
It is this dense layer of rust that prevents the weathering steel from continuing to corrode even though it is rusted on the surface.
In fact, as long as you distinguish carefully, you can see that the surface of weathering steel is different from ordinary rust: the rust of weathering steel is uniform and dense, close to the surface of the steel and protecting the steel; while the rust is mottled, loose and porous. It will fall apart when touched.
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