ʻO nā kila Corten kahi hui o nā kila kila i hoʻomohala ʻia e pale aku i ka pena a hoʻomohala i kahi hiʻohiʻona paʻa e like me ka ʻōpala inā e ʻike ʻia i ke aniau no kekahi mau makahiki. He mea hoʻonanea maikaʻi ʻo Corten, kahi ʻano nui o ia mea he "ola" - pane ʻo ia i kona kaiapuni a me kona kūlana a hoʻololi e like me ia. ʻO ka "rust" o ke kila corten he papa oxide paʻa i hana ʻia ke ʻike ʻia i ka wā.
Hiki ke pili i ka kaulana o Corten i kona ikaika, lōʻihi, kūpono, a me ka hoʻopiʻi nani. Ma waho aʻe o kona ikaika kiʻekiʻe, he kila haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa loa ke kila corten. No ka mea, pale ʻo Coreten i nā hopena ʻino o ka ua, ka hau, ka hau, ka noe, a me nā ʻano meteorological ʻē aʻe ma o ka hana ʻana i kahi uhi oxidizing ʻeleʻele ʻeleʻele ma luna o ka metala, no laila ke keʻakeʻa nei i ke komo hohonu ʻana a hoʻopau i ka pono o ka pena a me ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻōpala i nā makahiki. ʻO ka ʻōlelo maʻalahi, ʻo ka ʻōpala kila, a me ka ʻōpala ke hana i kahi uhi pale e hoʻolohi i ka wikiwiki o ka ʻino e hiki mai ana.
ʻO Corten ma kahi o ʻekolu manawa ʻoi aku ke kumukūʻai ma mua o ka pā kila māmā maʻamau. He ʻano like nō naʻe i ka wā hou, no laila ʻaʻole ia he manaʻo maikaʻi ʻole e kiʻi i kahi hōʻoia e pili ana i kāu mea e uku ai, no ka mea ʻaʻole e hōʻike ʻia ka hiʻohiʻona paʻa iā ia iho no hoʻokahi ʻumi a ʻelua paha.
Ma ke ʻano he metala kumu, ua like ke kumukūʻai ʻo Corten me nā metala e like me ka zinc a i ʻole ke keleawe. ʻAʻole ia e hoʻokūkū me nā pale maʻamau e like me nā pōhaku lepo, nā lāʻau a me nā mea hana, akā hiki ke hoʻohālikelike ʻia me ka pōhaku a i ʻole ke aniani.