Corten simbi ikirasi yealloy simbi, mushure memakore akati wandei ekuratidzwa kwekunze inogona kuumba yakaomesesa ngura layer pamusoro, saka haidi kuve yakapendwa kudzivirirwa. Mazhinji masimbi akadzika-alloy anowanzoita ngura kana kupera nekufamba kwenguva kana akaiswa muhunyoro mumvura kana mumhepo. Ngura iyi inova porous uye inodonha kubva pamusoro pesimbi. Inopesana nekuora kunowanikwa nemamwe masimbi akaderera alloy.
Corten simbi inodzivirira kuparara kwemvura, chando, chando, mhute, uye mamwe mamiriro ekunze nekugadzira yakasviba oxidizing coating pamusoro pesimbi. Corten simbi imhando yesimbi ine yakawedzera phosphorus, mhangura, chromium, nickel uye molybdenum. Aya ma alloys anonatsiridza kuomarara kwemuchadenga kwesimbi inonaya nekugadzira danda rekudzivirira pamusoro payo.
Corten simbi haidziviri zvachose ngura, asi kana yachembera, ine yakakwira corrosion resistance (inenge yakapetwa kaviri iyo yekabhoni simbi). Mumashandisirwo mazhinji esimbi yemamiriro ekunze, iyo inodzivirira ngura dhizaini inowanzo gadzira yakasikwa mushure memakore 6-10 ekuratidzwa kwechisikigo kune chinhu (zvichienderana nehuwandu hwekuratidzwa). Iyo corrosion rate haina kuderera kusvika iyo inodzivirira kugona kweiyo ngura layer yaratidzwa, uye yekutanga flash rust ichasvibisa iyo pachayo uye dzimwe nzvimbo dziri pedyo.