Intsimbi yeCorten yintsapho yeentsimbi ezithambileyo eziqulethe izinto ezongezelelweyo ze-alloying ezixutywe nekhabhoni kunye neeathom zentsimbi. Kodwa ezi zinto ze-alloying zinika i-weathering steel amandla angcono kunye nokumelana nokunyuka kwe-corrosion kunamabanga aqhelekileyo ensimbi. Ke ngoko, intsimbi ye-corten ihlala isetyenziswa kwizicelo zangaphandle okanye kwindawo apho intsimbi eqhelekileyo ithanda ukurusa.
Yaqala ukubonakala ngeminyaka yoo-1930 kwaye yayisetyenziswa ikakhulu kwiikhareji zamalahle zikaloliwe. Intsimbi yemozulu (igama eliqhelekileyo leCorten, kunye nentsimbi yemozulu) isasetyenziswa kakhulu kwizikhongozeli ngenxa yokuqina kwayo. Izicelo zobunjineli boluntu ezavela emva kweminyaka yoo-1960 zathatha ithuba elithe ngqo lokuxhathisa okuphuculweyo kweCorten, kwaye akuzange kuthathe xesha lide ukuba izicelo kulwakhiwo zibonakale.
Iipropati zeCorten zibangelwa ukunyanzeliswa ngokucophelela kwezinto ezixutywayo zongezwa kwintsimbi ngexesha lokuvelisa. Yonke intsimbi eveliswa yindlela ephambili (ngamanye amazwi, ukusuka kwintsimbi yentsimbi kunokuba i-scrap) iveliswa xa intsimbi inyibilika kwisithando somlilo kwaye iyancipha kwisiguquli. Umxholo wekhabhoni uyancitshiswa kwaye isinyithi esibangelwayo (ngoku siyintsimbi) sincinci kwaye sinomthwalo ophezulu womthwalo kunangaphambili.
Uninzi lweentsimbi ze-alloy eziphantsi ziyarusa ngenxa yobukho bomoya kunye nokufuma. Ukuba oku kwenzeka ngokukhawuleza kangakanani kuya kuxhomekeka ekubeni kungakanani ukufuma, ioksijini kunye nezingcolisi zomoya ezidibana nomphezulu. Ngentsimbi yemozulu, njengoko inkqubo iqhubeka, i-rust layer yenza umqobo othintela ukuhamba kwezinto ezingcolileyo, umswakama kunye ne-oxygen. Oku kuya kunceda ukulibazisa inkqubo yokurusa ukusa kumlinganiselo othile. Lo maleko umhlwa uya kwahlula kwintsimbi emva kwexesha. Njengoko uya kuba nako ukuqonda, oku kuya kuba ngumjikelo ophindaphindiweyo.