Generally speaking, polished stainless steel sculpture could not easily rust.   Stainless steel features the ability to resist atmospheric oxidation against acid, alkali, and salt with corrosion resistance. The reason is the thin, strong, dense, and stable chromium-rich oxide protective film on the surface, which could prevent the oxygen atoms from continuing to penetrate and continue to oxidize. So what causes the rust of stainless steel?

304 stainless Corten steel sculpture in a dry and clean atmosphere has absolutely excellent anti-corrosion ability, but it would quickly rust in the seaside weather containing a lot of salt; while the 316 steel is suitable for survival in some coastal cities. Therefore, we generally recommend that our customers near the seashore choose 316 as the raw material for stainless steel sculptures. However, once this film is continuously destroyed for some reason, oxygen atoms in the air or liquid would continue to infiltrate or iron atoms react iron oxide, and the stainless steel surface would continue to be rusted.

      There are many forms of damage to the surface film of stainless steel. The  accumulated dust containing other metal elements or particles could damage the surface of stainless steel. The protective film of modern stainless steel sculpture is damaged is called electrochemical corrosion. The surface of stainless steel adheres to containing acid, alkali, and salt substances such as alkaline water and lime water splashing on the decoration wall), causing local corrosion. 4. In polluted air such as the atmosphere containing a large amount of sulfide, carbon oxide, and nitrogen oxide, it would form sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid liquid spots when encountering condensed water, causing chemical corrosion.