How does the Statue of Liberty not rust?

The Statue of Liberty has majestically stood 93 meters (305 feet) above New York Harbor since 1886. Knowing that corrosion can occur when one metal (iron) meets another (copper), U.S. engineers avoided the problem by separating the iron from the copper in the statue with a layer of shellac-coated asbestos.

Will the Statue of Liberty rust away?

The Statue of Liberty is composed of several metals. The exterior layer of the statue is made of a metal alloy consisting of bronze and copper. Despite these measures, copper and iron cannot avoid oxygen’s “radical” nature and the Statue of Liberty will never be safe from corrosion.

How do they maintain the Statue of Liberty?

A team of 24 people from the National Park Service maintains the Statue of Liberty. The NPS also relies on several contractors who perform maintenance work on the monument.

How much is the Statue of Liberty worth in scrap?

With the iron framing and the copper sheets, saddles, and rivets combined, the Statue of Liberty is worth about only $230,000 dollars in scrap.

What happened to the Statue of Liberty to cause its decay?

It was science. A natural weathering process — called oxidation — took place when air and water reacted with the copper plates. Over time, the weathering of the copper created a thin layer of copper carbonate called a patina.

How long will it take for the Statue of Liberty to corrode?

The speed at which the patina develops (20 years, in the case of the Statue of Liberty) and color depends on the humidity and air pollution, not just the presence of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Patina develops and evolves over time.

Who maintains the Statue of Liberty?

the National Park Service
Learn and Explore. The Statue of Liberty National Monument is administered by staff of the National Park Service, an agency of the federal government located within the United States Department of the Interior.

Why is the Statue of Liberty preserved?

In 1886, The Statue of Liberty Monument was a given to the United States from France to celebrate the friendship the two endured during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has symbolized the freedom and the democracy of the United States.

What is under copper in Statue of Liberty?

Lady Liberty is made of copper 3/32 inches thick, which is the same as putting two pennies together, but it has naturally oxidised over time to form the green ‘patina’ coating. This coating actually protects the copper behind it from naturally wearing away.

What happened to the torch on the Statue of Liberty?

They replaced the rusting iron armature bars (which joined the copper skin to the Statue’s internal skeleton) with stainless steel bars. The flame and upper portion of the torch had been severely damaged by water and was replaced with an exact replica of Bartholdi’s original torch.

Why does the Statue of Liberty have a green coating?

The Statue’s copper has naturally oxidized to form its familiar “patina” green coating. This patina is as thick, in many places, as the copper behind it and is protecting the copper from naturally wearing away.

What happened to the Statue of Liberty’s skin?

Workers repaired holes in the copper skin and removed layers of paint from the interior of the copper skin and internal iron structure. They replaced the rusting iron armature bars (which joined the copper skin to the Statue’s internal skeleton) with stainless steel bars.

How did they restore the Statue of Liberty in 1984?

A worker inside the Statue’s interior making improvements during the 1980s restoration. A worker near the Statue’s face during restoration circa 1984. Workers repaired holes in the copper skin and removed layers of paint from the interior of the copper skin and internal iron structure.