text: Mill scale is sought after by select abstract expressionist artists as its effect on steel can cause unpredicted and seemingly random abstract organic visual effects.  Although the majority of mill scale is removed from steel during its passage through scale breaker rolls during manufacturing, smaller structurally inconsequential residue can be visible. Leveraging this processing vestige by accelerating its corrosive effects through the metallurgical use of phosphoric acid or in conjunction with selenium dioxide can create a high contrast visual substrate onto which other compositional elements can be added.