This paper presents a new and efficient algorithm for the decomposition of 3D arbitrary triangle meshes into surface patches. The algorithm is based on the curvature tensor field analysis and presents two distinct complementary steps: a region based segmentation, which is an improvement of that presented in Lavoue et al. [Lavoue G, Dupont F, Baskurt A. Constant curvature region decomposition of 3D-meshes by a mixed approach vertex-triangle, J WSCG 2004;12(2):245–52] and which decomposes the object into known and near constant curvature patches, and a boundary rectification based on curvature tensor directions, which corrects boundaries by suppressing their artifacts or discontinuities. Experiments were conducted on various models including both CAD and natural objects, results are satisfactory. Resulting segmented patches, by virtue of their properties (known curvature, clean boundaries) are particularly adapted to computer graphics tasks like parametric or subdivision surface fitting in an adaptive compression objective.