Stainless Bolts

stainless boltsStainless bolts are highly popular for a wide range of applications in the aerospace, automotive, and marine industries, as well as for applications in the military and the commercial food industry in part because of their ability to resist corrosion. In addition to this attractive characteristic, stainless steel bolts are considered one of the best all-round fasteners because stainless steel provides good strength at a cost-efficient price. Regardless of your application, if you’re looking for stainless steel bolts, Electronic Fasteners in Canton, MA carries one of the largest inventories of stainless fasteners around.

When considering stainless bolts for your application, remember that:

  • The higher the type number the greater the corrosion resistance
  • The greater the resistance to corrosion the lower the strength of the steel
  • Stainless steel is a relatively poor electrical conductor, making it a good choice for applications requiring low conductivity

Stainless bolts are a workhorse of the fastener industry. Made from a steel alloy that contains a minimum of 10.5 percent chromium, there are many different grades of stainless steel, with a variety of finishes available. The most commonly-used stainless grades are 18-8 (basic stainless), 304 and 316. Which is best for your application? As noted above, the higher the type number, the greater the corrosion-resistance. So, 18-8 stainless is less corrosion-resistant while 304 offers more resistance and 316 even more. As a result, 304 stainless bolts are considered good commercial grade fasteners while 316 stainless is considered marine grade because of its higher corrosion resistance to salt water and rust.

There are actually over two dozen grades of stainless steel, but many are not used for fasteners; for example, 420 and 440 stainless are highly popular knife blade steels but not for stainless bolts. For the sake of simplicity, many fastener product professionals treat 18-8, 304, and A2 stainless grades as nearly identical and they are often used interchangeably.

If you’d like to know more about stainless bolts, talk to the stainless steel experts here at Electronic Fasteners. They’ll be happy to find the right fastener for your application.

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