One Monroe EFI, headquartered in Canton, MA, offers bolts in a wide range of materials to suit any application. However, stainless bolts are highly popular for many applications in the aerospace, automotive, marine, military, and commercial food industries because of their ability to resist corrosion. In addition to this attractive characteristic, stainless steel bolts are considered one of the best all-around fasteners because stainless steel provides good strength at a cost-efficient price.
When considering stainless bolts for your application, remember that:
- The higher the type number, the greater the corrosion resistance.
- The greater the corrosion resistance, 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 many finishes available. The most commonly used stainless grades are 18-8 (basic stainless), 304, and 316–so 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 are often used interchangeably.
If you’d like to know more about stainless bolts, talk to the stainless steel experts here at One Monroe EFI. They’ll be happy to find the right fastener for your application.
