Stainless steel fasteners are the best choice when you work in a caustic, damp or moist environment. These fasteners resist the formation of rust and corrosion on their surface. The predominant benefits of these fasteners are that they come in a huge variety of grades and types.
What is the importance of the stainless steel grade selection?
The importance of the grade selection lies in the fact that these are quintessentially helpful in determining the following:
- Properties of the material
- Performance of the product
So today we’re going to know about the basics of stainless steel:
What exactly is stainless steel?
Stainless steel is an alloy that has the following constituents:
- Chromium
- Nickel
- Molybdenum
Because of these constituents, the anti-corrosive properties of the material gets enhanced significantly.
Important fact
The layer of the chrome- oxide is accountable for making the stainless steel stainless.
Why should you consider using the fasteners made up of stainless steel?
Usually, people tend to opt up for the stainless steel fasteners if any of the following a matter of concern:
- Corrosion
- Temperature
- Strength
Because of the following characteristics, stainless steel fasteners are the first choice of so many businesses:
- Resistance to corrosion
- Garet ductility
- Good strength and hardness
- Lower magnetic response.
How many types of stainless steel are there?
There are so many types of stainless steel. But the following are the fundamental types:
- Ferritic Stainless steel
- Martensitic Stainless Steel
- Austenitic Stainless steel
- Duplex stainless steel
Grades of Austenitic stainless steel
Austenitic stainless steel has the following grades which make it vary based on the temperature resistance and quality:
- 200 SERIES
- 300 SERIES
Which grade is said to be the most common?
The 300 series is said to be the most common type of austenitic grade. Following grades come under this category, which is commonly relied on and are known as A2 & A4 grades respectively:
- 304
- 316
What is 304 Stainless steel?
With the following proportions of the metals, this series is one of the most customarily used in the different industries:
- Chromium – 18 to 20%
- Nickel – 8 to 12%
Important information
304 Stainless steel grade is also known as the austenitic stainless steel.
Benefits
- Corrosion-resistant
- Oxidation resistant
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Ease of fabrication
- Prevention of the product contamination
- Perfect finish
- Resistant to corrosion
What is 316 stainless steel?
As compared to the 304 series, the 316 has the addition of the following which makes it distinguishable:
Molybdenum – 2 to 3%
Benefits
- Great heat resistance
- Superior costrison resistance
- Best to use in the seawater
- Does not get deteriorated even in the brine solutions
- Higher resistance to the chemical attacks
- Highly durable
- Easy to clean
- Resistant to the acidic solution like sulphuric acid, bromides and fatty acids
- Easy to fabricate and weld
Bottom Line
316 stainless steel grade should be opted up if there is a presence of chlorine in the atmosphere. In other cases, you can surely choose the 304 grade. The purpose of both grades is to protect your fasteners from rust and corrosion.
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