Common Metals Used To Make Stainless Steel Alloys During Fastener Manufacturing

When you choose to buy fasteners such as Inconel carriage bolts and titanium hex tap bolts, it’s normally very easy to take for granted the fact that such fasteners are usually built with a lot of research in mind. This is why it’s always a good idea to buy them from a high quality contractor, […]

When you choose to buy fasteners such as Inconel carriage bolts and titanium hex tap bolts, it’s normally very easy to take for granted the fact that such fasteners are usually built with a lot of research in mind. This is why it’s always a good idea to buy them from a high quality contractor, so that you can benefit from the knowledge that they have on the fasteners.

A good example of this is when you opt to buy steel fasteners. On the surface, steel is just steel, and chances are that you will not worry about what is in it before you buy it. However, the truth of the matter is that the composition of the steel will determine a lot about how the fastener will behave. When you buy them from a quality contractor, you will be able to get all this information, and then use it to figure out which types to get. An example of this is figuring out which type of steel fastener to get depending on the alloy used in manufacturing it. Some of the most common of these include:

Chromium

This is one of the most popular alloying metals for steel. One of the benefits of using chromium is the fact that it forms a thin inert film on the surface of the metal. This way, it gives it a protective coating that will not only keep it shiny but also confer on it resistance to corrosion. In addition to that, alloying steel using chromium also increases the resistance to scaling, as well as increasing the wear resistance of the metal.

 
Manganese

Manganese is a metal that can also be used to create alloys with steel. It’s primarily used in the manufacture of steel fasteners that are going to be used in high temperature settings, such as in a furnace. The quantity of manganese used in the alloying process will determine the changes in structure and function that the device will have. For instance, when the final composition of the alloy contains less than 2% manganese, it usually doesn’t have much change in terms of toughness. However, concentrations more than 2% often result in increases in strength and ductility.

Nickel

Nickel is usually added to stainless steel in order to stabilize it. This final product is usually termed as austenitic steel. Some of the results of using nickel in stainless steel include increasing the strength of the compound when exposed to high temperatures, as well as making it more corrosion resistant. Stainless steel alloyed with nickel is the preferred metal to be used in items that will come into contact with food, such as machines in bakeries and food processing plants.

Other materials that can be used to create alloys with steel include silicon, sulphur, phosphorus and selenium. The most ideal way to figure out which alloy to use is by first thinking about the conditions in which the fasteners will be used. You can then work back from this to determine the best fasteners to use.