Your Guide to Selecting the Right Bolt Material

There are many fasteners but if you are looking for hexagonal heads, you should consider hex bolts. Hex bolts are a common choice for construction and repair. It comes in different sizes, diameters, and materials. When it comes to sizes and diameters, you can follow the specific industry standards but when it comes to materials, you have to put more attention.

You do not need an engineering diploma to figure out the ideal material for your fastener needs. Identifying the right one is simple. Here are some things that you should remember when you are selecting the right bolt material:

Determining the proof stress

The first thing that you should determine is the proof stress of the material. When you hear proof stress, it refers to the overall strength of the alloy. It is gauged in psi (pounds per square inch). Remember that low carbon steels and pure steel have the lowest acceptable proof stress – they have the strength of 60,000 psi. Steel fasteners are available in different grades but only four are in high demand namely:

• Grade 2: this is the standard hardware grade. It is practical in light industrial applications including DIY home projects.

• Grade 5: this grade undergoes treatments to enhance its strength; it is often used by the automotive industry.

corrosion resistance

• Grade 8: this is stronger than Grade 5 and it is used in demanding applications like vehicle suspension.

• Alloy steel: due to heat treatment, alloy steel fasteners gained extra strength.

Checking the corrosion resistance

Corrosion refers to the process of deterioration of a metal as a result of its chemical reactions in the surrounding environment. The most common form is oxidation, which the metal reacts to oxygen thereby producing rust. To boost the resistance to corrosion of metal fasteners, manufacturers put protective coating. Most common type of plating include:

• Zinc: most fasteners these days are electroplated with zinc. For this plating, you will notice a shiny or golden appearance. These fasteners are corrosion resistant but it will rust if the coating is exposed to the marine conditions.

• Chrome: chrome-plated fasteners are polished for appearance. Basically, it provides the same corrosion resistance to zinc plating. The drawback is its high cost.

• Hot dip galvanizing: galvanising involves the application of a zinc layer. This process focuses on putting the thickest possible coating on a metal fastener. Many industries consider this because of its superior corrosion resistance.

If you are looking for Plain & Zinc Hex Bolts conveniently, you can consider ordering online. There are manufacturers offering different plating or coating to enhance the resistance of metal fasteners against corrosion.

Accounting for the setting temperatures

The last thing that you should think about is the setting temperature. You have to account for the average temperature at which the bolt will deliver fastening. The non-ferrous alloys have no temperature settings exceeding 450° F.

Steel alloys and stainless steel have temperature settings exceeding 450° F and 1,200° F. You should remember that for steel alloys and stainless steel, they become brittle in extremely cold environments of over -100° F. If the application is in low temperature, it is better to choose aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium.

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