Fasteners Materials
Fasteners are manufactured from a variety of materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, nickel, titanium and other non-ferrous metals, plastics and exotic materials. Material selection should be based on considerations such as – strength required, stresses, corrosive environment, weight, magnetic properties, electrical conductivity, coatings / platings required, reusability and expected life.
Over 90% of fasteners are made from steel because of its inherent strength properties, excellent workability and relative cheapness as compared to other materials. Steel that is used to manufacture fasteners falls into 3 types – low carbon, medium carbon and alloy steel.
Special Fastener Materials
The following is a brief on some of the common special proprietary materials that are used for the manufacture of fasteners for special applications. These materials are often referred to as super alloys because of their ability to perform in extremes of temperature or posess extremely high strength qualities as compared to standard fastener materials. This list is intended as a guide only and it is recommended that further technical advice be sought from manufacturers for individual requirements.