By Peter Emerson
Stainless steel fasteners are made of steel that has been mixedwith at least a ten percent compound of chromium, and possiblyother metals, so that the steel doesn't rust or corrode. Thismakes stainless steel fasteners great for outdoor conditions,where there is a lot of water or moisture. Especially if you arebuilding something that supports a substantial amount of weight,such as humans, you will need to use stainless steel fasteners.Steel all by itself can rust until it breaks, and nobody wantsthat.
When stainless steel fastening systems such as nuts and boltsare employed, they tend to meld together. This is due to thechromium layer on the surface of the stainless steel beingexposed to oxygen for a short time before fastening. When thepieces are screwed together, the oxygen is taken out of theequation, solidifying the bond. This process is called "galling".
There are other types of stainless steel fasteners that resistbecoming brittle at lower temperatures. These stainless steelscrews are infused with nickel. The nickel also works tode-magnetize the stainless steel. Manganese can also be used inplace of, or in cooperation with, nickel, to roughly the sameeffect, but at a lower cost.
Carbon can also be used to reinforce the steel compound. Whensubjected to heat, these fasteners can become hardened andstrengthened to create finer elements, like the point of thescrew, as well as the threads.
Depending on what your fastening needs are, you will be buyingdifferent types of stainless steel fasteners for differentfastening jobs.
Here's an interesting side note: stainless steel has a longhistory. The first non-corrosive object still currently inexistence is an artifact from India called the Iron Pillar ofDelhi, which was a high-phosphorous-content iron pillar. Modernstainless steel was invented in the early part of the 20thCentury, by a number of inventors and researcherssimultaneously. The first stainless steels were made of 10-18%chromium, along with significant amounts of carbon. Thanks tothese inventors, stainless steel fasteners became a verywidespread, low-cost reality
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