The special characteristic of Aerospace products include high strength and corrosion resistance.
These help to withstand high pressure (for eg, while exiting earth’s atmosphere) and higher temperature (for eg, exposure to burning rocket fuel).
High Strength Stainless Steel Fasteners: A2-80 and A4-80
A2-80 and A4-80 combine the high mechanical strength with corrosion resistance for an effective solution to many situations.
These are very useful for Aerospace applications as they allow the designer to reduce weight of the fastener for a joint.
Higher mechanical strength as compared to standard A2 / A4 is achieved through the cold-drawing process, providing a minimum Ultimate Tensile Strength of 800 MPa.
For most Aerospace, Petro-chemical and Offshore applications, SS-316 A4 is the preferred choice.
Unlike 304, 316 stainless steel has a higher nickel composition and contains a relatively high amount of molybdenum, whereas the 304 stainless steel does not contain molybdenum at all. This differences provides 316 stainless steel (or A4 stainless steel) a significantly greater corrosion resistance. This corrosion resistance specifically denotes A4 stainless steel with the ability to resist acids and salts, making it a great solution for research, chemical engineering and marine applications, amongst many others.
Designers and Engineers may find value in this extra corrosions resistance, especially if replacement or maintenance costs are relatively high, such as on tall buildings, installations that may experience any sort of salt spray or underwater applications, or simply for creating longer lasting lab or engineering equipment that may be subject to acidic or salty conditions.
Additionally if mechanical properties are also a concern for the material?
For equipment that is moving or having to withstand significant mechanical strain, then having a higher class stainless steel will also improve the life of the fastener, thereby reducing MRO costs and possible down time.
In such situations, the A4-80 range of fasteners are the best option that provides high corrosion resistance along with high mechanical strength.
