The Most Common Fastener Coatings

In order to get the most out of any fasteners, it is usually necessary to make sure that every aspect of the fastener is suited to the application you are going to use it for. For instance, if you are going to use stainless steel hex head cap screws for bridge construction, it would be important to make sure that the size and configuration of the screws are suited to holding up the weight of the bridge together with the vehicles or people who will be using it. In order to do this properly, a knowledge of the various things that affect the performance of the fasteners is critical.

One of the things you will need to figure out is the coating you need on the fasteners. This is critical since the different types of fastener coatings you pot for will influence both the longevity and ease of use of the fastener. In addition to that, the fact that there are so many coatings meant for different applications means that if you are not careful, you could end up using the wrong one. Some of the most popular of such coatings include:

Clear zinc

Zinc is one of the most common coatings for most fasteners mainly due to the fact that it’s cheap and protective. It is mainly used to protect the fasteners from oxidative damage, such as rusting of susceptible metals. For this reason, this coating is most ideal for when a fastener will be used in a humid area where there is a high likelihood of rusting.

 

Gray Phosphate

Gray phosphate is yet another popular coating that is designed to protect the fasteners from corrosion. However, it is considered to offer low level protection. This means that it’s not ideal for use in scenarios where the risk of corrosion is very high. An example of this is in marine applications. In fact, this type of coating is ideal for use in a dry setting, rather than where the fastener is likely to be in contact with a lot of water. In order to perform optimally, this type of coating needs to be applied properly. This means that when you want to by fasteners with gray phosphate coatings, it would be wise to ensure that you buy them from manufacturers who work with reputable coating companies.

Yellow zinc

This is a type of coating that is electrically applied on the fasteners, and it offers low level corrosion protection. It can be used in situations where the fastener is likely to come into contact with water, or in humid conditions. As is the case with gray phosphate, it has to be properly applied in order to provide the expected level of corrosion protection.
When investing in stainless steel socket head cap screws and other similar fasteners, it’s important to make sure that you get them with the best coating suited for your application. Having an understanding of the common ones and how they work will help you figure this out, reducing the risk of buying less-than-ideal products.