Industrial Tools Agency

18/02/2026

Grade BD Bolts used for oil and gas application

18/10/2025

15/09/2025

Cadium coated fasteners

08/09/2025

Exploring Fastener Materials

Fastener materials are wide ranging, right from common steel to titanium, aluminium, or even certain specialised or exotic materials. Normally, materials are divided into “grades”. This helps you distinguish alloy mixtures, material strength and hardening processes. Certain materials are enhanced by the addition of coatings and platings to make them more resistant to corrosion.

Choosing the right fastener material is a crucial part of your project. Factors such as resistance to corrosion, how brittle the material is, resilience, etc, are extremely important when understanding the distinction between different materials.

Using Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is an alloy that combines low carbon steel and chromium. It is distinguished by its high resistance to corrosion. As the anti-corrosive properties are an essential part of the metal, there is an extremely low possibility of corrosion to occur during the process of installation.

It is important to note that stainless steel fasteners are more prone to galling, being significantly weaker than hardened steel fasteners, and they cannot be hardened through heat treatment. Though certain grades of stainless steel fasteners are more less magnetic than others; in general, stainless steel fasteners are not as magnetic as other varieties of steel or regular steel.

Using Silicon Bronze
Silicon bronze is an alloy that combines copper, tin, and a small quantity of silicon. It is mainly used in marine environment applications, where its superior corrosion resistance makes it preferable to other materials for wooden boat constructions.

It also comes in handy in woodworking, where its copper-colour appearance makes it a fine choice. Silicon bronze is significantly more expensive than other materials.

Brass
Brass is an alloy that brings together copper and zinc, inheriting the strengths and advantages of both those materials. Its resistance to corrosion is a distinctive characteristic, and additionally, it is electrically conductive. Its use in fastening is limited by the softness of the material, but on the other, it can be used in a wide range of applications for its distinctive appearance.

Alloy Steel
Alloy steel is essentially carbon steel distinguished by the addition of elements like silicon, manganese, and chromium. This combination enhances the capability of the alloy to strengthen and improve its ductility when heat treated. However, it is important to keep in mind that the possibility of hydrogen embrittlement increases as the alloy becomes stronger.

Aluminium
Aluminium is an inherently corrosion-resistant material, a light and soft metal that makes it a bit limited, but useful for certain applications. Having strong corrosion resistance properties, scratches and friction does not affect the material as much as in the case of other materials.

A variety of fasteners are crafted from aluminium alloys, with elements like silicon, magnesium, iron and zinc, being useful additions to enhance strength.

ITA Fasteners brings you a variety of fasteners that use various fastener materials, suited for all kinds of applications. With our expertise as thought-leaders in the world of fasteners, we study your requirements, help you select the right fastener material, and optimise their use for your project.

To know more, get in touch with us right away!

09/08/2025

Decarburization in Fasteners: Causes, Effects, and How to Prevent It

In the world of high-performance fasteners, precision and material integrity are non-negotiable. One often overlooked, yet critical, phenomenon that can compromise fastener strength and performance is decarburization.

In this blog, we explore what decarburization is, how it occurs, its impact on fastener performance, and how to detect and prevent it.

What Is Decarburization?
Decarburization refers to the loss of carbon from the surface layer of a steel component, typically during heat treatment processes like forging, annealing, or hardening. Since carbon plays a key role in providing hardness and strength to steel, its depletion can drastically alter mechanical properties at the surface.

How Does Decarburization Happen?
Decarburization typically occurs when steel is exposed to high temperatures in the presence of oxygen or other reactive gases. Common scenarios include:

Improper control during forging or heat treatment
Exposure to oxidizing environments (air, CO2, water v***r)
Lack of protective atmospheres in furnaces

Prolonged heating at high temperatures

Effects of Decarburization on Fasteners
Using fasteners with a decarburized surface can have serious consequences:

Reduced Surface Hardness: A decarburized layer is softer and more prone to wear and galling.
Decreased Fatigue Resistance: Surface decarb creates stress risers and lowers resistance to cyclic loads.
Risk of Failure in Service: Particularly in critical applications like Oil & Gas, Power, or Heavy Machinery, a decarburized fastener can lead to premature failure.
Poor Thread Performance: Threads may deform under load or during tightening.

How to Prevent Decarburization
Controlled Heat Treatment: Use inert atmospheres (like nitrogen or vacuum) or controlled carburizing environments.
Protective Coatings: Applying anti-scale compounds or coatings prior to heat treatment.
Shorter Soaking Times: Minimizing exposure to high temperatures.
Post-Forging Inspection: Especially for critical components.

At Industrial Engineering Works (IEW), we ensure that our heat treatment vendors follow tightly controlled processes and atmospheres to eliminate risk of surface decarburization.

How to Detect Decarburization
Several methods exist to detect and measure decarburization:

Microstructural Analysis (Metallography): A cross-sectional cut is polished and etched to reveal the depth of decarburized zones under a microscope.
Hardness Testing (Micro Hardness or Case Depth Analysis): Surface and subsurface hardness profiles are measured.
Spectroscopy/Surface Carbon Analysis: Determines chemical composition across depth.

According to ASTM F2328 and ISO 898-1, there are clear criteria on allowable decarburization limits for fasteners depending on the grade and class.

Final Thoughts
Decarburization may not be visible to the naked eye, but its impact can be catastrophic in high-stress applications. At IEW, our quality assurance practices are built to detect and prevent even the smallest deviations that could affect performance.

If you’re sourcing fasteners for mission-critical use, ensure decarburization is being accounted for in the quality checks. After all, strength starts at the surface.

Need high-integrity fasteners for your application?
Connect with the IEW team to learn how we deliver consistent quality from the inside out.

09/01/2024

Super duplex hex nuts available at ITA

09/11/2023

Hex Head Bolt Full thread Grade 10.9 M42x300