Popular metals: where and why we use them

Used individually or alloyed, the types of metals we use and the combinations we create are designed to give you the perfect results from your fixing or fastener.

Of course, the type of material you need is specific to you and your project. So it’s always best to get the exact information through a chat with one of our technical experts. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience, which they’re always happy to share with you.

That said, we know having a starting point is a huge help. It also gives us chance to share a little more of our knowledge with you so you can make quicker, more accurate decisions about which of our fasteners and fixings is right for you. Let’s take a look at three of our most used metals and see where and why we’ve chosen them.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel has earned its place as a popular metal for use in the fasteners and fixings industry, and rightly so. Its high strength and impressive corrosion resistance mean it’s very durable and long-lasting, with limited maintenance required over its lifespan. It’s also highly temperature resistant, meaning it’s usable in projects where other metals can’t withstand heat. As well as it’s attractive appearance, stainless steel is a favourite of the Elite Fasteners team as its recyclable, making it an eco-friendly choice.

We use 300 series austenitic stainless steels in our fasteners, recommended for fixing steel to steel in high corrosion environments. You’ll find our extensive bi-metal and stainless steel catalogue here.

Carbon steel

Though stainless steel is more visually appealing, carbon steel is typically stronger. In fact, it’s up to 20% stronger than mild steel – which is an incredible statistic – and makes it an excellent choice when high hardness levels are required. It’s also extremely safe, and able to withstand very high heat (which is why you’ll often find it used in cooking utensils in restaurants!).

Carbon steel can be expensive, so to support that we often combine it with other materials as suitable. For example, you’ll find zinc plated carbon steel screws in our rainscreen applications range.

Zinc

Though zinc is light, it is strong, which makes it another of our most favoured metals for our product range. It is at its best when alloyed with other materials. That’s because zinc coats and enhances their corrosion resistance, stability, dimensional strength and impact strength. It is also a non-magnetic material.

Zinc is a popular choice for our masonry and cavity fixings, which are designed to anchor insulation material to concrete and masonry substrate materials in clear, dry and low humidity environments.

No matter which product or material you need, we’re always here to help you. Chat to our team, download one of our technical guides or brochures, or even ask us about our bespoke and customised service to create the product that’s perfect for your project.