Q: We are installing bolts into a refinery wharf. After doing a test run on a few A316 stainless steel bolts, they came back heavily corroded. Do you have an coating that can be used for salt water applications that would prevent this? Or do can you advise on another material?
A: I don’t recommend a coating but I can recommend a better material to handle the saltwater situation. Here I would suggest using either Monel or titanium bolts. Monel bolts are the go-to material for many marine applications. It is available in two forms Monel 400 which offers a strength of 83ksi ultimate tensile strength and age hardened Monel K500 for extreme strength of 160ksi UTS. Titanium bolts are also and excellent choice for saltwater corrosion. They offer excellent resistance to both rapid velocity and stagnant seawater, up to a mile deep. Titanium grade 5 fasteners are 4 times stronger than 316 at half the weight.