Corrosion Control with Duplex Steel
Data from a study by NACE International, The Worldwide Corrosion Authority, shows that the global cost of corrosion is almost £2 TRILLION yearly, representing a full three percent of global GDP. The IMPACT (International Measures of Prevention, Application and Economics of Corrosion Technology) study also estimated that corrosion control practices could save up to 35% of this cost.
Metallic corrosion occurs due to electrochemical interactions between metal and substances that are present in the environment in which the metal is used. Causing the metal to degrade, often to the point where it becomes mechanically and/or structurally unfit for purpose, corrosion also causes many environmental issues.
As issues of sustainability become ever more important, engineers are responding by designing products that minimise environmental impact. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as lifecycle optimisation, reduced maintenance requirements, and end of life recycling/upcycling. However its important to offer an enhanced range of fasteners to secure duplex sheet material in place. Using fasteners, fixings and other components made from duplex stainless steel can help.
Duplex stainless steels combine ferritic with austenitic: the resulting metal boasts significantly increased tensile strength and corrosion resistance. BS Stainless is a proud supplier of a range of duplex stainless steel components, which are widely used across industry, particularly in offshore oil and gas applications. Our range includes:
Duplex Self Tapping Screws
With an extremely high PREN value of 38, our Duplex Self Tapping Screws are classed as seawater-resistant and are no less than three times harder than screws made using standard Grade 316 stainless steel. This means that screws will not suffer from thread damage and remove the need to "tap" with a carbon screw. This not only saves time and money but also prevents any corrosion issues from contamination from a carbon steel screw. A comprehensive range of sizes, along with a wide selection of washers made using HNBR and stainless steel, is available. These washers offer significant sealing benefits to prevent water ingress.
Waterproof Closed Cup Rivets
The very first product of this type to be 100% guaranteed as waterproof, duplex stainless steel closed cup rivets from BS stainless feature a mandrel made from top-quality 1.4462 Duplex stainless steel combined with a 316 stainless steel shell. Completely impervious to any ingress of moisture, these duplex rivets far out-perform standard blind rivets.They can also potential offer benefits for smoke resistance, standard rivets used for cladding and ducting will allow smoke to pass through them. By combining the HNBR washer and the fire resistance of stainless steel these can enhance fire safety of buildings, ducting and cladding. To show how they compare, we have created a video which you are invited to view here
Sustainability is extremely important in our work here at BS Stainless and duplex stainless steel products offer an effective way to improve green credentials. Find out more on our website.