Down to the Nuts and Bolts – The History of Stainless Steel Manufacturing

Last Updated on March 13, 2023 by Marsh Fasteners

It’s hard to imagine a life before stainless steel was created as it’s now such an integral part of our lives, but stainless steel nuts and bolts are only exist thanks to the long and winding evolution of ordinary steel, that would corrode and rust, into the stainless steel that comprises our nuts and bolts today.

Where it all began

In 1872, two Englishmen patented an alloy that would eventually evolve into stainless steel. Then, in 1911, Germans Monnartz and Borchers found a connection between the amount of chromium in steel and its ability to resist corrosion. They discovered that the presence of 10.5% chromium resulted in greater corrosion resistance. In 1912, while trying to create erosion-resistant steel for an arms manufacturer’s weapons, Englishman Harry Brearley experimented with steel alloys that contained chromium. He used different variations of the alloys and, eventually, in 1913, he produced steel made up of 12.8% chromium and 0.24% carbon, which is said to be the first official stainless steel.

Stainless steel uses

Stainless steel quickly became the new material of choice for cutlery but it also had several other uses. In World War 1, stainless steel was used in aircraft engines and then went on to be used in car bumpers and radiators, in tanks, in elements of buildings, in trains, in ships, and in several other products. Today, stainless steel is used in thousands of processes and products ranging from the transport, engineering and chemical industries, to basic domestic items such as sinks and washing machine drums.

Stainless steel nuts and bolts

At Marsh Fasteners, we use the finest quality stainless steel to create our superior fasteners. Our stainless steel product range includes nuts, bolts, screws, washers, and many more. Contact us today for more information.

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