Spring Washers - Rectangular Section - Imperial - A4 Stainless Steel

Spring washers are locking washers that are used when there is a need to prevent a fastener from loosening as a result of vibration. They are also often called split lock or split ring washers.

A spring washer has a split in the washer section that when tightened each side of the split bites into the nut and the mounting surface. This “bite” prevents any anti-clockwise rotation from occurring under vibration.

An imperial washer can be used in conjunction with all types of non-metric threads including UNC, UNF, BSW, BSF, BA etc.

A4 Stainless is often referred to as 316 or 18/10 stainless. As in A2 above, the numbers 18/10 refer to the chromium and nickel content- 18% chromium and 10% nickel.

A4 stainless is often used in marine or chemical environments as it has greater corrosion resistance than A2.

The chemical composition of both A2 and A4 stainless steel are almost identical with the most notable differences being the higher nickel content and the addition of Molybdenum in A4. Molybdenum is a silvery white metal that is highly corrosion resistant, very ductile and has an extremely high melting point.

There can also be Titanium present in A4 stainless at the option of the manufacturer.

Typically, A4 grade stainless steel costs slightly more than A2 because of its enhanced chemical and production properties. The extra cost can be justified, however, because hardware made of A4 stainless steel is extra resistant to tarnish and corrosion, enabling it to last a very long time.

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