Material Reference Guide

Compare industrial material qualities, mechanical strengths, and environmental resistance ratings.

GRADE / QUALITY	TENSILE STRENGTH	YIELD STRENGTH	CORROSION	APPLICATION
Carbon Steel (Grade 2)	74,000 PSI	57,000 PSI	Low	General Purpose
Medium Carbon (Grade 5)	120,000 PSI	92,000 PSI	Moderate	Automotive / Structural
Alloy Steel (Grade 8)	150,000 PSI	130,000 PSI	Moderate	High Strength Machinery
A325 Structural	120,000 PSI	92,000 PSI	High (if HDG)	Steel Construction
A490 Structural	150,000 PSI	130,000 PSI	Low	Heavy Structural
Stainless 304 (Group 1)	100,000 PSI	65,000 PSI	Extreme	Food / Chemical
Stainless 316 (Group 2)	100,000 PSI	65,000 PSI	Marine / Acid	Offshore / Coastal

Understanding Galvanization & Coatings

Hot-Dip Galvanizing (HDG) is the process of coating iron or steel with a layer of zinc by immersing the metal in a bath of molten zinc at a temperature of around 450 °C (842 °F). This provides a thick, durable layer that can withstand outdoor exposure for decades.

For high-precision components, Zinc Plating is preferred as it does not affect the dimensional tolerances as significantly as HDG, but it offers less corrosion protection.