Carbon Steel

Carbon Steel is a strong, easily formed steel alloy. Unlike the stainless steel alloys, it is not innately corrosion resistant, and must be coated or plated with a protective barrier to be resistant to corrosion.

Electroplated zinc, yellow zinc chromate, and clear zinc chromate are common finishes for steel. All impart corrosion resistance to varying degrees, but none are resistant to a corrosive environment. Clamps finished in these processes are best suited to interior use, or to use where service life cannot compete with cost considerations.

Aluzink is a proprietary plating process for steel with significantly greater corrosion resistance that the standard zinc plating processes, and is applied to clamps that are intended for limited environmental exposure.