What you need to know about which materials hinges are made in.

What you need to know about which materials hinges are made in.

Before you shop for hinges, you need to have a general understanding of what material would be more suitable for your application. Although almost all hinges are made in metal, metal varies in density, ductility and corrosion resistance. Some outdo others in density, stronger and harder while other hinges do much better in anti-corrosion work. This article provides a basic understanding of material considerations.

1) Stainless Steel

Perhaps stainless steel is the most commonly used in metal hardware. Stainless steel is an iron alloy with a certain amount of carbon. It is the presence of carbon that essentially distinguish stainless steel from other steel. Thanks to the carbon content, stainless steel boasts with the most marked feature--a high level of protection against corrosion and rust. This is essential because hinges can experience metal fatigue and failure due to the long time exposure to moisture and salt in the outdoor.

2) Aluminum

Hinges made of aluminum is also availbale in market. Aluminum is a pure metal instead of a alloy, like stainless steel. Aluminum holds a unique advantage--naturally protecting hinge from corrosion. More importantly, aluminum hinges are both lightweight and cost-effective without comprising quality and degradative effects of corrosion.

3) Brass

Brass hinge also can been seen in metal hardware shops. Brass is also a metal which is  extremely malleable as Aluminum. In other words, it is soft and can be easily made into different shapes than other materials.  However, that is also a double-blade sword to brass hinges. They are susceptible to stress-related cracking. If exposed to extreme physical stress, they may crack. Fortunately, not all hinges haveto suffer from considerable physical stress. For low-stress applications, brass hinges may suffice.

4) Bronze

The forth common material is bronze. Bronze hinges are relatively hard, extremely malleable and anti-corrosisive. These also demonstrate protective qualities against friction. They are durable metals able to withstand extreme weather conditions from rain to acid smog—and can be made into thicker hinges than stainless steel. And bronze is naturally weatherproof and suitable for use in marine applications. A downside to bronze hinges is their relatively high cost when compared to other materials.