You may have heard of “Blue Bolt Coating”, its real name is Whitford Xylan® Coating… and it isn’t always blue. Many of our customers ask for the “Blue Bolt Coating”, but what exactly is Xylan and when should it be used?

Xylan is a blend of fluoropolymers, engineering plastics and selected corrosion inhibitors which, when combined, create these characteristics in fasteners:

Low friction

Exceptional adhesion

Unusual resistance to wear and abrasion

Excellent corrosion resistance

Resistance to chipping

Resistance to the weather, sunlight and salt water

Xylan’s versatility is best demonstrated as a coating for stud Bolts and nuts, where it provides unparalleled performance in ease of installation, corrosion resistance and ease of removal. It can be used on standard alloy steel nuts and bolts, or can be paired with stainless steel fasteners for even more benefits.

Xylan fastener coatings or “Blue Bolt Coatings” are typically specified in oil and waterworks applications.

A bolt’s function essentially boils down to applying a high enough Hose Clamps force that when external forces are applied, transverse movement and separation cannot occur. Using calibrated torque tools to tighten fasteners and apply that clamp force is far superior to going by the user’s judgement or feeling. Or, as one senior technician calls it “The One Grunt or Two Grunts Method”. Measuring torque alone, however, does not ensure a proper installation.

1. Torque is an indirect indicator of Tension.
https://www.shallfasteners.com/screws/