Mechanical requirements by diameter
Inch grades are published in ksi and metric classes in MPa. The other column on every row is a conversion at 1 ksi = 6.894757 MPa, rounded to the nearest whole unit - it is arithmetic on the published figure, not a second published figure.
The head marking
The class number 10.9 stamped on the head, with the manufacturer's identifier.
The two numbers are the strength, not a serial number. The first times 100 is the nominal tensile strength in MPa; the two multiplied together times 10 is the nominal yield. Class 8.8 is 800 MPa tensile and 640 MPa yield, and you can read that straight off the head. Nominal tensile 1000 MPa; yield 0.9 of it, so 900 MPa nominal, 940 MPa minimum.
Count the radial lines and add two. That rule identifies exactly two grades - SAE Grade 5 with three lines and SAE Grade 8 with six - and it fails everywhere else. Grades 1, 2 and 4 carry no marking at all, so an unmarked head is not evidence of Grade 2; it is evidence of nothing, and unmarked hardware that meets no standard looks exactly the same. ASTM grades are stamped with the specification (A325, A490, BC, BD, 307A) rather than lines, and metric classes are stamped with the class number. Four marking systems share one bin.
Material and where it is used
Alloy steel, quenched and tempered. High-strength structural, automotive and machinery joints.
Metric classes are marked with a number, not a line count. There is no metric equivalent of the radial-line system.
Frequently asked questions
How strong is a ISO property class 10.9 bolt?
Over d = 1.6 mm through 100 mm, ISO property class 10.9 requires a minimum tensile strength of 1040 MPa (151 ksi), a minimum yield of 940 MPa (136 ksi) and a proof load of 830 MPa (120 ksi).
What does a ISO property class 10.9 head marking look like?
The class number 10.9 stamped on the head, with the manufacturer's identifier.
What is a ISO property class 10.9 bolt made of?
Alloy steel, quenched and tempered. High-strength structural, automotive and machinery joints.
What this section covers
Twenty-two grades and classes: the SAE J429 inch grades, five ASTM specifications and the ISO 898-1 property classes. It is not every grade in circulation. Stainless classes (ISO 3506 A2 and A4, ASTM F593), the ASTM A193 and A320 high and low temperature grades, ASTM F1554 anchor rod grades and SAE grades 3, 5.1 and 8.1 are not carried here.
Where these figures come from
Dimensions are as defined by ISO 898-1:2013, Table 3. This site is an independent reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by any standards body.
Every value on this page was cross-checked against 3 independent published sources: