Ask an Expert FAQ From the Nickel Institute Technical Advice Line

Q: We are mounting solar panels on a building roof about 2km from the ocean. The mounting brackets are pieces of aluminum that are bolted together with a central bolt made of Type 304 (UNS 30400) stainless steel (no washers, so stainless directly bears on aluminum). Should we be concerned about a dissimilar metal reaction between the aluminum and the stainless steel?