Yes but aluminum will corrode much faster in contact with steel because of galvanic corrosion. I would use steel rivets on steel and aluminum rivets on aluminum because of the dissimilar metals.
Blind Rivets Pop Rivets Open Amp Closed End Blind Rivets
Steel vs aluminum rivets. Even if you need to use aluminum rivets in situation like this where one of the materials being joined is aluminum you at least use one with a steel manderal. If you use stainless or monel i suggest getting a pneumatic pop blind rivet gun. These three are aluminum rivets. So if you are using this in a wet or corrosive environment then the rivets wont last long. The mandrel is steel and the hat is steel. This is a structural rivet.
It will seat the rivets much better than a hand powered one and they are not too expensive. These fasteners typically come in steel stainless steel nickel copper alloy and other grades of aluminum. This is what they call a blind rivet. Blind rivets are usually categorized by the material of the rivet and then the material of the mandrel. Thu dec 16 2004 309 pm location. Rivets are specified by the material of the rivet and the mandrel in that order.
However if this is in a dry indoor location where there is no corrosion the go ahead and use them. For example you might see aluminumsteel which means an aluminum rivet with a steel mandrel. We also have what we call a white hat rivet with an aluminum mandrel. Aluminumsteel aluminum rivet with steel mandrel. These are just typical pop or blind rivets in aluminum. Monel does not react with aluminum so you do not have to worry about isolating the rivets.
Pop rivets in my barth began deteriorating from galvanic corrosion at around 14 years of age because they fastened the aluminum skin to the steel framework. If you use aluminum rivets with steel mandrels it is likely they will outlast your ownership of the coach. It sounds like the steel is what is actually being riveted on. You never use aluminumaluminum rivets in stress bearing applications. Often steel mandrels are specified with aluminum or stainless steel rivets because the steel mandrels are less expensive than matching aluminum or stainless mandrels. Dont get on to the roundabout if you dont know how to get off.
This particular rivet is steel and steel. Monel rivets are expensive unless you buy them by the thousands. If steel pop rivets are used you will have a rust problem in that area long before there would be a problem using aluminium pop rivets. I replaced them with hardware store aluminum rivets.
Gallery of Steel Vs Aluminum Rivets
