Nowadays, anchor chain products are used widely, especially since the demand for anchor chains increases every day. So what is the material of the marine anchor chain?
Here is the answer：
Marine anchor chains are mainly made of high-strength steel. There are stud chains and welded chains. All the chains are mainly used for anchoring vessels, mooring systems, and towing operations. There are two main types of anchor chain steel materials, one is CM490 (M2) and the other is CM690 (M3).
What are the main properties of these two materials?
CM490 has medium intensity. High plasticity during cold deformation, good low-temperature performance, weldability, and machinability are acceptable. Compared with carbon steel with corresponding carbon content, its hardenability is higher, and the critical hardening diameter in oil is 4-15mm;
CM690 has medium plasticity during cold deformation, and its machinability and weldability are acceptable, but the part needs to be preheated to more than 200 °C before welding. The drawing cold heading and heat treatment processes have good performance and high hardenability, and the critical hardening diameter in the oil is 6.5-18mm.
What are the main differences between these materials?
CM490 tends to overheat, decarburize sensitivity, and temper brittleness during heat treatment. This type of steel, due to its suitable hardenability, after suitable metal heat treatment, the microstructure is uniform softening, bainite or very fine pearlite, so it has a high tensile strength.
CM690 has the advantage of small deformation during quenching, as well as overheating, decarburization sensitivity, and tempering brittleness. This steel has high strength, toughness, and wear resistance after modulation, and the static strength and fatigue strength are also good.
The Application of CM690 And CM490
CM490 has a yield strength of about 490 MPa, which is suitable for medium-sized ships and offshore operations in medium-load applications, such as fishing boats and cargo ships. It is suitable for anchoring needs in shallow waters and can meet general marine environments.
CM690 has a yield strength of about 690 MPa, which is suitable for applications in high-load and deep-sea environments. It is mainly used for large ships and deep-sea operations, such as tankers, cargo ships, and drilling platforms. It can withstand the anchoring requirements of deeper waters and is suitable for high-risk operations.
The main products with material CM490 in our company are u2 stud anchor chains and u2 studless anchor chains with accessories, such as chuckles, links, and swivel assembly.
The main products with material CM690 in our company are the u3 stud link chain and the u3 studless link chain with its accessories, such as chuckles, links, and swivel assembly.
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