Carbon Chain vs Alloy Chain: Applications, Safety, and How to Choose

Introduction: Carbon vs Alloy Chain and Why It Matters

– What’s the difference between alloy chain and carbon chain? Which do you need for your application? How do you know the difference and why does it matter? In this video, we’ll break down the difference between alloy and carbon chain, what those terms really mean, when to you use each, and how to avoid making a dangerous or costly mistake.

My name is Ben and this is The Lifting & Rigging Channel. Welcome back, Carlo. Thank you for joining. Last time we chatted with Carlo, AKA the “Chain Whisperer“, AKA “The Chainiac“, we dove deep into chain grades. If you missed that one, you can find it linked below. But we only briefly touched on the difference between carbon chain and alloy chain.

Carbon vs Alloy Chain: What’s the Difference?

So Carlo, what is the difference between carbon chain and alloy chain?

– Metallurgically speaking, we are talking about, in both cases, an alloy, so a combination of metals that are melted together in a recipe that is making a steel.

It’s the raw material basically. The difference between the two is the raw material.

Why Choosing Carbon or Alloy Chain Correctly Matters

But imagine you’re using a grade 70 for doing some lifting, which you are not supposed to do by law. An accident is there waiting to happen because the grade 70 would eventually snap on your job with no warning, and you ruin the equipment in the best-case scenario. In the worst-case scenario, somebody got killed or injured.

Can You Substitute Alloy and Carbon Chain?

– So if all I’ve got laying around is lifting chain, I need to tie something down or I want to put up a fence or hang a swing…

– You’re good to go.

– You’re good to go.

– Yeah, but the other way around, not at all, not at all because you would eventually miss all the unique safety features that is in the alloy lifting chain, which is the elongation, the warning that you have.

Why ONLY Alloy Chain Is Used for Overhead Lifting

You know, what’s the ideal thing of the alloy chain? I mean, it’s brilliant. You know, steel is not steel, it’s like a rubber band. If you pull it to a certain force, it goes back to the original state. So if you pull it to the two times its WLL, it always goes back to the same original state. So like a rubber band.

But then you reach a point which is called the yield point, which is usually a 2.5 plus something over the WLL, and then the chain deforms plastically and permanently. And from that moment on, you have a 20% elongation before breaking, and that can be achieved if you add some ingredients in the recipe that you’re using to make the raw material for the chain.

So those ingredients are technically nickel, chrome and molybdenum, which are precious metals that once they are inside of the alloy of the chain will allow the chain perform like it’s supposed to be performing.

The huge advantage that you have in alloy chain versus polyester or wire rope, they don’t give you a warning through this elongation. Chain does, and chain does only if it is an alloy chain, and only if you have added those three elements in their recipe when making it.

How Alloy Chain Elongation Increases Lifting Safety

– That’s why you can use this chain [Alloy Chain] for lifting and not this chain [Carbon Chain]. Let’s say you make a mistake, you overload this chain [Alloy Chain] compared to if you overload this chain [Carbon Chain].

– Well, overloading this chain [Alloy Chain] will stretch. This chain [Alloy Chain] will elongate. It doesn’t snap, it keeps the load hanging, but you deformed the chain, the chain stretches, elongates at least 20%, usually the grade 80 elongates, even 25%.

You wouldn’t have the same property here [Carbon Chain]. Not only that, the elongation may be, the ductility of the raw material may be there, not as much, it’s not as secure as the alloy chain, but you have also other elements here. The hydrogen embrittlement risk that you may have on this particular chain [Carbon Chain] is way higher than anything else. With no warning, so it doesn’t even elongate, it just “boom”, opens, yeah.

– This [Alloy Chain] has some safety built into it to account for someone making a big oopsie.

– Yeah.

– So we’re not saying overload your chain, don’t lift more than your working load limit.

– Yeah.

– But if a mistake were to happen, now you have some safety.

Can Carbon Chain be used for overhead lifting?

– I would say simple answer is it’s the law, you are not supposed to use it.

– So in all of the standards basically, they only cite alloy chain as being used for lifting.

– Of course, that’s the safest option.

Carbon Chain Uses: Transport, Tie-Down, Fencing, Anchoring

The carbon chain has a purpose for decoration, for fencing, for lashing, for tie down, for anchors. Even the anchors of your boat and sailing boat has a carbon chain that is in grade 40 or grade 70.

Why Alloy Chain Costs More—and What You Get

Because of those precious metals that are part of the recipe, and those ingredients are nickel, chrome, and molybdenum. And those are the three element that gives the alloy chain those unique properties that you want to have your lifting chain to have.

How to Identify Alloy vs Carbon Chain (Markings vs Color/Finish)

The definitive answer is only the marking.

If you look, here in the States, the very common use of a gold-plated chain is transport. So if from a distance you see a gold-plated chain, yeah, you may guess that is a grade 70, and you can double-check that by just looking at the marking on it.

– The best way to know if it’s alloy or carbon is to check the markings on the chain. If it says 8 or 80, 10 or 100, or 12 or 120 [they are alloy chain].

Questions to Ask When Buying Alloy Lifting Chain

– Whenever you have to take that decision and you are engaging a conversation with professionals in the industry, like a rigging shop, the question that you want to ask is:

• Who’s the manufacturer?

• Where is the country of origin?

• Do you have a test certificate for that?

Those are the three key questions I would ask.

Common Buying Mistakes with Chain (and How to Avoid Them)

Well, the first mistake is it’s thinking that going online in a regular space where you can buy rigging equipment from a garage seller because you’re looking at the price and you want to save some bucks. Saving a couple of bucks and risking lives or expensive equipment is a no-go.

– Yeah, and I think that we get the most questions, you know, it’s not from people in the construction industry or the lifting industry. They generally know like, “Lifting chain is lifting chain, I’m going to go to the rigging shop.” We get tons of questions all the time: “I just need to lift something for a couple minutes. Can’t I just use this grade 70 chain or the grade 43 chain that I’ve bought at the local hardware store?”

– Well, you’re risking too much. I don’t know. It’s a risk assessment situation. Obviously, people tend to be overconfident in certain situations. They see a chain, they think it is safe to use, it looks strong. But if it snaps and your truck is ruined or whatever you were doing, or even you’re injuring yourself, then it’s too late.

It’s better to have the right option, the right product for the right application.

Final Tips and How Mazzella Can Help

– Thank you, Carlo for explaining the difference between carbon chain and alloy chain. Choosing the right chain isn’t about price; it’s about safety, making sure you are using the right tool for the job.

If you’re lifting anywhere, you need to be using alloy chain. If you want to know which grade to choose, 80, 100 or 120, watch our video explaining the different chain grades.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below.

Mazzella is here to help with all of your chain needs, be that custom sling assemblies, transport, or any other application you might have. Feel free to contact us through the link below.

If you found this video useful, informative, entertaining, or you just feel like being friendly, then hit that Like button so we can get this information out to everyone who needs it. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss a video. If you have a question, drop it in the comments so we can get you an answer. Remember, safe rigging is smart rigging. My name is Ben. Stay safe out there.