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Designation: A 391/A 391M – 98 An American National Standard

Standard Specification for

Grade 80 Alloy Steel Chain1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 391/A 391M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope to break when a constantly increasing force was applied in

1.1 This specification covers Grade 80 heat-treated alloy direct tension to a straight length of chain on a standard testing
steel chain for such applications as slings, lifting assemblies, machine. Breaking force values are a statistical attribute test
and load binding. and are not a guarantee that all chain segments per lot will
endure these loads. Breaking force loads shall not be used as
NOTE 1—This specification does not cover alloy steel chain for pocket criteria for service or design purposes.
wheel applications.
3.1.2 lot—for the purpose of acceptance testing, a lot shall
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or in other units shall consist of 3000 ft [1000 m], or fraction thereof, of the same
be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each grade and size chain. If a continuous length of chain exceeds
system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system 3000 ft [1000 m], it shall also be considered a lot.
must be used independently of the other, without combining 3.1.3 proof test—a quality control tensile test applied to
values in any way. chain for the purpose of verifying weld and material quality. It
is the minimum force in pounds or newtons which the chain
2. Referenced Documents has withstood at the time it left the producer, under a test in

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2.1 ASTM Standards: which a constantly increasing force has been applied in direct
A 29/A 29M Specification for Steel Bars, Carbon and tension to a straight length of chain. Proof test loads are a
Alloy, Hot-Wrought and Cold-Finished, General Require- manufacturing integrity test and shall not be used as criteria for
ments for2
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A 370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing
service or design purposes.
3.1.4 working load limit (WLL)—the maximum combined
of Steel Products3
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E 30 Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Steel, Cast
static and dynamic load in pounds or kilograms that shall be
applied in direct tension to an undamaged straight length of
Iron, Open-Hearth Iron, and Wrought Iron4 chain.
E 44 Definitions of Terms Relating to Heat Treatment of
Metals5 ASTM A391/A391M-98
4. Ordering Information
E https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/sist/db6d5c48-8833-455a-b062-80665fed779c/astm-a391-a391m-98
350 Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Carbon Steel, 4.1 It shall be the responsibility of the purchaser to specify
Low-Alloy Steel, Silicon Electrical Steel, Ingot Iron, and all requirements that are necessary for material ordered under
Wrought Iron4 this specification. Such requirements to be considered include,
E 415 Test Method for Optical Emission Vacuum Spectro- but are not limited to, the following:
metric Analysis of Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel6 4.1.1 Product to conform to Specification A 391 or A 391M
and year of issue,
3. Terminology 4.1.2 Nominal size of chain in in. [mm],
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard: 4.1.3 Quantity of chain in ft [m],
3.1.1 breaking force, minimum—the minimum force in 4.1.4 Length of each piece, if required,
pounds or newtons at which the chain, in the condition it leaves 4.1.5 Finish, if required,
the producer’s plant, has been found by representative testing 4.1.6 Certification of test(s), if required, and
4.1.7 Acceptance of inspection by purchaser, if required.

1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A-1 on Steel,
5. Manufacturing
Stainless Steel, and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee 5.1 Melting Process—The alloy steel shall be made to a
A01.27 on Steel Chain.
Current edition approved Nov. 10, 1998. Published December 1998. Originally
fully-killed fine austenitic grain process.
published as A 391 – 55T. Last previous edition A 391 – 96. 5.2 Welding Process—Alloy steel chain may be made by the
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.05. electric welding or gas welding process.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.03. 5.3 Heat Treatment—After welding, alloy steel chain shall
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.05.
5
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.02.
be heat treated before applying the proof test. Heat treatment
6
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.06.

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1
 A 391/A 391M
TABLE 1 Grade 80 Alloy Chain Mechanical and Dimensional Requirements
Nominal Material Working Load Limit, Proof Test,A Minimum Breaking Inside Length, Inside Width,
Chain Size Diameter max min ForceA max min to max
in. mm in. mm lb kg lb kN lb kN in. mm in. mm
⁄
7 32 5.5 0.217 5.5 2 100 970 4 200 19.0 8 400 38.0 0.693 17.6 0.281 to 0.325 7.14 to 8.25
9⁄32 7.0 0.276 7.0 3 500 1 570 7 000 30.8 14 000 61.6 0.900 22.9 0.375 to 0.430 9.53 to 10.92
5⁄16 8.0 0.315 8.0 4 500 2 000 9 000 40.3 18 000 80.6 1.010 25.6 0.410 to 0.472 10.41 to 12.00
3⁄8 10.0 0.394 10.0 7 100 3 200 14 200 63.0 28 400 126.0 1.260 32.0 0.512 to 0.591 13.00 to 15.00
1⁄2 13.0 0.512 13.0 12 000 5 400 24 000 107.0 48 000 214.0 1.640 41.6 0.688 to 0.768 17.43 to 19.50
5⁄8 16.0 0.630 16.0 18 100 8 200 36 200 161.0 72 400 322.0 2.020 51.2 0.812 to 0.945 20.63 to 24.00
3⁄4 20.0 0.787 20.0 28 300 12 800 56 600 252.0 113 200 504.0 2.520 64.0 0.984 to 1.180 25.00 to 30.00
7⁄8 22.0 0.866 22.0 34 200 15 500 68 400 305.0 136 500 610.0 2.770 70.4 1.080 to 1.300 27.50 to 33.00
1 26.0 1.024 26.0 47 700 21 600 95 400 425.0 190 800 850.0 3.280 83.2 1.280 to 1.540 32.50 to 39.00
11⁄4 32.0 1.260 32.0 72 300 32 800 144 600 644.0 289 200 1288.0 4.030 102.4 1.580 to 1.890 40.00 to 48.00
A
The proof test and minimum breaking force loads shall not be used as criteria for service or design purposes. (See Section 3.)

shall include quenching and tempering as defined by Defini- NOTE 2—“U” bolts of the same or larger diameter and the same or
tions E 44. greater strength may be used to secure the chain to the jaws of the testing
machine.
6. Material Requirements 7.2.2 The test specimen shall be subjected to testing head
6.1 Heat Analysis—The selection and amounts of the alloy- speed in accordance with Test Methods and Definitions A 370.
ing elements in the steel are left to the judgment of the 7.2.3 Test specimens shall meet or exceed the minimum
individual chain manufacturer provided the steel meets the breaking force values given in Table 1 for the appropriate size
following criteria: Carbon: 0.35 % max.; Phosphorous: chain.
0.025 % max.; Sulfur: 0.025 % max. Nickel must be present in 7.3 Elongation:
an alloying amount (0.40 % min); and at least one of the 7.3.1 All chain must be in the quenched and tempered

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following elements must be present in an alloying amount: condition before the elongation is measured.
Chromium (0.40 % min) or Molybdenum (0.15 % min). 7.3.2 Elongation is to be determined as follows:
6.2 Product Analysis—The steel used may be analyzed by 7.3.2.1 Test samples are to consist of at least the number of
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the purchaser and shall conform to the requirements of 6.1
subject to the product analysis tolerances specified in Specifi-
links in Table 2 that constitutes the gage length. Two additional
links will be required to engage the jaws of the testing machine

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cation A /A 29M. Test samples may be taken from rods, bars, unless this is done by half links or another method.
or finished chain. Samples for analysis shall be so taken as to 7.3.2.2 Place the test sample in the testing machine and load
represent the full cross section of the specimen. to a maximum of 10 % of the proof test force. Measure the
6.3 Test Methods E 30, E 350, or E 415 shall be used for gage length (L), which does not include the links engaged in
referee purposes. ASTM A391/A391M-98
the jaws of the testing machine (see Fig. 1).
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7. Mechanical Requirements
7.3.2.3 The load is then gradually and smoothly increased
until fracture occurs, and the maximum load applied is re-
7.1 Proof Test—All chain shall be tested to at least the proof corded as the breaking force. The elongation may be deter-
load prescribed in Table 1 for the appropriate size chain. When mined by an autographic recorder, side scale, or alternatively
so tested it shall withstand these loads without loss of chain by measuring the broken lengths on either side of the broken
integrity. Links or chain segments not withstanding the proof link as shown in Fig. 2.
test load shall be removed from the chain. 7.3.3 Calculation of Elongation:
7.2 Breaking Force—The breaking force test specimen shall 7.3.3.1 The mean pitch (p8) after seating of the links at some
consist of a length from the lot containing at least the number load not exceeding 10 % of the manufacturing test force is
of links in Table 2. calculated as follows:
7.2.1 Fixtures for securing chain in a testing machine shall p8 5 ~L 2 2d!/n (1)
be properly designed to support securely the shoulder of the
link (see Note 2). The opening in the fixture shall not be more where n is the actual number of links in gage length L.
than 125 % of the stock diameter being tested. Links engaged
in the testing fixture shall not be considered part of the test
specimen.

TABLE 2 Mechanical Test Sample Length Requirements

Minimum Number of
Size of Chain Links
in Test Specimen
7⁄32 in. [5.5 mm] 9
Larger than 7⁄32 in. [5.5 mm] but less than 3⁄4 in. [20.0 7
mm]
3⁄4in. [20.0 mm] and larger 3
FIG. 1 Gage Length