Laclede Chain can help you “Finish” your application!

April 25, 2016

Ever wonder what all those finish options mean or what is the best finish for your application? Maybe you wonder why Transport chain is gold or if powder coat is the same as poly coated chain? No need to worry, we are here to explain them all.

When it comes to chain finishes, Laclede Chain prides itself on the variety of offerings we have to suit you and your customers’ needs. The purpose of this blog is to help you better understand the different finishes that can be applied onto the chain. Below we have listed the standard finish options along with a couple special circumstances.

Self Colored: This type speaks for itself; it is a chain that has no finish at all.

Electro Galvanized: Probably the most commonly used finish. This finish is used on G70 (Gold), G43 (Silver) and G30 (Silver) chain. We now offer it on alloy chain too!

Continuous electro-plating is a plating process that deposits zinc to the surface of the chain through electro-deposition. After the zinc metal is deposited on the surface of the chain, a thin film of trivalent clear / Blue chromate (colorless ends up as a silver finish) or hexavalent Yellow / Gold (colored) chromate is applied over the zinc plate, to protect the zinc metal from oxidizing. Making Transport chain gold is an industry standard, plain and simple.

Hot Dipped Galvanized: This can be used on any type of chain but is more common on G43 and G30. On the higher grades of chain that go through the heat treated process, this plating process will reduce the working load limit. This finish is used a lot in marine and outdoor applications because it is more rust resistant than EG.

Continuous Hot Dip galvanizing is a galvanizing process where the chain is cleaned and fluxed prior to submersion in an 850° molten zinc bath. This coating offers a heavier layer of zinc metal compared with electro-plated coatings.

Alloy Coating: Our alloy chain has a basic water soluble polymer solution on the chain. The main purpose for this is to cover the heat treat scale on the chain. G80 appears as a black finish and G100 appears as grey.

There are other special finishes that Laclede chain is happy to help you with; for example, Powder coated chain. Powder coated chains are coated using a dry powder that is electro statically applied and then baked on to the surface of the chain. Powder coat can also be referred to as Poly coat, yes they are the same thing! It has an excellent appearance with a very durable finish and can be supplied in various colors.

If you ever have any questions on finishes or which option works best for your application please feel free to call our sales team. If you have a need for a different finish that is not listed, we would be glad to consider that coating for our chain. We are here to help!