Q500C High Strength Structural Steel Plate

Strictly Compliant with GB/T 16270-2009 | Quenched & Tempered State | Thickness Up to 150mm | Excellent Low-Temperature Toughness | Custom Sizes Available

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Product Overview

Q500C is a high strength structural steel plate specified in GB/T 16270-2009 High strength structural steel plates in the quenched and tempered condition standard, replacing the old GB/T 16270-1996 version. The product is delivered in quenched + tempered state, with a maximum applicable thickness of 150mm (expanded from the original 100mm).

Q500C is smelted by oxygen converter or electric furnace, with strict control of chemical composition and carbon equivalent (CEV ≤0.50%), ensuring excellent high strength and superior low-temperature toughness (0℃ impact resistance). It is widely used in general engineering machinery, construction structures, port machinery, bridge engineering and other fields that require high load-bearing capacity and low-temperature stability (0℃).

According to GB/T 16270-2009 Appendix A, Q500C has approximate equivalent grades in European standards, and is the preferred material for high-strength structural components working in low-temperature environments (0℃) in domestic and international engineering projects.

★ Key Standard Update:

GB/T 16270-2009 cancels the bending performance requirement, adds CEV carbon equivalent index, and deletes the delivery states of normalizing, normalizing+tempering and controlled rolling. It also defines Q500C grade with 0℃ low-temperature impact requirement, which is the basic grade of Q500 series without mandatory Z-direction performance requirement.

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Technical Specifications (GB/T 16270-2009)

All data is in accordance with the official GB/T 16270-2009 standard, the unit of chemical composition is mass fraction (wt%), and the mechanical properties are tested with transverse tensile samples and longitudinal impact samples.

Chemical Composition (wt%, Max) & Carbon Equivalent CEV

Grade Thickness mm C Si Mn P S Cu Cr Ni Mo B V Nb Ti CEV
Q500C ≤50 0.20 0.80 1.70 0.025 0.015 0.50 1.50 2.00 0.70 0.0050 0.12 0.06 0.05 0.47
>50~100 0.20 0.80 1.70 0.025 0.015 0.50 1.50 2.00 0.70 0.0050 0.12 0.06 0.05 0.70
>100~150 0.20 0.80 1.70 0.025 0.015 0.50 1.50 2.00 0.70 0.0050 0.12 0.06 0.05 0.70

Note 1: At least one grain refinement element (Nb/Ti/V/Al) shall be added, the minimum content of at least one element is 0.015% (Als for Al), or Alt can be used instead of Als with a minimum of 0.018%.
Note 2: CEV calculation formula (GB/T 16270-2009): CEV = C + Mn/6 + (Cr+Mo+V)/5 + (Ni+Cu)/15.
Note 3: The chemical composition tolerance of finished steel plate complies with GB/T 222.
Note 4: Q500C has standard P/S control (P≤0.020%, S≤0.010%) among Q500 series to ensure low-temperature toughness and general structural performance.
Note 5: Q500C has no mandatory Z-direction performance test requirement (can be customized as needed) for thickness ≥15mm.

Mechanical Properties (GB/T 16270-2009)

Grade Yield Strength ReH (MPa) ≥ Yield Strength ReH (MPa) ≥ Yield Strength ReH (MPa) ≥ Tensile Strength Rm (MPa) Tensile Strength Rm (MPa) Elongation after Fracture A (%)  Impact Absorption Energy KV2 (J) 
≤50mm >50~100mm >100~150mm ≤100mm >100~150mm All Thickness 0℃ (Longitudinal)
Q500C 500 480 440 590~770 540~720 17 47

Note 1: When the yield phenomenon is not obvious, Rp0.2 is used instead of ReH.
Note 2: The impact energy is the arithmetic mean of three samples, one sample is allowed to be lower than the specified value but not less than 70% of the specified value.
Note 3: For plates with thickness 8~12mm, 75% of the specified impact value is required for 10×7.5×55mm auxiliary samples; for 6~8mm, 50% for 10×5×55mm auxiliary samples; no impact test for <6mm.
Note 4: Smelting method: oxygen converter/electric furnace; delivery state: quenched + tempered.
Note 5: Q500C impact test temperature is 0℃ (KV2≥34J), which is the basic grade among Q500 series, reflecting excellent low-temperature toughness for general engineering applications.
Note 6: Q500C has no mandatory Z-direction performance test requirement for thickness ≥15mm (Z15/Z25/Z35 grade optional) for general structural applications.

International Standard Approximate Comparison

According to GB/T 16270-2009 Appendix A (informative appendix) and official international standard data, the approximate equivalent grades of Q500C are as follows:

Property Q500C (GB/T 16270-2009)
China | Quenched & Tempered		 S500QL (EN 10025-6:2004)
EU | Quenched & Tempered		 ASTM A514 Gr.Q (ASTM A514)
US | Quenched & Tempered
Min Yield Strength (MPa) 500 (≤50mm) 500 (≤100mm) 690 (≤100mm)
Tensile Strength (MPa) 590~770 590~770 760~895
Min Elongation (%) 17 17 15
Impact Test Temperature (°C) 0℃ (KV2≥34J) -40℃ (KV≥40J) -40℃ (KV≥27J)
Max Carbon Content (%) 0.20 0.20 0.21
Carbon Equivalent CEV ≤ 0.50~0.72 (by thickness) 0.48 0.50
Max Thickness (mm) 150 150 100
Main Applications General engineering machinery, construction structures Low-temperature high-rise structures, cranes Low-temperature heavy structural components

Note: The above is the approximate comparison of performance indicators, and the specific application shall be subject to the official standard of each country and the technical requirements of the project. CEHE Steel can provide products complying with Chinese, European and American standards according to customer requirements. Q500C is equivalent to S500QL in EN standard in terms of basic mechanical performance.

Application Cases

Low-temperature Construction Machinery with Q500C Steel

General Engineering Machinery

Excavator arms, crane booms, loader buckets and hydraulic support components used in low-temperature regions (0℃~-20℃). Q500C's high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent low-temperature toughness meet the load requirements of machinery in general cold environments.

General Building Structures with Q500C Steel

General Building Structures

Large-span bridge deck plates, high-rise building structural beams and columns, steel structure workshops in low-temperature areas. Q500C's excellent low-temperature toughness and stability adapt to general outdoor environments (0℃).

General Port Machinery with Q500C Steel

General Port Machinery

Port cranes, container handlers, ship unloaders and hoisting equipment in general ports. Q500C's high load-bearing capacity, wear resistance and low-temperature toughness meet the long-term heavy-duty operation requirements in normal low-temperature environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key updates of GB/T 16270-2009 compared to the old version? +

GB/T 16270-2009 has the following key updates: 1. Expanding the applicable thickness from 100mm to 150mm and deleting the steel strip specification; 2. Canceling Q420 grade and adding Q800/Q890/Q960 grades; 3. Adding quality grade C/F and adjusting composition and performance; 4. Canceling bending performance requirements and adding CEV carbon equivalent index; 5. Deleting delivery states such as normalizing and controlled rolling, and only retaining quenched + tempered state; 6. Adding Q500C grade with 0℃ low-temperature impact requirement.

Why is Q500C suitable for low-temperature (0℃) applications? +

Q500C is specially designed for low-temperature environments for the following reasons: 1. Strict control of impurity elements (P≤0.020%, S≤0.010%) to avoid cold brittleness; 2. CEV carbon equivalent ≤0.47% (for thickness ≤50mm) to ensure weldability and low-temperature toughness; 3. Mandatory 0℃ impact test (KV2≥34J) to verify low-temperature performance; 4. Addition of grain refinement elements (Nb/Ti/V/Al) to refine grains and improve low-temperature toughness.

What are the welding requirements for Q500C steel plates? +

Q500C welding key points: 1. Preheating temperature: 80~150℃ (adjust according to thickness, ≥50mm needs 100~150℃); 2. Interpass temperature ≤200℃ to avoid overheating affecting toughness; 3. Recommended welding materials: matching strength grade (yield ≥500MPa) low-hydrogen electrodes/wires (such as E8018-G, ER80S-G); 4. Post-weld heat treatment: generally not required, but stress relief annealing (550~600℃) is recommended for thick plates or complex structures; 5. Welding process: use low heat input, multi-layer multi-pass welding to reduce welding stress and deformation.

What is the difference between Q500C and Q500D/Q500E/Q500F grades? +

The core difference lies in low-temperature impact requirements: 1. Q500C: 0℃ impact (KV2≥34J); 2. Q500D: -20℃ impact (KV2≥34J); 3. Q500E: -40℃ impact (KV2≥34J); 4. Q500F: -60℃ impact (KV2≥34J) (strictest). In addition, Q500C has basic P/S control (P≤0.020%, S≤0.010%) and no mandatory Z-direction performance requirement, making it suitable for general low-temperature (0℃) applications in conventional engineering projects.

What are the customization capabilities of Q500C steel plates? +

CEHE Steel provides full customization for Q500C: 1. Size customization: thickness 6~150mm, width 1500~4000mm, length 3000~18000mm (can be cut to custom size); 2. Performance customization: impact energy upgrade (KV2≥40J), surface quality grade (A/B/C/D); 3. Processing customization: flame cutting, plasma cutting, beveling, shot blasting, painting, anti-rust oil coating; 4. Certification customization: provide mill test certificate (MTC) according to EN 10204 3.1/3.2, third-party inspection (SGS/BV/ABS) report; 5. Delivery cycle: stock for common sizes (3-5 days), customized production (15-25 days).

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