Q500E 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

Q500E 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).

Q500E is smelted by oxygen converter or electric furnace, with strict control of chemical composition and carbon equivalent (CEV ≤0.47%), ensuring excellent high strength and superior low-temperature toughness (-40℃ impact resistance). It is widely used in low-temperature engineering machinery, polar region construction structures, port machinery in cold areas, bridge engineering and other fields that require high load-bearing capacity and low-temperature stability.

According to GB/T 16270-2009 Appendix A, Q500E has approximate equivalent grades in European standards, and is the preferred material for high-strength structural components working in low-temperature environments 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 adds Q500E grade with -40℃ low-temperature impact 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
Q500E ≤50 0.20 0.80 1.70 0.020 0.010 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 0.020 0.010 0.50 1.50 2.00 0.70 0.0050 0.12 0.06 0.05 0.7
>100~150 0.20 0.80 1.70 0.020 0.010 0.50 1.50 2.00 0.70 0.0050 0.12 0.06 0.05 0.7

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: Q500E has stricter P/S control (P≤0.020%, S≤0.010%) than Q500C to ensure low-temperature toughness.

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 -40℃ (Longitudinal)
Q500E 500 480 440 590~770 540~720 17 34

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: Q500E impact test temperature is -40℃ (KV2≥34J), which is much stricter than Q500C (0℃, KV2≥47J), reflecting excellent low-temperature toughness.

International Standard Approximate Comparison

According to GB/T 16270-2009 Appendix A (informative appendix) and official international standard data, the approximate equivalent grades of Q500E are as follows:

Property Q500E (GB/T 16270-2009)
China | Quenched & Tempered		 S500QL1 (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) -40℃ (KV2≥34J) -60℃ (KV≥40J) -40℃ (KV≥27J)
Max Carbon Content (%) 0.20 0.20 0.21
Carbon Equivalent CEV ≤ 0.47~0.7 (by thickness) 0.48 0.50
Max Thickness (mm) 150 150 100
Main Applications Low-temperature engineering machinery, polar 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. Q500E is equivalent to S500QL1 in EN standard in terms of low-temperature performance.

Application Cases

Low-temperature Construction Machinery with Q500E Steel

Low-temperature Engineering Machinery

Excavator arms, crane booms, loader buckets and hydraulic support components used in cold regions (-20℃~-40℃). Q500E's high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent low-temperature toughness meet the load requirements of machinery in extreme cold environments.

Polar Region Bridge Structures with Q500E Steel

Polar Region Building Structures

Large-span bridge deck plates, high-rise building structural beams and columns in polar regions, steel structure workshops in cold areas. Q500E's excellent low-temperature toughness and stability adapt to harsh outdoor environments (-40℃).

Cold Region Port Machinery with Q500E Steel

Cold Region Port Machinery

Port cranes, container handlers, ship unloaders and hoisting equipment in northern cold ports. Q500E's high load-bearing capacity, wear resistance and low-temperature toughness meet the long-term heavy-duty operation requirements in low-temperature environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key updates of GB/T 16270-2009 for Q500E grade? +

GB/T 16270-2009 has the following key updates for Q500E: 1. Expanding the applicable thickness of Q500E from 100mm to 150mm, with adjusted mechanical properties for thickness >100mm (yield strength ≥440MPa); 2. Clearly defining Q500E's -40℃ low-temperature impact requirement (KV2≥34J), which is stricter than Q500D (-20℃); 3. Adding CEV carbon equivalent index (≤0.47% for ≤50mm thickness) to ensure weldability; 4. Mandatory Z-direction performance test (Z15/Z25/Z35) for Q500E plates with thickness ≥15mm; 5. Only retaining quenched + tempered delivery state to guarantee stable performance of Q500E.

Why is Q500E suitable for low-temperature (-40℃) applications? +

Q500E is specially designed for -40℃ low-temperature environments for the following reasons: 1. Strict control of impurity elements (P≤0.020%, S≤0.010%) to avoid cold brittleness at low temperatures; 2. CEV carbon equivalent ≤0.47% (for thickness ≤50mm) to ensure weldability and low-temperature toughness; 3. Mandatory -40℃ 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; 5. Z-direction performance requirement (Z15/Z25/Z35) for thickness ≥15mm to prevent lamellar tearing in low-temperature welding.

What are the welding requirements for Q500E steel plates? +

Q500E welding key points: 1. Preheating temperature: 60~120℃ (adjust according to thickness, ≥50mm needs 80~120℃); 2. Interpass temperature ≤200℃ to avoid overheating affecting low-temperature toughness; 3. Recommended welding materials: matching strength grade (yield ≥500MPa) low-hydrogen electrodes/wires (such as E7018-G, ER70S-G); 4. Post-weld heat treatment: generally not required, but stress relief annealing (550~600℃) is recommended for thick plates (>80mm) or complex structures; 5. Welding process: use low heat input, multi-layer multi-pass welding to reduce welding stress and deformation, ensuring -40℃ toughness of weld joint.

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

The core difference lies in low-temperature impact requirements: 1. Q500C: 0℃ impact (KV2≥34J), suitable for normal temperature environments; 2. Q500D: -20℃ impact (KV2≥34J), suitable for cold regions; 3. Q500E: -40℃ impact (KV2≥34J), suitable for severe cold regions. In addition, Q500E has stricter P/S control (P≤0.020%, S≤0.010%) than Q500C (P≤0.025%, S≤0.015%), and mandatory Z-direction performance requirement for thickness ≥15mm, making it the preferred material for engineering projects in -40℃ low-temperature environments such as northern China, Russia and Canada.

What are the customization capabilities of Q500E steel plates? +

CEHE Steel provides full customization for Q500E: 1. Size customization: thickness 6~150mm, width 1500~4000mm, length 3000~18000mm (can be cut to custom size); 2. Performance customization: Z-direction performance (Z15/Z25/Z35), 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), all products comply with GB/T 16270-2009 standard.

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