Steel or aluminum?

[beastmaster]

I up graded my lanyard with a new 10mm line with a spliced on clip on one end. I also added a new i2i, 8mm prussic to it replacing the old retired beeline prussic I was using. What I'm a little unsure about is the carabiner I use to attach it to the ring on my saddle.
I was using a steel carabiner. Because of the small surface area and stress applied to the carabiner from the ring and metal to metal contact . It seems like it would be more likely to break there if I used a aluminum carabiner.
Am I just being paranoid? I would like to have an aluminum biner if it was safe. That steel biner is heavy, but strong as hell. The rings on my edge saddle are aluminum. I use aluminum biners all the time, but I can't help but wonder. What does the CE lanyard use anyone know. My lanyard is fashioned after theirs.
I wonder also if the shape of the carabiner is importent. I mean like round verses a flat inner ID again because of the surface area coming into contact. Hope I'm making my self clear

 

[sgreanbeans]

I use aluminum, never have any problems. It only holds u, so I couldn't see a scenario where you could put enough force on it to break it. Think your being paraniod beasty!

 

[imagineero]

You're being paranoid. The aluminum beener will wear through in approximately 10,000 years. Or go with steel and wear through the (much thinner!) aluminum rings on your harness faster ;-)

Steel beeners are very rarely used, mostly for rigging purposes where fully loaded rope will be running across the metal surface, and to take advantage of the typically 50~60kn strength vs the 23kn strength more commonly found in aluminum The shape isn't that important, but if you happen to have an oval it's slightly nicer than a D. Not so's you'd notice though. Absolutely go with triact which I doubt your steel beeners are. The petzl william triact is a good choice and not expensive. The CE lanyard uses an oval aluminum triact beener by DMM.

You are absolutely overthinking things. The beener on your lanyard is likely to see a force of somewhere around 100lbs, with no shockloading and very little friction/abrasion as vs it's 5,000lb rated strength and ability to withstand extensive abrasion and shockloading. Life support beeners are not designed casually. Your body is by far the weekest link in the system, by orders of magnitude.

Shaun

 

[Zale]

+1 on all that has been said. I prefer steel over aluminum but thats just me. Peace of mind.

 

[squad143]

CE lanyard uses aluminum. We'll the one I bought at the Baltimore TCIA Expo did anyways.

I've been using aluminum biners on my saddle and steel for rigging for years.

If you're concerned about the aluminum wearing, just change it out every year or two. When you really look at it, they are not that expensive.

 

[JohnH]

+1 on all that has been said. I prefer steel over aluminum but thats just me. Peace of mind.

same here I like steel better. I use aluminum also on some things but I replace it more often.

 

[beastmaster]

Thank for the input. I went with alum. There isn't really that much pressure being put on it. I use alum. biners for everything rope related. A tied on biner clipped to a rope doesn't bother me . But a alum. biner clipped to a hard narrow metal surface seems like all the stress is being put on a small area of the biner compared to it being clipped to a to a rope. I always have these thoughts when I'm dangling 90 ft up.