Abstract This article introduces a generalisation of the crossed rule approach to the detection of Knuth-Bendix completion procedure divergence. It introduces closure chains, which are special rule closures constructed by means of particular substitution operations and operators, as a suitable formalism for progress in this direction. Supporting substitution algebra is developed first, followed by considerations concerning rule closures in general, concluding with an investigation of closure chain properties. Issues concerning the narrowing process are not discussed here.