Beyond chemical makeup, EN 10020 classifies steels by their "quality class," which refers to their intended application and required properties:
Furthermore, the standard is essential for regulatory compliance. In pressure equipment (PED), construction products (CPR), and automotive standards, materials must meet specific "grade" requirements as defined by EN 10020 to be legally sold within the European Economic Area.
: Simple non-alloy steels with no specific heat treatment requirements.
EN 10020 is a European Standard (EN) titled “Classification and designation of steel grades.” Published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), it establishes the rules for how steels are defined, classified, and designated based on their chemical composition.
The standard divides all steels into three broad categories based on the mass percentage of alloying elements present:
According to EN 10020, steel is a material that, in terms of mass, contains . Furthermore: The carbon content (C) must generally be less than 2% . It must contain other elements.