This standard defines the term steel (see chapter 3) and establishes:
——a classification according to chemical composition (see chapter 4) establishing two groups: non-alloy steels and alloy steels;
——a classification of non-alloy and alloy steels, establishing the main quality categories (see chapter 5) defined according to the main characteristics of their properties and their application (see annexes). NOTES 1 The Technical Committees responsible for the preparation of quality standards must classify the types and grades defined in each of them as non-alloy or alloy steels, according to the criteria of chapter 4 and in one of the categories defined in the Chapter 5 of this European Standard and indicate this classification in the text of each of these standards. If the requirements specified in a given standard are not compatible with the criteria defined in chapter 5, doubts about the classification of the different types will be resolved by the Technical Committee responsible for EN 10 020, which must propose a classification; In case of dispute with the Technical Committee responsible for the quality standard, the Coordination Commission will decide. 2 The classification proposed by this standard is automatically applied, whatever the type of steel actually obtained, to the extent that its chemical composition corresponds to the requirements of the corresponding quality standard.