The chemical composition of steel is what defines the properties of steel. It is the main characteristic by which the different grades of steel differ.
The chemical composition of steel is based on iron and carbon, but steel can be alloyed with metallic or non-metallic elements to modify its chemical composition; based on the different contents of these elements we can talk about carbon steels – non-alloyed, alloyed steels and stainless steels.
The most common chemical elements in the chemical composition of steel in addition to iron are: carbon, manganese, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, aluminum and vanadium.