Steel Grades & Standards
This page explains how the BSSA grades table relates former BS, En, German, and Swedish designations to current EN 10088 steel numbers, AISI grades, and UNS numbers. It also states the table's scope and why its rows are not direct equivalent grades.
Representative view: samples of stainless, carbon and galvanized steel laid side by side, each surface distinct.
Grade Cross-Reference Scope and Limits
The BSSA table relates former BS, En, German and Swedish grade designations to the current EN steel numbers, AISI grades, and UNS numbers. It is based on the wrought steel numbers published in EN 10088 and related standards. Use the table only to locate candidate designations within that published scope. Do not extend a listed relationship beyond the standard and edition it is based on; check the governing specification, edition, product form, and condition for the order.
How to Read a Cross-Reference Table
Use cross-reference tables as orientation for composition, not as the acceptance document. The BSSA Composition Guide is intended to represent composition only, and does not show the specified or typical compositions of commercially available steels. Its figures are representative of the grade, not typical; in the guide, x indicates a maximum.
Treat cross-reference tables as comparisons only. They cannot be assumed to be direct equivalent grades. The data does not replace individual standards, to which reference should always be made. For wrought European grades, specified ranges can be found in the BS EN 10088-2 or BS EN 10088-3 tables.
Before accepting a grade against a drawing or specification:
- Confirm the composition from the standard named in the specification, not from the cross-reference.
- Treat bracketed grade entries as not true AISI grades; verify the designation against the original standard.
- For castings, use the steel numbers in EN 10283; castings use different compositions.
Grade Reference Table
Designations in different standards are cross-references, never equivalents. Use the table to locate a designation on a drawing or in an offer and to see which designations appear together in the BSSA grades table.
| Basis | EN designation | Other designations in the row |
|---|---|---|
| EN 10088 steel number 1.4301 | 1.4301 | AISI 304, UNS S30400 |
| EN 10088 steel number 1.4307 | 1.4307 | AISI 304L, UNS S30403, BS (wrought) 304S11, SS 2352, BS (cast) 304C12 |
| EN 10088 steel number 1.4306 | 1.4306 | AISI 304L, German name X2CrNi19-11, SS 2352 |
304 has EN designation 1.4301, ASTM type 304, and UNS S30400. 304L has EN designation 1.4307, ASTM type 304L, and UNS S30403.
Grade Pages
Use this section to locate a grade reference, not to assume interchangeability. A designation in one standard is a cross-reference, not an equivalent; compare it against the drawing or specification, product form and condition.
- Grade
304 Stainless Steel
304: EN 1.4301, ASTM type 304, UNS S30400; an 18% chromium, 8% nickel austenitic stainless steel.
- Grade
DX51D Steel
DX51D is the bending and profiling quality of EN 10346:2015, the first rung of its cold-forming ladder; the name fixes the steel, not the zinc on it.
- Grade
SGCC Steel
SGCC is the commercial-quality designation for hot-dip zinc-coated sheet on a cold-rolled base in JIS G 3302; the symbol names the steel, not the zinc.
- Grade
Q235 Steel
Q235 is a name out of GB/T 700:2006, assembled under a designation standard of its own; the letter at the end is the part of it that decides what gets tested.
- Grade
ASTM A36 Steel
ASTM A36/A36M is a specification for carbon steel shapes, plates and bars; sheet and strip in coils is ordered to ASTM A1011/A1011M, and this page sets out which is which.
- Grade
201 Stainless Steel: Check the Exact Grade Before Ordering
A 201 enquiry needs a complete designation and product standard. A mill's J1 or J4 label is a separate identification question, not proof that the material is standard Grade 201.
- Grade
304L Stainless Steel: Grade Identity and Dual-Certification Checks
Identify the exact 304L specification and product form, then verify any dual-certification claim against the heat-specific certificate and the order's acceptance requirements.
- Grade
316L Stainless Steel: Specify the Environment and Product Form
A 316L enquiry needs the exact product specification, service environment and processing route. The grade name alone cannot approve material suitability for a particular part.
- Grade
430 Stainless Steel: Check Magnetism, Forming and Service Conditions
Use the exact 430 designation and product standard to define an order. Treat magnet response, forming and corrosion requirements as separate acceptance questions.
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