Why is Steel not considered a mineral?

What is a mineral? If we simply put it - minerals are inorganic compounds, naturally occurring or abiogenic (man-made). They have a definite chemical formula and morphology and can be represented using a single chemical formula. Now consider steel. read more

The answer is no. Steel, as we know is an alloy of carbon and iron, where the weight % of carbon is less than 2%. read more

To be defined as a mineral, a substance needs to be naturally occurring in nature. Although some metal alloys do occur naturally, steel is not one of them. Steel is a man-made alloy (a combination of iron and carbon). read more