What Are ASTM Standards?

There are nearly 13,000 ASTM standards covering everything from the composition and strength of steel to the properties of leather. When purchasing any materials, the ASTM standard will often be quoted in the item specification, but what do ASTM standards achieve and why do we have them?

What is ASTM?

The American Society for Testing and Materials consists of over 30,000 industry professionals who collaborate to produce standardized manuals for the production, use and testing of materials.

Working with both private industry and government bodies, the ASTM has papers defining everything from the way in which water management systems should be tested, to the properties of thermoplastics, created to standardize material manufacture and testing.

Why Do We Need ASTM Standards?

Standardization enables industry to rely on the quality of materials, without needing to inspect and test every critical component. It ensures the quality of manufacturing is consistent as long as the processes do not change.

In other areas, such as the standardization of testing procedures, it allows fair comparisons to be made between different manufacturers of the same product.

Are All ASTM Standards The Same?

There are over 12,000 ASTM standards published, each one defining a slightly different area of industry practice or technical requirements. Broadly speaking, the ASTM standards are grouped into the following categories:

• Standard Practice Guide – These collate the universally accepted best practices for a technique or process, based on industry experience and expertise.
• Standard Test Method – Testing is conducted on all materials from steel to leather, but to ensure the data collected is reliable, the test methods are clearly defined in these standards.
• Terminology Standard – Used to clarify terms such as acronyms and symbols. These are also commonly used in chemical standards where multiple names are used for the same compounds/solutions.
• Standard Classification – To help categorize products or materials into groups, specifying these by factors such as chemical composition, uses, origin, or properties.
• Standard Specification – These standards help define the scope and outcomes of products, services or processes, to ensure quality and reliability.

How Are ASTM Standards Developed?

ASTM Standards are devised through regular meetings of regulatory committees, encompassing experts from a wide range of disciplines. These are volunteers from academia, industry and government bodies.

To bring a new standard into use, these bodies assess the needs of the relevant industry and establish where extra regulation and standardization is necessary.

Why Do ASTM Safety Standards Matter?

When designing or formulating any manufactured product, known material properties are essential to ensuring the manufacturing steps perform as intended.

Consider how drastically a batch of poor quality materials can negatively affect the manufacturing process in any industry, this would be the norm without standardization throughout the industry and the world.

What Test Does ASTM Perform For Metals?

There are multiple ASTM testing standards for metals, each one covering how the process, evaluation and reporting of data should be conducted. This enables manufacturers to accurately compare physical material attributes with like-for-like criteria.

ASTM E8 Defines the test methods for tensile strength, yield strength, strain and reduction of the cross-sectional area of metals, a vital set of properties for any engineer or fabricator when using steel or other metals in structures, parts and components.

ASTM E21 Defines the testing method for tensile strength under high temperatures, as many materials perform differently when heated to 900 degrees celsius and above.

ASTM E23 Sets out the procedures and protocols for notched bar impact testing of steels and other metals. The standard features procedures based on Charpy and Izod tests to measure impact strength.

ASTM E399 sets out how to test metallic materials for resistance to crack extension, also known as fracture strength. Tests are performed cyclically and this document lays out the stress, frequency and material conditions for testing.

Is ASTM Used Globally?

The role of ASTM standards in global industry is an important one. Whilst many countries outside of the US do use ASTM standards for their material, the fact that many ASTM standards are harmonized with the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards, means ASTM is trusted around the world.

Certain industries, such as oil and gas, often quote the ASTM standards even in Europe.

Can I See the ASTM Standards?

Most ASTM standards are not publicly available but can be bought from ASTM.org or viewed with paid access to ASTM membership. The latter is useful as ASTM standards evolve all the time, and new updates are made every few years.

The ASTM Reading Room is a free service that lets you view and read safety-relevant standards without paying. The ASTM reading room can be accessed here.

How Can You Buy Metals That Meet ASTM Standards?

When shopping for metals, you will usually be presented with a range of grades, these indicate the chemical composition, heat treatment and physical properties of the metal. This can be used to determine the suitability of your project or design.

Once a material grade is selected, choose a reputable steel supplier that can provide material certification with the metal. At Metals supermarkets we can supply material test certificates for all our stock.