ASTM D3647 Standard Practice for Classifying Reinforced Plastic Pultruded Shapes According to Composition (Withdrawn 2022)

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ASTM D3647 Introduction

ASTM D3647 was a recognized practice that defines and classifies these products based on their composition, which helps in the specification, design, and selection of materials. The product A pultruded shape is produced by continuous pulling of resin-wet fibers through a heated die, which is used in structural or industrial applications. The classification was based on the nature of the resin and reinforcement, thereby providing a harmonized approach to glazing and comparing materials as used by suppliers and in various applications.

Get Certified ASTM D3647 for Reliable Composite Material Classification

Adherence to ASTM D3647 has assisted manufacturers and engineers in standardizing names and classification of pultruded composite materials. With the help of the classification codes established in this practice, the organizations could simplify the selection of materials, enhance the clarity of specifications, and be certain that pultruded products are up to the task of structural, electrical, and industrial usage.

Scope of ASTM D3647

Discusses categorization of reinforced plastic pultruded shapes.
Usable on profiles of thermosetting resin composite.
Concentrates on resin mattress and reinforcement formulations.
Used to normalize the identification and specification of materials.
Structural and industrial composite components can be applied.

ASTM D3647 Equipment and Sample Preparation

Specimen Details	Pultruded shapes such as rods, angles, channels, or beams
Specimen Preparation	Cut to size for verification testing per referenced mechanical standards
Specimen Dimensions	Dependent on referenced tests, not specified in this classification document

Applications of ASTM D3647

Structural support systems
Walkways and industrial platforms.
Cable trays and ladder rails
Elements of utility infrastructure.
Marine facilities that are exposed to acidic conditions.
Electrical industry, transportation industry.

ASTM D3647 Common Challenges and Troubleshooting

A drawback to the standard was that it relied on compositional classification instead of an actual performance check. The materials, which belong to a particular category, may not necessarily provide the same mechanical performance in actual practice. This may occasionally bring about a gap between what is supposed to be done and what is done. Engineers usually handled this problem by performing further confirmatory testing by reference methods to ASTM.

ASTM D3647 Aggregate Testing Technique, Processes and Data Collection

ASTM D3647 is mainly a classification practice and not a laboratory method of testing. Consequently, it fails to generate unbiased test results. Rather, it is based on supporting data from other ASTM standards that determine the mechanical, thermal, or environmental characteristics of composite materials.

ASTM D3647 Testing Procedure and Requirements

Nature of Standard	Classification practice is not a direct test method.
Performance Categories	Mechanical strength, environmental resistance, and thermal stability.
Supporting Test Methods	Uses data from other ASTM standards: D790 (flexural properties), D638 (tensile properties), D696 (coefficient of thermal expansion), etc.
Purpose	To standardize terminology and provide a consistent framework for specifying and selecting pultruded composite profiles.

ASTM D3647 Analysis Results and Interpretation

The classification scheme comes up with an identifying number of the type of resin and reinforcement used in the pultruded composite. As an example, a pultruded part that is produced with a vinyl ester resin with glass fiber reinforcement would be labeled with a unique classification code that would classify it by its composition and performance behavior.

ASTM D3647 Problem and Solution

Problem: The classification of the material based only on the composition can not describe the real performance features of the pultruded product.

Solution: The engineers are also advised to supplement classification through confirmatory mechanical tests with referenced ASTM standards to determine whether the material is up to a given design order.

Standardized classification codes enable engineers to locate an appropriate pultruded material in a relatively short time, saving them time on several formulations.

Expert

Skilled specialists in materials and engineering skills are needed to decode the classification codes and determine performance results based on the materials used by the mentioned methods of tests.

Cost

Uniform classification facilitates low prices of the tests and also lower procurement cost but further testing of the structural performance might be essential in cases of critical applications.

Updated on September 17, 2026

About Author

Divakar Shukla

Divakar Shukla is an Electrical and Electronics Engineer specializing in the convergence of embedded systems architecture, industrial automation, and applied artificial intelligence.
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ASTM D3647 Standard Practice for Classifying Reinforced Plastic Pultruded Shapes According to Composition (Withdrawn 2022)

ASTM D3647 Introduction

Get Certified ASTM D3647 for Reliable Composite Material Classification

Scope of ASTM D3647

ASTM D3647 Equipment and Sample Preparation

Applications of ASTM D3647

ASTM D3647 Common Challenges and Troubleshooting

ASTM D3647 Aggregate Testing Technique, Processes and Data Collection

ASTM D3647 Testing Procedure and Requirements

ASTM D3647 Analysis Results and Interpretation

ASTM D3647 Problem and Solution

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