Introduction to ASTM Standards
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards are descriptive documents consisting of test methods, specifications, or other guidelines in the field of material and product testing. ASTM standards are created and established in accordance with ASTM International’s consensus principles and have been approved in accordance with ASTM procedures and regulations. ASTM international has 12,800+ ASTM standards operating globally. All these standards are listed in ‘Annual book of ASTM Standards’ which is available in print and online formats. Technical quality of standards and related content is revised time to time as per the changing requirements.ASTM standards contribute to research & development, product manufacturing and environmental safety by ensuring quality of raw materials and finished products.
Types of ASTM Standards
There are generally six types of ASTM documents, Test Method, Specification, Classification, Practice, Guide, and Terminology. Test Method Standards are defined procedures to test samples and generate results, for example identification, measurement, and evaluation of different qualities, characteristics, or properties of the sample under testing. Specification Standards are specific requirements that need to be met by a material, product, system, or service. A specification standard identifies test methods for determining if each requirement, such as physical, mechanical or chemical properties, and safety, quality or performance criteria, are fulfilled by the sample. Practice Method Standards are instructions for performing one or more operations, however, these do not generate a test result. Examples are cleaning, collection, inspection, preparation, application, assessment, sampling, and training. Classification Standards are documents comprising systematic arrangements or divisions of materials, products, systems, or services. These items are arranged in groups based on similar characteristics such as origin, composition, properties, or use. Guide Standards are collections of information or series of options informing users about the knowledge and approaches being taken in given subject areas. These standards do not recommend specific courses of action. Terminology Standards comprise definitions of terms and explanations of symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms used in other ASTM documents.
