ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Today, some 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.
ASTM’s leadership in international standards development is driven by the contributions of its members: more than 30,000 of the world’s top technical experts and business professionals representing 135 countries. Working in an open and transparent process and using ASTM’s advanced electronic infrastructure, ASTM members deliver the test methods, specifications, guides and practices that support industries and governments worldwide. Learn more about ASTM International.
ASTM was formed in 1898 by chemists and engineers from the Pennsylvania Railroad. At the time of its establishment, the organization was known as the American Section of the International Association for Testing and Materials. Charles B. Dudley, Ph.D., a chemist with the Pennsylvania Railroad, was the driving force behind the formation of the Society. In 2001, the Society became known as ASTM International.
ASTM International standards are the tools of customer satisfaction and competiveness for companies across a wide range of markets. Through 141 technical standards-writing committees, ASTM serves diverse industries ranging from metals to construction, petroleum to consumer products, and many more. When new industries look to advance the growth of cutting-edge technologies, such as nanotechnology and additive manufacturing, many of them come together under the ASTM International umbrella to achieve their standardization goals.
In the arena of global commerce, ASTM International standards are the passports to a successful trading strategy. High quality, market-relevant ASTM standards, developed in accordance with the guiding principles of the World Trade Organization, fuel trade by opening new markets and creating new trading partners for enterprises everywhere. From Fortune 500 leaders to emerging startups, ASTM standards help level the playing field so that businesses of all sizes can better compete in the global economy.
ASTM International standards are developed in accordance with the guiding principles of the World Trade Organization for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency.
ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation from around the world in the development of its standards. ASTM’s open consensus process, using advanced Internet-based standards development tools, ensures worldwide access for all interested individuals.
Beyond its leadership in the area of standards development, ASTM International offers technical training programs for industry and government, as well as proficiency testing, interlaboratory crosscheck programs and newly initiated certification programs, which support manufacturers, users, researchers and laboratories worldwide.
ASTM International world headquarters are located in West Conshohocken, Pa. The Society also has offices in Beijing, China, and Mexico City, Mexico
The Annual Book of ASTM Standards covers 15 sections of interest plus a master index:
- Iron and Steel Products
- Nonferrous Metal Products
- Metals Test Methods and Analytical Procedures
- Construction
- Petroleum Products, Lubricants, and Fossil Fuels
- Paints, Related Coatings, and Aromatics
- Textiles
- Plastics
- Rubber
- Electrical Insulation and Electronics
- Water and Environmental Technology
- Nuclear, Solar, and Geothermal Energy
- Medical Devices and Services
- General Methods and Instrumentation
- General Products, Chemical Specialties, and End Use Products
- Index to all sections and volumes
ASTM Standards can be purchased as a digital library subscription or individually from ASTM and other qualified standards providers. When maintaining a large standards library, often digital subscriptions are used to simplify staying current on standards and to remain in compliance with all copyright laws. A technical library at a university may also have copies of standards to review
