ASTM used to stand for American Society for Testing and Materials, though now it just goes by the initials. It is an international standards group that determines voluntary technical standards for many materials, products, and systems. ASTM is one of the world's largest (if not the largest) developer of these types of standards, having created more than 12,000 of them. Volunteer technical committees within ASTM develop standards through a consensus process, and the results are published annually. ASTM standards for steel products are used widely in the construction and petroleum industries.
ASTM Steel Standards
ASTM has developed numerous standards for steel. They are used to classify, evaluate, and specify various steel products' chemical, metallurgical, and mechanical properties. Steels covered under ASTM standards may be of many types, including:
* Carbon
* Structural
* Stainless
* Austenitic
* Ferritic
* Alloy
ASTM standards help laboratories, refineries, manufacturers, and end users of steel choose the right products and use them safely. With water treatment equipment pipe systems, the structural integrity depends on systems' design, construction, and maintenance. Components of a piping system may be made out of different materials in different sizes and types. Pipe may be manufactured to national standards or to standards set by manufacturers.
Mechanical Testing of Steel Products Under ASTM
ASTM standard A370 includes standard test methods and definitions for the mechanical testing of products made of steel. For example, a steel product's ductile or brittle behavior falls under this standard. Depending on testing temperature, testing specimens may experience ductile or brittle fracturing properties, or a combination of ductile and brittle fracturing properties. ASTM specifications may require minimum results for lateral expansion, fracture appearance, absorbed energy, or a combination of these results at a specific temperature. ASTM standard A370 covers tests of:
* Bend
* Hardness
* Impact
* Tension
The temperature Machinery range of transition between ductile and brittle behavior is different for different types of materials, and transition behavior is classified in various ways under this ASTM standard.
Chemical Testing of Steel Products
ASTM standard A751-11 covers chemical testing of steel products. It provides direction concerning product analyses, handling, and residual elements. Chemical testing of steel products under ASTM does not address all safety concerns associated with the products. Examples of information covered under this ASTM standard include practices for reagent and safety consideration for chemically analyzing metals and ores, practices for sampling steel for chemical composition, analysis practices for metals and ores by molecular absorption spectrometry, and test methods for chemical analysis of carbon steel, silicon electrical steel, and low allow steel.
ASTM and Your Pipe Supplier
With your drilling or pipeline project, you need the confidence of knowing that your supplier provides ASTM steel pipe and products certified by other major accredited bodies for steam, liquid, and semi-liquid conveyance under various pressure and temperature conditions. Global steel suppliers should have both the inventory and the worldwide distribution system to bring you ASTM steel pipe wherever your project is located. Whether you work in the petroleum, transportation, infrastructure, or water supply industry, choosing your steel pipe supplier wisely is one of the keys to your project's success.
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