News and Press Releases from ASTM International

News of the ASTM International Board of Directors

Board Actions Finance and Audit The board approved all proposed ASTM budgets as well as the appointment of Taco van der Maten to serve as chairman of the 2016 Finance and Audit Committee. Van der Maten is marketing manager at PANalytical in ...

Nov. 7, 2015

A greener kind of metal cleaning

A new ASTM International standard covers an environmentally friendly way to clean and coat metals used in industries such as aerospace, biomedical, energy and more. This standard will soon be published as A1093, Specification for Electrolytic Plasma ...

Nov. 7, 2015

New ASTM International standard Biodegradability of Plastics in the Sea

Laboratories will soon be able to use a new ASTM International standard to test and better understand biodegradability of plastics in marine environments. The new standard (soon to be published as D7991, Test Method for Determining Aerobic ...

Sep. 22, 2015

New ASTM International Guide: Assessing Unwanted Moisture

A new ASTM International guide will help evaluate unwanted moisture in commercial buildings. The standard provides two questionnaires that assess elevated moisture and moisture-conducive conditions. The standard has been published as E3026, Guide ...

Sep. 14, 2015

A New Way to Determine Fouling

A new ASTM test method serves as an important option in determining the potential of particulate matter to cause fouling in pressure-driven membrane processes used in water treatment. ASTM members say that this new alternative (soon to be published ...

Sep. 9, 2015

Standards Compliance and Value-Based Product Development

In the world of construction materials, ASTM International standards are as much a part of doing business as chemical admixtures are a part of concrete. It takes a combination of sound scientific protocol and industry-leading chemical technologies ...

Aug. 28, 2015

Spores for Fighting Disease

A new ASTM standard provides an easy-to-perform test method for growing different strains of Clostridium difficile spores, which are used by microbiologists to evaluate antimicrobial drugs. Spore crops grown using the test method (soon to be ...

Aug. 18, 2015

A Path to Sustainable Dentistry

A new ASTM standard aims to help dentists and dental organizations adopt sustainable practices that reflect corporate social responsibility. The standard (E3014, Practice for Managing Sustainability in Dentistry) describes a management system that ...

Aug. 18, 2015

Water, water everywhere - A new ASTM International subcommittee

A new ASTM International subcommittee (E60.07 on Water Use and Conservation) will develop standards to support sustainability and sustainable development of water-related products and processes. These standards will benefit regulators, the ...

Jul. 13, 2015

Low Temperature, High Performance

ASTM International Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing is developing a standard for two asphalt products that reduce air emissions, save energy and benefit workers by lowering their exposure to asphalt fumes. The proposed standard ...

Jul. 13, 2015

ASTM and ICC Support Sustainable Building Codes and Standards in the Gulf

ASTM International is partnering with the International Code Council to support the use of codes and standards in sustainable construction in the Middle East. The partnership is a component of the Standards and Codes for Sustainable Construction ...

Apr. 16, 2015

A Simple Test for Gases in Water

A proposed new ASTM International standard will provide a simplified way to test for dissolved gases, such as methane and ethane, in water. Environmental and testing laboratories will be able to use the proposed standard to ensure that drinking ...

Mar. 30, 2015

The Tale of the Tape Lift Samples

Effectively capturing a sample is crucial when testing an indoor environment for mold. A proposed ASTM standard will meet the need for a method that labs can follow when testing mold samples collected through the tape lift method. WK17177, Test ...

Mar. 30, 2015

A Better Decontamination Plan

A proposed ASTM International standard will allow workers fueling vehicles and aircraft to test levels of microbial contamination before beginning the fueling process, thus avoiding the costs of decontaminating vehicle fuel tanks. The proposed new ...

Mar. 12, 2015

Green Through the Life Cycle

Choosing the right set of ingredients with which to make nearly any consumer product is critical to determining the overall social, economic and ecological impact of the product over the course of its existence. A proposed new ASTM International ...

Mar. 5, 2015

Plastics Composting at Home

As landfills continue to expand, many consumers continue to look for ways to recycle. A proposed new ASTM International standard, WK35342, Specification for Home Composting of Biodegradable Plastics, will educate consumers on the process of home ...

Feb. 23, 2015

Oil Spill Emulsification Predictions

Predicting facets of oil behavior is an essential component of understanding the nature of a particular oil spill. One such behavior is emulsification, when oil picks up water and retains it for a period of time. A proposed new ASTM standard, ...

Feb. 23, 2015

A Clear Flight Path

It is possible that as many as a billion birds are killed every year after colliding with glass on buildings, including many single-family homes — and this is in the United States alone. Fatal collisions of birds with buildings are a problem ...

Feb. 5, 2015

Warming Homes, Regulating Emissions

At the urging of state regulatory bodies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expanding its wood burning appliance emissions regulation. A new ASTM International standard will enable manufacturers of masonry heaters and their components to ...

Feb. 2, 2015

Chinese Machinery Delegation Visits ASTM

A delegation from the China Association of Machinery Industry for Environmental Protection visited ASTM International headquarters on Dec. 15, 2014, for an overview of ASTM. The group learned about ASTM Committee D22on Air Quality, particularly ...

Jan. 22, 2015