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ASTM Committee D30 on Composite Materials was formed in 1964. D30 meets twice a year, usually in March and October, with approximately 30 members attending technical meetings held over two days. The current membership, about 250, represents an international group interested in the advancement of composites material technology. D30 has six technical subcommittees that maintain the Committee’s 65 standards published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 15.03. Information on this subcommittee structure and D30’s portfolio of approved standards and Work Items under development is available from the List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items. While the committee’s roots are in the aerospace industry, D30 also works to support the needs of automotive, industrial, recreational, and medical products made with advanced composites. ACTIVITIES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES ASTM D30 develops standards for the characterization of high modulus fibers and advanced composite materials formed by combining these fibers with polymer or metal matrices. D30 standards include methods for testing constituent properties, thermal and physical properties, lamina and laminate mechanical properties, and structural properties. The scope of the standards’ application ranges from quality control to design data generation. The Committee’s primary concern is the development of technically sound test methods that meet the rigorous requirements demanded for structural applications. Significant standards initiatives are evident in Subcommittees D30.04 on Lamina and Laminate Test Methods, D30.05 on Structural Test Methods, D30.06 on Interlaminar Properties, and D30.09 on Sandwich Construction. ASTM D 4762-04, Guide for Testing Polymer Matrix Composite Materials, summarizes the application of ASTM standard test methods (and other supporting standards) to continuous fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite materials. The work of the Committee has produced more than 30 Special Technical Publications (STPs). For a list of available D30 publications, click here. In addition, the Journal of Composites Technology & Research (JCTR) provided a publication for the presentation, discussion, and dissemination of information on composite materials and their response to the environments in which they are used, especially the engineering and technology of their application to components and structures. This journal ceased publication in October 2003 and papers on this topic are now published in the Journal of ASTM International (JAI). In addition to standards development, the Committee sponsors a series of symposia providing a forum for the timely transfer of technical information relevant to the design, analysis, processing, fabrication, and characterization of high modulus fibers and advanced composite materials. Special workshops and technical presentations are often held to identify specific industry standardization needs and support the technical development of new test methods. PARTICIPATING AS A MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE ASTM International opens its doors to all technical experts with an interest in the standardization process. As a member of ASTM Committee D30, you will be exposed to the robust resources and member benefits included below that have helped make ASTM a worldwide standards development leader for more than a century:
As a leader in the development of standards for the characterization of high-modulus fibers and advanced composite materials, ASTM Committee D30 is committed to enlisting the expertise needed to continue to strengthen its position in the field of advanced composites. STAKEHOLDERS The Committee is largely composed of stakeholders from the aerospace industry. These stakeholders include producers from the major aircraft and missile companies and users from government. There is also a significant number of academic participants, making up more than 25 percent of the Committee. Even though D30 represents more than 200 participants from 21 countries worldwide, the Committee established its “Standards Coordination and Globalization Initiative” in February 2001 to better involve all stakeholders in standards development. The initiative further leverages the expertise of members and nonmembers of the committee, emphasizing participation from the international community, material suppliers, fabricators, and users outside the aerospace community in contributing to the Committee’s work. The Committee operates under the firm conviction that the ASTM process is global in scope and is far faster, more efficient in resource use, achieves better consensus, and generally produces technically superior and more useful standards for industry than any other standards development process. RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATION Composites are used in a number of markets that include marine, sporting goods, infrastructure, and industrial applications. However, composites industry growth is largely dependent on the aerospace and defense industries. This market is extremely capital intensive, requires substantial research and development, and requires long lead times. Many U.S. federal agencies are involved in the composites industry, and these agencies are primarily involved because of the large amount of procurement necessary for national defense. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is involved as a means to accomplish its primary mission, which is to promote U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards. Federal regulation in the United States exists through the Code of Federal Regulations on Aircraft and Airframe Structural Components. In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Export Administration has federal guidelines on composites through the Wassenaar Arrangement. LIAISON Key Organizations D30 activities strives to work closely with other ASTM groups have overlapping scopes, including certain subcommittees of D20 on Plastics, C28 on Advanced Ceramics, E08 on Fatigue and Fracture, and E28 on Mechanical Testing. D30 also works closely with other industry groups such as the Composite Materials Handbook Committee (MIL-HDBK-17), SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Composite Fabricators Association (CFA). ISO TC 61 The majority of composites work in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) takes place in Technical Committee (TC) 61 on Plastics. D30 participates in TC 61 via the U.S. Technical Advisory Group that is part of ASTM D20.61. In its cooperation with ISO TC 61, D30 has participated in international meetings, contributed comments to proposed ISO standards, conducted joint ASTM/ISO round-robin testing in support of test method development, and proposed its own standards to be developed within ISO. LINKS AND INFORMATION The following websites have been identified by Committee D30 to contain information of interest. American Society of Composites: www.asc-composites.org The Composite Materials Handbook Committee (MIL-HDBK-17): www.mil17.org |