Rationale

This is part of the overall ASTM Subcommittee E streamlining effort to make specifications easier to read, make them easier to keep up to date, and to utilize similar table formats for the various product specifications covered by Subcommittee E. The effort is also intended to help prepare the standards for other future new fuels or blends being used in distillate applications. This is the second ballot for this item. The first ballot proposed splitting the balloting into two parts with the first ballot reformatting the D975 tables in a similar manner to D396 and D2880 and to move the B6-B20 grade (currently a separate standard, D7467) into D975. The second part of the ballot was to combine the information from the appendices of D7467 into D975. Negatives that the appendix information and tables should be balloted at the same time vs. separately were found persuasive. This ballot combines the modifications of the tables and the appendices into one ballot. No changes are made in the requirements of the current grades in D975 or D7467 in this ballot. This ballot is an expanded cooperative effort between Section 2 on diesel fuels and the Biodiesel Task Force and is now being co-led by the Section 2 Chair and the Biodiesel Task Force Chair. One of the underlying purposes of this effort being to prepare the finished fuel standards for other future fuels or fuel blends needing an ASTM standard. There were diverse opinions on how to proceed with this ballot item to best address the objectives of the streamlining effort, other negatives cast on the first ballot, and opinions expressed by members during several offline calls to prepare this ballot. To seek input from the larger subcommittee we are proceeding with the ballot wording attached and will utilize the feedback and comments received via the ASTM voting process to develop consensus moving forward. We will be going over the results face to face at the December 2025 meeting in Houston, and want to encourage members to include rational, reasoning, and suggestions in your vote as that wording will be used as the basis to adjudicate negatives or to make changes to address them. A sincere thank you to all those who have been participating in the D975/D7467 streamlining group that have worked on this effort.