ABSTRACT
Webster’s defines a standard as “ something set up and established by au thority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or qual ity” [1]. The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), founded in 1918, further refined this definition as “ a rule for an orderly approach to a specific activity, formulated and applied for the benefit and with the coop eration of all” [2]. This is taken to mean that a group of users or represen tatives from various sectors including material producers, test laboratories, academia, government, potential customers, and other interested parties se lect by consensus the best or standard methodology so as to produce the greatest good to the largest number. Standards accomplish many things in cluding establishment of a common language thereby promoting exchange of required information between buyer and seller in commerce. It is the intent of this chapter to present an overview of progress made to date in the areas directly involved with mechanical property determination of mono lithic and ceramic matrix composite materials. This will include domestic and a brief review of appropriate foreign standards. Also included will be a discussion of verification and interlaboratory round-robin activities.
