ABSTRACT
Public acceptance of polymers is usually associated with an assurance of quality based on knowledge of successful long-term and reliable testing. In contrast, much of the dissatisfaction with synthetic polymers is related to failures that might have been prevented by proper testing, design, and quality control. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), through its various committees, has developed many standard tests, which may be referred to by all producers and consumers. There are also cooperating groups in many other technical societies: the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the International Standards Organization (ISO), and standards societies such as the British Standards Institution (BSI) in England and Deutsche Normenausschuss (DNA) in Germany and comparable groups in every nation with developed polymer technology throughout the world.
