ASTM D4678-15a
Standard Practice for Rubber&x2014;Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials

Standard No.

ASTM D4678-15a

Release Date

2015

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM D4678-15a(2019)

Latest

ASTM D4678-15a(2023)

Scope

3.1 Reference materials are vitally important in product and specification testing, in research and development work, in technical service work, and in quality control operations in the rubber industry. They are especially valuable for referee purposes.

3.2 Categories, Classes, and Types of Reference Materials (RM): 

3.2.1 Reference materials are divided into two categories:

3.2.1.1 Industry Reference Materials (IRM)—Materials that have been prepared according to a specified production process to generate a uniform lot; the parameters that define the quality of the lot are evaluated by a specified measurement program.

3.2.1.2 Common-Source Reference Materials (CRM)—Materials that have been prepared to be as uniform as possible but do not have established property (parameter) values; the knowledge of a common or single source is sufficient for certain less critical applications.

3.2.2 Industry reference materials (IRMs) are divided into additional classes and types according to the method of evaluating the lot parameters and according to the production process for generating the lot material. These are explained more fully (refer to Annex A3 and Annex A4 for more details on the discussion in Section 3).

3.2.3 The following lot parameters are important for reference material use:

3.2.3.1 Accepted Reference Value (AR Value)—An average IRM property or parameter value established by way of a specified test program.

3.2.3.2 Test Lot Limits (TL Limits)—These are limits defined as ±3 times the standard deviation of individual IRM test results across the entire lot for the property or parameter(s) that defines lot quality; the measurements are conducted in the laboratory of the organization producing the IRM.

3.2.3.3 Although the limits as defined in 3.2.3.2 are given in terms of ±3 times the standard deviation, the rejection of individual portions of the lot as being outlier or non-typical portions in assessing the homogeneity of the lot is done on the basis of ±2 times the appropriate standard deviation, that is, on the basis of a 958201;% confidence interval. See Annex A3 and Annex A4 for more information and the evaluation procedures.

3.2.4 All IRMs have an AR value and TL limits; however the AR value may be obtained in one of two ways to produce one of two classes of AR values:

ASTM D4678-15a Referenced Document

• ASTM D4483 Standard Practice for Determining Precision for Test Method Standards in the Rubber and Carbon Black Industries
• ASTM D5900 Standard Specification for Physical and Chemical Properties of Industry Reference Materials (IRM)
• ASTM E122 Standard Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate, With a Specified Tolerable Error, the Average for Characteristic of a Lot or Process
• ASTM E691 Standard Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
• ASTM E826 Standard Practice for Testing Homogeneity of Materials for Development of Reference Materials

ASTM D4678-15a history

• 2023 ASTM D4678-15a(2023) Standard Practice for Rubber—Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2019 ASTM D4678-15a(2019) Standard Practice for Rubber—Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2015 ASTM D4678-15a Standard Practice for Rubber&x2014;Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2015 ASTM D4678-15 Standard Practice for Rubber&x2014;Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2011 ASTM D4678-11 Standard Practice for RubberPreparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2004 ASTM D4678-04(2009)e1 Standard Practice for RubberPreparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2004 ASTM D4678-04(2009) Standard Practice for Rubber-Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 2004 ASTM D4678-04 Standard Practice for Rubber-Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 1994 ASTM D4678-94(2001) Standard Practice for Rubber8212;Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials
• 1994 ASTM D4678-94 Standard Practice for Rubber8212;Preparation, Testing, Acceptance, Documentation, and Use of Reference Materials