Standardization News

Changes in technology have led Subcommittee D13.19 on Industrial Fabrics and Metallic Reinforcements to expand its scope to include high performance fibers used in safety and protective end uses such as bullet-resistant applications.

A subcommittee of ASTM International Committee D13 on Textiles has recently changed its title and the scope of its work. Subcommittee D13.19, previously on tire cord and fabrics, has been retitled D13.19 on Industrial Fabrics and Metallic Reinforcements. According to Dawn Caullwine, quality manager, DuPont Kevlar's Cooper River facility, and chairman of D13, as well as of D13.19, the standards development work of D13.19 was initially geared toward test methods for materials used to reinforce mechanical rubber goods, including tires. Changes in technology have led the subcommittee to expand its scope to include high performance fibers used in safety and protective end uses such as bullet-resistant applications. Caullwine says that the change in scope and title reflects a new emphasis on reinforcement materials by D13. Reinforcement materials covered by D13.19 are used in the following applications, among others:

"The data generated using D13.19 standards can be compared between products, providing quality control for testing," says Caullwine. "This allows consumers to be able to compare two materials to determine which better meets their needs."

Interested parties, particularly steel bead wire producers, are invited to join D13.19. The subcommittee is currently working on a proposed new standard for tensile testing of high performance tape and is considering work on test methods for high performance papers.

CONTACT Technical Information: Dawn Caullwine, DuPont • Moncks Corner, S.C. • Phone: 848-797-9928 • E-mail: dawn.q.caullwine@usa.dupont.com O ASTM Staff: Jennifer Rodgers • Phone: 610-832-9694 • E-mail: jrodgers@astm.org O Upcoming Meeting: June 6-9 • June Committee Week • St. Louis, Mo.