Standards for advanced polymer matrix composites

Abstract

There is increased interest in the provision of standard test methods for advanced composites due to the increased maturity of the industry and the imminent arrival of the European Single Market. This paper surveys the overall needs, the relevance of different international and national standards and the current world-wide initiatives. The need to validate new test methods and to provide precision data is discussed. Current and planned validation exrrcises are described including a UK initiative to validate ten test methods based on the published CRAG test method report.