New ASTM D1003 2011(e1) Edition has Editorial Changes for Standard Test Method for Haze and Luminous Transmittance of Transparent Plastics

ASTM D1003:2011(e1) Edition, “Standard Test Method for Haze and Luminous Transmittance of Transparent Plastics,” has just been released.  The new revision contains editorial changes only and does not impact the technical content of the 2011 Edition.

This test method covers the evaluation of specific light-transmitting and wide-angle-light-scattering properties of planar sections of materials such as essentially transparent plastic. Two procedures are provided for the measurement of luminous transmittance and haze. Procedure A uses a hazemeter (described in Section 5) and Procedure B uses a spectrophotometer (Section 8). Material having a haze value greater than 30 % is considered diffusing and should be tested using Practice ASTM E2387, “Standard Practice for Goniometric Optical Scatter Measurements.”

The concept of the (e1) Editions is confusing at first, but when explained is easy to understand.  It is an unusual designation but used with some regularity by ASTM International.  It means that the standard has been modified in a way that does not affect the technical content of the document.

So in the case of ASTM D1003, the new 2011(e1) edition re-formats the 2011 edition by consolidating the 4 tables onto one page instead of two.  This re-positioning of the tables makes them easier to find and use, but does not affect the standard itself.

Editorial changes can be changes to addresses or phone numbers referenced in the footnotes, or other similar small corrections to non-technical matters.  So the big question is, when an editorial correction is released, should you purchase it or not?

We suggest the following to our customers.  If you are regularly audited and need to have your documentation confirmed current, you should purchase the corrected edition.  It’s just not worth the cost of the corrected edition to risk being written up during an audit.  If you are interested in using the document for the sake of the content only, it is probably OK to wait for the next revision level.  And the same advice holds true for reaffirmed editions as well.

All ASTM current standards and many of the obsolete revisions are available from Document Center Inc. via our website, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We can assist you with all your standards questions and requirements.