ASTM E1338-97

NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: E 1338 – 97
Standard Guide for
Identification of Metals and Alloys in Computerized Material
Property Databases
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1338; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope a specification. While this guide includes a number of test
result data elements, such data elements are included in this
1.1 This guide covers the identification of metals and alloys
guide only for the purposes of material identification.
in computerized material property databases. It establishes
1.4 Reporting of contracted test results, such as certification
essential and desirable data elements that serve to uniquely
test results, shall follow the requirements described in the
identify and describe a particular metal or alloy sample as well
material specification, or as agreed upon between the purchaser
as properties that identify a given metal or alloy in general.
and the manufacturer.
1.1.1 This guide does not necessarily provide sufficient data
1.5 This guide contains a limited number of data elements
elements to describe weld metal, metal matrix composites, or
2 related to material test results. These data elements are for
joined metals.
material identification purposes and are not intended to replace
1.1.2 The data element identified herein are not all germane
the more detailed sets of data elements listed in guides such as
to every metal or alloy group.
Guide E 1313 covering data recording formats for mechanical
1.1.3 Different sets of data elements may also be applied
testing of metals. For material identification purposes, the data
within a given metal or alloy group depending on conditions or
elements in this guide include typical, nominal, or summary
applications specific to that metal or alloy group. Further,
properties normally derived from a population of individual
within a particular metal or alloy group, different sets of data
specimen tests. If warranted by the scope of a particular
elements may be used to identify specific material conditions.
database system, the system might provide links between the
1.1.4 Table 1 on Recommended Data Elements and Tables
material identification data elements given in this guide, and
2-17 on values for specific data elements appear at the end of
the individual specimen test results recorded in accordance
this guide.
with other guides corresponding to particular test methods.
1.2 Some of the data elements in this guide may be useful
1.6 Material Classes—See ANSI/AWS A9.1-92 for arc
for other purposes. However, this guide does not attempt to
welds, Guide E 1308 for polymers, Guide E 1309 for compos-
document the essential and desirable data element for any
ite material, and Guide E 1471 for fibers, fillers, and core
purpose except for the identification of metals and alloys in
materials. ASTM Committee E-49 is developing guides for
computerized material property databases. Other purposes,
other material classes.
such as material production, material procurement, and mate-
rial processing, each may have different material data reporting
2. Referenced Documents
requirements distinct from those covered in this guide. A
2.1 ASTM Standards:
specific example is the contractually required report for a
E 8 Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
material property testing series. Such a report may not contain
E 8M Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Mate-
all the data elements considered essential for a specific
rials [Metric]
computerized database; conversely, this guide may not contain
E 380 Practice for Use of the International System of Units
all the data elements considered essential for a contracted test
(SI) the Modernized Metric System
report.
E 527 Practice for Numbering Metals and Alloys (UNS)
1.3 Results from material tests conducted as part of the
E 616 Terminology Relating to Fracture Testing
procurement process are often used to determine adherence to
E 1308 Guide for Identification of Polymers (Excludes
Thermoset Elastomers) in Computerized Material Property
Databases
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B-8 on Metallic and
Inorganic Coatingsand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B08.01 on
Ancillary Matters. This guide was developed in cooperation with Committee B-7 on
Light Metals and Alloys. Discontinued. See 1997 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
Current edition approved July 10, 1997. Published March 1998. Originally Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.01.
published as E 1338 – 90. Last previous edition E 1338 – 90. Discontinued. See 1997 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.01.
2 6
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.01. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.01.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
E1338–97
E 1309 Guide for Identification of Composite Materials in lots it procures, or even properties of a specific piece or sample
Computerized Material Property Databases from a lot. Consequently, some of the data elements identified
E 1313 Guide for Recommended Formats for Data Records in this guide might not be applicable in every database
Used in Computerization of Mechanical Test Data for instance.
Metals 4.5 The extent of material identification implemented in a
E 1443 Terminology Relating to Building and Accessing particular database depends on its specific purpose. A single
Material and Chemical Databases organization may include substantial detail in its database. Less
E 1471 Guide for the Identification of Fibers, Fillers, and detail may be included in a common database used by several
Core Materials in Computerized Material Property Data- organizations because of commercial and other considerations.
bases Since metals and alloys are diverse and the technologies are
2.2 Other Standards: always changing, recommendations should not be regarded as
ISO Standard: 3166 Codes for Representation of Names of exclusive of additional data elements for material identifica-
Countries Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical tion. The recommended data elements should be expanded if
Chemistry—IUPAC additional detailed information which serves to identify mate-
ANSI/AWS A9.1-92 Standard Guide for Describing Arc rials is to be recorded.
Welds in Computerized Material Property and Nonde- 4.6 A number of data elements are considered essential to
structive Examination Databases any database and need to exist in the database. Data elements
are considered essential if they are required for users to have
3. Terminology
sufficient information to interpret the data and be confident of
3.1 Computer-related technical terms in this guide are their ability to compare sets of data for materials from different
defined in Terminology E 1443. sources. Failure to complete an essential data element may
render the record unusable in a database or in data exchange.
4. Significance and Use
Essential refers to the quality or completeness of recorded data,
4.1 This guide describes the types of information that are
and does not necessarily have direct meaning relative to
indispensable for uniquely identifying a metal or alloy in a database structure. In some cases, the identified data element
computerized database. The purpose is to facilitate standard-
might be accommodated within a particular database without
ized storage and retrieval of the information with a computer, explicitly including a field just for the essential data element.
and allow meaningful comparison of data from different
Additionally, a database schema may require additional data
sources. fields to be not null to maintain data record integrity or to
4.2 Many numbering systems for metals and alloys have
implement a mandatory data relationship. These additional
been developed which are based on their chemical composi- fields are beyond the scope of this guide. Finally, it is also
tions. Separate systems have also evolved to describe the
noted that a data element identified as essential in this guide
thermomechanical condition of metals and alloys in order to might not be relevant for a database created for a specific
narrow their description. It is the separation into logical data
application of limited scope.
elements from these complex, historically significant, and 4.7 This guide presents a listing of the data elements and
overlapping systems of identification that is the challenge in
does not intend to define any single organization of the data
the identification of metals and alloys within computerized
elements to be used in either a logical or physical model for the
databases.
database. The data element lists are divided by group headings
4.3 This guide is intended to provide a common starting
for discussion purposes only. The group headings are not
point for designers and builders of materials property data- intended to identify normalization of the database model; this
bases. This guide generally identifies the contents of the
is left to the database designer.
database in terms of data elements, but does not recommend 4.8 Numerous data elements listed in this guide may need to
any particular logical or physical database design. A database
be repeated to identify even a single material. Depending on
builder has considerable flexibility in designing a database the database purpose or design, it may be appropriate to design
schema, and it is intended that this guide support that flexibil-
the database to enable additional repeatable data elements.
ity. How the database should accommodate multiple values for a
4.4 It is recognized that material property databases will be
given data element is another question left to the database
designed for different levels of material information and for designer.
different purposes. For example, a database developed by an
5. Guidelines
industry trade group might only identify typical properties
5.1 The data elements recommended for material identifi-
generally representative of those for a particular metal or alloy,
cation are listed in Table 1. Descriptions of each data element
and not actual values measured on a specific sample. On the
are provided in Section 6. Table 1 includes: (1) a data element
other hand, a business might desire to manage data on specific
number, (2) a descriptive name for each data element, (3) data
type, and (4) category sets, value sets, or units.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.03.
5.1.1 Data Element Number—A reference number for ease
Available from ISO, 1 Rue de Varembe, Case Postale 56, Crt 1221, Geneva,
of dealing with the individual data elements within this guide.
Switzerland.
9 The data element number has no permanent value and does not
Available from American National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42nd St., 13th
Floor, New York, NY 10036. become part of the database itself.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
E1338–97
5.1.2 Descriptive Data Element Name—The complete and 5.4 Data elements are provided for characterization of a
unambiguous name, descriptive of the data element being material’s microstructure in terms of grain size measurements
identified. and description of its microstructure, including microstructure
classification. Additional data elements should be added for
5.1.3 Data Type—The kind of data to be included in the data
other aspects of metallographic characterization if judged by
element, such as the type of number, character string, and date.
the database designer to be appropriate for a particular system.
5.1.3.1 String—Textual data element.
Examples of additional items that should be considered for
5.1.3.2 Real—Any rational, irrational, and scientific real
addition are the following: distribution of elements to grain
number.
boundaries, presence of voids or inclusions, phase content, and
5.1.3.3 Integer—An integral number.
X-ray diffraction measurements. Images are often an important
5.1.3.4 Date—The calendar date in the Gregorian calendar
part of the record of materials characterization and should be
in the YYYY-MM-DD format.
made available to the user of the database if appropriate for a
5.1.4 Category Set, Value Set, or Units—A listing of the
particular system. Although this guide does not recommend
types of information that would be included in the data element
standard means to handle records of images, data elements
or, in the case of properties or other numeric data, the units in
associated with the storage or indexing of images should be
which the numbers are expressed. Candidate values for both
added when appropriate.
category and value sets are frequently given in separate tables
in this guide. The database implementation should provide
6. Description of Data Elements
some means of maintaining these lists of allowable values and
6.1 The individual data elements recommended for the
presenting them to the database user. The distinction between
identification of metals and alloys are described in this section.
category and value sets identified below primarily relates to the
The data elements are numbered consecutively matching the
degree of control over additions to these lists of values.
numbers listed in Table 1. Section headings are used to group
5.1.4.1 A category set is a closed set listing all possible (or
data elements both in the following paragraphs and in Table 1.
acceptable) values the data element may take. Because this
Whether or not these logical groupings have any significance to
guide is intended to apply to databases with different scopes
an actual database will depend on the particular database model
and purposes, values listed in sample tables in this guide are
used in that instance. Provisions should be designed in the
generally not identified as category sets, but it may be
database for repeated values of data elements, or for sets of
appropriate to treat them as such in a particular database
data elements when it is indicated that they may repeat.
application. The database application should control or restrict
6.1.1 Primary Identifiers—Features which distinguish one
the addition of a new value to a category set.
material type from another and allow materials data to be
5.1.4.2 A value set is a
...