ASTM subcommittee takes up reinforcement

Changes in reinforcing fibers and fabrics for tires, belts, flaps, floor mats, hoses, pipes, tarps and concrete have spurred changes in how the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) evaluates standards for those and other items. The ASTM subcommittee D13 on Textiles has updated its title and scope of work, becoming the D13.19 Industrial Fabrics and Metallic Reinforcements subcommittee. Standards initially focused on reinforcements to mechanical rubber goods, including tires. High-performance fibers used in safety and protection (bullet-proof vests, for example) were not included, and now will be. The D13.19 subcommittee is currently working on proposed standards for high-performance tape and, potentially, high-performance papers.