ASTM D 7846 : 2012

1.1This practice covers the reporting of uniaxial strength data for graphite and the estimation of probability distribution parameters for both censored and uncensored data. The failure strength of graphite materials is treated as a continuous random variable. Typically, a number of test specimens are failed in accordance with the following standards: Test Methods C565, C651, C695, C749, Practice C781 or Guide D7775. The load at which each specimen fails is recorded. The resulting failure stresses are used to obtain parameter estimates associated with the underlying population distribution. This practice is limited to failure strengths that can be characterized by the two-parameter Weibull distribution. Furthermore, this practice is restricted to test specimens (primarily tensile and flexural) that are primarily subjected to uniaxial stress states.

1.2Measurements of the strength at failure are taken for various reasons: a comparison of the relative quality of two materials, the prediction of the probability of failure for a structure of interest, or to establish limit loads in an application. This practice provides a procedure for estimating the distribution parameters that are needed for estimating load limits for a particular level of probability of failure.