ASTM E 588 : 1995

1.1 This practice covers a procedure for the rating of rectangular steel sections by immersion ultrasonic techniques. Its purpose is to provide information on the content of large inclusions or clusters of small inclusions for determining the suitability of a steel lot for bearing applications. It should be recognized that this method was developed after several years of close cooperation between bearing manufacturers and bearing steel producers. References (1-8) provide background information on developmental work. If its use for specification purposes is contemplated for other steel products, thought should be given to the possibility that a similar cooperative program between users and steel producers might be necessary. This practice in no manner defines or establishes limits of acceptability.

1.2 For this document, large inclusions are defined in ultrasonic terms as those having a reflecting area equivalent to or larger than a 1/64-inch diameter flat-bottom hole in a steel reference block of similar properties and thickness. In metallographic terms, large inclusions, defined in this way, are of approximately the same size as the smallest detectable sizes revealed by the macroscopic methods of Practice E45. In some cases, inclusions smaller than those described previously can be detected either individually or in clusters, depending on their type, chemical composition, orientation to the ultrasonic beam and distance from the sound entry surface of the specimen.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.