Technical insight
ASTM E595 Reports for Vacuum Components: What Buyers Should Check
An ASTM E595 result can help compare material outgassing under a defined test, but it does not by itself establish how a finished vacuum component will behave in a particular system. Before ordering, match the report to the specified material and agree what additional evidence the application needs.
By Geetai Precision
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- Updated
What the report actually screens
Start by naming the requested report and its purpose. A screening record, a product trade name and an assembled-unit acceptance record answer different questions. Put each deliverable in the purchase package so a favorable report line is not treated as blanket approval for every component.
NASA Goddard says ASTM E595 testing determines mass loss in vacuum and the amount of volatile condensable material; it says the data can support material suitability for spaceflight environments. This is source description, not a universal qualification. [1]
NASA-STD-6016C assigns acceptable molecular-outgassing limits and bakeout choices to the project or program; it notes that ASTM E595’s 125 °C screening temperature may damage some spaceflight hardware. Those are spacecraft requirements, not a general rule for all vacuum parts. [2]
Build a report review checklist
Treat the report as evidence about the tested specimen under its stated conditions. Ask the supplier and responsible technical reviewer to close the identity and application questions before accepting it as a requirement for the delivered assembly.
| Review item | Ask before order placement | Acceptance question |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Which formulation and condition does the report identify? | Does that identity match the released drawing and approved source? |
| Test basis | Which standard edition and test conditions are reported? | Are deviations and nonstandard conditions visible and acceptable? |
| Sample linkage | How is the tested specimen linked to the named material? | Is the link adequate for the project’s requested evidence? |
| Acceptance basis | Who set the project limit and for which use? | Does the technical owner approve that limit for this application? |
| Finished part | What separate cleanliness or functional evidence is required? | Is material screening kept distinct from component acceptance? |
Do not treat a specimen screening result as a finished-assembly qualification. Ask the responsible application owner what additional evidence is needed for the component, cleaning and process conditions; these are procurement checks, not requirements attributed here to the cited spacecraft documents for every vacuum system.
If a report names a product family but not the exact formulation, cure or condition required by the drawing, record the gap as open. A technical owner can decide whether the evidence is representative, whether another test is needed, or whether the product must change. Do not infer equivalence from a similar commercial label.
Where a database search is used, retain its result reference, item description and any conditions shown with the entry. NASA’s database is framed around spaceflight applications; treat it as technical information to review, not automatic acceptance in another application.
Keep outgassing evidence separate from cleaning, particulate limits, trapped volumes, seals, lubricant selection and system qualification. A purchase package may call for several distinct checks. Closing one item should not silently close the others or change a released acceptance criterion.
For a quotation, provide the released drawing, material callout, named test document and project acceptance owner. Ask the supplier to identify what evidence can accompany the parts and what remains subject to customer technical approval.
Inspection scope and documentation are defined during quotation according to drawing requirements and application needs.
References were accessed October 3, 2026. This checklist is editorial purchasing guidance; it does not document a test of any specific supplied component.
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References
- Outgassing Database — NASA Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate. Accessed 2026-10-02T17:27:51.378Z.
- NASA-STD-6016C w/Change 1: Standard Materials and Processes Requirements for Spacecraft — National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Accessed 2026-10-02T17:27:51.378Z.