ASTM_E_1216_-_11.pdf

Designation:E121611Standard Practice forSampling for Particulate Contamination by Tape Lift1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1216;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice covers procedures for sampling surfaces todetermine the presence of particulate contamination,5 m andlarger.The practice consists of the application of a pressure-sensitive tape to the surface followed by the removal ofparticulate contamination with the removal of the tape.Thetape with the adhering particles is then mounted on countingslides.Counting and measuring of particles is done by standardtechniques.1.2 This practice describes the materials and equipmentrequired to perform sampling of surfaces for particle countingand sizing.1.3 The criteria for acceptance or rejection of a part forconformance to surface cleanliness level requirements shall bedetermined by the user and are not included in this practice.1.4 This practice is for use on surfaces that are not damagedby the application of adhesive tape.The use of this practice onany surface of any material not previously tested or for whichthe susceptibility to damage is unknown is not recommended.In general,metals,metal plating,and oxide coatings will not bedamaged.Application to painted,vapor deposited,and opticalcoatings should be evaluated before implementing this test.1.5 This practice provides three methods to evaluate tape lifttests,as follows:SectionsPractice AThis method uses light transmitted through the tapeand tape adhesive to detect particles that adhere to it.4 to 6Practice BThis method uses light transmitted through the tapeadhesive after bonding to a base microscope slide,dissolvingthe tape backing,and a cover slide.The particles are embeddedin the adhesive,and air bubbles are eliminated with acrylicmounting media.7 to 9Practice CThis method uses light reflected off the tape adhesiveto detect particles that adhere to it.10 to 121.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded asstandard.No other units of measurement are included in thisstandard.1.6.1 ExceptionThe inch-pound units given in parenthesesare for information only.1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E595 Test Method for Total Mass Loss and Collected Vola-tile Condensable Materials from Outgassing in a VacuumEnvironmentF312 Test Methods for Microscopical Sizing and CountingParticles from Aerospace Fluids on Membrane Filters2.2 Federal Standard:Federal Standard 595 Color33.Significance and Use3.1 The tape lift provides a rapid and simple technique forremoving particles from a surface and determining theirnumber and size distribution.3.2 By using statistically determined sample size andlocations,an estimate of the surface cleanliness level of largeareas can be made.The user shall define the sampling plan.3.3 The sampling plan shall consider the importance ofsurface geometry and surface orientation to gas flow,gravity,obstructions,and previous history of hardware.These factorsinfluence particle fallout and entrapment of particles on thesurface.The geometry of joints,recessed areas,fasteners,andthe correspondence of particle-count data to area can bemaintained.1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E21 on SpaceSimulation and Applications of Space Technology and is the direct responsibility ofSubcommittee E21.05 on Contamination.Current edition approved Sept.1,2011.Published October 2011.Originallyapproved in 1987.Last previous edition approved in 2006 as E1216 06.DOI:10.1520/E1216-11.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk,DODSSP,Bldg.4,SectionD,700RobbinsAve.,Philadelphia,PA19111-5098,http:/dodssp.daps.dla.mil.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 3.4 The selection of tape and the verification of its effect onthe cleanliness of the hardware is very important.The tapeadhesive should have sufficient cohesion to avoid transfer ofthe adhesive to the surface under test.The impact of adhesivetransfer should be evaluated by laboratory testing before usingthe tape on the hardware.Since potential for adhesive transferexists,cleaning to remove any adhesive might be required.Inaddition,the tape should have low outgas