National and International Standards in Materials Science: Comparative Analysis and Harmonization Trends

Abstract

The study of the structure, physicochemical, and operational properties of materials is an essential prerequisite for their scientifically grounded selection and for ensuring operational reliability and durability. To ensure a unified approach to material property assessment and to increase the reliability and reproducibility of test results in Ukraine, modern State Standards of Ukraine (DSTU) are applied. These standards are harmonized with international (ISO, ASTM) and European (EN) regulatory documents. The challenge of standard harmonization lies in the necessity to align the national regulatory framework with international requirements, eliminate technical discrepancies, and ensure mutual compliance, while considering modern achievements in materials science and industrial needs.

The digitalization of regulatory documents and ensuring their accessibility for industrial enterprises, research institutions, and higher and vocational education establishments remains a pressing issue. Specifically for the metallurgical industry, the standards effective or cancelled as of January 1, 2026, were reviewed, including those without harmonized counterparts. This allows for an assessment of the regulatory framework's completeness and consistency, identifying existing gaps and determining priority areas for further development and harmonization.

This paper performs a comparative analysis of national, international, and European regulatory documents governing the methods for determining the physicochemical and operational properties of materials, as well as conducting metallographic examinations.  Key trends in standard harmonization are identified, particularly regarding the unification of testing methods, alignment of requirements for sample preparation and result interpretation, and the adaptation of the national regulatory base to international and European approaches. A comprehensive set of measures aimed at accelerating the harmonization of Ukraine's national standards with international and European regulatory documents is proposed.

It is demonstrated that the prospects for further research in the field of materials science standardization are linked to improving the efficiency of quality management systems in accordance with European Union requirements.