ISO 15579:2000 is a tensile testing standard for metallic materials when the test must be performed at low (sub-ambient) temperatures. It is commonly referenced when teams need temperature-dependent tensile properties for design, qualification, or failure analysis.
This document is withdrawn and has been replaced by ISO 6892-3:2015. If you are working from an older drawing, purchase order, or customer requirement that still cites ISO 15579, it is important to match the cited edition and temperature conditions to your lab setup; if you need help mapping your requirement to a practical test configuration, you can talk with our team.
ISO 15579:2000 — Metallic materials — Tensile testing at low temperature
ISO 15579 is an International Standard that describes how to run tensile tests on metallic materials when the specimen must be held at a low, controlled temperature during testing.
Because it has been withdrawn, many organizations now specify ISO 6892-3 for low-temperature tensile testing. However, ISO 15579 may still appear in legacy specifications, internal procedures, and customer documentation.
Quick Definition
ISO 15579 provides a method for tensile testing of metallic materials at low temperature, focusing on maintaining and verifying the required specimen temperature while performing a tensile test to generate strength and ductility results.
What This Standard Covers
This standard is focused on the practical requirements that make tensile testing at low temperature different from room-temperature tensile testing.
What it addresses at a high level: conditioning the test piece to a specified low temperature, controlling and monitoring temperature during the test, and performing the tensile test in a way that supports comparable results across labs.
What it does not do: it does not replace a material specification or product standard that defines acceptance criteria; those requirements typically point to a tensile method like ISO 15579 (or its replacement) for how the test is executed.
Why This Standard Matters in Testing
Metals can show significant changes in yield behavior, tensile strength, elongation, and fracture response at sub-zero temperatures. When a part is used outdoors, in arctic service, in high-altitude environments, or in refrigerated/cryogenic-adjacent systems, low-temperature tensile data is often required for engineering sign-off.
From a lab perspective, the biggest risk is not the load frame itself—it is controlling and documenting the temperature at the specimen and ensuring the test is run consistently enough to support comparisons, audits, and repeatability.
Common Materials, Product Types, or Applications Covered
ISO 15579 is used for metallic materials when tensile properties are needed at low temperature.
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Materials: steels, stainless steels, aluminum alloys, nickel alloys, and other engineering metals where temperature-dependent tensile properties are relevant.
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Product forms: plate, sheet, bar, forgings, castings, and welded joints—provided suitable tensile specimens can be prepared.
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Common use cases: cold-climate equipment, infrastructure and transportation components exposed to low ambient temperatures, and qualification programs that require tensile results at specified sub-ambient setpoints.
Common Test or Verification Workflow
Low-temperature tensile testing is typically run as a controlled extension of a conventional tensile workflow, with added steps for thermal conditioning and temperature control.
Common workflow: define the required test temperature and reporting requirements → prepare tensile specimens per the applicable specimen geometry rules referenced by the organization/customer → condition the specimen to the target temperature → verify temperature at the specimen or in the defined measurement location → perform the tensile test while maintaining temperature control → report tensile results together with the required temperature and test-condition details.
Practical caution: equipment choices (chamber size, cooling method, temperature measurement approach, and access for extensometry) can drive whether a setup is realistic for your specimen geometry and throughput.
Equipment Commonly Used for This Standard
ISO 15579 is primarily an equipment-integration standard: the tensile frame must be combined with temperature-control hardware and instrumentation suited to sub-ambient testing.
Common equipment: a universal testing machine (UTM) with appropriate force capacity → tensile grips matched to the specimen (and suitable for low-temperature exposure) → a low-temperature environmental chamber or cooling system integrated with the load frame → temperature controller and sensors for monitoring the defined temperature location → an extensometer solution that is compatible with the chamber and temperature range (when strain measurement is required by the test program).
Configuration considerations: chamber working volume, access openings, sensor routing, frosting/condensation management, grip selection, and how strain is measured at temperature are often the deciding factors for a reliable setup.
How to Read This Designation or Revision
ISO 15579:2000 identifies the ISO standard number (15579) and the publication year (2000).
Status note: ISO 15579:2000 is withdrawn, and ISO identifies ISO 6892-3:2015 as the replacement. If a contract document cites ISO 15579, confirm whether the requirement allows substitution to ISO 6892-3 or requires the legacy designation to be followed exactly.
Related Standards, Methods, or Frameworks
Low-temperature tensile testing is frequently managed alongside room-temperature tensile testing and temperature-specific tensile method parts.
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ISO 6892-3: the newer ISO method for tensile testing at low temperature (replacement for ISO 15579).
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ISO 6892-1: commonly used for room-temperature tensile testing of metallic materials when low-temperature testing is not required.
Get help configuring a low-temperature tensile test setup
If you are selecting a UTM and low-temperature chamber package—or you need to confirm fit for specimen geometry, grips, and strain measurement—you can request a detailed quote for a configuration matched to your temperature range and throughput needs.