Overview
ISO 8050:1988 - "Ferronickel ingots or pieces - Sampling for analysis" specifies procedures to obtain representative laboratory samples from ferronickel lots in ingot or piece form for chemical composition determination. The standard defines two main sampling contexts: on‑site sampling during casting at the producer’s plant and sampling of delivered lots at the buyer’s premises (or agreed transit location). It also provides two alternative sample‑taking techniques: drilling and milling, and ensures that both buyer and supplier may participate in sampling operations.
Keywords: ISO 8050, ferronickel sampling, sampling for analysis, ferronickel ingots, drilling, milling, laboratory sample, chemical composition, quality control
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and choice of procedure: Option for sampling during casting (primary samples) or from delivered lots (secondary sampling).
- Primary sample (small ingots): Increments taken with a spoon and cast into small ingots (recommended geometry: height 100–140 mm; upper diameter 35–50 mm; lower diameter 30–40 mm; typical height ≈120 mm).
- Number of samples: Guidance suggests taking 4–8 small ingots per heat; Annex A gives examples for numbers to analyse. In exceptional cases, five ingots can be taken and treated as a lot.
- Two sampling alternatives:
- Drilling: Use high‑speed steel or tungsten‑carbide drills, recommended diameter 12–20 mm (commonly 15–17 mm), desirable penetration depth ≈50 mm; collect chips (~>100 g per drill pass).
- Milling: Clean and mill the conical surface adjacent to the cut surface to ~20 mm depth to produce ~100 g chips.
- Chip handling and treatment:
- Collect complete chip mass (secondary sample ≥1 kg).
- Wash chips twice with pure acetone (or acetone then ether); dry ~0.5 h at 100–110 °C.
- Crush (if practicable) using abrasion‑resistant crushers (tungsten carbide or abrasion‑resistant steel), 10–30 s typical; avoid ball/rod mills.
- Homogenize thoroughly and divide into portions (riffle divider/rotary sampler). Retain fractions: purchaser, supplier, referee, and reserve.
- Contamination control: Use non‑contaminating collection assemblies and containers (glass or heavy‑duty polyethylene); avoid paper, cardboard, rubber, cork or plastics that could contaminate analyses.
Applications and users
ISO 8050 is used for:
- Quality control and acceptance testing of ferronickel consignments
- Contractual sampling between suppliers and buyers
- Preparing representative samples for elemental analysis (e.g., nickel content)
Primary users include ferronickel producers, steelmakers and alloy consumers, inspection bodies, laboratory analysts and purchasing/quality assurance teams.
Related standards
ISO 8050 references related ISO documents used for tooling and analysis practices, for example:
Use ISO 8050 to ensure consistent, traceable, and mutually accepted sampling and sample‑preparation practices for ferronickel ingots and pieces.
