ISO 18549-2:2009

Overview

ISO 18549-2:2009 specifies laboratory methods to determine the flow rate of heated metallic powder mixes intended for warm compaction. It covers two funnel-based test methods for iron- or steel‑based powder mixes, measuring the time required for a defined mass of heated powder to pass through a calibrated funnel orifice. Testing is carried out inside a thermally insulated enclosure at temperatures from 60 °C to 180 °C.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Methods
  • Method A: Funnel orifice = 2.5 mm, test portion = 50 g. Largely based on ISO 4490:2008; can be used only when the heated mix flows freely through the 2.5 mm orifice.
  • Method B: Funnel orifice = 5 mm, test portion = 150 g. Used when larger orifice is required; no formal calibration method is specified for this funnel.
• Apparatus and controls
  • Thermally insulated enclosure, heated funnel (non‑magnetic, corrosion‑resistant metal, inner surface polished to Ra ≤ 0,4 μm), stand with vibration‑free base, heating device (e.g., band heater), laboratory furnace, thermocouples, balance (≥200 g capacity, 0.05 g accuracy), stopwatch (0.1 s resolution).
• Temperature control
  • Testing temperature range: 60 °C–180 °C, with allowable variation ±2.5 °C for both powder and funnel.
• Calibration and procedure
  • Method A funnel is calibrated per ISO 4490:2008; any correction factor from room‑temperature calibration is applied at elevated temperatures. Method B relies on comparative testing if disagreement arises.
  • Procedure: heat sample (50 g or 150 g), transfer quickly to funnel, time flow from first exit to last particle; average two or three determinations.
• Results and reporting
  • Reported as seconds per 50 g (Method A, corrected) or seconds per 150 g (Method B), rounded to the nearest second. Test report must reference ISO 18549-2 and include sample ID, orifice diameter, test temperature, number of determinations and any deviations.

Applications and Users

• Who uses it: powder metallurgy manufacturers, quality control and materials testing laboratories, component suppliers involved in warm compaction processes (e.g., sintered iron and steel parts), R&D groups optimizing powder flow at elevated temperatures.
• Practical value: assess flowability of warm‑compaction powder mixes, compare formulation or process changes, ensure reproducible feeding/filling behaviour in warm tooling, support supplier specifications and acceptance testing.

Related Standards

• ISO 18549-1 - Determination of apparent density at elevated temperatures (companion document).
• ISO 4490:2008 - Metallic powders - Determination of flow rate by calibrated funnel (relevant for Method A funnel calibration).

Keywords: ISO 18549-2:2009, metallic powders, flow rate at elevated temperatures, warm compaction, Method A, Method B, funnel orifice, powder metallurgy, ISO 4490.