ISO 2597-1:2006

Overview

ISO 2597-1:2006 - Iron ores - Determination of total iron content - Part 1: Titrimetric method after tin(II) chloride reduction - specifies a standardized laboratory titrimetric procedure to determine total iron content in iron ores, concentrates and agglomerates. The method uses tin(II) chloride to reduce Fe(III) and potassium dichromate for titration. It is applicable to samples with total iron between 30% and 72% (mass fraction) and includes requirements for sample preparation, reagents, apparatus, and quality control.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Principle: Reduction of trivalent iron with tin(II) chloride, oxidation of excess reductant (e.g., with mercury(II) chloride), titration of ferrous iron with potassium dichromate using sodium diphenylaminesulfonate indicator.
• Scope and applicability: Natural iron ores, concentrates and sinter products with 30–72% total Fe.
• Sampling & sample prep:
  • Laboratory sample particle size: typically minus 100 µm; use minus 160 µm for ores with significant combined water or oxidizable compounds.
  • Test portion: approximately 0.4 g (slightly less for very high-Fe samples).
  • Hygroscopic moisture determination per ISO 2596 is required for certain sample types.
• Reagents & apparatus: Lists analytical-grade reagents (hydrochloric, sulfuric, hydrofluoric acids; tin(II) chloride; potassium dichromate standard solution) and common lab equipment (burettes, pipettes, crucibles, muffle furnace).
• Procedure controls: Duplicate independent determinations, blank and check tests, decomposition routes depending on trace elements (e.g., vanadium), and instructions for calculation and expression of results.
• Quality and precision: Sections on repeatability, between-laboratory precision and statistical treatment of analytical values.
• Safety & waste: Warning about hazardous materials and an Annex (C) suggesting mercury removal from waste solutions.

Applications

• Routine QA/QC analysis in mining and mineral processing laboratories to verify ore grade and concentrate quality.
• Metallurgical input for blast-furnace feed grading, sinter plant control and material accounting.
• Regulatory and contractual testing where standardized, comparable total-iron values are required.
• Research labs validating analytical methods for iron-bearing materials.

Who uses this standard

• Analytical chemists and laboratory technicians in the iron and steel industry
• Mine laboratories and ore beneficiation plants
• Quality assurance managers and metallurgists
• Third-party testing and certification bodies
• Standards organizations and method developers

Related standards

• ISO 2597-2: Titrimetric method after titanium(III) chloride reduction
• ISO 2597-3: Calculation method
• ISO 9507: Titanium(III) chloride reduction methods (alternative, mercury-free)
• ISO 3082, ISO 2596, ISO 7764, ISO 3696 and glassware standards (ISO 385/648/1042) - referenced for sampling, moisture determination, sample prep, water quality and apparatus.

Keywords: ISO 2597-1:2006, iron ores, total iron determination, titrimetric method, tin(II) chloride reduction, potassium dichromate, laboratory analysis, ore sampling, QA/QC.