ISO 4299:1989

Overview

ISO 4299:1989 - "Manganese ores - Determination of moisture content" is an international test method for measuring the moisture (water) content of manganese ores at dispatch and acceptance points. The standard covers natural and processed ores (concentrates, pellets, agglomerates), specifies sampling relationships with ISO 4296 series, and includes two normative annexes: Annex A for adhesive/wet ores (pre‑drying) and Annex B for corrections when water has been sprinkled or rain has affected the consignment.

Keywords: ISO 4299:1989, manganese ores, moisture content determination, drying oven, pre-drying, sprinkled water correction

Key topics and technical requirements

• Principle: Determine moisture by loss on drying - weigh a test portion before and after oven drying and express moisture as a percentage by mass.
• Drying conditions: Oven at 105 °C (temperature-controlled; oven uniformity ±5 °C).
• Sample preparation: Test portion spread in a layer < 30 mm thick in a stainless or brass drying pan.
• Weighing: Balance accuracy of at least 0.05% of the initial sample mass; protect scale from hot samples.
• Drying cycle: Initial 4 h drying, then successive 1 h increments until mass change between weighings is ≤ 0.05% of initial mass (or mass increases).
• Calculation: Moisture (%) = (initial mass − dried mass) / initial mass × 100. The standard gives formulas for single portions, weighted means across sub‑samples, and rules for pooling duplicate determinations.
• Annex A (wet/adhesive ores): Pre‑drying procedure to enable representative sieving and division; final moisture combines pre‑drying and test‑portion losses.
• Annex B (sprinkled/rain water): Correction methods and equations using the mass of water added (m3), consignment mass (m4) and a loss factor f (to be agreed commercially).

Applications and users

• Quality control and trade: mining companies, bulk shippers, port authorities, commodity traders and buyers use ISO 4299 to verify contract moisture at loading/unloading.
• Assay and testing laboratories: routine moisture determinations on consignments, concentrates and pellets.
• Logistics and environmental compliance teams: apply Annex B when dust suppression or weather affects moisture.
• Contract writers and inspectors: incorporate measurement, correction and reporting rules into sale/transport contracts.

Related standards

• ISO 4296‑1:1984 - Manganese ores - Sampling - Increment sampling
• ISO 4296‑2:1983 - Manganese ores - Sampling - Preparation of samples
• ISO 4299:1989 cancels and replaces ISO 4299:1980 (minor revision)

ISO 4299:1989 provides a practical, repeatable method for moisture measurement and for correcting results when external water (sprinkling or rain) affects bulk manganese ore consignments.