ISO 8050:1988

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:

• ISO 6352 (ferronickel - nickel determination)
• ISO 6501 (ferronickel - specifications and delivery conditions)
• ISO 513, ISO 3855, ISO 4957 (tooling and machining references)

Use ISO 8050 to ensure consistent, traceable, and mutually accepted sampling and sample‑preparation practices for ferronickel ingots and pieces.