ASTM B330-02

Standard Test Method for Fisher Number of Metal Powders and Related Compounds

SCOPE
1.1 This test method uses air permeability to determine an envelope-specific surface area and its associated average equivalent spherical diameter (from 1 to 50 m) of metal powders and related compounds. The powders may be analyzed in their "as-supplied" (shipped, received, or processed) condition or after they have been de-agglomerated or milled by a laboratory procedure ("lab milled") such as that specified in Practice B 859. The values obtained are not intended to be absolute but are generally useful on a relative basis for control purposes.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Oct-2002
• ICS: 77.160 - Powder metallurgy
• Technical Committee: B09 - Metal Powders and Metal Powder Products
• Drafting Committee: B09.03 - Refractory Metal Powders

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM B330-00 - Standard Test Method for Fisher Number of Metal Powders and Related Compounds
• Effective Date: 10-Oct-2002
• Replaced By: ASTM B330-05 - Standard Test Method for Fisher Number of Metal Powders and Related Compounds
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2005
• Referred By: ASTM E2980-20 - Standard Test Methods for Estimating Average Particle Size of Powders Using Air Permeability
• Effective Date: 10-Oct-2002
• Referred By: ASTM E2651-19 - Standard Guide for Powder Particle Size Analysis
• Effective Date: 10-Oct-2002
• Referred By: ASTM B859-21 - Standard Practice for De-Agglomeration of Refractory Metal Powders and Their Compounds Prior to Particle Size Analysis
• Effective Date: 10-Oct-2002
• Referred By: ASTM B761-17(2021) - Standard Test Method for Particle Size Distribution of Metal Powders and Related Compounds by X-Ray Monitoring of Gravity Sedimentation
• Effective Date: 10-Oct-2002

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation:B330–02
Standard Test Method for
1
Fisher Number of Metal Powders and Related Compounds
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 330; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope * 3. Terminology
1.1 This test method uses air permeability to determine an 3.1 Definitions—Many terms used in this test method are
envelope-specific surface area and its associated average defined in Terminology B 243.
equivalent spherical diameter (from 1 to 50 µm) of metal 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
powders and related compounds. The powders may be ana- 3.2.1 Fisher sub-sieve sizer, n—a commercially available
lyzed in their “as-supplied” (shipped, received, or processed) permeability instrument for measuring envelope-specific sur-
condition or after they have been de-agglomerated or milled by face area.
a laboratory procedure (“lab milled”) such as that specified in 3.2.2 envelope-specific surface area, n—the specific surface
Practice B 859. The values obtained are not intended to be area of a powder as determined by gas permeametry in
absolute but are generally useful on a relative basis for control accordance with ISO/DIS 10070.
purposes. 3.2.3 air permeability, n—the measurement of air pressure
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the drop across a packed bed of powder.
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the 3.2.4 de-agglomeration, n—process used to break up ag-
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- glomerates of particles.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- 3.2.5 Fisher Number, n—a calculated value equated to an
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. average particle diameter, assuming all the particles are spheri-
cal and of uniform size.
2. Referenced Documents
3.2.6 Fisher calibrator tube, n—a jewel with a precision
2.1 ASTM Standards:
orifice mounted in a tube similar to a sample tube. The
2
B 243 Terminology of Powder Metallurgy
calibrator tube value is directly traceable to the master tube
B 859 Practice for De-Agglomeration of Refractory Metal maintained by Fisher.
Powders and Their Compounds Prior to Particle Size
3.2.7 porosity of a bed of powder, n—the ratio of the
2
Analysis volume of the void space in the powder bed to the that of the
3
E 456 Terminology Relating to Quality and Statistics
overall volume of the powder bed.
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to 3.2.8 agglomerate, n—several particles adhering together.
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
4. Significance and Use
2.2 ISO/DIS Document:
10070 Metallic Powders Determinations of Envelope- 4.1 This test method provides a procedure for determining
Specific Surface Area from Measurements of the Perme- the envelope-specific surface area of powders, from which is
ability to Air of a Powder Bed Under Steady-State Flow calculated an “average” particle diameter, assuming the par-
4
Conditions ticles are monosize, smooth surface, nonporous, spherical
particles. For this reason, values obtained by this test method
will be defined as a Fisher Number. The degree of correlation
between the results of this test method and the quality of
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B09 on Metal
powders in use will vary with each particular application and
Powders and Metal Powder Products and is the direst responsibility of Subcommit-
has not been fully determined.
tee B09.03on Refractory Metal Powders.
4.2 This test method is generally applicable to all metal
Current edition approved Oct. 10, 2002. Published December 2002. Originally
approved in 1958. Last previous edition approved in 2000 as B 330 – 00.
powders and related compounds, including carbides, nitrides,
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 02.05.
and oxides, for particles having diameters between 1 and 50
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
4
µm. It should not be used for powders composed of particles
Available from American National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42nd St., 13th
Floor, New York, NY 10036. whose shape is too far from equiaxed, that is, flakes or fibers.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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B330–02
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