ISO 13909-1:2016

Hard coal and coke - Mechanical sampling - Part 1: General introduction

ISO 13909-1:2016 defines the basic terms used in the sampling of solid mineral fuels, describes the general principles of sampling and details the information to be provided in the documentation and the sampling report. It also lists the other parts and gives guidance on the selection of the appropriate part. It does not include sampling of brown coals and lignites, or sampling from coal seams, for which guidance is given in ISO 14180. Manual sampling of coal and coke is covered in ISO 18283.

Houille et coke — Échantillonnage mécanique — Partie 1: Introduction générale

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 22-Jun-2016
• ICS: 73.040 - Coals
• ICS: 75.160.10 - Solid fuels
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 27/SC 4 - Sampling
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 27/SC 4 - Sampling
• Current Stage: 9599 - Withdrawal of International Standard
• Start Date: 22-Jul-2025
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Revised: ISO 13909-1:2025 - Coal and coke - Mechanical sampling - Part 1: General introduction
• Effective Date: 27-May-2023
• Revises: ISO 13909-1:2001 - Hard coal and coke - Mechanical sampling - Part 1: General introduction
• Effective Date: 04-May-2013

Overview

ISO 13909-1:2016 - Hard coal and coke - Mechanical sampling - Part 1: General introduction (ISO) provides the foundational framework for mechanical sampling of solid mineral fuels. It defines basic terms and definitions used throughout the ISO 13909 series, describes the general principles of sampling, and lists the information required in sampling documentation and the sampling report. The document also guides users on choosing the appropriate part of the ISO 13909 series for specific sampling situations.

Key topics and requirements

• Terminology and scope: Clear definitions for concepts such as increment, primary increment, sample division, sample preparation, bias, precision, and lot/sub-lot are provided to ensure consistent use of terms in coal and coke sampling.
• General principles of sampling: Emphasis on representative sampling - all parts of a lot must be accessible and equal-mass portions must have equal probability of selection.
• Preferred sampling methods: Mechanical sampling from moving streams is the preferred method; full-depth mechanical auger sampling of stationary lots is an acceptable alternative when unbiased.
• Bias and precision considerations: Identification of potential sources of bias (location/timing of increments, incorrect extraction, loss of sample integrity) and direction to Parts 7 and 8 for methods to determine precision and test for bias.
• Sampling system elements: Guidance on integrated sampling systems, on-line vs off-line sample processing, sampler types (falling-stream, cross-belt, auger), and requirements for packing, marking and reporting samples.
• Documentation and reporting: Specifies the information to be included in the sampling report to support traceability and reproducibility.
• Normative references: Includes related technical references (e.g., ISO 565, ISO 3310-1, ISO 5725-1) relevant to sieves, test equipment, and measurement accuracy.

Applications and who uses it

ISO 13909-1 is essential for professionals involved in the sampling and quality control of hard coal and coke:

• Coal and coke producers and plant engineers designing or validating mechanical sampling systems.
• Laboratories preparing test samples and ensuring representative sampling for chemical and physical analysis.
• Traders and buyers requiring reliable sampling protocols for contractual quality assessment.
• Regulators and certification bodies assessing compliance with accepted sampling practices.
• Consultants and equipment manufacturers who need standard terminology and requirements to design compliant samplers.

Practical uses include selecting the correct ISO 13909 part for a given operation, designing unbiased sampling plans (moving stream vs stationary lot), preparing sampling reports, and minimizing sampling error and bias in routine quality control.

Related standards

• ISO 13909 series (Parts 2–8) - detailed procedures for moving streams, stationary lots, sample preparation, precision and bias testing
• ISO 14180 - guidance for sampling brown coal and lignite and coal-seam sampling
• ISO 18283 - manual sampling of coal and coke
• ISO 565, ISO 3310-1, ISO 5725-1 - normative references for sieves and measurement accuracy

Keywords: ISO 13909-1:2016, mechanical sampling, hard coal, coke, sampling procedures, sampling report, primary increment, sampling bias, moving streams, stationary lots, sample preparation.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 13909-1
Second edition
Hard coal and coke — Mechanical
sampling —
Part 1:
General introduction
Houille et coke — Échantillonnage mécanique —
Partie 1: Introduction générale
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
©
ISO 2015
ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
© ISO 2015, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Ch. de Blandonnet 8 • CP 401
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.iso.org
ii © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Structure . 5
5 General principles of sampling . 5
6 Choice of sampling procedure . 6
7 Integrated sampling systems . 7
8 Packing and marking of samples . 7
9 Sampling report. 7
Bibliography . 9
ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information.
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 27, Solid mineral fuels, Subcommittee SC 4,
Sampling.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 13909-1:2001), which has been
technically revised.
ISO 13909 consists of the following parts, under the general title Hard coal and coke — Mechanical
sampling:
— Part 1: General introduction
— Part 2: Coal — Sampling from moving streams
— Part 3: Coal — Sampling from stationary lots
— Part 4: Coal — Preparation of test samples
— Part 5: Coke — Sampling from moving streams
— Part 6: Coke — Preparation of test samples
— Part 7: Methods for determining the precision of sampling, sample preparation and testing
— Part 8: Methods of testing for bias
iv PROOF/ÉPREUVE © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
Hard coal and coke — Mechanical sampling —
Part 1:
General introduction
1 Scope
This part of ISO 13909 defines the basic terms used in the sampling of solid mineral fuels, describes the
general principles of sampling and details the information to be provided in the documentation and the
sampling report. It also lists the other parts and gives guidance on the selection of the appropriate part.
ISO 13909 does not include sampling of brown coals and lignites, or sampling from coal seams, for
which guidance is given in ISO 14180. Manual sampling of coal and coke is covered in ISO 18283.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 565, Test sieves — Metal wire cloth, perforated metal plate and electroformed sheet — Nominal
sizes of openings
ISO 3310-1, Test sieves — Technical requirements and testing — Part 1: Test sieves of metal wire cloth
ISO 5725-1:1994, Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results — Part 1: General
principles and definitions
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
air-drying
process of bringing the moisture content of the sample (3.32) near to equilibrium with the atmosphere
in the area in which further reduction and division of the sample are to take place
Note 1 to entry: Air-drying to equilibrium with the atmosphere applies to coal. Drying of coke is generally to
facilitate sample preparation (3.35).
3.2
bias
systematic error (3.10) which leads to the average value of a series of results being persistently higher
or persistently lower than those which are obtained using a reference sampling method
3.3
coefficient of variation
standard deviation (3.38) expressed as a percentage of the absolute value of the arithmetic mean
3.4
common sample
sample (3.32) collected for more than one intended use
ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
3.5
continuous sampling
taking of a sample (3.32) from each consecutive sub-lot (3.40) so that increments are taken at uniform
intervals whenever the fuel is handled at the point of sampling
3.6
cut
see increment (3.15)
3.7
cutter
mechanical sampling device which extracts increment(s)
3.8
divided increment
part obtained from the division of the increment in order to decrease its mass
Note 1 to entry: Such division may be done with or without prior size reduction.
3.9
duplicate sampling
particular case of replicate sampling (3.31) with only two replicate samples (3.32)
3.10
error
difference between the observation and the accepted reference value as defined in ISO 5725-1:1994, 3.5
Note 1 to entry: This can be designated as systematic error (bias (3.2)) or random error (3.30).
3.11
fixed mass division
method of sample division (3.34) in which the mass retained is predetermined and independent of the
mass of the feed
3.12
fixed ratio division
method of sample division (3.34) in which the division ratio is predetermined
Note 1 to entry: In fixed ratio division, the mass of sample (3.32) retained is a fixed proportion of the mass of the
feed.
3.13
fuel
hard coal or coke
3.14
general-analysis test sample
sample (3.32), prepared to pass a sieve of nominal size of openings 212 µm complying with ISO 3310-1,
used for the determination of most chemical and some physical characteristics
3.15
increment
portion of fuel (3.13) extracted in a single operation of the sampling device
3.16
intermittent sampling
taking of samples (3.32) from only certain sub-lots (3.40) of fuel (3.13)
2 PROOF/ÉPREUVE © ISO 2015 – All rights reserved

ISO 13909-1:2015(E)
3.17
lot
defined quantity of fuel (3.13) for which the quality is to be determined
Note 1 to entry: A lot may be divided into sub-lots (3.40).
3.18
manual sampling
collection of increments (3.15) by human effort
3.19
mass-basis sampling
taking of increments (3.15) whereby the position of each increment to be collected from the stream of
fuel (3.13) is measured by a mass interval of stream flow and the increment mass is fixed
3.20
mechanical sampling
collection of increments (3.15) by mechanical means
3.21
mechanical sampling system
combination of sampling and sample preparation (3.35) performed mechanically
3.22
moisture sample
sample (3.32) taken specifically for the purpose of determining total moisture
Note 1 to entry: For coke, this sample may also be used for general analysis.
3.23
nominal top size
aperture size of the smallest sieve in the range included in the R 20 Series (as defined in ISO 565, square
hole) on which not more than 5 % of the sample (3.32) is retained
3.24
off-line sample preparation
sample preparation (3.35) performed manually or mechanically on the samples (3.32) produced by the
mechanical sampling system (3.21), using equipment not integral to the mechanical sampling system itself
3.25
on-line sample processing
processing of the primary sample (3.32) material using equipment integral with the sampling system
3.26
outlier
result which meets statistical criteria identifying an outlier, esp. exceeding Cochran’s maximum
variance test, and for which there is direct physical evidence of causation by gross deviation from the
prescribed experimental procedure
3.27
physical sample
sample (3.32) taken specifically for the determination of physical characteristics, such as physical
strength indices or size distribution
3.28
precision
closeness of agreement between independent test results obtained under stipulated conditions
Note 1 to entry: This is often defined us
...

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 13909-1
Second edition
2016-07-01
Hard coal and coke — Mechanical
sampling —
Part 1:
General introduction
Houille et coke — Échantillonnage mécanique —
Partie 1: Introduction générale
Reference number
©
ISO 2016
© ISO 2016, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Ch. de Blandonnet 8 • CP 401
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.iso.org
ii © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Structure . 5
5 General principles of sampling . 5
6 Choice of sampling procedure . 6
7 Integrated sampling systems . 7
8 Packing and marking of samples . 7
9 Sampling report. 7
Bibliography . 9
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT), see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information.
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 27, Solid mineral fuels, Subcommittee SC 4,
Sampling.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 13909-1:2001), which has been
technically revised.
ISO 13909 consists of the following parts, under the general title Hard coal and coke — Mechanical
sampling:
— Part 1: General introduction
— Part 2: Coal — Sampling from moving streams
— Part 3: Coal — Sampling from stationary lots
— Part 4: Coal — Preparation of test samples
— Part 5: Coke — Sampling from moving streams
— Part 6: Coke — Preparation of test samples
— Part 7: Methods for determining the precision of sampling, sample preparation and testing
— Part 8: Methods of testing for bias
iv © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13909-1:2016(E)
Hard coal and coke — Mechanical sampling —
Part 1:
General introduction
1 Scope
This part of ISO 13909 defines the basic terms used in the sampling of solid mineral fuels, describes the
general principles of sampling and details the information to be provided in the documentation and the
sampling report. It also lists the other parts and gives guidance on the selection of the appropriate part.
ISO 13909 does not include sampling of brown coals and lignites, or sampling from coal seams, for
which guidance is given in ISO 14180. Manual sampling of coal and coke is covered in ISO 18283.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 565, Test sieves — Metal wire cloth, perforated metal plate and electroformed sheet — Nominal sizes
of openings
ISO 3310-1, Test sieves — Technical requirements and testing — Part 1: Test sieves of metal wire cloth
ISO 5725-1:1994, Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results — Part 1: General
principles and definitions
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
air-drying
process of bringing the moisture content of the sample (3.31) near to equilibrium with the atmosphere
in the area in which further reduction and division of the sample are to take place
Note 1 to entry: Air-drying to equilibrium with the atmosphere applies to coal. Drying of coke is generally to
facilitate sample preparation (3.34).
3.2
bias
systematic error (3.10) which leads to the average value of a series of results being persistently higher
or persistently lower than those which are obtained using a reference sampling method
3.3
coefficient of variation
standard deviation (3.37) expressed as a percentage of the absolute value of the arithmetic mean
3.4
common sample
sample (3.31) collected for more than one intended use
3.5
continuous sampling
taking of a sample (3.31) from each consecutive sub-lot (3.39) so that increments are taken at uniform
intervals whenever the fuel is handled at the point of sampling
3.6
cut
see increment (3.15)
3.7
cutter
mechanical sampling device which extracts increment(s)
3.8
divided increment
part obtained from the division of the increment in order to decrease its mass
Note 1 to entry: Such division may be done with or without prior size reduction.
3.9
duplicate sampling
particular case of replicate sampling (3.30) with only two replicate samples (3.31)
3.10
error
difference between the observation and the accepted reference value as defined in ISO 5725-1:1994, 3.5
Note 1 to entry: This can be designated as systematic error [bias (3.2)] or random error (3.29).
3.11
fixed mass division
method of sample division (3.33) in which the mass retained is predetermined and independent of the
mass of the feed
3.12
fixed ratio division
method of sample division (3.33) in which the division ratio is predetermined
Note 1 to entry: In fixed ratio division, the mass of sample (3.31) retained is a fixed proportion of the mass of
the feed.
3.13
fuel
hard coal or coke
3.14
general-analysis test sample
sample (3.31), prepared to pass a sieve of nominal size of openings 212 µm complying with ISO 3310-1,
used for the determination of most chemical and some physical characteristics
3.15
increment
portion of fuel (3.13) extracted in a single operation of the sampling device
3.16
lot
defined quantity of fuel (3.13) for which the quality is to be determined
Note 1 to entry: A lot may be divided into sub-lots (3.39).
2 © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

3.17
manual sampling
collection of increments (3.15) by human effort
3.18
mass-basis sampling
taking of increments (3.15) whereby the position of each increment to be collected from the stream of
fuel (3.13) is measured by a mass interval of stream flow and the increment mass is fixed
3.19
mechanical sampling
collection of increments (3.15) by mechanical means
3.20
mechanical sampling system
combination of sampling and sample preparation (3.34) performed mechanically
3.21
moisture sample
sample (3.31) taken specifically for the purpose of determining total moisture
Note 1 to entry: For coke, this sample may also be used for general analysis.
3.22
nominal top size
aperture size of the smallest sieve in the range included in the R 20 Series (as defined in ISO 565, square
hole) on which not more than 5 % of the sample (3.31) is retained
3.23
off-line sample preparation
sample preparation (3.34) performed manually or mechanically on the samples (3.31) produced by the
mechanical sampling system (3.20), using equipment not integral to the mechanical sampling system itself
3.24
on-line sample processing
processing of the primary sample (3.31) material using equipment integral with the sampling system
3.25
outlier
result which meets statistical criteria identifying an outlier, esp. exceeding Cochran’s maximum
variance test, and for which there is direct physical evidence of causation by gross deviation from the
prescribed experimental procedure
3.26
physical sample
sample (3.31) taken specifically for the determination of physical characteristics, such as physical
strength indices or size distribution
3.27
precision
closeness of agreement between independent test results obtained under stipulated conditions
Note 1 to entry: This is often defined using an index of precision,
...