Overview
ISO 13909-1:2025 - "Coal and coke - Mechanical sampling - Part 1: General introduction" is the third edition of the foundational ISO document that defines terminology, principles and reporting requirements for the mechanical sampling of coal, coke, brown coals and lignites. It establishes the basic terms, general sampling principles, documentation and sampling-report content and guides users on choosing the appropriate part of the ISO 13909 series for specific sampling scenarios.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Terminology and definitions: Standardized definitions for key sampling terms (e.g., increment, primary increment, sampler, sample preparation, sample division, air‑drying, bias, precision).
- General principles of sampling: Purpose of sampling is to obtain a representative test sample; primary sampling requires distributed primary increments that are combined and prepared to yield test samples.
- Minimizing bias and ensuring precision: Guidance on factors affecting sampling precision and bias (fuel variability, number of sub-lots, number and mass of increments, nominal top size) and note that methods to quantify precision and bias are in ISO 13909-7 and ISO 13909-8.
- Preferred methods: Mechanical sampling from moving streams (falling‑stream and cross‑belt samplers) is preferred; full‑depth mechanical auger sampling for stationary lots is acceptable when unbiased. The stopped-belt method is the reference for bias testing.
- Sample handling and reporting: Requirements for packing, marking and content of the sampling report and documentation so that results are traceable and auditable.
- Structure of the series: Lists Parts 1–8 and indicates which parts address coal only, coke only, and statistical methods.
Applications and who uses this standard
ISO 13909-1:2025 is intended for organizations involved in the production, handling, testing and commercial trading of coal, coke, brown coal and lignite:
- Coal and coke producers and mine operators
- Material‑handling and sampling equipment manufacturers
- Quality control and analytical laboratories
- Power plants, steelworks and industrial consumers
- Commodity traders and contract managers
- Regulatory and conformity assessment bodies
Practical uses include designing mechanical sampling systems, developing sampling procedures, preparing sampling reports, and ensuring representative samples for chemical and physical testing (e.g., moisture, size distribution, general analysis).
Related standards
- ISO 13909 series (Parts 2–8) - specific methods for moving streams, stationary lots, sample preparation, precision and bias testing.
- ISO 18283 - manual sampling (when mechanical sampling is not feasible).
- ISO 3310-1 and ISO 565 - sieving/nominal top size references cited for test-sample preparation.
- ISO 5725-1:2023 - terminology for measurement error and accuracy.
Keywords: ISO 13909-1:2025, coal sampling, coke sampling, mechanical sampling, sampling report, sample preparation, primary increment, bias, precision, moving-stream sampling.