TS ISO 11648-2

TS ISO 11648-2 is a standard focused on the statistical aspects of sampling particulate bulk materials, covering the basic methods used to take samples from moving streams and stationary stocks, including stopped-belt sampling. Its purpose is to obtain samples for one or more measurements in a way that is unbiased and associated with a known degree of precision.

Why particulate sampling is technically distinctive

Particulate bulk materials include ores, mineral concentrates, coal, industrial chemicals in powder or granular form, and agricultural products such as grain. In this field, sampling is not just about taking a portion of material; it is about selecting material in a way that represents the lot despite natural variation, segregation, and size or composition differences within the bulk. The statistical concern is how well the sample reflects the average properties of the population from which it was drawn.

Moving streams, stationary bulk, and stopped-belt sampling

The standard covers sampling from material in motion and from stationary situations, and it also includes stopped-belt sampling. That distinction matters because moving streams require attention to timing and cross-stream collection, while stationary bulk materials raise issues such as layering, segregation, and spatial non-uniformity. In general technical practice, these methods are used to balance representativeness, practicality, and the need for consistent downstream testing.

The document addresses the sampling stage that comes before laboratory measurement. In bulk material control, trading, and process monitoring, the quality of the final result depends heavily on how the sample was obtained, so the sampling design is a key part of measurement reliability.