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What Is Coal Standard

As we know, coal is the second-largest source of energy. It can be used for electricity generation and metallurgy, but the composition of coal is complex. High- quality coal can improve utilization and reduce economic cost. After mining, people will sample the coal with coal sampling system for quality test. In order to have a unified standard for judging the quality of coal, the related standards come into being. As time goes on, these standards are constantly improved and rise to national standards and international standards to be widely used.

International Coal Standard

With the development of world trade, the coal transactions between countries are increasingly frequent, while, under normal conditions, countries have different standards for the quality, production and transportation of coal. These standards frequently give rise to disputes and problems. The use of international common standards is increasingly a prerequisite for world trade. In the meantime, some organizations occur and begin to develop many coal common standards. ASTM and ISO are two organizations that have been  researching in this field for many years. Their research and setting on coal sampling and coal analysis standards have been internationally recognized. The coal sampling system, coal sample preparation system and coal sample analysis system produced by TopSampler all meet the ASTM and ISO standards.

ISO Coal Standard

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a global non-governmental organization. It was established in 1946, based in Geneva, Switzerland. It has 162 member states and 2022 working teams to take care of standard maintenance and development.

With the increase in coal trading around the world, ISO set standards for coal sampling, preparation, bias test and coal analysis. In ICS 73.040, we can find standard ISO 589:2008, ISO 602:2015 and ISO 1213-1:1993, etc. They are widely adopted by many countries and applied in the market.

ASTM Coal Standard

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) was established in 1898. It is one of the oldest and largest non-profit standard research academic groups in the United States and it has over 30 thousands experts attending the development of ASTM standards. ASTM standards contribute to the chemical analysis of coal, coke and other fuels to ensure the security of utilization. Originally, ASTM coal standard is mainly adopted in America and Canada, but now it is gradually accepted by the international market and domestic markets of some countries.

National Coal Standard

In addition to the widely used international standards, there are also some national coal standards we should know, such as Chinese coal standards, British coal standards, Australian coal standards and South African coal standards.

Chinese Coal Standard

SAC (Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China) is a member organization of the international standardization organization (ISO) representing the People’s Republic of China. It is responsible for setting and modifying standards for industries in China. These standards can be divided into mandatory (GB) and non-mandatory (GB/T) standards. All the coal standards in China are GB/T standard. Some of them are from ISO standard and on this basis, they make a little change in accordance with their own national conditions.

British Coal Standard

BSI (British Standards Institution) is the first national standardization agency around the world. It is a non-profit organization accepted and supported by the British government. It is also the member organization of ISO and it develops the SIO9000 standard which is widely used. In Britain, most industry standards are from ISO standards. A fraction of standards is developed by BSI for a particular need. The British coal standard is in the part of the ICS category of mining and minerals.

Australian Coal standard

SAI (Standards Australia International Limited) is the peek standard organization in Australia. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is established with SAI as founding member. They develop standards, meanwhile, they have the right to review and approval standards set by other organizations. The Australian standard begins with code SA. In standard AS 1038.2-2006 (R2016), it specifies the test and analysis method about the total moisture of coal and coke, and in AS 1038.18-2006 (R2016), it sets out methods for determining the particle size distribution of coke using square-hole screens. If you want to learn more you can visit his official website.

South African Coal standard

SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) is a neutral third party certifier in South Africa. It is responsible for national system certification and product certification. In addition to its responsibility to develop standards, SABS also administers mandatory standards on behalf of the state and grants the right to use marks for products that meet the standards. South Africa is one of the world’s leading coal producers and exporters. The coal industry is the pillar industry of South Africa. The development of coal standard plays an important role in promoting the economic development of the country. Most of the coal standards in South Africa are based on ISO standards and they begin with SANS. We can found all the specific standards on the net: https://store.sabs.co.za/mining/coal

Above content is the brief introduction of coal standards. The coal sampling system, coal sample preparation system and analysis system we produced are meet ISO and ASTM standards. If you are interested please feel free to contact us.