Standardization is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization can help maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality. It can also facilitate a normalization of formerly custom processes. Standards serve to:

  • Establish methods for developing common solutions to recurring problems in an industry or within a subject area
  • Define uniform and transparent procedures, increase quality, prevent misunderstandings and avoid having to reinvent the wheel
  • Support for a better utilization of finite resources and saves time and money.

In many cases, standards make our lives both safer and simpler. Using standards is voluntary, but can serve as a mandatory reference in legislation and public procurement.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. It was founded on 23 February 1947, and the organization is coordinated by a central secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland. It has published over 25,000 international standards covering almost all aspects of technology and manufacturing. ISO has over 800 technical committees (TCs) and subcommittees (SCs) to take care of standards development. The Technical committee to establish standards for Powder Metallurgy is TC119.

The scope of ISO/TC 119 is the standardization of powder metallurgical materials concerning terms and definitions, sampling, testing methods and materials specifications. The committee is structured has 4 sub-committees on specific topics listed as below:

SC2 – Sampling and testing methods for powders (including powders for hardmetals)

Standard No Description
ISO 3923-1:2018Metallic powders — Determination of apparent density — Part 1: Funnel method
ISO 3923-2:1981Metallic powders — Determination of apparent density — Part 2: Scott volumeter method
ISO 3927:2017Metallic powders, excluding powders for hardmetals — Determination of compressibility in uniaxial compression
ISO 3953:2025Metallic powders — Determination of tap density
ISO 3954:2007Powders for powder metallurgical purposes — Sampling
ISO 3995:2023Metallic powders — Determination of green strength by transverse rupture of rectangular compacts
ISO 4490:2018Metallic powders — Determination of flow rate by means of a calibrated funnel (Hall flowmeter)
ISO 4491-1:2023Metallic powders — Determination of oxygen content by reduction methods — Part 1: General guidelines
ISO 4491-2:2023Metallic powders — Determination of oxygen content by reduction methods — Part 2: Loss of mass on hydrogen reduction (hydrogen loss)
ISO 4491-3:2025Metallic powders — Determination of oxygen content by reduction methods — Part 3: Hydrogen-reducible oxygen
ISO 4491-4:2019Metallic powders — Determination of oxygen content by reduction methods — Part 4: Total oxygen by reduction-extraction
ISO 4492:2017Metallic powders, excluding powders for hardmetals — Determination of dimensional changes associated with compacting and sintering
ISO 4496:2017Metallic powders — Determination of acid-insoluble content in iron, copper, tin and bronze powders
ISO 4497:2020Metallic powders — Determination of particle size by dry sieving
ISO 10070:2019Metallic powders — Determination of envelope-specific surface area from measurements of the permeability to air of a powder bed under steady-state flow conditions
ISO 13517:2020Metallic powders — Determination of flow rate by means of a calibrated funnel (Gustavsson flowmeter)
ISO 13944:2012Lubricated metal-powder mixes — Determination of lubricant content — Soxhlet extraction method
ISO 13947:2024Metallic powders — Test method for the determination of non-metallic inclusions in metal powders using a powder-forged specimen
ISO 14168:2011Metallic powders, excluding hardmetals — Method for testing copper-base infiltrating powders
ISO 18549-1:2009Metallic powders — Determination of apparent density and flow rate at elevated temperatures — Part 1: Determination of apparent density at elevated temperatures
ISO 18549-2:2009Metallic powders — Determination of apparent density and flow rate at elevated temperatures — Part 2: Determination of flow rate at elevated temperatures

SC3 – Sampling and testing methods for sintered metal materials (excluding hardmetals)

Standard No Description
ISO 2738:2026Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Permeable sintered metal materials — Determination of density, oil content and open porosity
ISO 2739:2012Sintered metal bushings — Determination of radial crushing strength
ISO 2740:2023Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Tensile test pieces
ISO 3312:1987Sintered metal materials and hardmetals — Determination of Young modulus
ISO 3325:2026Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Determination of transverse rupture strength
ISO 3369:2006Impermeable sintered metal materials and hardmetals — Determination of density
ISO 3928:2016Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Fatigue test pieces
ISO 4003:1977Permeable sintered metal materials — Determination of bubble test pore size
ISO 4022:2018Permeable sintered metal materials — Determination of fluid permeability
ISO 4498:2010Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Determination of apparent hardness and microhardness
ISO 4507:2000Sintered ferrous materials, carburized or carbonitrided — Determination and verification of case-hardening depth by a micro-hardness test
ISO 5754:2023Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Unnotched impact test piece
ISO 5842:2022Powder metallurgy — Hot isostatic pressing — Argon detection using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques
ISO 7625:2012Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Preparation of samples for chemical analysis for determination of carbon content
ISO 14317:2015Sintered metal materials excluding hardmetals — Determination of compressive yield strength
ISO 23519:2010Sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals — Measurement of surface roughness
ISO 28279:2010Sintered metal materials — Determination of the level of cleanliness of powder-metallurgy parts

SC4 – Sampling and testing methods for hardmetals

Standard No Description
ISO 3327:2009Hardmetals — Determination of transverse rupture strength
ISO 3738-1:1982Hardmetals — Rockwell hardness test (scale A) — Part 1: Test method
ISO 3738-2:1988Hardmetals — Rockwell hardness test (scale A) — Part 2: Preparation and calibration of standard test blocks
ISO 3907:2009Hardmetals — Determination of total carbon — Gravimetric method
ISO 3908:2009Hardmetals — Determination of insoluble (free) carbon — Gravimetric method
ISO 3909:1976Hardmetals — Determination of cobalt — Potentiometric method
ISO 4489:2019Hardmetals — Sampling and testing
ISO 4499-1:2020Hardmetals — Metallographic determination of microstructure — Part 1: Photomicrographs and description
ISO 4499-2:2020Hardmetals — Metallographic determination of microstructure — Part 2: Measurement of WC grain size
ISO 4499-3:2016Hardmetals — Metallographic determination of microstructure — Part 3: Measurement of microstructural features in Ti (C, N) and WC/cubic carbide based hardmetals
ISO 4499-4:2016Hardmetals — Metallographic determination of microstructure — Part 4: Characterisation of porosity, carbon defects and eta-phase content
ISO 4501:1978Hardmetals — Determination of titanium — Photometric peroxide method
ISO 4503:1978Hardmetals — Determination of contents of metallic elements by X-ray fluorescence — Fusion method
ISO 4506:2018Hardmetals — Compression test
ISO 4883:1978Hardmetals — Determination of contents of metallic elements by X-ray fluorescence — Solution method
ISO 4884:2019Hardmetals — Sampling and testing of powders using sintered test pieces
ISO 7627-1:1983Hardmetals — Chemical analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry — Part 1: General requirements
ISO 7627-2:1983Hardmetals — Chemical analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry — Part 2: Determination of calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium in contents from 0,001 to 0,02 % (m/m)
ISO 7627-3:1983Hardmetals — Chemical analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry — Part 3: Determination of cobalt, iron, manganese and nickel in contents from 0,01 to 0,5 % (m/m)
ISO 7627-4:1983Hardmetals — Chemical analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry — Part 4: Determination of molybdenum, titanium and vanadium in contents from 0,01 to 0,5 % (m/m)
ISO 7627-5:1983Hardmetals — Chemical analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry — Part 5: Determination of cobalt, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, titanium and vanadium in contents from 0,5 to 2 % (m/m)
ISO 7627-6:1985Hardmetals — Chemical analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry — Part 6: Determination of chromium in contents from 0,01 to 2 % (m/m)
ISO 11873:2005Hardmetals — Determination of sulfur and carbon contents in cobalt metal powders — Infrared detection method
ISO 11873:2005/Cor 1:2008Hardmetals — Determination of sulfur and carbon contents in cobalt metal powders — Infrared detection method — Technical Corrigendum 1
ISO 11876:2010Hardmetals — Determination of calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, nickel and zinc in cobalt metal powders — Flame atomic absorption spectrometric method
ISO 11877:2008Hardmetals — Determination of silicon in cobalt metal powders — Photometric method
ISO 17352:2008Hardmetals — Determination of silicon in cobalt metal powders using graphite-furnace atomic absorption
ISO 26482:2010Hardmetals — Determination of lead and cadmium content
ISO 28079:2026Hardmetals — Palmqvist toughness test
ISO 28080:2021Hardmetals — Abrasion tests for hardmetals

SC5 – Specifications for powder metallurgical materials (excluding hardmetals)

Standard No Description
ISO 5755:2022Sintered metal material — Specifications
ISO 22068:2012Sintered-metal injection-moulded materials — Specifications