Standards & Test Protocols
Reliable materials characterization depends not only on the measurement itself, but also on consistent specimen preparation, controlled test conditions, instrument calibration, and standardized data collection. Wherever applicable, established ASTM, ISO, and USP procedures are followed or used as methodological guidance to improve reproducibility and allow meaningful comparison between materials and experiments.
Sample Preparation & Microscopy
ASTM E3-26 — Preparation of Metallographic Specimens
Guidance for sectioning, mounting, grinding, and polishing specimens for microstructural examination.
ISO 13322-1:2014 — Particle Size Analysis by Static Image Analysis
Used as the basis for particle-size measurements from SEM images and digital image analysis.
Powder Characterization
ISO 4324:1977 — Measurement of Angle of Repose
Reference procedure for evaluating powder flow behavior using a controlled funnel and powder-cone geometry.
ISO 23145-1:2007 — Tap Density of Ceramic Powders
Standard procedure for determining tapped density of granulated or ungranulated ceramic powders.
ISO 23145-2:2012 — Untapped Density of Ceramic Powders
Standard procedure for determining the initial bulk density of ceramic powders before mechanical tapping.
USP <1174> — Powder Flow
Methodological guidance for evaluating powder flow using angle of repose, Carr’s Compressibility Index, Hausner Ratio, and related flow measurements.
ISO 17860:2014 — Drying Loss of Ceramic Granules
Used as guidance for evaluating moisture-related mass loss under controlled drying conditions.
ISO 18753:2017 — Absolute Density of Ceramic Powders
Reference method for determining true particle density when absolute-density measurements are required.
Chemical & Compositional Characterization
ASTM E1621-22 — Elemental Analysis by Wavelength-Dispersive XRF
Guidance for quantitative bulk elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence. Powder specimens are prepared as homogeneous pressed pellets using a controlled binder ratio and preparation procedure.
ASTM D1125-23 / ISO 7888:1985 — Electrical Conductivity of Water
Used as the measurement reference for conductivity monitoring during powder–water ion-release experiments. The powder extraction procedure itself is a controlled laboratory protocol developed for the specific material system.
Coating Adhesion & Mechanical Characterization
ASTM D4541-22 — Pull-Off Strength of Coatings
Used for preparation, testing, and reporting of coating pull-off adhesion strength and associated failure modes.
ASTM C1624-22 — Scratch Testing of Ceramic Coatings
Applicable to quantitative scratch testing of hard ceramic coatings and identification of critical loads and mechanical failure modes.
Corrosion & Electrochemical Characterization
ISO 16773-2:2016 — Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy: Data Collection
Guidance for specimen considerations, instrumental setup, data validation, and acquisition of EIS measurements on coated and uncoated metallic specimens.
ISO 16773-3:2016 — EIS System Verification and Data Analysis
Provides guidance for validating high-impedance EIS measurement systems and evaluating measurement reliability.
Dielectric Characterization
ASTM D150-22 — AC Loss Characteristics and Permittivity of Solid Electrical Insulation
Reference method for measuring capacitance, relative permittivity, dissipation factor, and dielectric loss as a function of frequency.
Application of Standards
Not every experimental system can be represented by a single standardized procedure. Where a standard directly matches the material and test configuration, measurements are performed according to that method. For application-specific experiments—such as controlled-humidity powder flow or powder–water ion-release testing—standardized measurement principles are combined with clearly defined laboratory protocols that reproduce the relevant processing environment.