Casks and Kegs.
If the top of the container is not removable, holes should be bored to allow the spear to enter. Samples should be taken from top to bottom and from one side of the container to the other and the two samples combined. Any container fragments in the sample must be removed. The final sample taken for analysis should be obtained by 'riffling' or 'quartering' procedures that are is described below.
Oily Solids
Stiff pastes are sampled with a 'sampling auger' and complete cores from different parts of each container placed in a suitable bowl. The contents of the bowl are thoroughly mixed with a spatula made from a suitably inert material (taking care not to loose any liquid). A solid sector can be then cut from the paste and stored. Pastes that cannot be liquefied by heating should be mixed with a paddle and a portion taken with ladle. The mixing and sampling should be repeated at least twice and the samples bulked and placed in the final container.
Coarse or Lumpy Solids
This type of material exhibits the greatest variation in property within its container. Special care must be taken to ensure a representative sample is taken. The final sample should be reduced in size by riffling or quartering.
Small Containers
The whole of the contents should be spread out on a clean surface and a number of lumps and fines removed in proportion to their distribution in the bulk sample. In the heap formed when emptying the containers, the finer particles will remain at the center and the large pieces roll to the edge.
Road or Rail Vehicles
Sufficient sample must be removed from all parts of the load so that it represents the size distribution of all the material in the vehicle. Vehicle movement will cause the larger pieces to segregate and migrate to the top of the vehicle.
Bulk or Heaps
The heap should be flattened as far as possible and two trenches dug at right angles to one another across he heap. The bulk sample is that removed from the trenches. Very large bulk stocks cannot be sampled satisfactorily in situ and should be sampled either as they accumulate or as the material is withdrawn.
Ships Holds
Sampling should take place during loading or unloading. Material representative of the size distribution should be taken from the conveying plant or trucks at regular intervals throughout the transfer operation and combined to provide the final bulk sample.
