ISO 11794:2017 sets out the basic methods for sampling particulate material that is mixed with a liquid, usually water, to form a slurry. In industry and in the mining and mineral processing literature, slurry is also referred to as pulp, but this term is not used in ISO 11794:2017. At very high ratios of fine particulate solids to liquids where material assumes a soft plastic form, the mixture is correctly termed as a paste. Sampling of pastes is not covered in ISO 11794:2017.

The procedures described in ISO 11794:2017 apply to sampling of particulate materials that are transported in moving streams as slurries, but not pressurized slurries. These streams may fall freely or be confined in pipes, launders, flumes, sluices, spirals or similar channels. Sampling of slurries in stationary situations, such as a settled or even a well-stirred slurry in a holding vessel or dam, is not recommended and is not covered in ISO 11794:2017.

ISO 11794:2017 describes procedures that are designed to provide samples representative of the slurry solids and particle-size distribution of the slurry under examination. After draining the slurry sample of fluid and measuring the fluid volume, damp samples of the contained particulate material in the slurry are available for drying (if required) and measurement of one or more characteristics in an unbiased manner and with a known degree of precision. The characteristics are measured by chemical analysis, physical testing or both.

The sampling methods described are applicable to slurries that require inspection to verify compliance with product specifications, determination of the value of a characteristic as a basis for settlement between trading partners or estimation of a set of average characteristics and variances that describes a system or procedure.

Provided that flow rates are not too high, the reference method against which other sampling procedures are compared is one where the entire stream is diverted into a vessel for a specified time or volume interval. This method corresponds to the stopped-belt method described in ISO 12743.