Granules and powders, of pig iron and spiegeleisen, or steel

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR applies to gate-to-gate production of dry, saleable granules or powders made from pig iron, spiegeleisen, or steel. It covers the route actually operated in the reporting campaign: water, gas, or air atomization; mechanical comminution; or cut-wire granulation, followed as applicable by recovery, drying, classification, and internal recycling. The boundary begins with received metallic feedstock, atomizing media, and purchased electricity at the site gate and ends with dry bulk product after final classification.

The PCR excludes direct-reduced or sponge iron, ferro-alloy powders other than spiegeleisen, ferrous scrap and machining residues sold as waste, radioactive iron powder, medicinal products, downstream compaction, sintering, additive manufacturing, coating, packaging, transport, use, and end-of-life. Packaging is outside the default boundary; if a declared study includes it, each packaging component must be added as its own atomic exchange.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.metal-products-machinery-and-equipment.basic-metals.granules-and-powders-of-pig-iron-and-spiegeleisen-or-steel
classification_refs	CPC 3.0 41117, exact
covered_products	Dry, saleable granules and powders of pig iron, spiegeleisen, or steel, including shot and angular grit meeting the declared product specification
excluded_products	Direct-reduced or sponge iron; ferro-alloy powders other than spiegeleisen; scrap filings, turnings, and other wastes; radioactive or medicinal iron powders; compacted, sintered, coated, or otherwise downstream-fabricated articles
representative_product	Dry steel powder, with grade, particle-size distribution, morphology, and route declared
production_route	The one route actually operated: water, gas, or air atomization; mechanical comminution; or cut-wire granulation, with applicable recovery, drying, classification, and internal recycling
market_state	Dry bulk material at the factory gate, before packaging

The official CPC leaf establishes the classification identity but does not by itself define a production technology. The declared material family, route, grade, dry state, morphology, and particle-size specification shall therefore accompany every reference flow.

3. Reference Flow

Field	Value
What	Dry, saleable granules or powder of pig iron, spiegeleisen, or steel meeting the declared specification
How much	1,000 kg dry product
How well	Conforming product after final recovery, drying, and classification; grade, route, morphology, and particle-size distribution declared
How long or cycle	One representative production campaign within the reporting period
reference_flow_link	Process granule_powder_production, output row reference_product

Field	Value
Reference amount	1,000
Reference product flow	Steel powder, dry
Reference flow property	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	Material family; alloy or grade; production route; dry product state; morphology; particle-size distribution and test method; site geography; production period; recycled-content accounting; moisture correction method

When constructing a foreground data package, the items listed in Required qualifiers must be declared in dataset metadata, process notes, reference flow comment, product description, or an equivalent data package field. Missing required qualifiers make the reference flow definition incomplete for that data package.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
measure_dry_product_mass	reference_product, metallic inputs, dry solid wastes, and mass emissions	Mass 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66	kg	Weigh on calibrated scales. Report product and particulate solids on a dry-mass basis; retain measured wet mass, sampling time, moisture fraction, and drying method.
measure_particle_size	Reference product identity	Particle-size distribution	µm or mm	Report the test method, sieve or equivalent cut points, and retained/passing fractions. For customs-identity screening, granules have less than 90% by mass passing 1 mm and at least 90% passing 5 mm; powders have at least 90% passing 1 mm. Product specifications remain controlling.
measure_electricity	electricity_input	Net calorific value 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66	MJ	Preserve raw meter readings and meter boundaries. When raw records are in kWh, apply the documented physical conversion 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ without changing the supply boundary.
measure_liquids	demineralized_water_input	Volume 93a60a56-a3c8-22da-a746-0800200c9a66	m3	Use calibrated meters or tank mass/volume records; disclose temperature or density conversion when mass is converted to volume.
measure_gases	natural_gas_input, industrial_oxygen_input, nitrogen_gas_input, argon_gas_input, compressed_air_input	Volume 93a60a56-a3c8-22da-a746-0800200c9a66	m3	Report supplied volume at the meter reference temperature and pressure; do not combine different gases or pressure levels.
measure_pm10	pm10_air	Mass	kg	Use a site-specific stack or fugitive-emission measurement or calculation. Document concentration, gas volume, capture efficiency, operating time, receiving compartment, and emission height.
account_internal_recycle	Returned oversize, undersize, and collected powder	Mass	kg	Record gross generation and return separately. Do not count an internal return as an external input or output; disclose purge and external transfer separately.

5. System Boundary

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	Metallic feedstock, atomizing media, and electricity received by the reporting facility
starting_condition_role	Upstream product inputs to the foreground production campaign
product_classification_scope	CPC 3.0 41117 dry granules and powders of pig iron, spiegeleisen, or steel
recursive_input_rule	Upstream production of purchased feedstock, electricity, water, and gases is represented by linked upstream datasets, not reconstructed inside this foreground process
upstream_dataset_requirement	Use geographically and technologically representative supplier or market datasets and disclose any proxy; do not replace a missing exact flow with a differently named UUID
disclosure	Declare the operated route, material family and grade, site, reporting period, product moisture basis, internal recycle accounting, pollution-control boundary, and any optional packaging inclusion

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
boundary_gate_to_gate	Foreground production campaign	Include receipt and preparation of feedstock; route-specific melting or conditioning; atomization, comminution, or wire cutting; recovery; drying; classification; internal recycle handling; and on-site pollution control used by the campaign.	mathias-metal-powder-production-2024
boundary_route_specific	Declared production route	Include only operations and atomic exchanges used by the declared route. A row whose inclusion condition is false is absent, not zero-filled.	mathias-metal-powder-production-2024
boundary_recursive_input	Purchased product inputs	Model purchased products at their point of receipt and link upstream supply datasets separately.
boundary_packaging	Packaging	Exclude packaging by default. If included for a study, add each material and component as a separate exchange and disclose the expanded boundary.
boundary_emissions_and_waste	Direct releases and external waste transfers	Include measured or calculated direct releases and every externally transferred atomic waste flow. Keep internal recycle loops within the process and report purges separately.

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
granule_powder_production	Ferrous granule or powder production campaign	required	Always include; populate only the atomic rows applicable to the one route actually operated	Aggregate gate-to-gate foreground process	1,000 kg dry conforming output in reference_product

Process: Ferrous granule or powder production campaign (granule_powder_production)

Inputs

Product flows

Pig-iron feedstock (pig_iron_feedstock)

Pig iron received in pigs crosses the site boundary as metallic feedstock when the declared product is made from pig iron.

• Selected flow: Pig iron, in pigs
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measure the dry received mass charged to the campaign; include only when pig iron is an actual feedstock.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_receipts
• Sources: un-cpc-3-0-2025, uk-hmrc-iron-steel-classification-2022

Spiegeleisen feedstock (spiegeleisen_feedstock)

Spiegeleisen received in pigs crosses the site boundary as metallic feedstock only for a declared spiegeleisen product or blend.

• Selected flow: Spiegeleisen, in pigs
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measure the dry received mass charged to the campaign; include only when spiegeleisen is an actual feedstock.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_receipts
• Sources: un-cpc-3-0-2025, uk-hmrc-iron-steel-classification-2022

Steel-ingot feedstock (steel_ingot_feedstock)

Steel ingot crosses the site boundary as the metallic feedstock for an atomized or mechanically comminuted steel-powder route when used.

• Selected flow: Steel ingot
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measure the dry received mass charged to the campaign; include only when steel ingot is an actual feedstock.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_receipts
• Sources: mathias-metal-powder-production-2024

Steel-wire feedstock (steel_wire_feedstock)

Steel wire crosses the site boundary as the metallic feedstock only for a cut-wire granule route.

• Selected flow: Steel wire
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Measure the dry received wire mass allocated to the campaign; include only for cut-wire production.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_material_receipts
• Sources: uk-hmrc-iron-steel-classification-2022

Alternating-current electricity (electricity_input)

Purchased alternating-current electricity crosses the site boundary for the equipment used by the production campaign.

• Selected flow: Alternating current 455f0ef5-6118-4f2b-a3f5-1f75e0afe3ca
• Flow property / unit: Net calorific value / MJ
• Amount rule: Sum campaign-attributable interval or submeter records; disclose voltage, provider, geography, supply technology, delivery boundary, and treatment of line losses.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_electricity_meter
• Sources:

Gaseous natural gas (natural_gas_input)

Gaseous natural gas crosses the site boundary only when it is consumed by direct-fired melting, preheating, drying, or heat-treatment equipment attributable to the campaign.

• Selected flow: natural gas in the gaseous state 4f19ca0e-7b3b-11dd-ad8b-0800200c9a66
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Meter or reconcile purchased natural gas at the stated reference temperature and pressure; include only the quantity attributable to the campaign and disclose the combustion equipment.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_media
• Sources:

Industrial oxygen (industrial_oxygen_input)

Industrial oxygen crosses the site boundary only when oxygen enrichment or oxy-fuel operation is used by campaign-attributable melting or heating equipment.

• Selected flow: Industrial oxygen bd4b0f96-2090-4806-a648-335ab20ff401
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Meter or reconcile purchased oxygen at the stated reference temperature and pressure; include only when used and disclose the consuming equipment.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_media
• Sources:

Demineralized water (demineralized_water_input)

Demineralized water crosses the site boundary only when consumed as the atomizing or conditioning liquid in the declared water-atomization route.

• Selected flow: Demineralized water
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Meter net make-up water attributable to the campaign; exclude internally recirculated water from external input.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_media
• Sources: mathias-metal-powder-production-2024

Nitrogen gas (nitrogen_gas_input)

Gaseous nitrogen crosses the site boundary only when used as the atomizing or protective gas in the declared route.

• Selected flow: Nitrogen gas 96ba4c16-fd7c-424e-b318-d87484d3d7c0
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Meter or reconcile purchased nitrogen at the stated reference temperature and pressure; include only when used.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_media
• Sources: mathias-metal-powder-production-2024

Argon gas (argon_gas_input)

Gaseous argon crosses the site boundary only when used as the atomizing or protective gas in the declared route.

• Selected flow: Argon, gaseous
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Meter or reconcile purchased argon at the stated reference temperature and pressure; include only when used.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_media
• Sources: mathias-metal-powder-production-2024

Compressed air (compressed_air_input)

Compressed air crosses the site boundary only when purchased or centrally supplied to the air-atomization route and not already included in another site energy record.

• Selected flow: Compressed air 46e2b1e4-5a4e-4579-b6a2-65b03f9ce825
• Flow property / unit: Volume / m3
• Amount rule: Meter delivered air at the stated reference temperature and pressure; disclose compressor boundary and avoid double counting its electricity.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_process_media
• Sources: mathias-metal-powder-production-2024

Waste flows

No waste crosses the boundary as an input in the default process.

Elementary flows

No elementary flow crosses the boundary as an input in the default process.

Outputs

Product flows

Dry saleable steel powder (reference_product)

The representative reference product crosses the factory gate after recovery, drying, and final classification. For pig-iron, spiegeleisen, or granule datasets, replace the representative name only with the exact declared product while preserving the row id and reference-flow rules.

• Selected flow: Steel powder, dry
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Fix at 1,000 kg dry conforming output; measure gross production and moisture correction before normalization.
• Value mode: Fixed value (fixed_value)
• Specificity: Product-specific (product_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Source rule (source_rule)
• Collection protocol: cp_product_output
• Sources: un-cpc-3-0-2025, uk-hmrc-iron-steel-classification-2022, mathias-metal-powder-production-2024

Waste flows

Off-specification steel powder (off_spec_steel_powder)

Dry off-specification powder crosses the boundary as waste only when it is transferred externally rather than returned internally to production.

• Selected flow: Steel powder waste, off-specification
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weigh dry externally transferred off-specification powder; exclude recorded internal recycle and include only when generated.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_waste_transfers
• Sources:

Iron-bearing atomization sludge (atomization_sludge)

Iron-bearing sludge crosses the boundary only when water-atomization solids are removed and transferred externally.

• Selected flow: Iron-bearing water-atomization sludge
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Record wet transfer mass and representative dry-solids fraction; report dry solids and disclose wet mass separately.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_waste_transfers
• Sources:

Elementary flows

PM10 emission to air (pm10_air)

Direct particulate matter smaller than 10 µm crosses the boundary to the receiving air compartment after the applicable control device.

• Selected flow: Particulate matter, <10 µm, to air
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Use site-specific measured or calculated post-control PM10 attributable to the campaign; report stack and fugitive releases separately in supporting records and disclose emission height.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_pm10_monitoring
• Sources:

Fossil carbon dioxide emission to air (fossil_co2_air)

Fossil carbon dioxide from on-site combustion crosses the boundary to air only when fossil natural gas or another separately recorded fossil fuel is combusted in campaign-attributable equipment.

• Selected flow: carbon dioxide (fossil) 08a91e70-3ddc-11dd-923d-0050c2490048
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Calculate campaign-attributable fossil carbon dioxide from measured fuel consumption and documented fuel carbon content or direct stack evidence; exclude biogenic carbon dioxide and upstream fuel-supply emissions.
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_fossil_co2
• Sources:

Iron emission to water (iron_to_water)

Iron crosses the elementary-flow boundary to the receiving water compartment only when a measured campaign-attributable aqueous discharge remains after the treatment included within the foreground boundary.

• Selected flow: Iron, to water
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Calculate discharged iron mass from the site-specific iron concentration and non-overlapping net effluent volume for the campaign; disclose dissolved or total-iron method, receiving compartment, and treatment boundary.
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg dry conforming product
• Basis kind: Process output (process_output)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_iron_to_water
• Sources:

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_subdivide_first	Shared foreground operations	Subdivide campaigns by material family, alloy or grade, route, and product size class whenever meters, batch records, or production records permit.
allocation_internal_recycle	Internal ferrous returns	Keep returned oversize, undersize, and recovered powder inside the process. Record gross generation, return, and purge; assign neither an external input nor an avoided-product credit to the internal loop.
allocation_external_coproduct	Multiple saleable outputs	If more than one saleable co-product remains after subdivision, use a documented physical causal relation where demonstrable; otherwise allocate by dry mass and disclose quantities, prices, and a sensitivity check rather than defaulting to economic allocation.
allocation_no_waste_credit	External waste transfers	Report externally transferred off-specification powder and sludge as waste outputs. Do not claim avoided-production credit inside this gate-to-gate process; model any receiving recycling system separately.

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_material_receipts	granule_powder_production	Metallic feedstock inputs	Scale, receipt, and batch records	material identity; supplier; grade; gross and tare mass; moisture; batch id	Reconcile receipts to campaign charge and inventory change	kg dry	Each receipt and batch	Complete reporting campaign	Reporting facility	Sum campaign-attributable dry mass by atomic feedstock row	Calibration record, receipt, batch reconciliation
cp_electricity_meter	granule_powder_production	electricity_input	Interval meter and invoice	start/end readings; interval; meter boundary; kWh; provider; voltage; losses	Submeter campaign equipment or allocate documented shared-meter use by operating time and rated load	kWh raw; MJ reported	Interval or batch	Complete reporting campaign	Reporting facility	Sum campaign-attributable readings, then convert to MJ	Meter calibration, invoice, allocation worksheet
cp_process_media	granule_powder_production	Water, fuel-gas, oxygen, and atomizing-gas inputs	Meter, tank, and purchase records	medium identity; volume; reference temperature; pressure; opening/closing stock; consuming equipment	Reconcile meters and purchases by medium; subtract internal recirculation and exclude quantities already represented by another utility record	m3	Each batch or meter interval	Complete reporting campaign	Reporting facility	Sum separately for demineralized water, natural gas, industrial oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and compressed air	Meter calibration, delivery ticket, stock reconciliation
cp_product_output	granule_powder_production	reference_product	Product scale and laboratory records	gross/tare mass; moisture; grade; route; morphology; size distribution	Weigh each conforming lot and determine representative moisture and size distribution	kg dry	Each lot	Complete reporting campaign	Reporting facility	Sum conforming dry mass before normalization	Scale calibration, laboratory method, certificate of analysis
cp_waste_transfers	granule_powder_production	Solid waste outputs	Scale ticket, analysis, transfer manifest	waste identity; wet mass; dry-solids fraction; destination; date	Reconcile generated, internally returned, stored, and externally transferred quantities	kg dry	Each transfer	Complete reporting campaign plus opening/closing stock	Reporting facility	Sum external dry-solid transfer separately by waste row	Scale calibration, laboratory result, signed manifest
cp_pm10_monitoring	granule_powder_production	pm10_air	Stack test, monitoring, or engineering calculation	concentration; gas volume; operating time; capture efficiency; compartment; height	Calculate post-control campaign PM10 from site-specific measurements or documented factors	kg	Test and operating interval	Representative operation within reporting period	Reporting process and control device	Sum stack and fugitive results without double counting	Test report, instrument calibration, calculation sheet
cp_fossil_co2	granule_powder_production	fossil_co2_air	Fuel meter, fuel carbon analysis, carbon balance, or direct stack evidence	fuel volume; reference conditions; carbon content; oxidation basis; operating period	Reconcile campaign fossil-fuel use and calculate fossil carbon dioxide without mixing upstream or biogenic emissions	kg	Each batch or meter interval	Complete reporting campaign	Reporting process and combustion equipment	Sum non-overlapping campaign-attributable fossil carbon dioxide results	Meter calibration, supplier composition or analysis, calculation sheet
cp_iron_to_water	granule_powder_production	iron_to_water	Effluent flow and iron-concentration records	net volume; sampling period; dissolved or total iron concentration; treatment boundary; receiving compartment	Pair representative concentration with the corresponding non-overlapping discharge volume after in-boundary treatment	kg	Sampling and meter interval	Complete reporting campaign	Reporting process and included treatment	Sum concentration-times-volume results by discharge point without double counting	Flow-meter calibration, laboratory report, discharge log

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calc_reference_normalization	All inventory rows	normalized amount = campaign amount × 1,000 / campaign dry conforming product mass	Campaign exchange and reference_product dry mass	Exchange per 1,000 kg dry product
calc_product_dry_mass	reference_product and dry solid rows	dry mass = measured wet mass × (1 − moisture mass fraction)	Wet mass, representative moisture fraction	kg dry
calc_sludge_dry_solids	atomization_sludge	dry solids = wet sludge mass × dry-solids mass fraction	Wet transfer mass, dry-solids fraction	kg dry solids
calc_gas_mass	Optional supporting disclosure for gas inputs	mass = metered reference volume × documented density at the same reference conditions	Volume, gas identity, temperature, pressure, density	kg supporting value
calc_pm10_emission	pm10_air	post-control PM10 = measured concentration × dry gas volume, or documented uncontrolled emission × (1 − capture efficiency); use one non-overlapping method per source	Site measurement or calculation inputs	kg PM10
calc_fossil_co2_emission	fossil_co2_air	fossil carbon dioxide = measured fossil-fuel amount × documented carbon content × documented oxidation and molecular-mass conversion, or a non-overlapping direct stack result	Fuel amount, carbon content, oxidation basis, direct stack evidence if used	kg fossil carbon dioxide
calc_iron_to_water	iron_to_water	discharged iron mass = matched net effluent volume × measured dissolved or total iron concentration	Net effluent volume, iron concentration, sampling coverage	kg iron to water
calc_mass_balance	Campaign material balance	closure = (dry product + external dry solid outputs + documented dry stock increase) / (dry metallic inputs + documented dry stock decrease)	Metallic inputs, product, solid wastes, inventory changes	Dimensionless closure ratio

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_identity	Reference product	Verify CPC identity and declare material family, grade, route, morphology, size distribution, and dry market state.	Product specification, certificate of analysis, CPC and customs boundary sources
dq_route	Process inventory	Demonstrate that every included conditional row was used by the declared route and every inapplicable row was omitted.	Process flow diagram, batch recipe, operating log
dq_measurement	Foreground quantities	Use calibrated meters or reconciled primary records; disclose estimation and allocation for shared meters.	Calibration certificates, records, reconciliation worksheet
dq_temporal	All foreground data	Cover a representative campaign and state reporting dates, downtime treatment, abnormal operation, and stock changes.	Production calendar and operating log
dq_completeness	Material, waste, and direct-emission rows	Reconcile feedstock, product, internal recycle, inventory change, external transfers, and direct releases; investigate material-balance gaps.	Signed mass-balance review and emissions reconciliation
dq_range_evidence	External QA ranges	Do not publish a numeric external range without two mutually independent original-text sources with compatible boundary, unit, and product state.	Source audit and independence keys, or unresolved range-evidence need

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validate_identity_and_state	Reference product and dataset metadata	Declare an in-scope ferrous granule or powder, its material family, grade, route, dry state, morphology, particle-size distribution, site, and reporting period.	un-cpc-3-0-2025; uk-hmrc-iron-steel-classification-2022
validate_reference_amount	Reference flow and all exchanges	Require reference_product to equal 1,000 kg on the documented dry-mass basis and all other quantities to use the same normalization.
validate_atomic_inventory	Process inventory	Require every exchange to be one concrete physical, chemical, waste, or energy flow; no combined utility, fuel, packaging, waste, wastewater, or emission category is present.
validate_route_consistency	Conditional inventory rows	Require only rows applicable to the one operated route; conditional rows are absent rather than populated with zero.	mathias-metal-powder-production-2024
validate_mass_balance	Campaign material balance	Reconcile metallic inputs, dry product, internal recycle, stock changes, and external solid outputs, and investigate and disclose unexplained gaps.
validate_waste_and_emissions	External wastes and direct releases	Require each external waste, direct air release, and direct water release to have a destination or receiving compartment, measurement or calculation evidence, and no double counting with internal recycle or control-device capture.
validate_uuid_state	TianGong references	Require every adopted TianGong UUID to be directly verified at public state_code=100 for base name, language, type, classification, property, unit group, state, geography, technology, and comment; unresolved rows remain UUID-empty and appear in manifest review metadata.
validate_source_provenance	External evidence	Require final sources to resolve to verified original official or peer-reviewed text; discovery metadata and snippets are not evidence, and any external range satisfies the two-independent-source rule.

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	Gate-to-gate foreground production dataset for dry ferrous granules or powders
downstream_use	Link to upstream supply datasets and downstream product systems or lifecycle models after route and reference-flow validation
allowed_use	Product-specific LCA modeling when material family, grade, route, dry state, size specification, geography, period, and foreground evidence are compatible
excluded_use	Automatic proxy for direct-reduced iron, ferro-alloy powder other than spiegeleisen, scrap, fabricated powder-metal articles, or a route and state not represented by the dataset
required_metadata	Canonical PCR id; CPC code; product family and grade; route; dry state; morphology; size distribution and test method; site and geography; reporting period; reference amount; electricity supply qualifiers; internal recycle treatment; allocation; UUID audit status
required_quality_disclosure	Meter coverage, estimation and shared-meter allocation, mass-balance closure, moisture corrections, waste destinations, PM10 method, missing exact UUIDs, and unresolved range-evidence needs
update_trigger	Material change in feedstock or grade, production route, product size specification, site or electricity supply, pollution control, allocation, reference-flow UUID availability, or verified range evidence

11. Data Sources

source_id	type	reference	original_text_verified	used_for	independence_key
un-cpc-3-0-2025	official_guidance	United Nations Statistics Division, CPC Version 3.0 Structure and Explanatory Notes (2025). Structure CSV; Explanatory Notes PDF	Yes—official CSV row and PDF hierarchy were read directly.	CPC 41117 identity, wording, and separation from adjacent primary iron forms	unsd-cpc-ver-3-0-2025
uk-hmrc-iron-steel-classification-2022	official_guidance	UK HM Revenue & Customs, Classifying iron and steel, updated 7 March 2022	Yes—the original official page was read directly.	Heading 7205 granule and powder particle-size boundary, cut-wire inclusion, pig iron and spiegeleisen definitions, and exclusions	uk-hmrc-heading-7205-guidance-2022
mathias-metal-powder-production-2024	literature	Mathias et al., “Metal powder as feedstock for laser-based additive manufacturing: From production to powder modification,” Journal of Materials Research 39, 19–47 (2024). DOI 10.1557/s43578-023-01271-8	Yes—the peer-reviewed full text was read directly.	Production-route taxonomy; atomization sequence; water, air, nitrogen, argon, and other gas roles; recovery, drying, sieving, and post-processing	mathias-et-al-jmr-2024
china-customs-tariff-2021	official_guidance	Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau-hosted official tariff annex, 2021 tariff PDF	Yes—the original official PDF page containing heading 72.05 was read directly.	Professional Chinese product title “生铁、镜铁及钢铁的颗粒和粉末”	china-tariff-schedule-2021