TAPPI Testing

TEN-E performs TAPPI testing for paper and corrugated packaging under ANAB ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. Our confirmed TAPPI scope covers box compression, edgewise crush, mullen burst, cobb water absorption, and basis weight measurement.

What TAPPI Testing Covers

TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) publishes the test methods that govern the performance of paper, paperboard, and corrugated packaging materials. TAPPI methods define how structural and material properties are measured: the compressive strength of a shipping case, the moisture resistance of a corrugated surface, the burst resistance of a container wall, and the basis weight of a paper substrate. For corrugated shipping cases, box compression and edgewise crush testing are the methods retailers and freight programs most often specify. TEN-E performs the full set of confirmed methods, detailed below, under ANAB ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.

TAPPI Test Methods

Select a method to expand its details, including what it measures, the TAPPI standard, and how TEN-E performs it. For the full list of methods we test to see Test Methods.

Box Compression Testing (BCT) Box compression testing measures the load a finished corrugated shipping case sustains before structural failure.

Issuing Body TAPPI

TAPPI Standard T 804

Test Type Finished-package compression

Overview

Box compression testing is a finished-package test that applies a controlled compressive load to a fully assembled corrugated shipping case until it fails. The result establishes the stacking performance that distribution and retail programs specify, and it confirms whether a specific packaging design meets its required stacking load. TEN-E’s CCSB registration at both U.S. locations supports box compression testing used in less-than-truckload freight classification.

Key Parameters

Compressive Load The case is loaded until structural failure, and the peak load is recorded.

Conditioning Samples are conditioned to a defined temperature and humidity before testing, since corrugated strength varies with moisture.

Stacking Requirement The measured load is compared against the design's required stacking performance for its distribution channel.

Documentation typically covers the case design tested, the conditioning applied, the peak compressive load recorded, and pass or fail findings against the stacking requirement.

Edgewise Crush Testing (ECT) Edgewise crush testing measures the compressive strength of corrugated board in the direction of the flutes.

Issuing Body TAPPI

TAPPI Standard T 811

Test Type Board-level edgewise compression

Overview

Edgewise crush testing is a material-level test that measures the compressive strength of corrugated board on edge, in the direction of the flutes, before the board is formed into a case. The result is the material-level indicator packaging engineers use to predict stacking resistance and to select board grades in structural design. TEN-E’s CCSB registration supports edgewise crush testing used in freight classification contexts.

Key Parameters

Edgewise Compressive Strength The force required to crush a board sample on edge is measured and reported per unit width.

Conditioning Samples are conditioned before testing, since board strength varies with moisture.

Design Input ECT feeds box compression prediction formulas and board-grade selection.

Documentation typically covers the board sample tested, the conditioning applied, the edgewise crush value recorded, and pass or fail findings against the specification.

Mullen Burst Strength Mullen burst testing measures the hydrostatic pressure required to rupture a paper or corrugated board sample.

Issuing Body TAPPI

TAPPI Standard T 810

Test Type Bursting strength

Overview

Mullen burst testing applies increasing hydrostatic pressure to a clamped board sample until it ruptures, and records the pressure at failure. The result indicates the burst resistance of a container wall, a property retailer and carrier specifications reference for corrugated shipping cases. Burst strength complements edgewise crush as a measure of board performance.

Key Parameters

Burst Pressure The pressure at rupture is recorded as the burst strength.

Conditioning Samples are conditioned before testing.

Specification Basis Burst values are compared against the board grade or retailer specification.

Documentation typically covers the sample tested, the conditioning applied, the burst pressure recorded, and pass or fail findings against the specification.

Cobb Water Absorption Cobb testing measures how much water a paper or corrugated surface absorbs under defined contact conditions.

Issuing Body TAPPI

TAPPI Standard T 441

Test Type Water absorptiveness

Overview

Cobb water absorption testing measures the mass of water a paper or corrugated board surface absorbs per unit area over a defined contact time. The result gives packaging engineers a documented measure of moisture resistance, which matters for corrugated packaging used in cold storage, refrigerated distribution, and high-humidity environments. Cobb values guide material selection and packaging specification for moisture-exposed applications.

Key Parameters

Contact Time Water contacts the surface for a defined period before the absorbed mass is measured.

Absorbed Mass The mass of water absorbed per unit area is recorded as the Cobb value.

Application Lower Cobb values indicate greater moisture resistance for humid or cold-chain environments.

Documentation typically covers the sample tested, the contact time applied, the Cobb value recorded, and pass or fail findings against the moisture-resistance requirement.

Basis Weight Basis weight establishes the base material specification for paper, paperboard, and corrugated board.

Issuing Body TAPPI

TAPPI Standard T 410

Test Type Material property measurement

Overview

Basis weight is the foundational material measurement that measures the mass per unit area of paper or paperboard, establishing the base substrate specification..

Key Parameters

Basis Weight Mass per unit area of the substrate, reported in the specification's units.

Application Material specification and incoming-material verification.

Documentation typically covers the sample tested, the basis weight values recorded, and pass or fail findings against the material specification.

Not Sure Where to Start?

Let our experts help you identify the TAPPI methods that fit your corrugated or paper packaging qualification.

Frequently Asked Questions

TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) is the standards body for paper, paperboard, and corrugated packaging materials. TAPPI test methods define how paper and corrugated packaging properties are measured in a repeatable, documented way, giving manufacturers, brand owners, and distribution partners a common technical language for specifying and verifying packaging performance. TAPPI methods are referenced in retailer packaging specifications, freight classification requirements, and distribution program compliance standards across the consumer goods, e-commerce, food and beverage, and industrial packaging industries.

Box compression testing (BCT) is a finished-package test: it measures the actual compressive load a fully assembled corrugated shipping case sustains before failing. Edgewise crush testing (ECT) is a material-level test: it measures the compressive strength of corrugated board in the direction of the flutes before the board is formed into a case. BCT tells you whether a specific packaging design meets its stacking performance requirement. ECT tells you whether the corrugated material itself has the structural properties needed to achieve that performance. Both measurements are used in packaging qualification and retailer specification programs, and they answer different questions about the same packaging system.

Cobb water absorption testing applies when corrugated or paper packaging will be exposed to moisture in storage or distribution. Common trigger conditions include cold storage or refrigerated distribution, high-humidity warehouse environments, outdoor staging or transit exposure, and retailer requirements for moisture-resistant outer packaging. The Cobb test measures how much water the packaging surface absorbs in a defined time period under defined contact conditions, giving packaging engineers a documented measure of moisture resistance for material selection and packaging specification.

Yes. Many retailer packaging specifications reference TAPPI methods for corrugated outer shipping cases, particularly box compression and edgewise crush testing. Retailers specify minimum BCT values for shipping cases used in their distribution systems, and TAPPI-compliant test results provide the documented evidence that packaging meets those requirements. For e-commerce specifically, corrugated packaging performance requirements from major retailers may overlap with ISTA distribution testing requirements. TEN-E performs both TAPPI structural testing and ISTA and ASTM distribution simulation testing, enabling a single-lab qualification program for brands with both types of requirements.