Water absorbance of paper or board with the Cobb method

In this absorption test, castor oil is used to evaluate the oil absorbance of a paper or board product. During the analysis, oil is applied on top of the sample with an L&W Cobb sizing tester, and the mass of oil absorbed by a set period is expressed as grams per square meter (g/m²). The Cobb-Unger test is often performed to assess whether the material is suitable for use as packaging for oily foodstuff.

This test is used to evaluate the color fastness of dyed or printed paper or board that is intended to come into contact with food. The applied simulants are Olive oil, 3% acetic acid, Alkaline salt solution (saliva simulant), Distilled water. Color transfer is assessed against a greyscale according to standard EN 646.

This test is designed to measure the oxygen transmission rate of finished packages, including cups, bottles, trays, and containers. Two replica measurements are included in the displayed price. Temperature can be adjusted from 15 to 55 °C, and relative humidity can be either 0% or between 5 and 90% RH. This test is not suitable for films. Please see the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of films and sheeting if you need testing for film samples. Please specify the sample dimensions and testing conditions upon ordering.

Determination of the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of ultra-high barrier materials. The method can also be used to test moderate barrier materials at high-temperature conditions. Please disclose the desired temperature (from 10 to 85 °C) and the desired relative humidity (from 60% to 100%) when placing the order. This measurement is applicable for films and sheeting materials with WVTR values between 1x10-6 and 10 g/m2/day. If you wish to test finished packaging instead, check out the WVTR measurement for packages. The price of the test consists of a flat rate cost per sample plus one day measurement time. Please contact our experts for an offer.

Determination of the oxygen transmission rate of plastic films and sheet-like materials. The test is performed on two parallel samples simultaneously. Measurement conditions (temperature and relative humidity) can be chosen according to the intended use of the material. Oxygen permeability is typically measured at 23 °C and 0% relative humidity as per standard ASTM D3985. In moist conditions, for example at 38 °C and 90% relative humidity, standard ASTM F1927 is used. Please disclose the desired temperature (from 10 °C to 38 °C) and relative humidity (either 0% or from 20% to 90%) upon ordering. This measurement is suitable for plastic films with OTR values between 0.05 to 20 000 cm³/(m² * day).

Recyclability testing of paper and cardboard packaging according to the Aticelca 501:2023 method. The method is based on the Italian UNI 11743: 2019 standard. The following properties are evaluated: Disintegration behavior and recyclable content, Impurity content (e.g., plastic, coatings, adhesives), Visual appearance. Based on the results, the material is given a recyclability classification of A+, A, B, or C. A+ indicates a highly recyclable material, while C indicates a product with poor recyclability. The material can also be classified as non-recyclable with paper.

Determination of the oxygen transmission rate of paper and cardboard materials. The test is performed on three identical samples to ensure repeatability. Measurement conditions (temperature and relative humidity) can be chosen according to the intended use of the material. The oxygen transmission rate is typically measured at 23 °C and 0% relative humidity as per standard ASTM D3985. In moist conditions, for example at 38 °C and 90% relative humidity, standard ASTM F1927 is used. Please disclose the desired temperature (from 5 °C to 95 °C) and relative humidity (either 0% or 10% to 90%) upon ordering. This measurement is suitable for paper and board materials with OTR values between 0.05 to 5000 cm3/(m2 * day).

Recyclability testing of paper and board packages according to the PTS-RH 021:2012 method (Draft Oct 2019). The following properties are evaluated: Disintegration behavior and recyclable content, Sticky potential, Visual appearance. The material is classified as recyclable, limitedly recyclable, or not recyclable at the end of the testing procedure. The PTS-RH 021 method has two categories depending on whether a deinking process is required. Please note that we can currently only offer testing according to Category II (packaging materials, no deinking step).

The gravimetric dish method can be used to determine the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of materials that have a high water vapor permeability. This method is intended for plastic films or sheeting materials with a water transmission rate of over 1 g/m²/day. The maximum sample thickness is 3 mm. In the test, a water-absorbent material is placed in a metal cup that is covered by the studied material, which is sealed to the cup with wax. The test sample is placed in a conditioned cabinet and its mass is measured. From this, the WVTR value can be calculated. The method is not applicable for materials that are damaged by hot wax or shrink under the used test conditions.

Determination of the nitrogen or helium transmission rate of plastic films and sheet-like materials with the differential pressure method. Testing is performed on three parallel samples. Measurement conditions (temperature and relative humidity) can be chosen according to the intended use of the material. Please disclose the desired temperature (from 5 °C to 95 °C) and relative humidity (either 0% or from 10% to 90%) upon ordering. Oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) transmission rates can also be determined with the manometric method upon request, but the following, more cost-efficient measurements are used more often: OTR of films and sheeting, CO2 transmission rate of films and sheeting.