Surface water absorptiveness
Evaluates water absorbed by paper or board over a defined area and contact time, reporting specimen side, time, conditions and units and complementing WVTR water-vapor transmission results.
ME-001 · METHODS & EVIDENCE
Place every barrier metric inside a reproducible evidence chain.
Fiber-based barrier evidence connects question, specimen, method, condition, result and boundary. Cobb, KIT, WVTR, OTR and heat sealing address water uptake, grease screening, gas transmission and sealing, then connect to finished-pack validation.
Conditioned reportingComplete specimen structureFinished-pack closure
01 / METRIC MAP
Five method families answer five different questions.
The method map first separates the engineering question answered by each metric. Edition, laboratory capability and acceptance rules are locked in the project brief for the target market.
Grease-resistance screening
Uses graded reagents to screen paper-surface grease resistance and compare samples, then connects to migration, real food contact, long-term grease exposure and package shelf-life validation.
Water-vapor transmission
Evaluates water-vapor transfer under a defined temperature, relative-humidity gradient, direction and specimen structure; aligned conditions and structures create comparable, reproducible data.
Oxygen transmission
Evaluates oxygen transfer under defined temperature, humidity, oxygen partial pressure, direction and specimen structure and models it together with seals, edges, pinholes and whole-pack oxygen ingress.
Heat seal & seal integrity
The sealing window is co-defined by temperature–dwell–pressure curves, seal strength, failure mode and contamination tolerance. Peak level characterizes strength, window width captures process repeatability, and leak plus finished-pack testing closes seal-integrity evidence.
Finished-pack validation
Only by returning material metrics to forming, seams, creases, contents, distribution and use can a pass/fail conclusion for a real package be formed.
02 / OFFICIAL METHOD INDEX
Five official method entries establish a traceable metric language.
Direct links to official TAPPI, ISO and ASTM method pages align metric names, specimen objects and engineering use.
TAPPI/ANSI T 441 om-24
Cobb water absorptiveness
Water absorbed by paper or board over a specified time under standardized conditions, supporting liquid-water uptake screening.
Official TAPPI method ↗ TAPPI T 559 cm-22Kit grease screening
Paper and board surface grease and anti-wicking screening; method suitability is checked for non-fluorochemical or film-forming systems.
Official TAPPI method ↗ ISO 9932:2021WVTR water-vapor transmission
Dynamic sweep and static gas methods for paper and board sheet materials, reported with temperature, humidity gradient, direction and specimen structure.
Official ISO method ↗ ASTM F88/F88M-23Seal strength
Seal strength of flexible barrier materials for process validation, capability and control, with specimen failure mode recorded.
Official ASTM method ↗ ASTM F1921/F1921M-12(2023)Hot-tack strength
Hot-seal strength immediately after sealing and before cooling to ambient temperature, supporting high-speed forming and seal-window assessment.
Official ASTM method ↗The applicable edition, laboratory capability, specimen structure and acceptance rule are locked in the validation brief for the target market and package.
02 / REPORTING MATRIX
Before a number is cited, at least seven questions must be answered.
This minimum field set applies to web pages, reports and technical releases; pending fields remain explicit so subsequent data stay traceable and extensible.
| Field | Required statement | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Research question | What is being differentiated, predicted or released | Method disconnects from the business question |
| Specimen structure | Paper, layers, coat weight, direction, preparation and batch | Reproducibility and comparison depend on a complete specimen-structure record |
| Method & edition | Standard or internal method, edition and deviations | Same metric name may hide different procedures |
| Test conditions | Temperature, humidity, time, pressure, direction and conditioning | The number loses physical meaning |
| Controls & replicates | Blank, benchmark, sample size, variation and anomaly handling | Difference significance and stability depend on controls, replicates and variation analysis |
| Acceptance criterion | Pass/fail threshold and application rationale | Result exists without a decision |
| Scope boundary | Pack object, market, contents, use conditions and claim scope | Material result is wrongly extrapolated to a pack claim |
03 / EVIDENCE STAGES
The same metric has different publication authority at each stage.
Evidence stages express current maturity precisely. Traceable specimens, methods, results and boundaries advance a project from research question to engineering release.
Research question
Publishes the problem, hypothesis, planned method and fields with a clear research-stage label, creating the starting point for subsequent sample data.
Sample validation
Publishes results, controls and failures for defined samples and conditions, providing the basis for the next-stage line-stability validation.
Pilot validation
Publishes representative equipment, batches and process windows while bringing the finished pack and target market into the validation scope.
Engineering release
A citable conclusion emerges only after finished pack, method conditions, versioned documents and claim boundary close.
04 / CLAIM BOUNDARIES
Performance, compliance and end of life each require their own evidence chain.
Material attributes, finished-pack suitability, target-market compliance and environmental routes are validated in separate layers, then integrated into citable project conclusions.
Food contact
Evaluate by target market, complete formulation, intended food, temperature, time and use, consolidating raw-material, functional-layer and complete-pack information into an evidence package.
Fluorinated substances / PFAS claim boundary
Fluorine-free formulation design describes formulation intent. A PFAS-free or limit claim requires defined analyte scope, method, detection limit and regulatory framing.
Repulping & composting
Repulping, industrial composting and home composting each build their own evidence. Industrial composting evaluates the finished pack under EN 13432, ASTM D6868 or another applicable specification; home composting follows independent conditions and certification.
Official standards pages: ASTM D6868-21 · EU harmonised standards for packaging and packaging waste. Projects must confirm the current version and scope for the target market.
Start with one unanswered question and build a reproducible validation plan.
Submit packaging object, failure, existing data and target claim. The Developer system retains topic and source and helps map methods, specimens, gates and release stage.