Atmospheric Control
Standardized environmental preconditioning protocols establish fixed temperature and relative humidity parameters for testing transport packages and unit loads. Compliance with iso 2233 conditioning ensures that paperboard packaging reaches moisture equilibrium prior to mechanical strength testing. The standard specifies multiple climate atmospheres, including standard temperate conditions of twenty-three degrees Celsius and fifty percent relative humidity, as well as extreme tropical and refrigerated storage conditions.
Scope limits apply to package environmental preparation, excluding mechanical testing execution.
Equilibrium Equivalence
Hygroscopic materials like paperboard gain or lose moisture until their internal moisture content balances surrounding atmospheric humidity. Applying iso 2233 conditioning eliminates test variations caused by historical storage conditions, ensuring repeatable compression and drop test results across international testing laboratories. Fiber equilibrium require exposure periods ranging from twenty-four to seventy-two hours depending on package wall thickness and material composition.
Moist paperboard exhibits lower compression strength, whereas dry board becomes brittle and prone to score line cracking during folding operations. Precise atmospheric control inside conditioning chambers ensures that packaging materials undergo physical strength evaluations under standardized, reproducible moisture states.
Testing Protocol
Laboratory workflows require strict adherence to specified preconditioning schedules prior to performing transit simulation testing. Protocols outlined in iso 2233 conditioning dictate rapid specimen transfer from climate chambers to testing equipment. Minimizing environmental exposure during transfers maintains sample moisture integrity throughout destructive mechanical tests.
