Barrier Paperboard Substrate Selection and Wet End Disintegration Yield Testing
Aqueous dispersion barrier boards outperform extruded polyolefins by delivering over 95 percent wet end fiber yield and avoiding heavy EPR penalties.
Surface Energy Holdout
Surface Property
Material property describes the ability of a paper or board surface to resist the penetration of liquids such as inks or aqueous coatings. The surface energy holdout of a substrate dictates how well a liquid will wet the surface or remain as a bead on the top layer. It is a critical factor for achieving sharp print resolution in flexographic or offset printing processes.
Wetting Interaction
When a liquid has a lower surface tension than the energy of the substrate it spreads out to form a continuous film. High holdout prevents the ink from soaking into the porous structure of the paper which keeps the pigments on the surface and results in higher colour density. Converting plants measure this through dye pens or contact angle meters to ensure the substrate is ready for the next application step.
Coating Performance
Sizing agents like alkyl ketene dimer or rosin are added during the manufacturing process to increase the resistance to water penetration. This chemical treatment creates a durable barrier that allows aqueous coatings to dry evenly without causing the paper to cockle or warp. In corrugated packaging this property ensures that adhesives stay at the interface of the liner and medium to form a strong bond during the high speed flute formation process.