Which ECT?, Corrugating International, August 2003 (93KB)
Adequate top-to-bottom compressive strength is one of the main end-use requirements for corrugated containers, with the edgewise-compressive strength of the combined board playing the most important role in overall box compressive performance [1,2,3,4]. Edgewise-compressive strength can be evaluated using a variety of different edgewise compressive tests (ECTs), each attempting to measure the fundamental strength of the board for use in predicting box performance. The three generally used North American ECT methods— TAPPI T811 (wax-dipped ends), TAPPI T838 (neckdown), and TAPPI T839 (clamp)—all attempt to force a short column under compression to fail in the body of the column, thus modeling the strength of a box wall.