ASTM D3344 Standard Test Method for Total Wax Content of Corrugated Paperboard
3. Summary of Test Method
3.1 The total quantity of wax associated with the corrugated board specimen is determined by extracting the wax from the board and evaporating the extract to dryness.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 Many of the functional properties of wax-treated corrugated paperboard and cartons are dependent on the amount of wax present.
4.2 In the case of wax-saturated, or wax-impregnated, paperboard the principal concern is with the weight of wax used relative to the weight of paperboard present, that is, the weight percent content or pickup. In some applications the saturating wax may be deposited in the three elements of the corrugated board in such a way as to individually control the amount in each element, that is, the medium and the two facings.
4.3 In the case of wax-coated corrugated paperboard the principal concern is the weight of wax on the board surface per unit area. The functional values of the wax coating as a barrier or a decorative coating are dependent, in part, on the amount of wax in the continuous surface layer, relative to the area covered. The weight of coating relative to the weight of substrate is not usually a concern with regard to product quality.
