close
Choose Your Site
Global
Social Media
Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-11-12 Origin: Site
Tissue tensile strength is the maximum force a strip of tissue paper can resist before it breaks, expressed per unit of width in newtons per metre (N/m). Dry strength is measured under ISO 12625-4 and wet strength under ISO 12625-5. Specimens are first conditioned at 23 °C and 50% RH (ISO 187), then pulled at a constant rate until rupture. A converting line relies on this single property more than any other to run without web breaks, so buyers should always ask for the dry and wet tensile values on the mill's test report rather than judge strength by hand feel.
Tensile strength describes how much pulling load the paper web carries in its machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD). Because tissue is a very light, creped sheet, the result is reported as force per unit width, not as a raw force. The standard unit is N/m, and the value is quoted separately for MD and CD.
A related, grammage-normalised figure is the tensile index (N·m/g), which lets you compare strength across different basis weights. Two further values come from the same test:
Breaking strain (stretch at break, %) — how much the sample elongates before it ruptures, important for creped tissue.
Tensile energy absorption (TEA, J/m²) — the total work absorbed up to break, a measure of toughness rather than peak force.
Testing follows a fixed procedure so that numbers from different mills are comparable.
Conditioning: samples are equilibrated at 23 °C ± 1 °C and 50% ± 2% RH per ISO 187.
Specimen: strips of a defined width (commonly 50 mm or 15 mm) are cut in MD and CD.
Clamping: the strip is held in a constant-rate-of-elongation (CRE) tensile tester with a set gauge length.
Pull: the jaws separate at the standard speed until the strip breaks; the instrument records peak force, elongation and TEA.
Reporting: peak force is divided by specimen width to give N/m, and the mean of several strips is reported for MD and CD.
Property | Standard | Condition | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
Dry tensile strength, breaking strain, TEA | ISO 12625-4 | Conditioned, dry | Runability on embossing, printing and rewinding |
Wet tensile strength | ISO 12625-5 | After controlled water saturation | Resistance to disintegration when wet (kitchen towel, facial) |
Tensile index | Derived from Part 4 | Dry | Strength normalised for basis weight |
Grammage (basis for index) | ISO 12625-6 | Dry | Mass per area in g/m² |
Wet strength is always far lower than dry strength on ordinary tissue unless a wet-strength resin is added. Kitchen and hardwound towels are typically formulated to hold a meaningful wet tensile value; standard toilet tissue is designed to lose strength in water so it flushes and breaks down.
A parent roll that looks identical on the outside can behave very differently once it is unwound at high speed.
Web breaks: on a light 13–18 g/m² sheet, tension above roughly 3.5 kg/cm² can snap the web. Frequent breaks during rewinding can drop line speed by 20–30%.
Embossing and lamination: adequate MD/CD strength prevents tearing at the embossing nip and keeps plies bonded.
Wet use: kitchen and hand towels need wet tensile strength so they do not fall apart in use.
Winding quality: consistent strength supports even, firm rolls without edge cracks.
Fibre type and length: long softwood fibres (about 2.5–3.8 mm) build tensile and tear strength; short hardwood fibres (about 0.7–1.2 mm) add softness and formation.
Refining: increased refining raises bond strength and tensile but can reduce softness and bulk.
Creping: the crepe ratio affects stretch (breaking strain) and perceived softness.
Wet-strength additives: resins raise the ISO 12625-5 value where wet performance is required.
Formation and moisture: uneven fibre distribution and moisture outside the typical 4–7% range weaken the sheet.
HUAXIN tests parent and jumbo reels against ISO 12625-4 and ISO 12625-5, alongside grammage (Part 6), thickness/bulk (Part 3), water absorption (Part 8) and optical properties (Part 7). Reels are produced across the following range:
Parameter | HUAXIN range |
|---|---|
Width | 200–2850 mm |
Basis weight (GSM) | 11–42 g/m² |
Roll diameter | Up to 1150 mm |
Core | 76 mm (3 in) |
Moisture | 4–7% |
Grammage tolerance | ±3% (full container) / ±5% (single sample) |
Typical GSM by end product: toilet 14–22, facial 14–18, napkin 16–22 and kitchen towel 32–40 g/m². A full container holds about 26 reels / 12–13 tons, with each reel around 500 kg.
What is a good tensile strength for tissue parent rolls? There is no single universal number because the correct value depends on GSM, ply and end use. The reliable approach is to specify the MD and CD dry tensile (N/m) and the wet tensile for towels, and confirm them on the mill's ISO 12625-4/5 report for each shipment.
What is the difference between tensile strength and tensile index? Tensile strength (N/m) is the breaking force per unit width, while tensile index (N·m/g) divides that strength by grammage. Use tensile index to compare reels of different basis weights on an equal basis.
Why is wet tensile strength important? Kitchen and hand towels must stay intact when saturated, so their ISO 12625-5 wet tensile is a key specification. Toilet tissue is intentionally low in wet strength so it breaks down after flushing.
Which ISO standard covers dry tissue tensile strength? ISO 12625-4 covers dry tensile strength, breaking strain and tensile energy absorption. ISO 12625-5 covers wet tensile strength, and ISO 12625-6 covers the grammage used to calculate tensile index.
How to Verify Tissue Jumbo Roll Quality: Complete Inspection Checklist
Tissue Parent Roll Defects: Types, Causes and Corrective Actions
[Tissue Jumbo Roll MOQ, Lead Time, Samples & Payment: First-Time Buyer Guide](https://www.huaxinglobal.com/Tissue-Jumbo-Roll-MOQ-Lead Time-Samples-Payment-First-Time-Buyer-Guide-id05557125.html)
