Burst (BST) Tests

There are various thicknesses (single-walled, double-walled, triple-walled), several different corrugated types, and a wide variety of papers used to make corrugated cardboard. All these factors determine the strength and durability of cardboard. If the cardboard is too weak, it may collapse or puncture. But if it is too strong, maybe too much money can be paid for the material that is not needed. On the other hand, the use of environmentally recycled content is an important consideration. However, even high content cartons require energy and create pollution in their production, so reducing the total amount of material used is an important consideration.

There are two tests used in the corrugated industry today to determine the strength of corrugated board. The industry standard for a long time is the burst (Mullen) test, which relates to the rough handling durability of corrugated material. The burst test is a measure of the force required to break or puncture the face of corrugated board and is measured with a Mullen tester. In the Mullen test, a piece of corrugated material is suspended and increasing levels of force are applied to the face of the material until it bursts. This strength is indirectly related to a carton's ability to withstand external or internal forces and thus contain and protect a product during transportation.

A newer standard that is widely accepted is the edge crush test (ECT). This test method is a true performance test and is directly related to the stacking strength of a carton. ECT is a measure of corrugated board's compressive strength at the edge. It is measured by squeezing a small piece of board at the edge between two rigid plates perpendicular to the direction of the troughs until a peak load occurs.

Corrugated shipping cartons are subject to many different types of stress during packaging, shipping and storage. Heavy contents are placed inside and then stacked on top of each other. During shipment, it can be placed under a heavy pallet or between boxes of different weights and sizes.

Mullen burst test standards specify a minimum carton weight for corrugated material.

The Mullen burst test is intended to measure the amount of weight a box can hold, as well as the forces that a carton can be subjected to during handling.

Our organization also provides bursting (BST) testing services with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.