TAPPI/ANSI T 494 om-22 is a TAPPI test method for measuring key tensile breaking properties of paper and paperboard using constant-rate-of-elongation (CRE) tensile equipment.
It is commonly used in paper, packaging, and converting labs to benchmark material strength, compare production lots, and support product qualification where tensile performance and elongation behavior are critical. If you need help matching the standard to your material type and test reporting needs, talk with our team.
TAPPI/ANSI T 494 om-22 — Tensile properties of paper and paperboard (using constant rate of elongation apparatus)
TAPPI/ANSI T 494 is used to generate repeatable tensile property results from a paper or paperboard strip pulled in tension on a CRE instrument. The method focuses on tensile behavior captured from the force-versus-elongation response through break.
Because tensile results are sensitive to specimen handling, conditioning, alignment, and instrument configuration, the exact edition cited on a customer specification should be followed when setting up your lab procedure and report format.
Quick Definition
Document type: Test method.
In simple terms: Clamp a paper or paperboard strip in a CRE tensile tester, pull at a controlled separation rate until it breaks, and calculate standardized tensile breaking properties from the measured force and elongation.
Typical reported properties: Tensile strength, stretch (elongation), tensile energy absorption (TEA), and tensile stiffness.
What This Standard Covers
This standard describes a CRE tensile procedure for paper and paperboard and defines how specific tensile breaking properties are determined and reported.
In practice, it is used to produce comparable results for tensile strength and elongation behavior across materials, product constructions, and production conditions, provided that the laboratory follows the standard’s requirements for specimen preparation, test setup, and calculations.
Why This Standard Matters in Testing
Tensile properties are frequently used as acceptance and performance indicators for paper-based products because they relate to how a sheet behaves under pulling forces during manufacturing, converting, printing, and end use.
For QA/QC teams, TAPPI/ANSI T 494 supports trending and troubleshooting (for example, strength shifts after furnish, refining, wet-end chemistry, coating, or calendering changes). For R&D teams, it is often used to compare prototypes or evaluate the impact of additives and processing changes on the tensile curve and breaking behavior.
Common Materials, Product Types, or Applications Covered
This method is typically applied to paper and paperboard grades where tensile performance is a key requirement.
- Packaging papers and paperboards used in bags, wraps, and carton-style applications
- Printing and writing papers where runnability and break resistance are important
- Specialty papers and boards where strength and stretch targets are specified
- Paper components used in laminated or multi-ply constructions where the sheet tensile contribution is evaluated
Common Test or Verification Workflow
A typical TAPPI/ANSI T 494 workflow follows a controlled sequence so that moisture history, specimen geometry, and clamping alignment do not dominate the result.
Common workflow: Condition specimens as required by the referenced lab atmosphere standard; prepare test strips to the required dimensions; set the specified initial jaw separation (gauge length) and test speed; align and clamp the strip in suitable grips; run the CRE pull to break; capture force and elongation; calculate and report the required tensile properties (including TEA and stiffness when specified).
Practical note: For paper tensile work, grip selection and specimen alignment are often the difference between clean, repeatable breaks and misleading results caused by slippage, jaw damage, or premature edge failures.
Equipment Commonly Used for This Standard
TAPPI/ANSI T 494 typically points to a CRE tensile tester configuration suitable for thin sheet materials, plus tools that make specimen preparation and conditioning consistent.
Common equipment: CRE universal testing machine (or dedicated tensile tester) with appropriate load capacity and control; paper/paperboard grips designed to reduce slippage and jaw-induced tearing; alignment aids (as needed); test software capable of capturing the force-elongation curve and calculating tensile strength, stretch, TEA, and stiffness; specimen strip cutter/die; controlled conditioning room or conditioning chamber for paper testing atmospheres.
If you are selecting a CRE system, grip style (pneumatic vs. mechanical, jaw face material/geometry), usable gauge-length range, and software calculations are usually the key configuration items to align with the cited edition and your material portfolio. When you are ready to compare systems and grip packages, you can request a detailed quote matched to your throughput and reporting needs.
How to Read This Designation or Revision
Understanding the designation helps ensure you and your customer are working from the same procedure.
T 494: The TAPPI test method number.
om: Indicates an “Official Method” classification within the TAPPI test method system.
-22: Indicates the year of the edition (2022) for this official method designation.
TAPPI/ANSI: Indicates the method is also published as an American National Standard through TAPPI’s ANSI-accredited process.
Revision sensitivity: Seemingly small edition changes (for example, permitted test speeds, specimen dimensions, or reporting requirements) can affect comparability, so equipment setup and software reporting templates should follow the exact cited edition.
Related Standards, Methods, or Frameworks
Depending on the customer and region, tensile requirements for paper and paperboard may also reference other paper tensile standards that use similar CRE concepts but differ in details.
- ASTM D828 (tensile properties of paper and paperboard)
- ISO 1924 series (tensile properties of paper and board)
- TAPPI conditioning and sampling references often used alongside physical-property methods (for atmosphere control and lot sampling)
Talk with us about a TAPPI T 494 tensile test setup
If you need help selecting grips, load range, gauge-length capability, or software outputs for TAPPI/ANSI T 494 reporting (including TEA and stiffness), contact our team with your paper/board type, target basis weight range, and the exact edition cited by your customer or internal spec.