Overview
ISO 9184-1:2023 - "Paper, board and pulps - Fibre furnish analysis - Part 1: General method" defines the general laboratory procedure for determining the fibre composition of papers, boards and pulps. It covers both qualitative identification (stain reactions and morphology) and quantitative determination (counting or measuring fibre lengths and converting to weight percentages using weight factors). The method applies to most pulps and papers, including multi‑fibre and differently processed pulps, but is less suitable for heavily impregnated or highly coloured materials that cannot be dispersed or decoloured without altering fibre structure.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and limitations: Applicable to most paper, board and pulp types; not suitable for highly impregnated/coloured samples that resist dispersion or decolouration.
- Principle: Microscopic or image‑based analysis of stained fibre suspensions; conversion of counts/lengths to mass percentages using weight factors.
- Sample preparation: Small torn test piece (~0.25 g total), dispersion by boiling in water or by boiling in ~1% sodium hydroxide (with precautions for wool/silk), and special treatments for wet‑strength papers and highly beaten/vegetable parchment (e.g., aluminium sulfate, phosphoric acid, potassium permanganate/oxalic acid).
- Reagents: Specifies analytical‑grade reagents and distilled water; includes NaOH (~1%), HCl (~0.2%), phosphoric acid (~5%), Al2(SO4)3 (~5%), KMnO4 (~6.5%), oxalic acid (~5%), and common organic solvents.
- Apparatus: Microscope (recommended magnifications ×40–×120 for ID/counting and ×200–×500 for structural details) or a fibre analyzer (imaging, counting and length modes, measurement accuracy to 0.01 mm and weight‑percentage calculation to 0.1%).
- Analytical methods:
- Qualitative identification by staining and morphology.
- Quantitative analysis by counting crossings of fibres with a line or by measuring fibre length within an area (new length method added in this edition).
- Calculation & reporting: Converts counts/lengths to weight percentages using weight factors (see Annex A and related parts).
Applications and users
- Routine quality control and incoming raw‑material verification in pulp and paper mills
- R&D and process troubleshooting (furnish composition, fiber blend optimization)
- Contract testing and certification laboratories
- Recycled fibre assessment and paper forensics
- Suppliers and converters needing to verify fibre content of incoming or supplied stock
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 9184-1, fibre furnish analysis, paper board pulps, fibre analysis, microscopy, fibre analyzer, staining, dispersion, quantitative fibre testing.
