If you’ve ever used cardboard boxes to store goods in your basement or attic, you know the sort of mess than can ensue when the cardboard gets wet or is left too long in a damp environment. So imagine how difficult it must be to ship and store fruits, vegetables, meats and frozen products in corrugated boxes. How do these industries manage to ship their products without damaging the boxes in which they’re transported? And how do corrugated boxes left in cold storage facilities stay intact?
Providing Protection Against Moisture
None of this is a problem at all thanks to the use of wet strength resins. These resins, when applied to the corrugated material, provide protection against moisture. They help the corrugated board maintain its integrity and prevent it from falling apart as easily as non-treated products.
This is especially helpful given the fact that nearly half of the world’s manufactured goods are packed, transported, stored and merchandised with the use of corrugated boxes and packaging.
Additional Applications
Wet strength resins are used for more than just adding strength and moisture resistance to corrugated paper products. They’re also applied to tissue paper, filter paper, even paper bags – any situation in which a paper product might be exposed to moisture but must maintain its integrity is a perfect match for these resins.
You’ll even find wet strength resin used in the production of facial tissue, paper towels and napkins. The next time you see a commercial touting the strength of a paper product “even when wet”, you’ll know how that strength was made possible.
Industry Growth
Over the past 20 years, the two fastest growing segments of the paper industry have been the board and tissue markets. This is thanks in large part to globalization and an increase in the number of goods shipped around the globe, and an overall positive shift in the standards of living thanks in part to that.
It’s clear, then, why the use of wet strength resins has also increased, and why so many manufacturers tout their product as the best on the market. When looking for a resin supplier, be sure to rely on experience vs. turning to a company looking to take advantage of industry growth.
