Influence of Water with a 3.6% Salinity on the Flexural Strength of Corrugated Cardboard

This study investigates the impact of repeated exposure to water with a 3.6% salinity on the flexural strength of corrugated cardboard, a primary material for international containerized trade. While existing research explores the effects of freshwater on cardboard's mechanical properties, the response to saline water remains underexplored. Employing a four-point bending test, the flexural strength of corrugated paperboard was measured after multiple exposures to the saltwater solution. The findings indicate a linear decrease in flexural strength with an increasing number of exposures. However, the potential for a non-linear relationship suggests the influence of other factors beyond the scope of this experiment, such as variations in the testing setup and inherent machine variability. This research contributes to a better understanding of how saline water exposure affects the structural integrity of cardboard packaging used in global shipping.