ISO 9184-1:2023

Paper, board and pulps - Fibre furnish analysis - Part 1: General method

This document specifies the general procedure for fibre furnish analysis of paper, board and pulps. It is applicable to all kinds of pulps and to most papers and boards, including those containing more than one kind of fibre, taking into account different pulping processes. This method is less suitable for heavily impregnated or highly coloured papers and boards, which cannot be dispersed or decoloured without affecting the structure or the staining reactions of the fibres.

Papier, carton et pâtes — Détermination de la composition fibreuse — Partie 1: Méthode générale

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jan-2023
• ICS: 85.040 - Pulps
• ICS: 85.060 - Paper and board
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 6 - Paper, board and pulps
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 6/WG 15 - Pulp Methods
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 31-Jan-2023
• Due Date: 18-Sep-2022
• Completion Date: 31-Jan-2023

Relations

• Revises: ISO 9184-1:1990 - Paper, board and pulps - Fibre furnish analysis - Part 1: General method
• Effective Date: 23-Apr-2020

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

• ISO 9184-2 - Staining guide (normative reference)
• ISO 9184-6 / ISO 23713 - Fibre coarseness determination
• ISO 9184-7 - Determination of weight factors
• Other parts of the ISO 9184 series for specialized methods

Keywords: ISO 9184-1, fibre furnish analysis, paper board pulps, fibre analysis, microscopy, fibre analyzer, staining, dispersion, quantitative fibre testing.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 9184-1
Second edition
2023-01
Paper, board and pulps — Fibre
furnish analysis —
Part 1:
General method
Papier, carton et pâtes — Détermination de la composition
fibreuse —
Partie 1: Méthode générale
Reference number
© ISO 2023
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 2
5 Reagents . 2
6 Apparatus . 2
7 Preparation of the test piece . 3
7.1 General . 3
7.2 Ordinary samples . 4
7.2.1 Boiling in water . 4
7.2.2 Boiling in sodium hydroxide solution . 4
7.3 Specially treated samples . 4
7.3.1 General . 4
7.3.2 Wet-strength Papers . 4
7.3.3 Vegetable parchment and papers of highly beaten pulp . 4
7.3.4 Impregnated or specially bonded samples having chemically or physically
durable inter-fibre bonds . . 4
7.4 Coloured samples . 4
7.5 Multilayered samples. 4
8 Staining and preparation of fibre slides . 5
8.1 General . 5
8.2 Staining on a slide . 5
8.2.1 Preparation from the fibre suspension . 5
8.2.2 Preparation from the fibre pad . 5
8.3 Staining in a test tube . 5
9 Procedure .6
9.1 General . 6
9.2 Qualitative analysis . 6
9.3 Quantitative analysis . 6
9.3.1 General . 6
9.3.2 Counting method . 6
9.3.3 Length method . 7
10 Calculation . 7
10.1 Qualitative analysis . 7
10.2 Quantitative analysis – counting method . 8
11 Test report . 8
Annex A (informative) Weight factors. 9
Bibliography .11
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 6, Paper, board and pulps.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 9184-1:1990), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— addition of a new quantitative testing method in 9.3.3.
A list of all parts in the ISO 9184 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 9184-1:2023(E)
Paper, board and pulps — Fibre furnish analysis —
Part 1:
General method
1 Scope
This document specifies the general procedure for fibre furnish analysis of paper, board and pulps.
It is applicable to all kinds of pulps and to most papers and boards, including those containing more
than one kind of fibre, taking into account different pulping processes.
This method is less suitable for heavily impregnated or highly coloured papers and boards, which
cannot be dispersed or decoloured without affecting the structure or the staining reactions of the
fibres.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 9184-2, Paper, board and pulps — Fibre furnish analysis — Part 2: Staining guide
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
fibre furnish analysis
determination of the fibre components of paper, board and pulp samples as regards the species of fibres
and the method of processing
Note 1 to entry: The fibre furnish analysis may be carried out qualitatively or quantitatively.
3.2
fibre coarseness
c
mass (oven dry) per unit length for a particular type of fibre, generally expressed in milligrams per
metre
Note 1 to entry: Fibre coarseness can be determined according to ISO 9184-6 or ISO 23713.
3.3
weight factor
f
ratio of the fibre coarseness of a particular type of fibre to that of a reference fibre
Note 1 to entry: Weight factor can be determined according to ISO 9184-7.
4 Principle
The fibre furnish analysis is carried out under the microscope, or using a fibre analyzer, on a small
quantity of stained fibres representative of the sample being tested:
— qualitatively, on the basis of the stain reactions and the morphological characteristics of the fibres;
— quantitatively, by counting the number of crossings of different kinds of fibres with a counting line,
or measuring the length of each fibre type within a certain area, and transforming the number
of counts or the lengths into the percentages by weight of each type of fibre by the application of
weight factors.
5 Reagents
During the analysis, use only reagents of recognized analytical grade and only distilled water or water
of equivalent purity.
5.1 Sodium hydroxide, solution, a mass fraction of about 1 %, containing 10 g sodium hydroxide
(NaOH) per litre.
5.2 Hydrochloric acid, solution, a mass fraction of about 0,2 %, containing 5 ml of concentrated
36 % to 38 % (mass fraction) hydrochloric acid (HCl) per litre.
5.3 Phosphoric acid, solution, a mass fraction of about 5 %, containing 35 ml of 85 % (mass fraction)
phosphoric acid (H PO ) per litre.
3 4
5.4 Aluminium sulfate, solution, a mass fraction of about 5 %, containing 50 g of aluminium sulfate
[Al (SO ) ] per litre.
2 4 3
5.5 Potassium permanganate, solution, a mass fraction of about 6,5 %, containing 65 g of potassium
per-manganate (KMnO ) per litre.
5.6 Oxalic acid, solution, a mass fraction of about 5 %, containing 50 g of oxalic acid (C H O .2H O)
2 2 4 2
per litre.
5.7 Organic solvents, ethanol (C H OH), diethyl ether (C H OC H ), ethyl acetate (CH COOC H ),
2 5 2 5 2 5 3 2 5
acetone (CH COCH ), xylene (C H (CH ) ), toluene(C H (CH )), chloroform (CHCl ), tetrachloroethene
3 3 6 4 3 2 6 5 3 3
(C Cl ) and trichloroethane (C H Cl ).
2 4 2 3 3
6 Apparatus
6.1 Microscope, equipped with a mechanical stage and cross-hair, central dot or horizontal line with
centre marking eye-pieces.
Illumination: daylight lamp or normal vacuum lamp with daylight filter.
For the identification and counting of fibres a magnification of ×40 to ×120, and for the study of
structural details ×200 to ×500 is recommended.
6.2 Fibre Analyzer, shall include the following parts.
— Imaging system, including a computer, a microscope, a digital imaging acquisition unit and an
image transmission and conversion unit. It shall accurately synchronize the images observed under
the microscope lens to the computer monitor for observation and determination
— Measuring system, including a counting method mode in which the number of fibres of each
particular type crossing a line are accurately counted and a length method mode in which the length
of each fibre labelled by the operator is measured to an accuracy of 0,01 mm and the total length of
each type of fibre is calculated.
— Calculation system that accepts entry of the weight factor for each type of fibre present and
calculates the percentage by weight of each type of fibre to an accuracy of 0,1 %.
The fibre analyzer does not identify the types of fibres present. An operator skilled in fibre identification
is required.
6.3 Dispersers, one for easily dispersed samples (e.g. a low-speed agitator) and the other for more
resistant samples (e.g. an ultra-sonic disperser or high-speed macerator).
6.4 Infra-red lamp or hot-plate capable of being maintained at 50 °C to 60 °C.
6.5 Filtering devices.
6.5.1 Round sieve, diameter 50 mm to 70 mm, with metal or plastic edge of height 5 mm to 10 mm.
The sieve bottom shall be made of woven wire cloth, aperture size 60 μm to 80 μm.
6.5.2 Glass filter, 200 ml, with sintered disc of pore size 15 μm to 40 μm.
6.6 Dropper, a glass tube about 100 mm in length and internal diameter 5 mm to 8 mm, with one end
carefully smoothed but not constricted, and
...