4.

Categories of TAPPI Standards

4.1 TAPPI Standards may be in the form of Test Methods or as other documents (including
specifications, guidelines, glossaries, practices) that have been developed as TAPPI Standards through the
consensus of a technical working group (defined in these guidelines as Standard-Specific Interest Groups)
acting in accordance with the procedures described in these guidelines. TAPPI does not engage in activities or
publish Standards that could lead to standardization of products or services in ways that would reduce
competition, impede the development of improvements to those products or services, or would result in a
stabilization of costs for those products or services.

4.1.1 TAPPI Standard Test Methods are testing procedures and related practices used in the
measurement, evaluation, and description of pulp, paper, packaging, and related products, including raw
materials used in their manufacture, use, or in scientific investigations of any such substances. Included as part
of the methods are various classifications of methods and practices as defined in Sections 4.1.1.1-4.1.1.6.

4.1.1.1 Standard Official Method: A testing procedure which has qualities of accuracy and precision
such as to make it meet all of the following requirements:

1. The testing procedure is applicable to the evaluation of pulp, paper, packaging, or related
products, or of materials that possess a measurable property of special or unique importance to
the pulp, paper, packaging, and related industries.
2. For methods not specific to a particular instrument, equipment used in the procedure is described
in sufficient detail to enable the user to check its operation and compliance with the procedure
either by well-known means or by means described in the testing procedure to achieve
acceptable results.
3. For methods specific to a particular instrument, equipment used is described in the procedure in
sufficient detail to be understood or acquired by the user. Instructions for its use may either be
included in the method or listed in a published instrument manual. The name of the manufacturer
or distributor of the instrument shall not appear in the method, unless the instrument name is
needed to differentiate the method from another TAPPI method purported to measure the same
property. Names of suppliers will be available through the TAPPI Standards Administrator as
part of the Suppliers List, which is also published in the full set of Test Methods.
4. The procedure is described in sufficient detail to enable a trained technician to put it into practice
and obtain results with the stated precision or accuracy.
5. The testing procedure consists of only one procedure with a definite series of steps for testing
each property, unless any alternative procedure or step yields identical results for that property
within the stated precision.
6. The testing procedure states the units in which the results are to be reported. If it has been
deemed desirable to permit the use of alternative units, the preferred units are to be noted.
7. A testing procedure which produces numerical results contains a statement of precision
embodying values of repeatability and reproducibility (as defined in T 1200 “Interlaboratory
Evaluation of Test Methods to Determine TAPPI Repeatability and Reproducibility”) or a
statement that such values cannot practicably be determined.
8. The testing procedure may contain expressed or implied product, material, or equipment
specifications in any form only to the extent that such specifications are necessary to specify the
test equipment or material required to carry out the method.

4.1.1.2 Standard Provisional Method: A testing procedure which meets all the requirements for an
Official Method except for extensive history in its use. If it produces numerical results, it is required to have a
precision statement containing at least a value for within-laboratory precision, as described in T 1200
“Interlaboratory Evaluation of Test Methods to Determine TAPPI Repeatability and Reproducibility.” A testing
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procedure may remain a Provisional Method for a maximum of five (5) years, within which time it must be
reviewed and then be advanced to an Official Method or withdrawn.

4.1.1.3 Standard Practice: An accepted procedure for the performance of one or more operations or
functions associated with TAPPI Test Method activities. "Sampling and Accepting a Single Lot of Paper,
Paperboard, Containerboard or Related Product" (T 400), "Forming Handsheets for Physical Tests of Pulp" (T
205) and "Static Creasing of Paper for Water Vapor Transmission Tests" (T 465) are examples of TAPPI
Standard Practices at the time of issue of these guidelines. Practices may include, but are not limited to,
documents regarding installation, maintenance and operation of testing apparatus, sampling or selection of
materials for testing, and documents giving general guidance for making particular types of measurements or
preparing test specimens for such measurements. Standard Practices carry the designation “sp” in the suffix of
the identifying number and must be balloted and reviewed as if they were Official Methods. The requirements
found in Sections 5, 6, and 7 of these guidelines apply to both methods and practices except where specific
differences are noted.

4.1.1.4 Standard Classical Method: A testing procedure, usually a former Official Method, which is
no longer in common use, or which has been superseded by advanced technology. These testing procedures are
technically sound, have a history of use, and may contain a body of literature references that make their
preservation valuable. Classical Methods are part of the current set of TAPPI Test Methods and shall be
reviewed every 10 years, following the procedure as outlined in Section 6.8 of these guidelines.

4.1.1.5 Useful Method: A document written to describe a test, procedure, or practice which may be
proposed by a Working Group of no fewer than three TAPPI members not employed by the same organization
and written in the same general style as a TAPPI Standard Test Method, but with the inclusion or exclusion of
certain sections as deemed appropriate by the Working Group, and with minimum precision requirements that
may be expanded at the discretion of the Working Group. TAPPI Useful Methods are not Standards as defined
in these guidelines, and a separate set of guidelines for the development and review of Useful Methods has been
developed (approved initially by Q&SMC by email vote in July 2010).

4.1.1.6 The suffix following the Test Method number indicates the category of the method. Test Method
numbers consist of a capital T, followed by a space, then a number (assigned sequentially within several Test
Method categories), another space, a two-letter designation of classification, a hyphen, and the last two digits of
the year published.

4.1.1.7 The subject areas and their numbering are:

Fibrous Materials and Pulp Testing T 1-200 Series

Paper and Paperboard Testing T 400-500 Series
Nonfibrous Materials Testing T 600-700 Series
Container Testing T 800 Series
Structural Materials Testing T 1000 Series
Testing Practices T 1200 Series

Numbers for new Test Methods are assigned sequentially. Withdrawn numbers are not reused unless a
withdrawn method is reinstated.

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 4.1.1.8 The two-letter designations for classifications of Test Methods are:

om = Official Method
pm = Provisional Method
sp = Standard Practice
cm = Classical Method

In the Numerical Index, the designation “wd” indicates that the method has been withdrawn. The “UM”
designation for Useful Methods appears also in references to these documents.

4.1.1.9 Example: A new Provisional Method for testing containerboard adopted in 1993 might be
designated as: T 830 pm-93.

4.1.2 TAPPI Standards may also include certain specifications, definitions, glossaries, technical
information, or guidelines that are unrelated to Test Methods. Although similar documents may exist in the
TAPPI Technical Information Papers (TIPs) set, the documents that become a part of the Standards set must
comply with the Standards regulations in their development and approval.

4.1.2.1 TAPPI Standards that do not fall under the Test Methods category will be numbered beginning
with T 1500, and shall be numbered consecutively in this T 1500 series. The number shall consist of a capital T,
followed by a space, then the number, another space, a two-letter designation of classification, a hyphen, and
the last two digits of the year published.

4.1.2.2 The two-letter designations for classifications of documents in the T 1500 series are:

ss = Standard Specification
gl = Standard Glossary
sg = Standard Guideline

In the Numerical Index, the designation “wd” indicates that the method has been withdrawn.

4.1.3 Withdrawn Standards: Any TAPPI Standard may be withdrawn for one of two reasons:

4.1.3.1 Any TAPPI Standard may be withdrawn following the procedures in section 6 of these
Guidelines.

4.1.3.2 Withdrawn TAPPI Standards, Administrative: When an SSIG withdraws the method for
only administrative reasons such as lack of continued interest in the method, or inability to find laboratories
willing to participate in developing a precision statement, or similar non-technical reasons, the method shall be
considered withdrawn administratively (wa). A TAPPI Standard may also be withdrawn because of lack of
compliance of an SSIG or Working Group Chairman with the administrative procedures in Section 6 of these
Guidelines, and particularly as described in 6.4.6.7, shall be described as “withdrawn administratively (wa).”

4.1.3.2.1 Administratively withdrawn Standards, whether withdrawn by an SSIG or by Q&SMC action,

shall no longer be published as a part of the active TAPPI Standards, but may be purchased from TAPPI. When
such administratively withdrawn standards are distributed in any hard copy or electronic form of any type, they
shall be clearly identified as a withdrawn Standard, the fact that the method has been administratively
withdrawn, and the date of withdrawal.

4.1.3.2.2 In any case where a Standard comes to the attention of Q&SMC under the provisions of
6.4.6.7 of these Guidelines, if the ballot history of the document, or technical knowledge from a member or
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members of Q&SMC indicates that technical issues are preventing a successful completion of balloting,
Q&SMC may, in its sole judgment, and in compliance with 6.4.6.7 administratively withdraw the Test Method
but indicate the withdrawal as having been technically withdrawn (see Section 4.1.3.3).

4.1.3.3 Withdrawn TAPPI Standards, Technical: Any TAPPI Standard that is withdrawn for any
technical reason (safety concerns, method provides erroneous results, or similar technical reasons) shall be
balloted for withdrawal by an appropriate SSIG following the procedures of Section 6 of these Guidelines.
Upon successful ballot to withdraw, it shall be designated as “Technically withdrawn (wt).” Such technically
withdrawn Standards, whether withdrawn by an SSIG or by Q&SMC action, shall no longer be published as a
part of the active TAPPI Standards, and shall no longer be available for purchase from TAPPI.

4.1.3.4 Withdrawal of American National Standards. Any TAPPI standard that has been approved
as an American National Standard must be withdrawn as a national standard whenever the TAPPI standard has
been withdrawn or reclassified as a Classical Method. The BSR-8 form shall be submitted to ANSI in the case
of withdrawal of a TAPPI national standard.