A study of the softness of household tissues using a tissue softness analyzer and hand-felt panels

Abstract

This study applied the reciprocal matrix approach to deduce the correlation between hand-felt (HF) and tissue softness analyzer (TSA) instrumental measurements of tissue softness. The research was conducted in three phases, which are discussed separately. In the phase one study, results indicated that systematic collection of samples and preparation of test specimens were the foundation of successful tests. TSA-HF and tensile strength exhibited a strong negative correlation. In the future, same-unit physical properties can provide a basis for discussing the commonality and complementary natures of hand-felt and TSA softness measurements. In phase two, through the reciprocal matrix approach, subjective softness assessments performed by humans were reliably quantified. The quantified values were further applied to a statistical analysis using the t-test to distinguish and train professional panelists. In phase three of HF panel test results, all independent panels were compared to one another under a uniform scale established by four standard samples. The calibrated HF panel values were incorporated with TSA-HF results to establish technical curves between the softness and tensile strength, which were helpful for onsite workers to carry out process controls.