Corrugated cardboard is a widely used material often employed in packaging production due to its strength, lightweight nature, and recyclability. It consists of multiple layers of paper bonded together, including one or more corrugated sheets.
Composition of Corrugated Cardboard
Corrugated cardboard typically consists of three layers of paper: an inner liner, an outer liner, and a corrugated medium that gives corrugated cardboard its rigid structure and name. The flutes, which are the waves in the middle layer, are created by applying heat and pressure to the paper sheet during manufacturing.
There are several categories of corrugated cardboard, based on the number and type of flutes used.
- Single face corrugated cardboard consists of a single sheet of corrugated paper glued to a flat paper sheet.
- Single wall or double face (DF) corrugated cardboard features a sheet of corrugated paper sandwiched between two flat paper sheets.
- Double wall or double-double face (DD) corrugated cardboard consists of two sheets of corrugated paper bonded between three flat paper sheets.
- Triple wall corrugated cardboard includes three sheets of corrugated paper and four flat paper sheets.
Properties and Uses of Corrugated Cardboard
The corrugated structure of the cardboard provides exceptional resistance to compression and impacts, making it ideal for packaging heavy or fragile products. The different categories of corrugated cardboard offer varying degrees of strength and flexibility, allowing for the selection of the appropriate material for each specific application.
Corrugated cardboard is also lightweight, reducing transportation costs and facilitating packaging handling. Additionally, it offers excellent protection against moisture, dust, and contaminants.
Another significant advantage of corrugated cardboard is its recyclability. In fact, it is one of the most recycled packaging materials worldwide. The paper used to manufacture corrugated cardboard can be recovered, recycled, and reused to produce new corrugated cardboard products, thus contributing to reducing the environmental impact of packaging.