SBS vs SUS Paperboard

In today’s packaging landscape, the choice of raw materials can be daunting. The choice of substrate is influenced by a number of key parameters including the requirements of print performance, product protection, design features and requirements, sustainability and overall value.

Two of the most commonly used boards are SBS and SUS. Both SBS and SUS paperboards meet the requirements for the food packaging industry in the US and in Canada.

Solid bleached sulfate (SBS)

SBS is the highest quality and most expensive paperboard substrate. It is produced from bleached virgin wood pulp that is produced with a chemical pulping process.

Most bleached paperboard grades are clay-coated to enhance the smoothness and receptivity of the printing surface. SBS can be treated with a moisture barrier for use in liquid and food packaging. Bleached cellulose pulp has high whiteness, brightness and light stability. Thus, SBS is white throughout the sheet and is ideal for packaging requiring high impact graphics.

The softness and flexibility of SBS provides superior creasing, embossing, and cutting properties with low dust generation, allowing for a wide scope of structural designs. However, the bleaching process also adds cost and reduces stiffness. SBS paperboard has the highest purity and provides food products with the best odor taste and taint protection.

SBS is typically used in high-end packaging, where the impact and quality of the printed image are essential. It is also used in food packaging to ensure taste protection. Common uses are health and beauty packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, and frozen foods.

Characteristics:

• Gives excellent consistency and uniformity to the project;
• Offers a smooth surface and is great at holding ink making it excellent for printing and consistency of your brand image;
• Is recyclable and sustainable in order to keep in line with your corporate sustainability objectives.

 

Solid Unbleached Sulphate (SUS)

SUS, usually created with softwood pulp, results in good tear resistance and the greatest stiffness and strength in relation to basis weight of the paperboard substrates. SUS allows for the use of a lower caliper paperboard relative to other substrates. It also has cost advantages over bleached virgin paperboard.

SUS is used in many folding carton applications, especially when strength and durability are essential. Typical uses are consumer electronics packaging, beverage carriers, dry food packaging, hardware packaging, and packaging for powdered detergents and soaps.

SUS board generally has a better stiffness in comparison to other boards with the same caliper.

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Solid Bleached Sulphate (SBS)

Solid Bleached Sulphate (SBS) is made exclusively from bleached chemical pulp. It usually has a coated top surface and some grades are also coated on the reverse side. This is a medium density board with printing properties that meet the high requirements of graphical and packaging products. SBS can be die cut, creased, hot foil stamped and embossed with ease. It therefore gives wide scope for advanced structural and surface designs. It is pure and hygienic and is therefore suitable for the packaging of aroma and flavour sensitive products.

The surface brightness is 90 % ISO – top surface roughness is less than 1.2 microns PPS – Hunter Gloss of top surface more than 75 %

SBS– Available in 200 to 600 GSM – Suitable for all types of Printing Process – Considered as premium grades for packaging and graphical purposes – Suitable for packing aroma and flavor sensitive products – In general SBS are superior when purity good appearance and runnability of the packaging material are required.

Folding Box Board (FBB)

Folding box board is a multi-ply board. A layer, or layers, made of mechanical pulp is placed between layers of chemical pulp. Mechanical pulp may be stone-ground wood (GW), pressurized ground wood (PGW), thermo mechanical pulp (TMP) or chemi thermo mechanical pulp (CTMP). The top layer is bleached chemical pulp and the reverse layer may be bleached or unbleached chemical pulp. The top and reverse side may be coated with mineral pigments.

The combination of inner layers of mechanical pulp with outer layers of chemical pulp creates a strong and stiff sheet, taking advantage of the well-known I-beam phenomenon in physics. This is a low density material with high stiffness. Fully coated grades give excellent printing and visual impact. This is a virgin fibre paperboard with consistent purity for product safety.

The basis weight ranges from 200 to 450 GSM – Ideal for Food packaging, cigarettes cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and graphical applications.

Source: Iggesund Paperboard, Metsa Board

, Stora Enso
Do not hesitate to contact us (netpak@netpak.com) in order to discuss potential collaboration opportunities, and solutions that we can bring to you.

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