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Paper Towel Absorption, Essay Example

Pages: 7

Words: 1966

Problem statement

The report outlines experimental testing of absorbance of several brands towels on the market. Included in the study are four (3) well recognized national brands: Brawny, Bounty and Scott.

Relevance of the question

Initiation of the query is directed at the correlation between cost of paper towel and use value of the paper towel brands, in their performance as products. Absorbency and weight are independent variables to the study. Product testing also includes secondary assumptions pertaining to the size and composition of the towels as dependent variables. Number of towels per role is not relevant to the study, as value is not discerned by number of sheets, and only by per sheet absorbency.

Literature review

The study is based upon two prior studies from: 1) NCSSM Statistics Leadership Institute; and 2) Young Scientist, Samantha P. in 2000-01. Research design for the study is predicated upon the NCSSM composite research study, and is a minor replication of the original investigation. Young Scientist, Samantha P. (2001) proposes similar implementation, and review of her findings is taken into consideration in the foregoing test.

Also contributory to review in the study are the standards of paper towel rate of absorbency set forth the ASTM International Standards organization, and those include: 1) 1.1 determination of the rate at which an unsized and absorbent paper will absorb water by measuring the time required for the paper to absorb completely a specified quantity of water (1-4); 2) 1.2 towels under absorption time of 120 s, with papers over 120s should be tested in accordance with Test Method D779 or ISO 535; and 3) 1.4 does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. 1.3 concerning ink blotting is not of interest to the study. According to the ATSD, it is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Experimental design

Based on the NCSSM Statistics Leadership Institute Comparison of Paper Towel study the experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design using 3 rather than 5 brands of towels. The following steps constitute the research original design of the test:

Tests of towel strength illustrated in Table 1:

1. Place paper towel in embroidery hoop to maintain constant tension	Add one tablespoon of water to the center and wait 30 seconds. Then place a 50 gram weight in the center of the hoop, wait 3 seconds, and place another on top, continuing until the towel breaks. Record the weight on the paper towel before the towel broke. Larger weights correspond to stronger towels. This experiment can be modified by changing the amount of water used and using pennies instead of 50 gram weights.
2. Place weights in a circle around the center of the towel.	Place drops of water in the center of the towel. Count the number of drops until the towel breaks. In this experiment, the stronger towels will hold the weights with the larger amount of water.
3. Attach a string to an embroidery hoop. Place a paper towel in the embroidery hoop. Then place 25 pennies on the towel in the hoop.	Wet a rough surface, such as concrete, and drag the hoop across the wet surface. Measure the distance traveled before the paper shreds and some pennies fall out. The greater the distance traveled, the stronger the towel.
4. Place a paper towel in the embroidery hoop. Place 15 drops of water in the center.	After water applied, wait 30 seconds. Measure the diameter of the water on the towel. Then stack pennies in the center of the hoop. Gently place a penny, wait 3 seconds, and continue to stack pennies until the towel breaks. Record the number of pennies before the towel broke.

Table 1: Strength Test Steps: (NCSSM, nd.).

The replicable study tested absorbency in one of two ways: 1) speed of absorption; and 2) volume of absorption. When testing speed, the test calculates facilitation of the water through the towel, for determination of more or less absorbency in the towel. When testing volume, the capacity of the towel to hold more water defines the towel’s absorbency.

Tests of absorbency are illustrated in Table 2:

1. Place a paper towel in the embroidery hoop. Draw a circle 2 inches in diameter in the center of the towel.	a) Place drops of water in the center of the towel. Count the number of drops added until the water spreads out to fill the circle. The towels requiring fewer drops are the more absorbent towels. b) Place 10 drops of water in the center of the circle. Measure the time it takes for water to spread out and fill the circle. The towels with shorter times are the more absorbent towels.
2. Cut towels into strips 1 inch wide and 6 inches long. Draw marks 1 inch from each end with an overhead pen.	Fill a cup with water. Hold each strip vertically with tweezers with the bottom end one inch in the water. Measure the time it takes for th water to travel from bottom mark (at the top of the water) to the top mark. This measures how quickly the towel absorbs water. The faster the water moves through the towel, the more absorbent the towel.
3. Put one cup of water in a measuring cup. Submerge a towel in the water for 5 seconds.	Remove the towel. Measure the amount of water remaining in the cup to determine the amount of water removed from the measuring cup. The greater the amount of water removed from the cup, the more absorbent the towel. The size of the paper towels varies as does the cost. This experiment can be modified to compare a) a single sheet, since that’s what people use b) a fixed area, either by a fixed area of towel or by using a whole towel and making measurement on a per unit area basis; and c) fixed price, either by sing a section that costs 0.5 cents or by making the measurement on a fixed cost basis.
4. Put one cup of water in a measuring cup. Submerge a towel in the water for 5 seconds. Remove the towel.	Let the towel drip for 30 seconds back into the measuring cup. Measure the amount of water removed from the cup to determine the amount of water retained in the towel. The greater the amount of water retained in the towel, the more absorbent the towel.

Table 2: Absorbency Test Steps (NCSSM, nd.).

Test Implementation

For the sake of brevity, the current experimental study extrapolates from the aforementioned classification of tests listed in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. The original NCSSM ( nd.) study is comprised the complete series of tests, and is prohibitive in terms of execution and summary explanation in this minor replication. For the current study one test per category was executed, with outcomes from the original referenced for consideration on the current tests outcomes outlined in the Findings section of the paper.

Strength Experiment

The paper towel was put into the embroidery hoop to maintain constant tension. Apply one tablespoon of water applied the center, and wait for 30 seconds. Placing a 50 gram weight in the center of the hoop (i.e. penny), and wait 3 seconds prior to placing the second weight on until the towel breaks. Record of the weight on the paper towel before the towel broke is made. This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design using 3 brands of towel. The treatment structure has 1 factor (Brand) at 5 levels. The results are given in Table 3 below:

Table 3

Bounty	Brawny	Scott
950	450	800
1050	500	700
1000	450	750
1050	450	700

Table 3: Strength Test (NCSSM , nd.).

Absorbency Experiment

The second experiment utilizes the cut towel method for testing absorption. Preparation for the test was conducted by cutting the towels into strips of 1 inch wide and 6 inches long, draw marks 1 inch from each end with an overhead pen. A filled cup with water serves as the liquid input. By holding the strip vertical to the water with tweezers, the bottom end is placed into the first inch of water. Measure of the time that it takes for the water to travel is done by observation as it reaches the marking. This experiment is a completely randomized design. Findings to the original study conducted by NCSMM are illustrated in Table 4.

Table 4

Bounty	Brawny	Scott
1.4	1.5	0.9
1.4	1.5	1.0
1.4	1.7	0.9

Table 4: Absorbency Test (NCSMM, nd.).

Tools

The statistical software SAS was employed for reporting on ANOVA outcomes, with Excel formatting prior to input. Other tools used in the study as follows:

Stop watches
Tape measures
Measuring cups
Embroidery hoops
Eye droppers
Pennies and 50 gram weights

Dependent, independent, and controlled variables

Independent Variables: paper towel absorbency and strength.

Dependent Variables: paper towel size, and study inputs.

Control to the study: Strength can be considered a control at conclusion, but 1 factor test does not allow for standard control. Only repetition provides a true control to the experiment. Towels were tested according to “each” towel factor. Brand value is consideration on repetition.

Threat reduction to internal validity

Threats to internal validity to the study are most significant in terms of repetition. Number of tests run on each brand of towel are inherent to 1 factor test, and unlike the original NCSSM (nd.) study, the current scientific experiment is a minor replication of the test, with no mandated instructions toward adherence to protocol and conclusive findings.

Hypothesis

According to the NCSSM (nd.) protocol, all of these suggested experiments can be carried out using either a completely randomized design or a randomized complete block design. Utilization of a randomized complete block design with trial numbers as the blocking variable lends little to the analysis. Recommendations offer suggestion that a completely randomized design is more sufficient toward rendering findings to statistical outcomes. Studies of a single factor are generally one of two types: 1) a random sample drawn from the population of interest where the levels of the factor are randomly assigned to experimental units; and 2) or are taken from each of k levels of the factor. The current study is representative of the latter ‘type’ of random sample, as it is not possible to randomly assign a paper towel to be “Bounty” or any other brand of paper towels. Hypothesis to the study follows this logic model in the research design.

Findings

Findings in the current test held similar outcomes with Bounty showing to be the strongest paper towel. Continuity in adding the strength test to the priority investigation of absorbency was considered as an independent variable at time of conducting the dual tests, but relevant as a dependent statement about product performance in the dissemination of findings. Analysis as a control is also a valid assumption dependent upon the type of post-test query.

Absorbency was tested as the core factor in the study, and Margin of error between means in the current test also reiterates the NCSMM study, with the below findings to the current study based on three test runs for as depicted in Graph 1:

Conclusion

As consumers become more environmentally conscious in their purchases, pulp paper corporations will be under more pressure to offer products that perform with least amount resource. Absorbency is one such measure of mitigation against excessive paper towel use, and consumers might find that alternatives to the ones in this study may offer even better solutions than national brands state. Value for price is a consideration, yet if consumers have access to researched findings on product performance, those shopping choices may change dramatically if waste is put against price.

References

Comparing Paper Towels (nd.). NCSSM Statistics Leadership Institute. Retrieved from: http://courses.ncssm.edu/math/Stat_Inst/PDFS/PaperTow.pdf

Historical Standard: ASTM D824-94(1998): Standard Test Method for Rate of Absorption of Water by Bibulous Papers (1998). ASTM International Standards Worldwide.

Samantha P. (2001). Paper Towel Absorbency Experiment. Retrieved from: http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/soar/sciproj2001/SamanthaP.html