Have you ever been confused by the data presented on a Cleanroom Wiper Data/Product Information Sheet and how to compare that information to the data presented by other cleanroom wiper manufacturers when trying to select a comparable cleanroom wiper? You are not alone.

Just as the materials and performance requirements have changed since the first cleanroom wipers were introduced in the 1960s, so too have the data reporting requirements and test methods utilized to support those requirements. Early testing was primarily based on TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) and ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) methods created for other materials. As contamination cause and control knowledge have evolved, new test methods and measurement equipment have evolved. Today, most cleanroom wiper testing is performed in accordance with the recommended practices developed by the Contamination Control Division of IEST (Institute for Environmental Sciences and Technology) in conjunction with cleanroom wiper manufacturers and end-users. The cleanroom wiper manufacturer's data is gathered internally and then presented along with pertinent narrative information in the form a product data/information sheet for use by customers as an aid in cleanroom wiper selection. However, variations do exist within some of the test methods dependent on the section of the method applied; this is particularly true for the methods measuring particles, fibers, and extractions. Furthermore, some cleanroom wiper manufacturers still use the older methodologies for testing and reporting purposes. This combination of factors combined with slight differences in the analytical equipment utilized by the labs performing the testing will cause differences in the data reported on supplier's product data/information sheets. And finally, cleanroom wiper manufacturers often present the information and data in different formats.

How then does the customer understand the cleanroom wiper data presented and the degree of comparability between data presented by cleanroom wiper manufacturers?
Let's begin with a basic primer on the critical wiper data reported by most cleanroom wiper manufacturers in product data/information sheets:

Basis Weight is the actual material weight of the product and is generally reported in the format of g/m². The determination of basis weight is a simple technique and therefore should be comparable among different product data/information sheets.