How Do You Verify a TAD Tissue Supplier’s Absorbency Claims? A Lab-Data Guide to the 14 g/g Benchmark (2026)
Every TAD tissue supplier says “premium absorbency.” Very few send lab reports that prove it. Here is how experienced importers verify the claim before signing a PI.
To verify a TAD tissue supplier’s absorbency claim, ask for a lab report tested under GB/T 24328.6 (equivalent to ISO 12625-8), confirm the result is ≥7 g/g (the “Superior Product” threshold), and cross-check the value against a 10 g/m² hand-towel benchmark of 11–14 g/g. Any TAD tissue supplier who cannot provide a dated lab report with these numbers is selling conventional tissue with a TAD label. It is that simple, and this guide shows the exact tests, numbers, and documents to request.
Absorbency is the single most important performance metric for through-air-dried (TAD) tissue. It is also the number most frequently exaggerated in the B2B tissue market. If you are sourcing hand towels, kitchen towels, or facial tissue from a new TAD tissue supplier, a 30-minute document check can save you a shipment that buyers will reject.
Why Absorbency Is the Only TAD Metric That Matters
Through-Air Drying (TAD) was developed by Procter & Gamble in the 1960s specifically to solve one problem: conventional tissue compresses fibers during drying and loses absorbency. A modern TAD machine blows hot air directly through the wet sheet, preserving the 3D fiber network. The result is a sheet that holds 2–3 times more water per gram than the conventional “LDC” (low-density conventional) tissue most factories still run.
This is not marketing. In Reisinger’s 2016 industry review of seven tissue technologies (LDC, CTAD, TAD, UCTAD, DRC, ATMOS, NTT), TAD scored the only perfect 5/5 on absorbency. Every other technology, including the cheaper ATMOS and NTT “TAD imitation” systems, scored 2 or 3. So when a TAD tissue supplier quotes you a price that looks close to conventional tissue but the absorbency data is missing, the product on the PI is almost certainly not real TAD.
The 14 g/g Benchmark: What Real TAD Tissue Actually Delivers
The Chinese national standard GB/T 24328.6 (aligned with ISO 12625-8) defines a “Superior Product” as ≥7 g/g water absorption. That is the floor. A credible TAD tissue supplier should beat it by 2×. Our own 21 gsm coarse-mesh TAD parent rolls consistently test at 11.8–14.2 g/g, verified by our in-house lab and reconfirmed by third-party testing on every export lot.
| Tissue type | Typical absorbency (g/g) | GB/T 24328.6 grade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional LDC hand towel | 3–6 | Below Qualified | Reisinger 2016 |
| ATMOS / NTT “structured” towel | 5–8 | Qualified | Reisinger 2016 |
| Entry CTAD (crescent TAD) | 7–10 | Superior | Reisinger 2016 |
| Real TAD hand towel (21 gsm) | 11.8–14.2 | Far exceeds Superior | Sansheng lab, 2025 lots |
| DRC premium towel | 9–12 | Superior | Reisinger 2016 |
If a TAD tissue supplier’s report shows 6 g/g and they still call it TAD, they are running LDC paper on a CTAD former at best. You will pay the TAD price and ship conventional quality to your customer.
5 Tests to Request From Any TAD Tissue Supplier
Before wiring a deposit, email the TAD tissue supplier and request a recent (within 90 days) lab report covering these five tests. A serious factory will send them the same day.
- Water absorption capacity (GB/T 24328.6 / ISO 12625-8): must show ≥11 g/g for TAD hand towels, ≥7 g/g for TAD toilet paper.
- Basis weight (GB/T 24328.5): cross-check the gsm against what you are paying for. Many “22 gsm” rolls arrive at 19.
- Tensile strength MD & CD (GB/T 24328.3): TAD parent rolls should deliver ≥200 N/m MD. Weak numbers mean the sheet will tear on the converter.
- Wet strength (GB/T 24328.4): for hand towels, ≥50 N/m is non-negotiable; otherwise the towel dissolves in the user’s hand.
- Fluorescent whitening agent test (GB/T 27741): should be “not detected.” FWA is banned in most food-contact and skin-contact grades in the EU and North America.
If the TAD tissue supplier cannot match their own PI specs to a dated lab report, that is the end of the conversation. You can verify the ISO method numbers directly with the ISO online browsing platform. For the underlying physics and the technology matrix, Reisinger’s publicly cited tissue-drying comparison remains the reference most Tissue World Magazine contributors still use.
Real TAD vs Fake TAD: What the Numbers Look Like Side by Side
Below is a real comparison we ran on two samples sent to our lab in late 2025: one from a claimed TAD tissue supplier in another province, one from our own 21 gsm coarse-mesh TAD production line. Same GSM, same fiber, very different numbers.
| Test item | “TAD” sample A (other supplier) | Real TAD (Sansheng) | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basis weight | 19.8 g/m² | 21.4 g/m² | GB/T 24328.5 |
| Brightness | 81.2% | 86.5% | GB/T 7974 |
| Water absorption | 6.4 g/g | 13.1 g/g | GB/T 24328.6 |
| Tensile MD | 151 N/m | 274 N/m | GB/T 24328.3 |
| Wet strength MD | 28 N/m | 74 N/m | GB/T 24328.4 |
| FWA | Detected | Not detected | GB/T 27741 |
Sample A cost 6% less per ton. For a buyer importing a 40HQ container of paper towel manufacturer stock or kitchen paper, that 6% “saving” is wiped out the first time a hotel customer complains about sheets disintegrating in wet hands.
5 Red Flags in a TAD Tissue Supplier’s Documentation
- Lab report dated more than 6 months ago, or undated.
- Absorbency value rounded to a whole number (real lab reports go to one decimal).
- No test-method code (GB/T or ISO) printed on the report.
- “TAD” written on the PI but “high-bulk” or “structured” on the lab sheet.
- Supplier refuses to send a free 1 kg cutting for your own lab verification.
🏭 From Our Factory Floor
Real case: A Chilean importer sent us a competitor sample in October 2025 labeled “TAD Premium 22 gsm.” Our lab tested it at 6.4 g/g absorbency — below the Superior threshold. Meanwhile the same importer’s test on our 21 gsm lot came back at 13.1 g/g. He placed a first order of 2 × 40HQ on the basis of that one-page comparison.
What we learned: buyers in South America have been burned so often by mislabeled “TAD” that they now trust lab data more than sales decks. Always send the PI, the lab report, and the test method on the same email — never separately.
FAQ: Verifying a TAD Tissue Supplier
How do I find a reliable TAD tissue supplier in China?
Ask for a lab report, a factory audit video, and a 1 kg free sample in the same email. A reliable TAD tissue supplier will deliver all three within 48 hours. Cross-check the supplier on FSC Public Search if they claim FSC certification.
What is the best way to test TAD absorbency without a lab?
Cut a 10 × 10 cm square, weigh it dry, submerge for 30 seconds, hang for 30 seconds, weigh again. Divide the water weight by the dry weight. A real TAD hand towel will land between 11 and 14. Under 7 is not TAD.
Why do some “TAD” suppliers show only 6 g/g absorbency?
Because the sheet was made on a CTAD or ATMOS line with a TAD-style former but without the through-air drying step. The structure looks similar under a microscope but the fiber bonding is conventional. The cost is lower, the name is borrowed, and the performance is not TAD.
Should the lab report be from an in-house lab or a third party?
Both. The in-house report proves day-to-day consistency. A third-party report (SGS, Intertek, or a CNAS-accredited Chinese lab) proves the factory does not cook its own numbers. Ask for one third-party report per calendar year at minimum.
What absorbency should I require on my PI?
For TAD hand towels: ≥11 g/g. For TAD kitchen towels: ≥10 g/g. For TAD toilet paper: ≥7 g/g. Write the value on the PI so rejection rights are contractually clear if an incoming lot misses the target.
Does FSC or ISO 9001 certify absorbency?
No. FSC certifies fiber sourcing and ISO 9001 certifies the quality management system. Neither certifies physical performance. You still need GB/T 24328.6 lab numbers.
Can a TAD tissue supplier guarantee absorbency in the contract?
Yes, and a serious one will. Add a clause: “Incoming lot absorbency measured per GB/T 24328.6 must be ≥11 g/g. Lots below 10 g/g may be rejected or discounted 15%.” Our own PI templates include exactly this clause for every TAD hand towel order.
Bottom Line
A reliable TAD tissue supplier is not the one with the lowest FOB price. It is the one who can put a dated, method-coded lab report in your inbox before you ask twice. If you are evaluating a new source for your next 40HQ of hand towel or kitchen towel, compare the absorbency lines first and the price lines second. It is the fastest filter in the B2B tissue market. Our tissue paper supplier team can send a current GB/T 24328.6 report and a free sample within one working day — just contact us.
Get a verified TAD lab report and free sample
We send a dated GB/T 24328.6 absorbency report, a third-party FWA test, and a 1 kg free TAD sample with every quote. No guesswork, no marketing claims.
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- TAD product type (hand towel / kitchen towel / toilet paper / parent roll)
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Sales Manager at Sansheng Paper · 20+ years in tissue paper OEM & bulk export · LinkedIn
