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glossary/tea

TEA (tensile energy absorption)

Also: TEA, tensile energy absorption

The energy a paper absorbs before it breaks under tension, a key measure of toughness in sack kraft and other stretch-critical grades.

TEA is the area under the tensile stress-strain curve, measured in J/m². It captures both the force needed to break the paper and the elongation that precedes the break. A tough paper has high TEA.

TEA matters most in sack kraft paper, where the sack has to stretch to absorb impact during handling, and in bag paper and wet-strength grades. Standard tensile strength tests report only peak force; TEA reports work done, which correlates better with real-world durability.