The TAPPI Standards regulations require public review of standards that are up for ballot. TAPPI members can view any drafts that are in ballot by logging in to the TAPPI web site (www.tappi.org), clicking on "My TAPPI," and then clicking on the "Standards Public Draft Review" link on the left side of the page. If you would like to review and comment on any draft and are not a member of the corresponding Standard-Specific Interest Group (SSIG), you may view the draft on line or you may request a copy of the draft being balloted by writing to standards@tappi.org. TAPPI members may join SSIGs as permanent members; go to the Subject Category page to download forms for this purpose. Nonmembers of TAPPI may join any SSIG as a voting member; to do so, send a message to standards@tappi.org to receive a copy of the draft and a ballot.

Listed below are TAPPI Standards that have recently gone out for ballot to the corresponding Standard-Specific Interest Group (SSIG). The date in parentheses is the closing date for voting.

T 824 om-09 "Fluted edge crush of corrugating medium (flexible beam method)" (November 4, 2013)

T 631 om-09 "Microbiological enumeration of process water and slush pulp" (November 7, 2013)

T 534 "Brightness of clay and other mineral pigments (d/0 diffuse)" (November 8, 2013)

T 515 "Visual grading and color matching of paper" (November 15, 2013)

T 257 "Sampling and preparing wood for analysis" (November 15, 2013)

T 480 "Specular gloss of paper and paperboard at 75 degrees" (November 22, 2013)

T 458 "Surface wettability of paper (angle of contact method)" (December 2, 2013)

Special note about the online balloting system: TAPPI has been experiencing some problems on its website with the online system for balloting. The problem may or may not have been corrected by the time of the publication fo this edition of the STAR newsletter.

If you are a TAPPI member and expderience problems trying to access drafts and vote on line, send a message to standards@tappi.org and request that a copy of the draft be sent to you. then you can vote by replying to the email. We apologize for the inconvenience.