Surface roughness characterization for hygiene tissue products via contact profilometry

Abstract Surface roughness is an important factor affecting the surface properties of hygienic tissue products. However, standardized methods for measuring the surface roughness of hygienic tissue products are lacking. In this study, a stylus-contact profilometry method was developed, and the effects of contact force, scan speed, and stylus tip radius were systematically investigated. A contact force of 5 gf and a scan speed of 1.0 mm/s yielded stable surface profiles. The mean absolute deviation derived from the average roughness profile exhibited lower variability than the arithmetic average roughness and was therefore selected as the representative roughness parameter. Tip radii of 0.35–0.50 mm provided stable measurements, whereas larger tip radii underestimated surface roughness by reducing the apparent valley depth. Considering both measurement stability and practical stylus fabrication, a tip radius of 0.50 mm was selected as the optimal geometry. Under the optimized measurement conditions, the proposed method effectively captured tissue surface features and provides a practical basis for consistent surface roughness evaluation. The proposed methodology may contribute to the development of standardized surface roughness measurements, thereby supporting more reliable quality evaluation and product development of hygienic tissue products.