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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project investigates advanced ultrasonic techniques for out-of-plane laboratory inspection of paper materials. Experimental ultrasonic test methods are available to probe thickness direction elasticity, predict internal bond strength of paperboard, detect delamination defects in multi-ply boards, and evaluate the softness of tissue products. However, an analysis of these methods indicates serious shortcomings in the measuring principles: presence of interfering signals, poor resolution, simplified interpretation of sound attenuation commercial ultrasonic instrument already exists to investigate wetting and liquid penetration in paper, but the technique cannot distinguish between penetrating depth and amount of penetrating liquid. Also, other measurement needs such as coating thickness evaluation are not addressed. Since the future of the U.S.Pulp and Paper Industry largely stands on the manufacturing of low volume but high quality value-added products, product development, superior quality, and end-use performance are critical elements of a competitive market environment. In that context, SoniSys plans to develop new ultrasonic measuring tools, which will sustain the subsequent development of a versatile commercial ultrasonic instrument for out-of-plane paper inspection. SoniSys anticipates at least seven market segments for its instrument in the paper industry: (1) Nondestructive prediction of internal bond strength and evaluation of board structural integrity (paperboard mills;paper testing companies); (2) Measurement of elastic stiffness for product development, quality control purposes and calibration of on-line measurements (paper and paperboard mills;R&D centers); (3) Detection and localization of delamination defects (paperboard mills); (4) Investigation of amount of penetrating liquid and liquid penetrating depth in wetting and liquid penetration tests (paper and paperboard mills, R&D centers); (5) Determination of coating thickness and assessment of paper substrate-coating layer interface (paper and paperboard mills,R&D centers); (6) Quantitative evaluation of bulk and surface tissue softness (tissue industry); and (7) Testing of wood coupons and prediction of pulp and paper properties from raw materials (pulp and forest industries)