Paper making and fiber liberation – Processes and products – Non-fiber additive
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-05
2003-09-16
Griffin, Steven P. (Department: 1731)
Paper making and fiber liberation
Processes and products
Non-fiber additive
C162S175000, C162S157100, C162S185000, C536S004100, C536S017200, C536S123100, C536S123130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06620295
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the manufacture of paper products, such as facial tissue, bath tissue, paper towels, dinner napkins and the like, a wide variety of product properties are imparted to the final product through the use of chemical additives. Examples of such additives include softeners, debonders, wet strength agents, dry strength agents, sizing agents, opacifiers and the like. In many instances, more than one chemical additive is added to the product at some point in the manufacturing process. Unfortunately, there are instances where certain chemical additives may not be compatible with each other or may be detrimental to the efficiency of the papermaking process, such as can be the case with the effect of wet end chemicals on the downstream efficiency of creping adhesives. Another limitation, which is associated with wet end chemical addition, is the limited availability of adequate bonding sites on the papermaking fibers to which the chemicals can attach themselves. Under such circumstances, more than one chemical functionality compete for the limited available bonding sites, oftentimes resulting in the insufficient retention of one or both chemicals on the fibers.
Therefore, there is a need for a means of applying more than one chemical functionality to a paper web which mitigates the limitations created by limited number of bonding sites.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In certain instances, two or more chemical functionalities can be combined into a single molecule, such that the combined molecule imparts at least two distinct product properties to the final paper product that heretofore have been imparted through the use of two or more different molecules. More specifically, modified polysaccharides (such as starches, gums, chitosans, celluloses, alginates, sugars, etc.), which are commonly used in the paper industry as strengthening agents, surface sizes, coating binders, emulsifiers and adhesives, can be combined into a single molecule with amphiphilic hydrocarbons (e.g. surface active agents) which are commonly utilized in the paper industry to control absorbency, improve softness, enhance surface feel and function as dispersants. The resulting molecule is a modified polysaccharide having surface active moieties which can provide several potential benefits, depending on the specific combination employed, including: (a) strength aids that do not impart stiffness; (b) softeners that do not reduce strength; (c) wet strength with improved wet/dry strength ratio; (d) debonders with reduced linting and sloughing; (e) strength aids with controlled absorbency; and (f) surface sizing agents with improved tactile properties.
Hence in one aspect, the invention resides in a modified polysaccharide containing one or more amphiphilic hydrocarbon moieties, said modified polysaccharide having the following structure:
Polysac-Z
3
R
1
or
—Polysac—Z
3
R
1
—Polysac—
where
Polysac=any polysaccharide, monosaccharide, or sugar residue, modified or unmodified;
Z
3
=—CH
2
, —COO—, —OOC—, —CONH—, —NHCO—, —O—, —S—, —OSO
2
O—, —OCOO—, —NHCOO—,
—OOCNH, —NHCONH—, —CONCO—, or any other radical capable of bridging the R
1
group to the polysaccharide backbone portion of the molecule; and
R
1
=any organofunctional group with the only limitation being that R
1
must contain a moiety consisting of an amphiphilic hydrocarbon, normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, with or without esterification, with or without etherification, with our without sulfonation, with or without hydroxylation, with or without ethoxylation or propoxylation, and having a carbon chain length of 4 or greater.
In another aspect, the invention resides in a paper sheet, such as a tissue or towel sheet, comprising a modified polysaccharide containing one or more amphiphilic hydrocarbon moieties, said modified polysaccharide having the following structure:
Polysac—Z
3
R
1
or
—Polysac—Z
3
R
1
—Polysac—
where
Polysac=any polysaccharide, monosaccharide, or sugar residue, modified or unmodified;
Z
3
=—CH
2
, —COO—, —OOC—, —CONH—, —NHCO—, —O—, —S—, —OSO
2
O—, —OCOO—, —NHCOO—, —OOCNH, —NHCONH—, —CONCO—, or any other radical capable of bridging the R
1
group to the polysaccharide backbone portion of the molecule; and
R
1
=any organofunctional group with the only limitation being that R
1
must contain a moiety consisting of an amphiphilic hydrocarbon, normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, with or without esterification, with or without etherification, with our without sulfonation, with or without hydroxylation, with or without ethoxylation or propoxylation, and having a carbon chain length of 4 or greater.
In another aspect, the invention resides in a method of making a paper sheet, such as a tissue or towel sheet, comprising the steps of: (a) forming an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers; (b) depositing the aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers onto a forming fabric to form a web; and (c) dewatering and drying the web to form a paper sheet, wherein a modified polysaccharide is added to the aqueous suspension, said modified polysaccharide having the following structure:
Polysac—Z
3
R
1
or
—Polysac—Z
3
R
1
—Polysac—
where
Polysac=any polysaccharide, monosaccharide, or sugar residue, modified or unmodified;
Z
3
=—CH
2
, —COO—, —OOC—, —CONH—, —NHCO—, —O—, —S—, —OSO
2
O—, —OCOO—, —NHCOO—, —OOCNH, —NHCONH—, —CONCO—, or any other radical capable of bridging the R
1
group to the polysaccharide backbone portion of the molecule; and
R
1
=any organofunctional group with the only limitation being that R
1
must contain a moiety consisting of an amphiphilic hydrocarbon, normal or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, with or without esterification, with or without etherification, with our without sulfonation, with or without hydroxylation, with or without ethoxylation or propoxylation, and having a carbon chain length of 4 or greater.
The amount of the modified polysaccharide added to the fibers can be from about 0.02 to about 2 weight percent, on a dry fiber basis, more specifically from about 0.05 to about 1 weight percent, and still more specifically from about 0.1 to about 0.75 weight percent. The modified polysaccharide can be added to the fibers at any point in the papermaking process. A preferred addition point is where the fibers are suspended in water. However, modified polysaccharides can also be added topically to a dried paper web.
As used herein, polysaccharides are carbohydrates that can be hydrolyzed to many monosaccharides and include, but are not limited to, starches (primarily modified starches from potato, corn, waxy maize, tapioca and wheat) which can be unmodified, acid modified, enzyme modified, cationic, anionic or amphoteric; carboxymethylcellulose, modified or unmodified; natural gums, modified or unmodified (such as from locust bean and guar); sugars, modified or unmodified; chitosan, modified or unmodified; and dextrins, modified and unmodified. “Monosaccharide” is a carbohydrate that cannot be hydrolyzed into simpler compounds. “Carbohydrates” are polyhydroxy aldehydes, polyhydroxy ketones or compounds that can be hydrolyzed to them.
As used herein, amphiphilic hydrocarbon moieties are organic compounds including alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and cyclic aliphatics which contain surface active agents. The amphiphilic hydrocarbons can be linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted.
Methods of making paper products which can benefit from the various aspects of this invention are well known to those skilled in the papermaking art. Exemplary patents include U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,813 issued Jul. 28, 1998 to Smith et al. entitled “Method of Treating a Papermaking Furnish For Making Soft Tissue”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,845 issued Jun. 30, 1998 to Farrington, Jr. et al. entitled “Soft Tissue”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,887 issued May 5, 1998 to Wendt et al. entitled “Method of Making Soft Tissue Products”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,306 issu
Clarahan Daniel Arthur
Goulet Mike Thomas
Schroeder Wen Zyo
Shannon Thomas Gerard
Croft Gregory E.
Griffin Steven P.
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Lopez Carlos
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