CA2122242C

CA2122242C - Soft absorbent tissue paper with high permanent wet strength

Info

Publication number: CA2122242C
Application number: CA002122242A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Dean Van Phan; Paul D. Trokhan
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1991-11-01
Filing date: 1992-10-19
Publication date: 1999-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-19
Also published as: CA2122242A1; DK0610337T3; ES2166843T3; AU670415B2; PT101214A; EP0718436A2; DE69212493T2; SK50094A3; JPH07500641A; EP0718436A3; EP0610337A1; EP0718436B1; AU2804092A; FI942001A0; MX9206292A; ATE140739T1; DE69232316D1; BR9206706A; GR3021274T3; DE69232316T2

Abstract

Tissue paper webs useful in the manufacture of soft, absorbent products such as paper towels. napkins, and facial tissues, and processes for making the webs. The tissue paper webs comprise papermaking fibers, a quaternary ammonium compound, a polyhydroxy plasticizer, and a permanent wet strength resin. The process comprises a first step of forming an aqueous papermaking furnish from the above-mentioned components. The second and third steps in the basic process are the deposition of the papermaking furnish onto a foraminous surface such as a Fourdrinier wire and removal of the water from the deposited furnish. An alternate process involves the use of the furnish containing the aforementioned components in a papermaking process which will produce a pattern densified fibrous web having a relatively high bulk field of relatively low fiber density in a patterned array of spaced zones of relatively high fiber density.

Description

WO 93J09287 PCr/US92/08897 ~2~242 SOF~ ABSORB~N~ ~ISSUE PAPER
WI~H HIGH P~RMANEN~ WE~ S~RENGTH

~IE~D OF ~HE INVEN~ION
~his invention relates to tissue paper webs. More particularly, it relates to soft, absorbent tissue paper webs which can be used in I0 toweling, napkins, and facial tissue products.
BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
Paper webs or sheets, sometimes called tissue or paper tissue webs or sheets, find extensive use in modern society. Such items as paper towels, napkins, and facial tissues are staple items of commerce. It has lS long been recognized that three important physical attributes of theseproducts are their softness; their absorbency, particularty their absorbency for aqueous systems; and their strength, particularly their strength when wet. Research and development efforts have been directed to the improvement of each of these attributes without deleteriousl~
affecting the others as well as to the improvement of two or three attributes simultaneously.
Softness is the tactile sensation perceived by the consumer as he/she holds a particular product, rubs it across his/her skin, or crumples it within his/her hand. This tactile sensation is a combination of several physical properties. One of the more important physical properties related to softness is generally considered by those skilled in the art to be the stiffness of the paper web from which the product is made. Stiffness, in turn, is usually considered to be directly dependent on the dry tensile strength of the web.
Strength is the ability of the product, and its constituent webs, to maintain physical integrity and to resist tearing, bursting, and shredding under use conditions, particularly when wet.
Absorbency is the measure of the ability of a product, and its constituent webs, to absorb quantities of liquid, particularly aqueous solutions or dispersions. Overall absorbency as perceived by the human consumer is generally considered to be a combination of the total 2 .~ t ~2~

quantity of liquid a given mass of tissue paper will absorb at saturation as well as the rate at which the mass absorbs the liquid.
~he use of wet strength resins to enhance the strength of a paper web is widely known. For example, Westfelt described a number of such materials and discussed their chemistry in Cellulose Chemistry and Technology, Volume 13. at pages 813-82S (1979).
Freimark et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,220 issued August 28, 1973 mention that certain chemical additives known as debonding agents interfere with the natural fiber-to-fiber bonding that occurs during sheet formation in papermaking processes. This reduction in bonding leads to a softer, or less harsh, sheet of paper. Freimark et al. go on to teach the use of wet strength resins to enhance the wet strength of the sheet in conjunction with the use of debonding agents to off-set undesirable effects of the wet strength resin. ~hese debonding agents do lS reduce dry tensile strength, but there is also generally a reduction in wet tensile strength.
Shaw, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,068. issued June 28, 19~4, also teaches that chemical debonders can be used to reduce the stiffness, and thus enhance the softness, of a tissue paper web.
Chemical debonding agents have been disclosed in various references such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,862, issued to Hervey et al. on January 12.
1971. These materials include quaternary ammonium salts such as trimethylcocoammonium chloride, trimethyloleylammonium chloride, dimethyl-di(hydrogenated-tallow)ammonium chloride and trimethylstearylammonium chloride.
Emanuelsson et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,122, issued March 13.
1979, teach -the use of complex quaternary ammonium compounds such as bis(alkoxy-(2-hydroxy)-propylene) quaternary ammonium chlorides to soften webs. ~hese authors also attempt to overcome any decrease in absorbency caused by the debonders through the use of nonionic surfactants such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide adducts of fatty alcohols.

~ ~ 7 b ~r Armak Company of Chicago, Illinois, in their bulletin 76-17 (1977) "Applications of Armak Quaternary Ammonium Salts" disclose that the use of dimethyl-di(hydrogenated-tallow) ammonium chloride in combination with fatty acid esters of polyoxyethylene glycols may impart both softness and absorbency to tissue paper webs.
One exemplary result of research directed toward improved paper webs is described in U. S. Pat. No.

3,301,746, issued to Sanford and Sisson on January 31, 1967. Despite the high quality of paper webs made by the process described in this patent, and despite the commercial success of products formed from these webs, research efforts directed to f;n~;ng improved products have continued.
For example, Becker et al. in U. S. Pat. No.

4,158,594, issued January 19, 1979, describe a method they contend will form a strong, soft, fibrous sheet.
More specifically, they teach that the strength of a tissue paper web (which may have been softened by the addition of chemical debonding agents) can be enhanced by adhering, during processing, one surface of the web to a creping surface in a fine patterned arrangement by a bonding material (such as an acrylic latex rubber emulsion, a water soluble resin, or an elastomeric bonding material) which has been adhered to one surface of the web and to the creping surface in the fine patterned arrangement, and creping the web from the creping surface to form a sheet material.
It is an object of an aspect of this invention to provide a process for making soft, absorbent tissue paper webs with high permanent wet strength.

~ $ ~24~.

It is an object of an aspect of this invention to provide soft, absorbent paper towel products with high permanent wet strength.
These and other objects are obtained using the present invention, as will become readily apparent from a reading of the following disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides soft, absorbent tissue paper webs having high wet strength, and a process for making the webs. Briefly, the tissue paper webs comprise:
(a) papermaking fibers (b) from about 0.01% to about 2.0% by weight of a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula Rl \ + / CH3 N X~
Rl / ~ CH3 wherein each R1 substituent is a C12-C1~ aliphatic hydrocarbon radical, and X~ is a compatible anion selected from a halide or methylsulfate;
(c) from about 0.01% to about 2.0% by weight of a polyhydroxy plasticizer; and (d) from about 0.01% to about 3.0% by weight of a water-soluble permanent wet strength resin.
Examples of quaternary ammonium compounds suitable for use in the present invention include the well-known dialkyldimethylammonium salts such as ditallowdimethyl-ammonium chloride, ditallowdimethylammonium methlsulfate, di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethylammonium chloride; with 2 ~ ~ ~ 2 ~ ~

4a di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethylammonium methylsulfate being preferred.
Examples of polyhydroxy plasticizers useful in the present invention include glycerol and polyethylene glycols having a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 2000, with polyethylene glycols having a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 600 being preferred.
The wet strength resins useful in the present invention include all those commonly used in papermaking.
Examples of preferred permanent wet strength resins include polyamine epichlorohydrin resins, polyacrylamide resins, and styrene-butadiene latexes.
A particularly preferred tissue paper embodiment of lS the present invention comprises from about 0.03% to about 0.5% by weight of the quaternary ammonium compound, from about 0.03% to about 0.5% by weight of the polyhydroxy plasticizer, and from about 0.3% to about 1.5% by weight of the water-soluble permanent wet strength resin, all quantities of these additives being on a dry fiber weight basis of the tissue paper.
Briefly, the process for making the tissue webs of the present invention comprises the steps of forming a papermaking furnish from the aforementioned components, deposition of the papermaking furnish onto a foraminous surface such as a Fourdrinier wire, and removal of the water from the deposited furnish.
All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.
The present invention is described in more detail below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE lNv~NlION
While this specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention, ff~

WO 93/09287 PCI'/US92/08897 ~122242 it is believed that the invention can be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description and of the appended example.
As used herein, the terms tissue paper web, ptper web, web, and paper sheet all refer to sheets of paper made by a process comprising the steps of forming an aqueous papermaking furnish, depositing this furnish on a foraminous surface, such as a Fourdrinier wire, and removing the water from the furnish as by gravity or vacuum-assisted drainage, with or without pressing, and by evaporation.
As used herein, an aqueous papermaking furnish is an aqueous slurry of papermaking fibers and the chemicals described hereinafter.
The first step in the process of this invention is the forming of an aqueous papermaking furnish. ~he furnish comprises papermaking fibers (hereinafter sometimes referred to as wood pulp), at least one wet strength resin, at least one quaternary ammonium and at least one polyhydroxy plasticizer, all of which will be hereinafter described.
It is anticipated that wood pulp in all its varieties will normally comprise the papermaking fibers used in this invention. However, other cellulosic fibrous pulps, such as cotton linters, bagasse, rayon, etc., can be used and none are disclaimed. Wood pulps useful herein include chemical pulps such as Kraft, sulfite and sulfate pulps as well as mechanical pulps including for example, ground wood, thermomechanical pulps and chemically modified thermomechanical pulp (CTMP). Pulps derived from both deciduous and coniferous trees can be used. Also applicable to the present invention are fibers derived from recycled paper, which may contain any or all of the above categories as well as other non-fibrous materials such as fillers and adhesives used to facilitate the original papermaking. Preferably, the papermaking fibers used in this invention comprise Kraft pulp derived from northern soft-woods.
Wet Strenqth Resins ~he present invention contains as an essential component from about 0.01% to about 3.0%, more preferably from about 0.3% to about 1.5% by weight, on a dry fiber weight basis, of a water-soluble permanent wet strength resin.
Permanent wet strength resins useful herein can be of several types.
Generally, those resins which have previously found and which will _ 6 ~ 7 ~

hereafter find utility in the papermaking art are useful herein.
Numerous examples are shown in the aforementioned paper by ~estfelt, incorporated herein by reference.
In the usual case, the wet strength resins are water-soluble, S cationic materials. That is to say, the resins are water-soluble at the time they are added to the papermaking furnish. It is quite possible, and even to be expected, that subsequent events such as cross-linking will render the resins insoluble in water. Further, some resins are coluble only under specific conditions, such as over a limited pH range.
Wet strength resins are generally believed to undergo a cross-linking or other curing reactions after they have been deposited on, within, or among the papermaking fibers. Cross-linking or curing does not normally occur so long as substantial amounts of water are present.
Of particular util~ty are the various polyamide-epichlorohydrin resins. ~hese materials are low molecular weight polymers provided with reactive functional groups such as amino, epoxy, and azetidinium groups.
The patent literature is replete ~ith descriptions of processes for making such materials. U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,623, issued to Keim on October 24, 1972 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,076, issued to Keim on November 13, 1973 are examples of such patents, Polyamide-epichlorohydrin resins sold under the trademarks Kymene 557H and Kyme ~ Z064 by Hercules Incorporated of ~ilmington, Delaware, are part~cularly useful in this invention. ~hese resins are generally described in the aforementioned patents to Keim.
Base-activated polyamide-epichlorohydrin resins useful in the present invention are sold under the Santo Res trademark, such as Santo Res 31, by Monsanto Company of St. Louis, Missouri. These types of 3 materials are generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,855,158 issued to Petrovich on December 17, 1974; 3,899,388 issued to Petrovich on August 12, 1975; 4,129,528 issued to Petrovich on December 12, 1978; 4,147,586 issued to Petrovich on April 3, 1979; and 4,222,921 issued to Van ~enam on September 16, 1980.
Other water-soluble cationic resins useful herein are the polyacrylamide resins such as those sold under the Parez trademark, such as Parez 631NC, by American Cyanamid Company of Stanford, Connecticut. These materials are generally described in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,556,932 issued to Coscia et al. on January 19, 1971; and 3,556,933 issued to Williams et al.
on January 19, 1971.
Other types of water-soluble resins useful in the present invention include acrylic emulsions and anionic styrene-butadiene latexes. Numerous examples of these types of resins are provided in U. S. Patent 3,844,880, Meisel, Jr. et al., issued October 29, 1974.
Still other water-soluble cationic resins finding utility in this invention are the urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde resins. These polyfunctional, reactive polymers have molecular weights on the order of a few thousand. The more common functional groups include nitrogen containing groups such as amino groups and methylol groups attached to nitrogen.
Although less preferred, polyethylenimine type resins find utility in the present invention.
More complete descriptions of the aforementioned water-soluble resins, including their manufacture, can be found in TAPPI Monograph Series No. 29, Wet Strenqth In Paper and PaPerboard. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (New York; 1965). As used herein, the term "permanent wet strength resin" refers to a resin which allows the paper sheet, when placed in an aqueous medium, to keep a majority of its initial wet strength for a period of time greater than at least two minutes.
The above-mentioned wet strength additives typically result in paper products with permanent wet strength, i.e., paper which when placed in an aqueous medium retains a substantial portion of its initial wet strength over time. However, permanent wet strength in some types of paper products can be an unnecessary and undesirable 2 ~ ~

property. Paper products such as toilet tissues, etc.
are generally disposed of after brief periods of use into septic systems and the like. Clogging of these systems can result if the paper product permanently retains its hydrolysis-resistant strength properties.
More recently, manufacturers have added temporary wet strength additives to paper product for which wet strength is sufficient for the intended use, but which then decays upon soaking in water. Decay of the wet strength facilitates flow of the paper product through septic systems.
Examples of suitable temporary wet strength resins include modified starch temporary wet strength agents, such as National Starch 78-0080, marketed by the National Starch and Chemical Corporation (New York, New York).
This type of wet strength agent can be made by reacting dimethoxyethyl-N-methyl-chloroacetamide with cationic starch polymers. Modified starch temporary wet strength agents are also described in U. S. Pat. No. 4,675,394, Solarek, et al., issued June 23, 1987. Preferred temporary wet strength resins include those described in U. S. Pat. No. 4,981,557, Bjorkquist issued January 1, 1991 .
With respect to the classes and specific examples of both permanent and temporary wet strength resins listed above, it should be understood that the resins listed are exemplary in nature and are not meant to limit the scope of this invention.
Mixtures of compatible wet strength resins can also be used in the practice of this invention.

8a OuaternarY Ammonium ComPound The present invention contains as an essential component from about 0.01% to about 2.0%, more preferably from about 0.03% to about 0.5% by weight, on a dry fiber weight basis, of a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula:

Rl + CH3 N / X~
Rl / CH3 In the structure noted above each Rl is an aliphatic hydro-carbon radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl having from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms, coconut and tallow. X~ is a compatible anion, such as halide (e.g. chloride or bromide) or methylsulfate.
Preferably, X~ is methylsulfate.

WO 93/09287 PCr/US92/08897 As used above, "coconut' refers to the alkyl and alkylene moieties derived from coconut oil. It is recognized that coconut oil is a naturally occurring mixture having, as do all naturally occurring materials, a range of compositions. Coconut oil contains primarily fatty acids (from which the alkyl and alkylene moieties of the quaternary ammonium salts are derived) having from 12 to 16 carbon atoms, although fatty acids having fewer and more carbon atoms are also present. Swern, Ed. in Bailev's Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Third Edition, John Wiley and Sons tNew York 1964) in Table 6.5, suggests that coconut oil 10typically has from about 6~ to 82% by weight of its fatty acids in the 12 to 16 carbon atoms range with about 8Z of the total fatty acid content being present as unsaturated molecules. The principle unsaturated fatty acid in coconut oil is oleic acid. Synthetic as well as naturatly occurring "coconut~ mixtures fall within the scope of this invention.
15Tallow, as is coconut, is a naturally occurring material having a variable composition. Table 6.13 in the above-identified reference edited by Swern indicates that typically 78% or more of the fatty acids of tallow contain 16 or 18 carbon atoms. Typically, half of the fatty acids present in tallow are unsaturated, primarily in the form of oleic acid. Synthetic as well as natural ~tallows~ fall within the scope of the present invention.
Preferably, each Rl is C16-C1g alkyl, most preferably each R1 is straight-chain C1g alkyl.
Examples of quaternary ammonium compounds suitable for use in the 2 present invention include the well-known dialkyldimethylammonium salts such as ditallowdimethylammonium chloride, ditallowdimethylammonium methylsulfate, ti(hydrogenated tallow)dimethylammon~um chloride; w~th d~(hydrogenated tallow)dimethylammonium methylsulfate being preferred.
This particular material is available commercially from Sherex Chemical Company Inc. of Dublin, Ohio under the tradename ~VarisoftR 13~.
Biodegridable mono and di-ester variations of the quaternary ammonium compound can also be used, and are meant to fall within the scope of the present invention. These compounds have the formula:
O ~ ~ O
CH3 CH2CH2-0-C-Rl CH3 CH2CH2-0-C-R
\+/ \+/
N X- and N X~
/ \ / \ O
~CH3 Rl ~ CH3 CH2CH2-0-C-R

S~BSTI~VTE SHEET

'_ lo 2 7 ~

with R1 and X~ as defined above.
Pol~hYdroxv Plasticizer The present invention contains as an essential component from 0.01% to about 2.0%, more preferably from about 0.03% to about 0.5% by weight, on a dry fiber weight basis, of a polyhydroxy plasticizer.
Examples of polyhydroxy plasticizers useful in the present invention include glycerol and polyethylene glycols having molecular weight of from about 200 to about 2000, with poly-ethylene glycols having a ~olecular weight of from about 200 to about 600 being preferred.
A particularly preferred polyhydroxy plast~ci~er is polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 400. ~his material is available commercially from the Union Carbide Company of Danbury, Connect~cut under the tradename ~PEG-400~.
ODtional Inqredients Other chemicals commonly used in papermaking can be added to the papermaking furnish so long as they do not significantly and adversely affect the softening, absorbency, and wet strength enhancing actions of the three required chemicals.
For example, surfactants may be used to treat the tissue paper webs of the present invention. The level of surfactant, if used, is preferably from about 0.01% to about 2.~% by weight, based on the dry fiber weight of the tissue paper. ~he surfactants preferably have alkyl chains with eight or more carbon atoms. Exemplary anionic surfactants are linear alkyl sulfonates, and alkylbenzene sulfonates. Exemplary nonionic surfactants are alkylglycosides including alkylglycoside esters such as Crodesta~M
SL-40 -which is available from Croda, Inc. ~New York, HY);
alkylglycoside ethers as described in U.S. Patent 4.011,389, issued to ~. K. Langdon, et al. on March 8, 1977; and alkylpolyethoxylated esters such as Pegosperse~M 200 ML available from Glyco Chemicals, Inc. (Greenwich, CT) and IGEPA~ RC-520 available from Rhone Poulenc Corporation (Cranbury, N.J.).

ll Other types of chemicals whlch may be added include dry strength additives to increase the tensile strength of the tissue webs. Examples of dry strength additives include carboxymethyl cellulose, aTMd cationic ~olymers from the ACC ~ chemical family such as ACCO 771 and ACCO 514, with carboxymethyl cellulose being preferred. This material is available commercially from the Hercules Company of ~ilmington, Delaware under the tradename HERCULESR CMC. The level of dry strength additive, if used, is preferably from about 0.01% to about 1.0Z, by weight, based on the dry fiber weight of the t~ssue paper.
The above listings of additional chemical additives is intended to be merely exemplary in nature, and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention.
The papermaking furnish can be readily formed or prepared by mixing techniques ang equipment well known to those skilled in the papermaking art.
The three types of chemical ingredients described above i.e.
quaternary ammonium compounds, polyhydroxy plasticizers, and water soluble permanent wet strength resins are preferably added to the aqueous slurry of papermaking fibers, or furnish in the wet end of the papermaking machine at some suitable point ahead of the Fourdrinier wire or sheet forming stage. However, applications of the above chemical ingredients subsequent to formation of a ~et tissue web and prior to drying of the web to completion will also provide significant softness, absorbency, and ~et strength bene-fits and are expressly included within the scope of the present invention.
It has been discovered that the chemical ingredients are more effective when the quaternary ammonium compound and the polyhydroxy plasticizer are first pre-mixed together before being added to the papermaking furnish. A preferred method, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter in Example 1, consists of first heating the polyh~droxy plasticizer to a temperature of about 150~F, and then adding the quaternary ammonium softening~5 WO 93/09287 PCr/US92/088g7 21222~2 12 -compound to the hot plasticizer to form a fluidi2ed ~melt~.
Preferably, the molar ratio of the quaternary ammonium compound to the plasticizer is about 1 to 1, although this ratio wilt vary depending upon the molecular weight of the particular plasticizer S and/or quaternary ammonium compound used. the quaternary ammonium compound and polyhydroxy plasticizer melt is then diluted to the desired concentration, and mixed to form an aqueous solution containing a vesicle suspension of the quaternary ammonium com-pound/polyhydroxy plasticizer mixture which is then added to the papermaking furnish.
Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the plasttcizer enhances the flexibility of the cellulosic fibers, improves the fiber's absorbency, and acts to stabilize the quaternary ammonium compound in the aqueous solution. Separately, the permanent wet strength resins are also diluted to the appropriate concentration and added to the papermaking furnish.
The quaternary ammonium/polyhydroxy plastici2er chemical softening composition acts to make the paper product soft and absorbent, while the permanent wet strength resin insures that the resulting paper product also has high permanent wet strength. In other words, the present invention makes it possible to not only improve both the softness and absorbent rate of the tissue webs, but also provides a high level of permanent wet strength.
The second step in the process of this invention is the depositing of the papermaking furnish on a foraminous surface and the third is the removing of the water from the furnish so deposited. Techniques and equipment which can be used to accomplish these two processing steps will be readll~ apparent to those skilled in the papermaking art.
The present invention is applicable to tissue paper in general, including but not limited to conYentionally felt-pressed tissue paper; pattern densified tissue paper such as exemplified in the aforementioned U.S. Patent by Sanford-Sisson and its progeny; and high bulk, uncompacted tissue paper such as exemplified by U.S. Patent 3,812,000, Salvucci, Jr., issued May 21, 1974. The tissue paper may be of a homogenous or multilayered PCr/US92/08897 ~ 2122242 construction; and tissue paper products made therefrom may be of a single-pl~ or multi-ply construction. The tissue paper preferably has a basis weight of between IO g/m~ and about 65 g/m2, and density of about 0.60 g/cc or less. Preferably, basis weight will be below about 35 g/m2 or less; and density will be about 0.30 g/cc or less. Most preferably, density will be between 0.04 g/cc and about 0.20 g/cc.
Conventionally pressed tissue paper and methods for making such paper are known in the art. Such paper is typically made by IO depositing papermaking furnish on a foraminous forming wire. This forming wire is often referred to in the art as a Fourdrinier wire. Once the furnish is deposited on the forming wire, it is referred to as a web. ~he web is dewatered by pressing the web and drying at elevated temperature. The partlcular techniques and I5 typical equipment for making webs according to the process just described are well known to those skilled in the art. In a typical process, a low consistenc~ pulp furnish is provided in a pressur k ed headbox. ~he headbox has an opening for delivering a thin deposit of pulp furnish onto the ~ourdrinier wire to form a wet ~eb. The web is then typically dewatered to a fiber consistency of between about 7X and about 25% (total web weight basis) by vacuum dewatering and further dried b~ pressing operations wherein the web is subjected to pressure developed by opposing mechanical members, for example, cylindrical rolls. ~he dewatered web is then further pressed and dried by a stream drum apparatus known in the art as a Yankee dryer. Pressure can be developed at the Yankee dryer by mechanical means such as an opposing cylindrical drum pressing against the web. Multip1e Yankee dryer drums may be employed, whereb~ additional pressing is optionally incùrred between the drums. ~he tissue paper structures which are formed are referred to hereinafter as conventional, pressed, tissue paper structures. Such sheets are considered to be compacted since the web is subjected to substantial mechanical compressional forces while the fibers are moist and are then dried land optionally creped) while in a compressed state.

Pattern denstfied tissue paper is characterized by having a relatively high bulk field of relatively low fiber density and an array of densified zones of relatively high fiber density. rhe high bulk field is alternatively characterized as a field of pillow regions. The densified zones are alternatively referred to as knuckle regions. The densified zones may be discretely spaced within the high bulk field or may be interconnected, either fully or partially, within the high bulk field. Preferred processes for making pattern densified tissue webs are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,301,~46, issued to Sanford and Sisson on January 31, 1967, U.S. Patent Ho. 3,974,025, issued to Peter G. Ayers on August 10, 1976, and U.S. Patent No. 4,191,609, issued to Paul D. Trokhan on March 4, 1980, and U.S. Patent 4,637,859, issued to Paul D.
Trokhan on January 20, 1987 In general, pattern densified webs are preferably prepared by depositing a papermaking furnish on a foraminous forming wire such as a Fourdrinier wire to form a wet web and then juxtaposing the web against an array of supports. The web is pressed against the ~J array of supports, thereby resulting in densified zones in the webat the locations geographically corresponding to the points of contact between the array of supports and the wet web. The remainder of the web not compressed during this operation is referred to as the high bulk field. This high bulk field can be further dedensified by application of fluid pressure, such as with a vacuum type device or a blow-through dryer, or by mechanically pressing the web against the array of supports. The web is dewatered, and optionally predried, in such a manner so as to substaatially avoid compression of the high bulk field. This is preferably accomplished by fluid pressure, such as with a vacuum type device or blow-through dryer, or alternately by mechanically pressing the web against an array of supports wherein the high bulk field is not compressed. The operations of dewatering, optional predrying and formation of the densified zones may be integrated or partially integrated to reduce the total number of processing steps performed. Subsequent to formation of the B

~ 7 ~
'.. _ 15 densified ~ones, dewatering, and optional predrying, the web is dried to completion, preferably still avoiding mechanical pressing. Preferably, from about 8% to about 55X of the tissue paper surface comprises densified knuckles having a relative density of at least 125% of the density of the high bulk field.
The array of supports is preferably an imprinting carrier fabric having a patterned displacement of knuckles which operate as the array of supports which facilitate the formation of the densified zones upon application of pressure. The pattern of knuckles constitutes the array of supports previously referred to.
Imprinting carrier fabrics are disclosed in U.S. Patent ~o.
3,301,746, Sanford and Sisson, issued January 31, 196~, U.S.
Patent No. 3,821,0~8, Salvucci, Jr. et al., issued May 21, 19~4, U.S. Patent No. 3,974,025, Ayers, issued August 10, 1976, U.S.
Patent No. 3,5~3,164, Friedberg et al., issued March 30, 1971, U.S. Patent No. 3,473,576, Amneus, issued October 21, 1969, U.S.
Patent No. 4,239,065, Trokhan, issued December 16, 1980, and U.S.
Patent No. ~,528,239, ~rokhan, issued July 9, 1985.
Preferably, the furnish is first formed into a wet web on a foraminous forming carrier, such as a fourdrinier wire. ~he web is dewatered and transferred to an imprinting fabric. The furnish may alternately be initially deposited on a foraminous supporting carrier which also operates as an imprinting fabric. Once formed, the wet web is dewatered and, preferably, thenmally predried to a selected fiber consistency of between about 40X and about 80X.
Dewatering can be performed with suction boxes or other vacuum devices or with blow-through dryers. The knuckle imprint of the imprinting fabric is impressed in the web as discussed above, prior to drying the web to completion. One method for accom-plishing this is through apptication of mechanical pressure. ~his can be done, for example, by pressing a nip roll which supports the imprinting fabric against the face of a drying drum, such as a Yankee dryer, wherein the web is disposed between the nip roll and drying drum. Also, preferably, the web is molded against the imprinting fabric prior to completion of drying by application of ~ ~1 #~

fluid pressure with a vacuum device such as a suction box, or with a blow-through dryer. Fluid pressure may be applied to induce impression of densified zones during initial dewatering, in a separate, subsequent process stage, or a combination thereof.
Uncompacted, non-pattern-densified tissue paper structures are described in U. S. Patent No. 3,812,000 issued to Joseph ~. Salvucci, Jr. and Peter N. Yiannos on May 21, 1974 and U. S. Patent No. 4,208,459, issued to Henry E. Becker, Albert L. McConnell, and Richard Schuttle on June 17, 1980. In general, uncompacted, non-pattern-densified tissue paper structure~ are prepared by depositing a papermaking furnish on a foraminous forming wire such as a Fourdrinier wire to form a wet web, draining the web and removing additional water without mechanical compression until the web has a fiber consistency of at least 80%, and creping the web. Water is removed from the web by vacuum dewatering and thermal drying. The resulting structure is a soft but weak high bulk sheet of relatively uncompacted fibers. Bonding material is preferably applied to portions of the web prior to creping.
Compacted non-pattern-densified tissue structures are commonly known in the art as conventional tissue structures. In general, compacted, non-pattern-densified tissue paper structures are prepared by depositing a papermaking furnish on a foraminous wire such as a Fourdrinier wire to form a wet web, draining the web and removing additional water with the aid of a uniform mechanical compaction (pressing) until the web has a consistency of 25-50~, transferring the web to a thermal dryer such as a Yankee and creping the web. Overall, water is removed from the web by vacuum, mechanical pressing and thermal means. The resulting structure is strong and generally of singular density, but very low in bulk, absorbency and in softness.

The tissue paper web of this invention can be used in any application where soft, absorbent tissue paper webs are required. One particularly advantageous use of the tissue paper web of this invention is in paper towel products. For example, two tissue paper webs of this invention can be embossed and adhesively secured together in face to face relation as taught by U. S. Patent No.
3,414,459, which issued to Wells on December 3, 1968 to form 2-ply paper towels.
Analysis of the amount of treatment chemicals herein retained on tissue paper webs can be performed by any method accepted in the applicable art. For example, the level of the quaternary ammonium compound, such as DTDMAMS, retained by the tissue paper can be determined by solvent extraction of the DTDMAMS by an organic solvent followed by an anionic/cationic titration using Dimidium Bromide as indicator; the level of the polyhydroxy plasticizer, such as PEG-400, can be determine by extraction in an organic solvent followed by gas chromatography to determine the level of PEG-400 in the extract; the level of wet strength resin such as polyamide epichlorohydrin resin, for example Kymene 557H
can be determined by subtraction from the total nitrogen level obtained via the Nitrogen Analyzer, the amount of quaternary ammonium compound level, determined by the above titration method. These methods are exemplary, and are not meant to exclude other methods which may be useful for determining levels of particular components retained by the tissue paper.
Hydrophilicity of tissue paper refers, in general, to the propensity of the tissue paper to be wetted with water. Hydrophilicity of tissue paper may be somewhat quantified by determ;n; ng the period of time required for dry tissue paper to become completely wetted with water.
This period of time is referred to as ~wetting time".

'~9 17a In order to provide a consistent and repeatable test for wetting time, the following procedure may be used for wetting time determinations: first, a conditioned sample unit sheet ~the environmental conditions for testing of paper samples are 23+1~C and 50+2%RH. as specified in TAPPI Method T 402), approximately 4-3/8 inch x 4-3/4 inch (about 11.1 cm x 12 cm) of tissue paper structure is provided; second, the sheet is folded into four (4) juxtaposed quarters, and then crumpled into a ball approximately 0.75 inches (about 1.9 cm) to about 1 inch (about 2.5 cm) in diameter; third, the balled sheet is placed on the surface of a body of distilled water at 23 + 1~C and a timer WO 93/09287 PCr/US92/08897 is simultaneously started; fourth, the timer is stopped and read when wetting of the balled sheet is completed. Complete ~etting is observed visually.
Hydrophilicity characters of tissue paper embodiments of the S present invention may, of course, be determined immediatel~ aftermanufacture. However, substantial increases in hydrophobicity may occur during the first two weeks after the tissue paper is made:
i.e., after the paper has aged two (2) weeks following its manufacture. Thus, the wetting times are preferably measured at the end of such two week period. Accordingly, wetting times measured at the end of a two week aging period at room temperature are referred to as ~two week wetting times.~
The density of tissue paper, as that term is used herein, is the average density calculated as the basis weight of that paper lS divided by the caliper, with the appropriate unit conversions incorporated therein. Caliper of the tissue paper, as used herein, is the thickness of the paper when subjectet to a compressive load of 9S g/in2 (14.7 g/cm2).
The following example illustrates the practice of the present invention but is not intended to be limit~ng thereof.

The purpose of this example is to illustrate one method that can be used to make soft and absorbent paper towel sheets treated with a mixture of Dihydrogenated Tallow Dimethyl Ammonium Hethyl Sulfate (DTDMAMS) and a Polyhydroxy plasticizer (PEG-400) in the presence of a permanent wet strength resin in accordance with the present invention.
A pilot scale fourdrinier papermaking machine is used in the practice of the present invention. First, a 1% solution of the chemical softener is prepared according to the following procedure: 1. An equivalent molar concentration of DTDMAMS and PEG-400 is weighed; 2. PEG is heated up to about 150~F; 3. DTDMAMS
is dissolved into PEG to form a melted solution; 4. Shear stress is applied to form a homogeneous mixture of DTDMAMS in PEGi S. The dilution water is heated up to about 150~F; 6. The melted mixture of DTDMAMS/PEG-400 is diluted to a 1% solution; and 7. Shear - 19 2 I ~2~

stress is applied to form an aqueous solution containlng a vesicle suspension of the D~DMAMS/PEG-400 m1xture.
Second a 3% by weight aqueous slurry of NSK ls made up in a conventional re-pulper. The NSK slurry is refined gently and a 2%
S solution of Kymen~ 557H is added to the NSK stock pipe at a rate of 1% by weight of the dry fibers. ~he absorption of Kymene 557H
to NSK is enhanced via an in-line mtxer. A 1% solution of Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) is added after the in-line mixer at a rate of 0.2% by weight of the dry fibers to enhance the dry strength of the fibrous substrate. The absorption of CMC to NSK can be enhanced via an in-line mixer. Then a IX solution of the chemical softener mixture (DTDMAMS/PEG) is added to the NSK slurry at a rate of 0.2% by weight of the dry fibers. The absorption of the chemical softener mixture to NSK can also be enhanced via an in-line mixer. The NSK slurry is diluted to 0.2% via the fan pump.
Third a 3X by weight aqueous slurry of CTMP is made up in a conventional re-pulper. A non-ionic surfactant (PegosperseTM 200) is added to the re-pulper at a rate of 0.2X b~ weight of dry fibers. A ~% solution of the chemical softener is added to the CTMP stock pipe before the stock pump at a rate of 0.2X by weight of the dry fibers. The absorption of the chemical softener mixture to CTMP could be enhanced via an in-line mixer. The C~MP
slurry is diluted to 0.2% via the fan pump.
The treateJ furnish mixture (7S% of NSK/25% of CTMP) is blended in the head box and deposited onto a Fourdrinier wire to form an embryonic web. Dewatering occurs through the Fourdrinier wire and is assisted by a deflector and vacuum boxes. ~he Fourdrinier wire is of a S-shed satin weave configuration having 87 machine-direction and 76 cross-machine-direction monofilaments per inch respectively. ~he embryonic wet web is transferred from the fourdrinier wire at a fiber consistency of about 22X at the point of transfer to a photo-polymer fabric having 250 Linear Idaho cells per square inch 34 percent knuckle area and 14 mils of photo-polymer depth. Further de-watering is accomplished by vacuum assisted drainage until the web has a fiber consistency of WO 93/09287 21222 ~2 PCI/US92/08897 about 28%. The patterned web is pre-dried by air blow-through to a fiber consistency of about 65Z by weight. The web is then adhered to the surface of a Yankee dryer with a sprayed creping adhesive comprising 0.25% aqueous solution of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA). The fiber consistency is increased to an estimated 9gX
before the dry creping the web with a doctor blade. The doctor blade has a bevel angle of about 24 degrees and is positioned with respect to the Yankee dryer to provide an impact angle of about 83 degrees; the Yankee dryer is operated at about 800 fpm (feet per minute) (about 244 meters per minute). The dry web is formed into roll at a speed of 700 fpm (214 meters per minute). The dry web contains 0.1% by weight of DTDMAMS, 0.1% by weight of PEG-400, 0.5% by weight Kymene 557H, 0.1% by weight PegosperseT~ 200 and 0.1% by weight CMC.
~wo plies of the web are formed into paper towel products by embossing and laminating them together using PVA adhesive. The resulting paper towel is soft, absorbent and has high permanent wet strength.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A strong soft absorbent tissue paper web comprising:
(a) papermaking fibers;
(b) from 0.01% to 2.0% by weight of a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula wherein each R1 substituent is a C12 -C18 aliphatic hydrocarbon radical and X- is a compatible anion selected from a halide or methylsulfate.;
(c) from 0.01% to 2.0% by weight of a polyhydroxy plasticizer; and (d) from 0.01% to 3.0% by weight of a water-soluble permanent wet strength resin.

2. The paper web of claim 1 wherein said polyhydroxy plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of glycerol and polyethylene glycols having a molecular weight from 200 to 2000.

3. The paper web of claim 2 wherein said polyhydroxy plasticizer is a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight from 200 to 600.

4. The paper web of claim 1 wherein each R1 is selected from C16 -C18 alkyl.

5. The paper web of claim 4 wherein X- is methyl sulfate.

6. The paper web of claim 5 wherein said quaternary ammonium compound is di(hydrogenatad tallow)dimethylammonium.

7. The paper web of claim 1 wherein said water-soluble permanent wet strength resin is a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin or polyacrylamide resin.

8. The paper web of claim 7 wherein said water-soluble permanent wet strength resin is a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin.

9. The paper web of claim 4 wherein said polyhydroxy plasticizer is a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight from 200 to 600.

10. The paper web of claim 9 wherein said quaternary ammonium compound is di(hydrogenated tallow)dimethylammonium and wherein X- is methyl sulfate.

11. The paper web of claim 10 wherein said water-soluble permanent wet strength resin is a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin.

12. The paper web of claim 11 wherein said paper web comprises from 0.03% to 0.5% by weight of said quaternary ammonium compound from 0.03% to 0.5% by weight of saidpolyhydroxy plasticizer, and from 0.3% to 1.5% by weight of said water-soluble permanent wet strength resin.

13. The paper web of claim 1 wherein said paper web further comprises from 0.01% to 1.0%
by weight of a dry strength additive.

14. The paper web of claim 1 wherein the water-soluble wet strength resin is an acrylic latex emulsion or anionic styrene-butadiene latex.

15. The paper web of claim 1 wherein said paper web further comprises from 0.01% to 2.0%
by weight of a nonionic surfactant additive.