Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Algix, LLC

Bo Shi

James Hongxue Wang

Thomas Gerard Shannon

Gregory James Wideman

Brent Merrik Thompson

Candace Dyan Krautkramer

Michael William Veith

Vasily Aramovich Topolkaraev

Mark Michael Mleziva

Aimin He

Michael Andrew Zawadzki

Sarah Ann Funk

Mark Ashton Zeller

Ryan W Hunt

Robert J Zelenak

Neil T Scholl

Jeffrey James Timm

Stephen Michael Lindsay

Ross Thomas Kaufman

Peter Shawn Lortscher

YoungSook Kim

JaeHong Lee

Ellen Elizabeth Pelky

Jaehong Lee

Michael Lawrence Gross

Jeffrey Robert Besaw

David Wesley Bernd

Abigail Joy Mitchell

Youngsook Kim

The present invention provides a wet-laid tissue product comprising regenerated cellulose fibers that can provide 25% or less of the total weight of the wet-laid tissue product. The regenerated cellulose fibers can have a denier of less than 0.9 and a fiber length of less than 6.0 mm. The wet-laid tissue product can provide improvements in softness at a given strength.

Soft and strong tissue product including regenerated cellulose fibers

The present invention provides a wet-pressed, wet-laid tissue product that is soft and durable. The tissue product includes regenerated cellulose fibers providing 25% or less of the total weight of the wet-laid tissue product. The tissue product can include a DSF value of greater than 1.22. The DSF value is defined by the equation: DSF=(Durability Value/TS7 Softness value)/number of plies of the wet-pressed, wet-laid tissue product.

An algae-based thermoplastic composition is provided that includes a protein-rich algae biomass selected from either microalgae, macroalgae or combinations thereof. The protein content is greater than or equal to 15% by weight of the algae biomass and the algae biomass is dried to a moisture content of less than or equal to 15% by weight and having a particle d99 of up to 200 microns. The dried algae biomass is at least 5% by weight of the thermoplastic composition. The composition includes a biodegradable resin configured to exhibit rheological properties suitable for blending with algae including a melting temperature less than 250&#xb0; C. and a melt flow rate in excess of 0.01 g/10 min.

Algae-blended thermoplastic compositions

A fiber formed from a thermoplastic composition that contains a thermoplastic starch and an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester is provided. The copolyester enhances the strength of the starch-containing fibers and facilitates the ability of the starch to be melt processed. Due to its relatively low melting point, the copolyester may also be extruded with the thermoplastic starch at a temperature low enough to avoid substantial removal of the moisture in the starch. Furthermore, the copolyester is also modified with an alcohol to contain one or more hydroxyalkyl or alkyl terminal groups. By selectively controlling the conditions of the alcoholysis reaction (e.g., alcohol and copolymer concentrations, temperature, etc.), the resulting modified aliphatic-aromatic copolyester may have a relatively low molecular weight. Such low molecular weight polymers have the combination of a higher melt flow index and lower apparent viscosity, which is useful in a variety of fiber forming applications, such as meltblowing nonwoven webs.

Fibers formed from a blend of a modified aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and theremoplastic starch

A thermoplastic composition includes at least one kind of algae that constitutes from about 10 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of the composition, and a polymer that constitutes from about 45 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of the composition, wherein the composition is free of plasticizer and free of plant polymer. An injection molded article is formed from a material including at least one kind of algae that constitutes from about 10 wt. % to about 55 wt. % of the composition, and a polymer that constitutes from about 45 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of the composition, wherein the material is free of plasticizer and free of plant polymer.

Algae-blended compositions without plasticizers

The present invention provides a tissue product formed from a fiber furnish consisting essentially of short cellulosic fibers, such as fibers having an average fiber length less than about 2.0 mm, and a synthetic fiber having at least one cross-section dimension less than about 20 microns. The invention also provides a tissue product comprising at least one wet laid multi-layered tissue web comprising a fiber furnish consisting essentially of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers, the multi-layered tissue web having a first and second outer layer and a middle layer disposed there between where the synthetic fibers are selectively disposed in the middle layer. Generally the tissue product comprises less than about 30 percent, by weight of the tissue product, synthetic fiber. In a preferred embodiment the tissue product comprises non-fibrillated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers having a circular cross-section shape with a diameter less than about 5.0 microns and are substantially free from long cellulosic fibers. Despite being free from long cellulosic fibers the tissue product have good strength and low stiffness.

Soft tissue comprising synthetic fibers

The present application provides a tissue product comprising at least about 10 weight percent high coarseness fibers, from about 1.0 to about 10 weight percent synthetic fibers and less than about 10 weight percent long, low-coarseness cellulosic fibers. The high coarseness fibers may be cellulosic fibers having an average fiber length greater than about 2.0 mm and a coarseness greater than 17 mg/100 m, such as Southern softwood kraft pulp fibers (SSWK) derived from a pine in thesubgenus, and the synthetic fiber is a non-cellulosic, thermoplastic fiber such as non-fibrillated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. In certain embodiments the tissue products may be substantially free from long, low coarseness cellulosic fibers, yet provide satisfactory strength, such as a geometric mean tensile from about 500 to about 1,200 g/3&#x2033;, and softness, such as a TS7 less than about 11.0.

A containerboard packaging material includes at least one linerboard layer including tree-based pulp material and at least one fluted medium layer including tree-free pulp material, wherein the tree-free pulp material is present in the medium layer in an amount of from about 5% to about 100%. The medium layer pulp material can be tree-free pulp material. The tree-free pulp material can be wheat straw pulp and red algae pulp.

Tree-free fiber compositions and uses in containerboard packaging

The present invention generally relates to tissue webs and products, which generally have a basis weight less than about 80 grams per square meter (gsm) and a sheet bulk greater than about 5 cubic centimeters per gram (cc/g) comprising a blend of conventional papermaking fibers and high carbohydrate fillers. Surprisingly, the fillers may displace a relatively large amount of conventional papermaking fibers, such as hardwood kraft pulp, without negatively affecting important tissue properties such as caliper, bulk, slough, absorbent capacity and softness. In fact, in certain instances the use of fillers actually improves tissue properties.

Tissue products comprising high carbohydrate content fillers

A method for forming a composition that includes mixing an antimicrobially active botanical oil (e.g., thymol, carvacrol, etc.) and a modified starch polymer within a melt blending device (e.g., extruder) is provided. Unlike the problems associated with proteins, the use of starch polymers allows for a greater degree of flexibility in the processing conditions and is still able to achieve good properties in the resulting composition. The present inventors have also discovered that a plasticizer may be employed to facilitate melt processing of the starch, as well as to enhance the ability of the botanical oil to flow into the internal structure of the starch where it can be retained in a stable manner. The composition is also typically generally free of solvents. In this manner, the starch will not generally disperse before use and prematurely release the botanical oil. Due to the water sensitivity of the modified starch, however, it may be subsequently dispersed by moisture when it is desired to release the botanical oil.

Melt processed antimicrobial composition

The present invention relates to a containerboard packaging material comprising at least one non-wood alternative pulp material wherein said non-wood alternative pulp material is present in an amount of from about 5% to about 100% and wherein said material replaces at least a portion of conventional fiber materials.

Hybrid fiber compositions and uses in containerboard packaging

Novel pulps comprising conventional papermaking and macroalgae fibers are provided. By combining conventional papermaking fibers with never-dried macroalgae fibers, rather than dried macroalgae fibers, the disclosure provides pulp sheets having improved characteristics such as tensile and burst strength, with minimal deterioration in freeness.

High strength macroalgae pulps

A film that is formed from a biodegradable polymer blend of different aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters is provided. More specifically, the blend contains a first copolyester formed from a terephthalic acid monomer. The use of a terephthalic acid monomer results in a polymer chain containing 1,4-(para-)terephthalate units linked in a generally linear configuration (e.g., &#x2dc;180&#xb0;). The blend also contains a second aliphatic-aromatic copolyester formed from a phthalic acid and/or isophthalic acid monomer.

Film formed from a blend of biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters

A film that is biodegradable and water-sensitive (e.g., water-soluble, water-dispersible, etc.) in that it loses its integrity over time in the presence of water is provided. More specifically, the film contains a combination of a biodegradable polyester and a water-sensitive thermoplastic starch. The desired water-sensitive attributes of film may be achieved in the present invention by selectively controlling a variety of aspects of the film construction, such as the nature of the components employed, the relative amount of each component, the manner in which the film is formed, and so forth.

Water-sensitive biodegradable film

A film that is both biodegradable and flushable, and yet can still act as a barrier to water or other fluids during use, is provided. More particularly, the film contains a water-dispersible core layer that helps the film to lose its integrity after being flushed, as well as a water-barrier skin layer that helps maintain the integrity of the film during use. The nature and relative concentration of the components in the water-barrier layer are selectively controlled to achieve a combination of different functions. That is, the majority of the polymers employed in the water-barrier layer are biodegradable polymers that can be degraded by microorganisms while in an aqueous environment (e.g., septic tank, water treatment facility, etc.). To even further enhance the overall renewability of the layer, a relatively high amount of the biodegradable polymers are starch polymers, which are also renewable. The starch polymers can also minimize the degree of stickiness in the film, which can sometimes result from certain types of synthetic polymers. Even at a high starch content, the present inventors have discovered that films may still be readily formed by using synthetic biodegradable polyesters in combination with the starch to facilitate melt processing.

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Bo Shi