Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Christopher Lee Satori

Kevin Joseph Vogt

Kenneth John Zwick

Mike Thomas Goulet

Mark William Sachs

Cathleen Mae Uttecht

Frederick John Lang

Lynda Ellen Collins

Donald Eugene Waldroup

Stephen Michael Lindsay

Michael Andrew Zawadzki

Richard Alan Zanon

Elizabeth Oriel Bradley

John Alexander Werner, Iv

Dave Allen Soerens

Michael John Rekoske

Thomas Joseph Dyer

Frank Gerald Druecke

Benjamin Joseph Kruchoski

Mark Alan Burazin

Peter John Allen

Richard Louis Underhill

Steven James Wojcik

Geoffrey Fenn Carlow

John Paul David

Christopher R Fahrbach

Mickey Joseph Authement, Ii

John Alexander Werner

Matthew Robert Wilson

Mark John Hassman

Richard Allen Zanon

Robert James Seymour

Peter Lee Carson

Eric Kent Isom, Jr

Daniel Keith Lawson

Richard Ames Horton

Emily Schulte

Alexander F Gunn

Craig Steven Besaw

Elizabeth E Metz

Teresa M Kaufman

Charles B Strother

William H Gilmore, Jr

Goeffrey F Carlow

Jessica C Heiting

Matthew R Wilson

Jeremy Michael Brunette

Jason A McDavid

Mickey Joseph Authement

Kenneth Zwick

John Alexander Werner Iv

Mickey Joseph Ii Authement

John Alexander Iv Werner

Steven J Wojcik

A low-cost, in-line process for treating a fibrous web with a lotion is provided. The process generally involves passing a web through a nip formed by a pair of opposed surfaces, where one of the surfaces has been treated with a lotion having a penetration hardness greater than 5.0 mm. As the web passes through the nip, the lotion is transferred from one of the opposed surfaces to the surface of the web. In certain instances, the web may have a textured surface and only a portion of the web's textured surface is treated with a lotion.

Topically treated tissue product

Disclosed am multi-ply tissue products, particularly creped and through-air dried facial tissue products, having improved strength and softness. For example, the products have a geometric mean tensile strength (GMT) greater than about 1,2000 g/3″, a geometric mean tensile energy absorption (GM TEA) of about 20 g·cm/cmor greater and a TS7 value less than about 16.0. In certain instances, the tissue products also have a low degree of stiffness and a relatively smooth surface, such as a Stiffness Index less than about 8.00 and a TS750 value less than about 15.0. The tissue products may be prepared from webs manufactured by a print-crepe process that deposits a latex polymer on at least one of the outer surfaces of the tissue web.

Soft through-air dried facial tissue

Disclosed are multi-ply tissue products, particularly wet pressed facial tissue products that have been recreped. For example, disclosed are tissue products prepared from wet pressed tissue webs that have been recreped using a print-crepe process that deposits a latex polymer on at least one of the outer surfaces of the tissue web. The tissue products have improved strength and softness, such as a geometric mean tensile strength (GMT) greater than about 1,400 g/3″, a geometric mean tensile energy absorption (GM TEA) of about 20 gocm/cm2 or greater and a TS7 value less than about 16.0. In certain instances, the tissue products also have a low degree of stiffness and a relatively smooth surface, such as a Stiffness Index less than about 8.00 and a TS750 value less than about 20.0.

Soft wet pressed facial tissue

Provided are tissue webs, and products produced therefrom, that are generally durable, flexible and have improved cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as CD tensile energy absorption (CD TEA), CD stretch and CD modulus. The inventive tissue products generally comprise multiple tissue plies, such as two or more plies, that have been prepared by through-air drying and more preferably by through-air drying without creping. Moreover, the plies may be produced in a through-air drying process that utilizes a transfer fabric positioned between the forming fabric and the through-air drying fabric where the transfer fabric imparts the nascent web with a high degree of CD strain.

Multi-ply tissue products having improved cross-machine direction properties

The present invention provides a through-air dried tissue product comprising regenerated cellulose fibers that can provide 25 percent or less of the total weight of the through-air dried tissue product. The regenerated cellulose fibers can have a linear density less than about 1.5 dtex and a fiber length of less than 6.0 mm. The through-air dried tissue product can provide improvements in softness at a given strength.

Multi-ply through-air dried tissue products comprising regenerated cellulose fiber

Provided are tissue webs, and products produced therefrom, that are generally durable, flexible and have improved cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as CD tensile energy absorption (CD TEA), CD stretch and CD modulus. The inventive tissue products generally comprise a single tissue ply that has been prepared by through-air drying and more preferably by through-air drying without creping. Moreover, the products may be produced using a transfer fabric positioned between the forming fabric and the through-air drying fabric where the transfer fabric imparts the nascent web with a high degree of CD strain.

Single ply tissue having improved cross-machine direction properties

The present invention provides tissue webs and products that are manufactured by non-compressive dewatering and/or drying methods, such as through-air drying, where the webs and products comprise cross-linked fiber. The non-compressively dewatered tissue webs and products have improved sheet bulk and z-direction properties. For example, in one embodiment, the invention provides through-air dried tissue products having good sheet bulk and resiliency, such as a sheet bulk greater than about 15 cc/g and Compression Energy (E) greater than about 1.30 N/m. Surprisingly the foregoing products have sufficient strength to withstand use, such as a GMT greater than about 600 g/3&#x2033;, but are not overly stiff, generally having a Stiffness Index less than about 12.

Resilient high bulk tissue products

The disclosure provides tissue webs and products comprising cross-linked cellulosic fibers. In certain embodiments cross-linked cellulosic fibers are selectively disposed in one or more layers of a multi-layered tissue, wherein the tissue layer comprising cross-linked fibers is adjacent to a layer which is substantially free from cross-linked fiber. The cross-linked fibers may include hardwood kraft fibers reacted with a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of DMDHU, DMDHEU, DMU, DHEU, DMEU, and DMeDHEU. Tissue products and webs produced in this manner generally have improved sheet bulk, without losses in strength, compared to similar tissue products produced without cross-linked cellulosic fibers. As such the tissue products of the present invention generally have a basis weight from about 10 to about 50 gsm, a sheet bulk greater from about 8.0 to about 12.0 cc/g and geometric mean tensile from about 730 to about 1,500 g/3&#x2033;.

Soft, strong and bulky tissue

Methods of improving the drying rate of a cellulosic web, such as a tissue web, by providing an apparatus having two noncompressive dewatering devices, such as two through-air driers, where the temperature of the drying medium supplied to each device is separately controlled. The temperature of the medium supplied to the first device may exceed 450&#xb0; F., such as from about 450 to about 600&#xb0; F. On the other hand the temperature of the medium supplied to the second device may be less than the temperature supplied to the first, such as from about 350 to 450&#xb0; F. Drying the web in this manner not only improves drying efficiency, but also limits or prevents degradation of the web, such as the combustion of cellulosic fibers making up the web or monosaccharides associated therewith. As such, webs that are substantially free from furan and acetaldehyde may be produced by the present methods.

Through-air drying apparatus and methods of manufacture

The present invention provides tissue webs and products that are manufactured by non-compressive dewatering and/or drying methods, such as through-air drying, where the webs and products comprise cross-linked fiber. The non-compressively dewatered tissue webs and products have improved sheet bulk and z-direction properties. For example, in one embodiment, the invention provides through-air dried tissue products having good sheet bulk and resiliency, such as a sheet bulk greater than about 12 cc/g and Compression Energy (E) greater than about 1.30 N/m. Surprisingly the foregoing products have sufficient strength to withstand use, such as a GMT greater than about 1,200 g/3&#x2033;, but are not overly stiff, generally having a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.

Resilient high bulk towels

The invention provides a creped tissue web having satisfactory softness without the excess use of water insoluble creping compositions. The satisfactory softness levels, which may be measured as TS7, are generally less than about 10.0 and may be achieved by creping the tissue web with less than about 100 mg/m(milligrams of creping composition per square meter of creping cylinder surface area) such as from about 25 to about 100 mg/mand more preferably from about 50 to about 75 mg/m. It was previously believed that water insoluble creping compositions need to be added at high add-on levels, such as 100 mg/mor greater to achieve a desirable softness at a given tensile strength. It has now been surprisingly discovered that the add-on of water insoluble creping composition may be reduced significantly by adding a water soluble adhesive to the creping composition.

Soft creped tissue

Growing community of inventors

Hortonville, WI, United States of America

Christopher Lee Satori