Creped Tissue Basis Weight and Creping Chemistry Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Facial tissues face a challenge in balancing absorbency and strike-through resistance, as optimizing one typically compromises the other, and existing post-treatment methods using hydrophobic materials are expensive and may leave residues on the user's skin.
Innovation Solution
Increasing the basis weight of tissue webs and reducing creping chemistry add-on levels, while employing specific creping conditions, improves strike-through resistance and absorbency without the need for post-treatment with hydrophobic materials like silicones or waxes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the tissue basis weight is increased to improve absorbency, then absorbency is improved, but strike-through resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the basis weight parameter of the tissue from conventional lower values to greater than 16 gsm, and adjusts the creping composition add-on to less than 0.5% by weight. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by achieving high absorbency through increased basis weight while maintaining strike-through resistance through reduced creping chemistry that would otherwise block liquid penetration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies creping composition locally at controlled low levels (less than 0.5% add-on) rather than uniformly across the entire tissue structure. This localized application provides sufficient creping functionality without creating a continuous hydrophobic barrier, allowing the tissue to maintain both high absorbency and strike-through resistance
2Reliability
If post-treatment with hydrophobic materials is applied to improve strike-through resistance, then strike-through resistance is improved, but cost increases and skin residues are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the post-treatment step with hydrophobic materials entirely. By achieving the desired strike-through resistance through basis weight optimization and reduced creping composition during manufacturing, the need for subsequent expensive post-treatments is removed, preventing skin residue formation altogether
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs the strike-through resistance optimization during the tissue manufacturing process itself through basis weight control and creping composition adjustment, rather than relying on preliminary or subsequent post-treatment steps. This preliminary optimization during production eliminates the need for additional hydrophobic material applications that would cause skin residues
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The approach results in tissue products with enhanced strike-through resistance and absorbency, maintaining strength and softness, while avoiding the use of costly post-treatments and skin residues.
Implementation Method 1
the absorbent capacity of a tissue may be increased, without negatively effecting strike-through, by increasing the basis weight and reducing creping chemistry add-on
Data Source
AI summary
In general, the present disclosure is directed to creped tissue webs, and products produced therefrom. The creped webs and products are strong, soft, and have improved strike-through and absorbency properties. The improvement in both strike-through and absorbency is achieved in-part by increasing the basis weight of the web, while at the same time reducing the creping composition add-on levels.