Silk-Effect Paper Material with Composite Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional paper materials compromise printability to achieve unique appearances or finishes, such as a silk effect, which limits their ability to achieve high-quality printing.
Innovation Solution
A silk-effect paper material is created by combining cellulose fibers with natural or synthetic silk fibers, polymeric substances for strength, and inorganic fillers for softness, treated with a surface adhesive and softening agents, and coated with a glossy layer containing binding polymers and pigments, allowing for a silk-like feel and high printing quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If traditional coated papers are used to achieve unique appearances and finishes, then the appearance quality is improved, but the printability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite substrate combining cellulose fibers with silk fibers (natural or synthetic) to create a unique feel and appearance while maintaining printability. The composite structure allows the paper to have distinctive surface characteristics from the silk fibers while the cellulose base provides good printing properties
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different treatments to different parts of the paper structure: the substrate contains silk fibers for texture, the bulk provides strength and printability, and the surface receives adhesive and softening agent treatment for enhanced silk-like feel, creating local optimization of different properties
2Shape
If silk fibers are added to create silk-effect paper, then the unique feel and appearance are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines silk fibers with cellulose fibers in a common pulp slurry that is processed through standard papermaking equipment. The fibers are mixed together and formed into a unified paper structure, allowing the silk effect to be achieved without requiring separate processing lines or complex manufacturing setups
Solution Approach 2:
The invention controls the amount of silk fibers in the pulp mixture (preferably up to approximately 10% of total fibers, more preferably less than approximately 3%) to achieve the desired silk-like feel while maintaining compatibility with existing papermaking processes and equipment
3Shape
If surface treatment with adhesive and softening agents is applied, then the silk-like feel is improved, but the production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surface adhesive and softening agents are applied to the paper substrate in the surface sizing section of the paper machine immediately after the paper is formed and while it is still moving through the manufacturing process. This preliminary treatment integrates the surface finishing step into the continuous papermaking operation rather than requiring separate post-processing steps
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 paper material achieves a unique silk-like feel while maintaining machinability and enabling high-quality printing with specific graphic effects, surpassing traditional coated papers.
Implementation Method 1
a polymeric substance, capable of bestowing (dry and wet) strength on the mixture of fibres
Implementation Method 2
an inorganic filler, capable of bestowing softness on the material maintaining good characteristics of machinability
Implementation Method 3
The substrate has at least one surface (face) treated with at least one surface adhesive and one softening agent so that the paper material, owing to the combined effect of the composition of the substrate and of the surface treatment, presents a feel similar to that of silk
Implementation Method 4
The softening agent comprises, for example, sorbitol and/or glycerine
Implementation Method 5
the paper material according to the invention is provided with a glossy coating, applied on the treated surface
Data Source
AI summary
A silk-effect paper material comprises a substrate, formed by a mixture of cellulose fibres and of fibres with a base of natural and/or synthetic silk and containing at least one polymeric substance (comprising, for example, one or more colophony-based and/or epichlorohydrin-based resins, and/or modified starches), apt to bestow strength on the mixture of fibres, and an inorganic filler (for example, a mineral filler such as carbonate, kaolin, talc, etc.); the paper material has at least one surface treated with at least one surface adhesive and one softening agent and provided with a glossy coating formed by one or more binding polymers and/or waxes, mixed with pigments.