Water-Disintegrable Fibrous Sheet for Strong Tissue Roll Cores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cardboard cores used in sanitary paper rolls are not easily disposable and can cause plumbing issues due to slow disintegration in water, while existing disintegrable paper products lack sufficient strength and recyclability.
Innovation Solution
A fibrous sheet made predominantly of papermaking fibers with 10-70% starch, manufactured using a wet papermaking process, which disintegrates in water within 120 seconds and maintains strength comparable to cardboard, allowing for controlled disintegration and recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional cardboard is used for core manufacture, then mechanical strength and crush resistance are sufficient, but disintegration in water is slow causing plumbing obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the cardboard by incorporating water-soluble polymers (polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, carboxymethyl cellulose) at concentrations of 1-10% by weight. These polymers change the water solubility parameters of the cardboard structure, enabling it to disintegrate rapidly in water while maintaining mechanical strength through polymer-fiber bonding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining traditional cardboard fibers with water-soluble polymers. The composite structure allows the polymer matrix to hold fibers together during dry storage and handling (providing strength), while dissolving in water to release fibers for rapid disintegration. This composite approach simultaneously achieves both strength and fast disintegration requirements.
2Duration of action of moving object
If disintegrable paper products are used, then disposal is easy and plumbing issues are avoided, but mechanical strength and structural integrity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the molecular weight and concentration parameters of water-soluble polymers to optimize the balance between strength and disintegration. By controlling polymer concentration (1-10% by weight) and selecting appropriate molecular weights, the material achieves sufficient mechanical strength for core functionality while maintaining rapid water solubility for easy disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The water-soluble polymer acts as an intermediary bonding agent between cardboard fibers. During dry conditions, the polymer provides strong adhesive bonding to maintain structural integrity. Upon contact with water, the polymer dissolves as an intermediary layer breaks down, allowing fiber separation and rapid disintegration while having already provided the necessary strength during the service life of the core.
3Duration of action of moving object
If starch is added to fibrous sheet, then disintegration in water is accelerated, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the starch addition step with the existing papermaking process flow. Starch is incorporated into the pulp slurry before sheet formation, combining multiple functions (disintegration control, fiber bonding, water solubility enhancement) into a single integrated processing step rather than requiring separate treatment stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes starch concentration parameters (10-70% by weight in the fibrous sheet) to achieve effective disintegration without excessive complexity. By controlling starch granule size distribution and concentration within specific ranges, the material attains rapid water solubility using standard papermaking equipment and procedures.
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 fibrous sheet effectively disintegrates quickly in water, maintaining strength comparable to cardboard, ensuring easy disposal and compliance with recycling standards, while being manufactured from renewable materials without impacting paper or water treatment processes.
Implementation Method 1
a drying step consisting in drying the sheet at a temperature high enough to gelatinize at least some of the starch
Data Source
AI summary
A fibrous sheet having a basis weight of between 20 and 1000 g/m2 being manufactured according to a wet papermaking process, and disintegrating in water in less than 120 seconds, has 10 to 70% starch and at least 30% of papermaking fibers on the basis of the total weight of the dry fibrous sheet. The sheet may be used for the manufacture of a water disintegrable core in a roll of tissue paper.