Water-Disintegrable Fibrous Sheet for Crush-Resistant Tissue Cores
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cardboard cores used in sanitary paper rolls are not easily disposable in water and can clog toilet drains, while existing disintegrable paper products either lack sufficient strength or have slow disintegration rates, failing to meet the requirements of quick disintegration and recyclability.
Innovation Solution
A fibrous sheet made predominantly of papermaking fibers with a basis weight of 20-1000 g/m2, manufactured using a wet papermaking process, containing 10-70% starch and at least 30% papermaking fibers, which disintegrates in water within 120 seconds, and is designed to be strong enough to maintain core structure during handling and transportation.
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 the material does not disintegrate quickly in water and becomes a waste product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material consisting of papermaking fibres (30-70% of dry weight) and starch (10-70% of dry weight) to create a core that combines the mechanical strength of traditional cardboard with the rapid disintegration properties of starch-based materials. This composite structure allows the core to maintain sufficient crush resistance during handling and transportation while disintegrating quickly in water to avoid clogging drains.
2Reliability
If disintegrable paper products are used, then the material disintegrates quickly in water, but the mechanical strength and crush resistance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the starch content parameter within the range of 10-70% of dry weight to achieve the desired balance between disintegration rate and mechanical strength. By controlling the starch concentration and using specific starch types (such as native or modified starch), the core disintegrates within 120 seconds in water while maintaining adequate crush resistance for handling and transportation.
3Reliability
If starch content is increased to improve disintegration rate, then disintegration speed increases, but mechanical strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different properties to different components of the composite material: starch provides rapid disintegration capability when in contact with water, while papermaking fibres maintain the structural framework and mechanical strength. This local quality differentiation allows each component to fulfill its specific function optimally, with the starch content adjusted within 10-70% of dry weight to achieve the desired disintegration rate without compromising overall structural integrity.
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 provides controlled disintegration and strength comparable to cardboard, allowing for easy flushing with wastewater and meeting the criteria of rapid disintegration, crush resistance, and recyclability without impacting paper recycling or water treatment processes.
Implementation Method 1
disintegrates in water in less than 120 seconds
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 fibres 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.