# US 10,501,892 B2 · Soft tissue comprising synthetic fibers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,892 B2 - Document ID: US10501892B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/094,593 - Filed: 2016-09-29 - Published: 2019-05-30 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-29 - Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Applicants: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Gerard Shannon; Bo Shi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501892B2 ## CPC - D21H 27/005: {relating to physical or mechanical properties, e.g. tensile strength, stretch, softness} - D21H 13/02: Synthetic cellulose fibres - D21H 15/06: Long fibres, i.e. fibres exceeding the upper length limit of conventional paper-making fibres; Filaments - D21H 27/002: {Tissue paper; Absorbent paper (D21H21/22, D21H27/02, D21H27/20 take precedence; toilet paper A47K10/00; absorbent pads for physiological fluids A61L15/16; making on paper-making machines D21F11/00)} - D21H 27/30: Multi-ply (for surface covering D21H27/18; making on paper-making machines D21F9/00, D21F11/00) - D21H 27/32: with materials applied between the sheets (attaching together paper or cardboard sheets B31F5/00; adhesives C09J) - D21H 27/34: Continuous materials, e.g. filaments, sheets, nets - D21H 15/10: Composite fibres - D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The present invention provides a tissue product formed from a fiber furnish consisting essentially of short cellulosic fibers, such as fibers having an average fiber length less than about 2.0 mm, and a synthetic fiber having at least one cross-section dimension less than about 20 microns. The invention also provides a tissue product comprising at least one wet laid multi-layered tissue web comprising a fiber furnish consisting essentially of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers, the multi-layered tissue web having a first and second outer layer and a middle layer disposed there between where the synthetic fibers are selectively disposed in the middle layer. Generally the tissue product comprises less than about 30 percent, by weight of the tissue product, synthetic fiber. In a preferred embodiment the tissue product comprises non-fibrillated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers having a circular cross-section shape with a diameter less than about 5.0 microns and are substantially free from long cellulosic fibers. Despite being free from long cellulosic fibers the tissue product have good strength and low stiffness. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tissue product comprising at least one tissue web, the tissue web comprising from about 10 to about 30 wt % non-fibrillated synthetic fiber having at least one cross-section dimension less than 20 microns and an average fiber length from about 1.0 to about 5.0 mm, the tissue product having a geometric mean tensile (GMT) greater than about 800 g/3″ and a geometric mean slope (GM Slope) less than about 10.0 kg and wherein the tissue web is substantially free from cellulosic fibers having an average fiber length greater than about 2.0 mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1 wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber has a substantially circular cross section and a diameter from about 0.5 to about 10 microns. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1 wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber has a substantially rectangular cross section with a width dimension that is greater than the height dimension and wherein the height dimension is from about 0.5 to about 10 microns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The tissue product of claim 3 wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber has a substantially rectangular cross section and a width dimension less than about 25 microns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1 having a GMT from about 800 to about 1200 g/3″ and a GM Slope from about 5.0 to about 8.0 kg. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1 having a GMT from about 800 to about 1200 g/3″ and a Stiffness Index from about 4.0 to about 6.0. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1, wherein the product is substantially free from latex binder and has an Absorbent Capacity greater than about 6.0 g/g and a CD Wet/Dry tensile ratio greater than about 0.40. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1 having an Absorbent Capacity from about 6.5 to about 7.0 g/g and a CD Wet/Dry tensile ratio from about 0.42 to about 0.50. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tissue product of claim 1 wherein the tissue product comprises at least one multi-layered web having a first and second outer layer and a middle layer disposed there between and wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber is selectively disposed in the middle layer and comprises from about 10 to about 30 percent of the weight of the tissue web. ### Claim 10 A tissue product comprising at least one wet laid multi-layered tissue web comprising a fiber furnish consisting essentially of non-fibrillated synthetic fibers having an average fiber length from about 1.0 to about 5.0 mm and cellulosic fibers having an average fiber length from about 0.5 to about 2.0 mm, the multi-layered tissue web having a first and second outer layer and a middle layer disposed there between wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fibers are selectively disposed in the middle layer and the first and second layers are substantially free from non-fibrillated synthetic fibers, the tissue product having a GMT greater than about 800 g/3″ and a GM Slope less than about 10.0 kg and wherein the tissue web comprises from about 10 to about 30 percent, by weight of the tissue web, of the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tissue product of claim 10 wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber has at least one cross-section dimension less than about 20 microns and an average fiber length from about 1.0 to about 5.0 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The tissue product of claim 10 wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber has a substantially circular cross section and a diameter from about 0.5 to about 10 microns. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The tissue product of claim 10 having a GMT from about 800 to about 1200 g/3″ and a GM Slope from about 5.0 to about 8.0 kg. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The tissue product of claim 10 having a GMT from about 800 to about 1200 g/3″ and a Stiffness Index from about 4.0 to about 6.0. ### Claim 15 A method of forming a wet laid tissue web comprising the steps of: a. providing a first fiber furnish consisting essentially of cellulosic fibers having an average fiber length from about 0.5 to about 2.0 mm; b. providing a second fiber furnish consisting essentially of non-fibrillated synthetic fibers having at least one cross-section dimension less than 20 microns and an average fiber length from about 1.0 to about 5.0 mm and cellulosic fibers having an average fiber length from about 0.5 to about 2.0 mm; c. depositing the first and second fiber furnish on a forming fabric to form a wet tissue web; d. partially dewatering the wet tissue web; and e. drying the tissue web, wherein the web comprises from about 10 to about 30 wt % non-fibrillated synthetic fibers and has a GMT greater than about 800 g/3″ and a GM Slope less than about 15.0 kg. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of (f) creping the tissue web and (g) plying two webs together to form a tissue product, wherein the tissue product has a GMT greater from about 800 to about 1,200 g/3″ and a GM Slope from about 6.0 to about 12.0 kg. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the non-fibrillated synthetic fiber is a non-fibrillated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber having a substantially circular cross section and a diameter from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.