Softer and higher strength paper products and methods of making such products

A method of making sanitary paper products from newspapers containing coarse cellulose fibers, comprising:

• (a) pulping said newspapers in water with agitation to produce a pulp slurry furnish;
• (b) fractionating the pulp slurry furnish into:
• i) a slurry of short fibers and fines, and
• ii) a slurry of long fibers;
• (c) providing the slurry of long fibers to a paper machine, thereby forming a paper sheet from said third fiber mixture;
• and
• (d) adding the slurry of short fibers and fines to the upper surface of the paper sheet.

An absorbent paper product made by the process comprising:

• (a) providing a first cellulosic fiber mixture;
• (b) fractionating the first cellulosic fiber mixture into
• i) a second fiber mixture having relatively short fibers and fines, and
• ii) a third fiber mixture having relatively long fibers,
• (c) providing the third fiber mixture to a paper machine, thereby forming a first paper sheet from said third fiber mixture, the first paper sheet having an upper and lower surface,
• (d) adding the second fiber mixture to the upper surface of the first paper sheet,
• (e) drying said first paper sheet, and
• (f) combining said first paper sheet with at least one additional paper sheet to form a multi-ply paper product.

A paper product comprising more than one ply, wherein each ply of the paper product comprises a plurality of layers, the paper products having at least one inner layer comprising short fibers and fines, the inner layer being formed by:

• (a) providing a first cellulosic fiber mixture;
• (b) fractionating the first cellulosic fiber mixture into
• i) a second fiber mixture having relatively short fibers and fines, and
• ii) a third fiber mixture having relatively long fibers,
• (c) treating the third fiber mixture with chemical agents to soften the fibers,
• (d) providing the third fiber mixture to a paper machine, thereby forming a first paper sheet from said third fiber mixture on a wire former, the first paper sheet having an upper and lower surface,
• (e) adding the second fiber mixture to the upper surface of the first paper sheet to form an inner layer, and
• (f) combining the inner layer with other layers to form a paper products.