Process for improving optical properties of paper

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of efficiently maintaining or increasing brightness and whiteness of refined paper. In one aspect, the invention is directed to a method for substantially maintaining (or even increasing) brightness and/or whiteness of paper with increased pulp refining, the method including refining the pulp down to reduce the freeness at least about 100 CSF and adding a combination of an OBA and a carrier polymer to the paper surface in the size press in amounts sufficient to increase brightness and/or whiteness of the final paper. In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of making paper from refined pulp that includes refining a cellulosic fiber suspension to reduce the freeness at least about 100 CSF and contacting the cellulosic fibers with at least one optical brightening agent (OBA) during or after the refining step prior to adding any additional wet end chemicals.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.