Debonder and softener compositions
AssigneeNalco Company
InventorsGary S. Furman, Gillian Frette, Frank Koenig, Tobias Maurer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and compositions for softening paper. An inventive composition and method of its use softens paper products (like tissue paper) by de-bonding its cellulose fibers and by improving the smoothness of the resulting paper. The invention forms a surfactant-polymer complex that attaches de-bonding non-ionic surfactants to cellulose fibers that would otherwise not be retained by the cellulose fibers. This complex prevents the fibers from bonding with each other and makes the paper product smoother. Best of all, the composition is environmentally superior and is a non-toxic.
Claims16
A method of softening a paper product, the method comprising:
- adding an effective amount of a composition to a mass containing cellulose fibers,
- the composition comprising at least one non-ionic surfactant and at least one cationic polyelectrolyte polymer coagulant, the polyelectrolyte polymer coagulant having a molecular weight of more than 4000 Daltons and an overall cationic character and which can form stable emulsions with the nonionic surfactant,
- wherein the composition effectively de-bonds the cellulose fibers.
A sheet of paper comprising a mass containing cellulose fibers, wherein within the mass a composition was added during a papermaking process,
- the composition comprising at least one non-ionic surfactant and at least one cationic polyelectrolyte polymer coagulant, the polyelectrolyte polymer coagulant having an overall cationic character and which can forms stable emulsions with the nonionic surfactant,
- wherein the composition effectively de-bonds the cellulose fibers and the at least one cationic polymer is selected from the list consisting of:
- epi-DMA, poly(DADMAC), and any combination thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.