Use of ozone treated chemithermomechanical pulp in a high bulk tissue papermaking process

A process for making soft, bulky, absorbent paper webs which comprises the steps of:

• a. supplying an aqueous papermaking furnish comprising from about 5% to about 70% by weight of total fiber chemi-thermomechanical pulp having a modified Canadian standard freeness from about 500 to about 750 cc and consisting essentially of intact and lignin coated fibers, wherein said chemi-thermomechanical pulp has been prepared by treating wood chips with a liquor containing chemicals selected from the group consisting of sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium carbonate, and mixtures thereof prior to defibration, and wherein said chemi-thermomechanical pulp has been treated with ozone subsequent to defibration;
• b. forming an uncompacted paper web from said papermaking furnish;
• c. supporting said uncompacted paper web on a conveying and imprinting fabric;
• d. thermally predrying said uncompacted paper web to a fiber consistency of from about 30% to about 98%;
• e. imprinting the knuckle pattern of said conveying and imprinting fabric into the thermally predried uncompacted paper web;
• and
• f. finally drying the web so formed.