Polyvinyl alcohol fibers containing acicular colloidal clay

Insolubilized, plasticized polyvinyl alcohol fibers having colloidal acicular attapulgite clay crystals being present in amount within the range of from 30% to 65% of the dry weight of said fibers.

Fibers of polyvinyl alcohol insolubilized by glyoxal and having colloidal attapulgite clay crystals uniformly distributed therein, said attapulgite clay crystals being present in amount within the range of from about 40% to 60% of the dry weight of said fibers, said fibers containing glycerine as a plasticizing agent, said fibers being capable of being partially or totally substituted for cellulose fibers in the making of a sheet of paper by conventional paper-forming means.

In the production of paper using a wet forming method conventional for use with a wood pulp fiber furnish and including forming suitable fibers into an aqueous papermaking pulp fiber furnish by agitating said fibers in water, forming said pulp furnish into a sheet, pressing said sheet and drying said sheet, the improvement which comprises preparing said pulp furnish by agitating in water fibers at least a portion of which comprise insolubilized plasticized polyvinyl alcohol having disseminated therein acicular particles of a colloidal grade of crystalline clay selected from the group consisting of attapulgite, sepiolote and palygorskite, said clay being present in amount sufficient to impart opacity but not in excess of an amount which would result in brittle fibers.