Tissue paper treated with nonionic softeners that are biodegradable
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsSaeed Fereshtehkhou, Larry N. Mackey, Dean V. Phan
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Abstract
Tissue papers, in particular pattern densified tissue papers, having an enhanced tactile sense of softness when treated with certain nonionic softeners are disclosed. These nonionic softeners are biodegradable and comprise sorbitan esters, ethoxylated/propoxylated versions of these sorbitan esters, or mixtures thereof. The softener is typically applied from an aqueous dispersion or solution thereof to at least one surface of the dry tissue paper web.
Claims24
A softened tissue paper consisting essentially of tissue paper and a nonionic softener on at least one surface of the tissue paper in an amount from about 0.1 to about 3% by weight of thereof, the nonionic softener having a predominant melting phase with an onset of melting of about 37.degree. C. or less and comprising a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of sorbitan esters, ethoxylated sorbitan esters, propoxylated sorbitan esters, mixed ethoxylated/propoxylated sorbitan esters and mixtures thereof.
A softened patterned densified tissue paper, which consists essentially of:
- (a) tissue paper having:
- (1) a basis weight between about 10 g/m.sup.2 and about 65 g/m.sup.2 ;
- (2) a density of about 0.6 g/cc or less;
- (3) a total dry tensile strength of at least about 360 g/in;
- and
- (b) from about 0.1 to about 3% by weight nonionic softener comprising a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of sorbitan esters of C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 saturated fatty acids, ethoxylated sorbitan esters of said fatty acids having an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 2 to about 10, and mixtures thereof, wherein said softener is applied to at least one surface of the tissue paper as a pattern of softener droplets, and wherein the predominant melting phase of said softener has an onset of melting at or below about 35.degree. C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.