Production of soft paper products from old newspaper

A method of making sanitary paper products from newspapers containing coarse cellulosic fibers and printed with ink containing oil, comprising:

• (a) pulping said newspapers in water with agitation to produce a pulp slurry at a consistency between 3% and 12% and a pH below about 8.0;
• (b) maintaining said pulp slurry at a temperature above about 100.degree. F. for at least 15 minutes;
• (c) adding to the slurry at a temperature below 140.degree. F. an enzyme selected from the group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase and lipase;
• (d) maintaining said pulp in contact with said enzyme for at least 30 minutes;
• (e) maintaining at least about 2% of an oil of the type found in newspaper ink remain in contact with the newspaper fibers beginning with the making of said pulp slurry in step (a) through step (d);
• and
• (f) using said enzyme treated pulp slurry as a major source of fibers in a paper making process and to produce sanitary paper products.

A method of making sanitary paper from newspapers containing coarse fibers and printed with ink containing oil, comprising:

• (a) slurrying said newsprint in water at a consistency of between 3% and 12%;
• (b) adding a surfactant and an enzyme to said slurry, said enzyme selected from a group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase and lipase, and maintaining said pulp in contact with said enzyme for at least about 15 minutes;
• (c) washing and screening said pulp slurry to remove particulate and chemical contaminants from said slurry without removing more than half of the oily contaminants;
• (d) using said enzyme and surfactant treated pulp slurry as a source of fibers in a papermaking process to produce sanitary paper products;
• and,
• (e) wherein said pulp, beginning with the making of said pulp slurry in step (a) through the papermaking process of step d is not exposed to a pH above about 8.0.

An improved method of making sanitary paper from a papermaking furnish having a majority of coarse cellulosic fibers having a Kajaani fiber coarseness greater than 18 mg/100 meters comprising the conventional papermaking steps of forming the papermaking furnish by slurrying said cellulosic fibers in water, draining said water from said furnish on a papermaking machine by applying the furnish to a moving screen to form a paper sheet having a basis weight between 7 pounds per ream and 40 pounds per ream, and drying said sheet, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) adding between 0.2% and 2.0% of a mineral oil or a vegetable oil to the coarse cellulosic fibers either prior to forming such papermaking furnish or, with agitation directly to said furnish;
• (b) adding to the furnish a surfactant and an enzyme selected from the group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase and lipase, and maintaining the pulp in contact with said enzyme for at least about 15 minutes at a consistency of between 3% and 12% and at a temperature above about 100.degree. F.;
• (c) making sanitary paper from said oil and enzyme treated furnish;
• and,
• (d) drying said paper.

An improved method of making sanitary paper from a papermaking furnish having a majority of coarse cellulosic fibers having a Kajaani fiber coarseness greater than 18 mg/100 meters comprising the conventional papermaking steps of forming the papermaking furnish by slurrying said cellulosic fibers in water, draining said water from said furnish on a papermaking machine by applying the furnish to a moving screen to form a paper sheet having a basis weight between 7 pounds per ream and 40 pounds per ream, and drying said sheet, wherein the improvement comprises:

• (a) adding a surfactant and between 0.2% and 2.0% of a mineral oil or a vegetable oil to the coarse cellulosic fibers either prior to forming such papermaking furnish or, with agitation directly to said furnish;
• (b) maintaining said papermaking furnish at a consistency of between 3% and 12% and at a temperature above about 100.degree. F. for at least 15 minutes;
• (c) adding to the furnish at a temperature below 140.degree. F., an enzyme selected from the group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase and lipase, and retaining the pulp in contact with said enzyme for at least about 15 minutes;
• and
• (d) making sanitary paper from said oil and enzyme treated furnish, and drying said paper.

A method of modifying cellulosic fibers to improve their tissue and towel making properties comprising:

• (a) adding between 0.2% and 2.0% of a mineral oil or a vegetable oil to the coarse cellulosic fibers either prior to forming such papermaking furnish or, with agitation directly to said furnish;
• (b) maintaining said papermaking furnish at a consistency of between 3% and 12% and at a temperature above about 100.degree. F. for at least 15 minutes;
• and
• (c) adding to the furnish at a temperature below 140.degree. F., an enzyme selected from the group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase and lipase, and maintaining the pulp in contact with said enzyme for at least about 15 minutes.