Hesperaloe tissue having improved cross-machine direction properties

{
  "publication_number": "US10337148B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Hesperaloe tissue having improved cross-machine direction properties",
  "abstract": "Soft, durable and bulky tissue products comprising non-wood fibers and more particularly high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers are disclosed. The tissue products preferably comprise at least about 5 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fiber and have relatively modest tensile strengths, such as a geometric mean tensile (GMT) less than about 1,000 g/3″, and improved durability and cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as a CD Stretch greater than about 10 percent. Additionally, at the foregoing tensile strengths the products are not overly stiff. For example the tissue products may have a Stiffness Index less than about 10.0.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A tissue product comprising from about 5 to about 50 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe fibers, the tissue product having a geometric mean tensile (GMT) less than about 1,000 g/3″, a CD stretch greater than about 10 percent and a Durability Index greater than about 38.0.",
    "2. The tissue product of claim 1 having a slough less than about 10 mg.",
    "3. The tissue product of claim 1 having a dry burst strength greater than about 800 gf.",
    "4. The tissue product of claim 1 having a CD TEA greater than about 5.0 g·cm/cm 2.",
    "5. The tissue product of claim 1 having a CD tensile strength greater than about 500 g/3″.",
    "6. The tissue product of claim 1 having a GM Tear strength greater than about 15 gf.",
    "7. The tissue product of claim 1 having a Compression Modulus (K) greater than 5.5.",
    "8. The tissue product of claim 1 having a basis weight from about 30 to about 60 grams per square meter (gsm) and a sheet bulk greater than about 10 cc/g.",
    "9. The tissue product of claim 1 having a Tensile Ratio from about 1.5 to about 2.0.",
    "10. The tissue product of claim 1 comprising from about 20 to about 50 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe fibers.",
    "11. The tissue product of claim 1 having a GM Slope of less than about 6.0 kg.",
    "12. The tissue product of claim 1 having a Stiffness Index from about 4.0 to about 8.0.",
    "13. The tissue product of claim 1 wherein the tissue product comprises two plies and each ply is a through-air dried tissue web.",
    "14. A tissue product comprising at least one multi-layered through-air dried tissue web comprising a first and a second layer, the first layer being substantially free from high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers and the second layer consisting essentially of high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers, the tissue product having a geometric mean tensile (GMT) less than about 1,000 g/3, a Durability Index greater than about 28.0 and a Stiffness Index less than about 8.0, wherein the tissue product comprises from about 20 to about 50 weight percent high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers.",
    "15. The tissue product of claim 14 having a GM Slope less than about 6.0 kg.",
    "16. The tissue product of claim 14 having a basis weight from about 30 to about 60 gsm and a sheet bulk from about 10 to about 15 cc/g.",
    "17. The tissue product of claim 14 wherein the tissue product is substantially free from softwood kraft pulp fibers.",
    "18. A single-ply through-air dried tissue product comprising from about 5 to about 50 percent, by weight of the product, high yield hesperaloe pulp fibers, the tissue product having a GMT less than about 1,000 g/3″, Compression Modulus (K) greater than about 5.5 and a Stiffness Index less than about 8.0.",
    "19. The tissue product of claim 18 having a GM Slope less than about 6.0 kg.",
    "20. The tissue product of claim 18 having a CD TEA greater than about 5.0 g·cm/cm 2 and a CD tensile strength greater than about 500 g/3″."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Tissue products, such as facial tissues, paper towels, bath tissues, napkins, and other similar products, are designed to include several important properties. For example, the products should have good bulk, a soft feel, and should have good strength and durability. Unfortunately, however, when steps are taken to increase one property of the product, other characteristics of the product are often adversely affected.\n\nTo achieve the optimum product properties, tissue products are typically formed, at least in part, from pulps containing wood fibers and often a blend of hardwood and softwood fibers to achieve the desired properties. Typically when attempting to optimize surface softness, as is often the case with tissue products, the papermaker will select the fiber furnish based in part on the coarseness of pulp fibers. Pulps having fibers with low coarseness are desirable because tissue paper made from fibers having a low coarseness can be made softer than similar tissue paper made from fibers having a high coarseness. To optimize surface softness even further, premium tissue products usually comprise layered structures where the low coarseness fibers are directed to the outside layer of the tissue sheet with the inner layer of the sheet comprising longer, coarser fibers.\n\nUnfortunately, the need for softness is balanced by the need for durability. Durability in tissue products can be defined in terms of tensile strength, tensile energy absorption (TEA), burst strength and tear strength.",
  "cpc": [
    "D21H 27/005",
    "D21C 5/00",
    "D21H 11/12",
    "D21H 27/002",
    "D21H 27/38",
    "D21H 27/42"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "D21H 11/12",
    "D21H 27/00",
    "D21H 27/42",
    "D21C 5/00",
    "D21H 27/38"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kayla Elizabeth ROUSE",
    "Richard Louis Underhill",
    "David John Paulson",
    "Felicia Marie Sauer",
    "Thomas Gerard Shannon"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-11-17",
  "publication_date": "2019-07-02",
  "grant_date": "2019-07-02",
  "priority_date": "2016-11-23",
  "application_number": "US-201715816392-A",
  "family_id": "62144362",
  "cited_by_count": 807,
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