Paper Products and Methods for Manufacture Thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for papermaking. In embodiments, the systems include a first population of fibers dispersed in an aqueous solution and complexed with an activator, and a second population of composite additive particles bearing a tethering material, wherein the addition of the second population to the first population attaches the composite additive particles to the fibers by the interaction of the activator and the tethering material. Methods for forming a fibrous web are also disclosed, in addition to paper products formed from such fibrous webs.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method for manufacturing a paper product, comprising:
 activating a first population of fibers in a liquid medium with an activator,   forming a second population of composite additive particles,   treating the second population with a tethering material to form tether-bearing composite additive particles, wherein the tethering material is capable of interacting with the activator,   adding the second population to the activated population of fibers to form a treated paper matrix, and   forming the paper matrix to manufacture the paper product.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first population comprises cellulosic fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first population comprises synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the composite additive particles comprise a particle selected from the group of a PCC particle, a TiO2 particle, a magnetic particle, and a silver colloid particle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the composite additive particles comprise a latex component and a starch component. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a paper product, comprising:
 providing a first population of fibers and a second population of fibers, wherein the fibers have low attachable affinity for each other,   activating the first population of fibers in a liquid medium with an activator,   treating the second population of fibers with a tethering material to form tether-bearing fibers, wherein the tethering material is capable of interacting with the activator,   adding the second population of tether-bearing fibers to the activated population of fibers to form a treated paper matrix, and   forming the paper matrix to manufacture the paper product.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one population of fibers comprises synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one population of fibers comprises cellulosic fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein one of the first population and the second population comprises hardwood fibers, and the other of the first population and the second population comprises softwood fibers. 
     
     
         15 . A fibrous web, comprising:
 a first population of fibers and a second population of fibers, wherein an activator has been attached to the first population of fibers and a tethering material has been attached to the second population of fibers, the tethering material interacting with the activator to attach the first population of fibers to the second population of fibers as a fibrous web.   
     
     
         16 . A paper product, comprising the fibrous web of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         17 . The paper product of  claim 16 , wherein the first population of fibers comprises cellulosic fibers, and the second population of fibers comprises synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The paper product of  claim 17 , wherein the first population of fibers consists essentially of cellulosic fibers, and the second population of fibers consists essentially of synthetic fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The paper product of  claim 17 , wherein the first population of fibers comprises one of softwood fibers or hardwood fibers, and the second population of fibers comprises the other of softwood and hardwood fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The paper product of  claim 17 , wherein the first population of fibers comprises cellulosic fibers, and the second population of fibers comprises non-cellulosic natural fibers. 
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a fibrous web, comprising:
 providing a first population of fibers,   activating the first population of fibers in a liquid medium with an activator,   preparing a population of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise a latex component and a starch component,   treating the population of composite particles with a tethering material to form tether-bearing composite particles, wherein the tethering material is capable of interacting with the activator to attach the composite particles to the fibers to form particle-bearing fibers, and   processing the particle-bearing fibers to gelatinize the starch component and to melt the latex component, thereby distributing the melted latex component through the fibers and binding the fibers together to form the fibrous web.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 providing a second population of fibers, wherein the second population of fibers has low attachable affinity for the first population,   activating the second population of fibers with an activator, and   adding the second population of fibers to the first population of fibers either before or after the activation step for either population,   wherein the population of tether-bearing composite particles attaches to the first population of fibers and the second population of fibers to form particle-bearing fibers, and   wherein the processing of the particle-bearing fibers distributes the melted latex component through the first population and the second population of fibers and binds the first population and the second population of fibers together to form the fibrous web.   
     
     
         23 . A paper product formed from the fibrous web of  claim 20 .