Topically treated tissue product

Abstract

Disclosed is a low-cost, in-line process for treating a fibrous web with a lotion. The process generally involves passing a web through a nip formed by a pair of opposed surfaces, where one of the surfaces has been treated with a lotion having a penetration hardness greater than 5.0 mm. As the web passes through the nip, the lotion is transferred from one of the opposed surfaces to the surface of the web. In certain instances, the web may have a textured surface and only a portion of the web's textured surface is treated with a lotion.

1 . A textured fibrous web having a first side to be contacted by a user in-use, the first side having an uppermost surface lying in a first surface plane and a second surface lying in a second surface plane, the second surface plane lying below the first surface plane, and a lotion selectively disposed on the uppermost surface. 
     
     
         2 . The textured fibrous web of  claim 1  wherein the lotion is selectively disposed on the uppermost surface in an amount ranging from about 0.20 to about 3.0 grams per square meter of textured fibrous web. 
     
     
         3 . The textured fibrous web of  claim 1  wherein the textured fibrous web is a tissue web consisting essentially of wood pulp fibers and having a basis weight from about 10 to about 50 grams per square meter and a sheet bulk greater than about 5.0 cc/g. 
     
     
         4 . The textured fibrous web of  claim 1  wherein the uppermost surface comprises from about 70 to about 95 percent of the total surface area of the first side. 
     
     
         5 . The textured fibrous web of  claim 1  wherein the z-directional height difference between the first and second surface planes is from about 100 to about 500 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The textured fibrous web of  claim 1  wherein the second surface is forms a design element. 
     
     
         7 . The textured fibrous web of  claim 6  wherein the design element is a continuous line element or a discrete line element. 
     
     
         8 . A lotion treated tissue product having a machine direction and a cross-machine direction, a first side and an opposed second side, the tissue product comprising a first discrete cross-machine direction zone having a first lotion composition disposed thereon and a second discrete cross-machine direction zone having a second lotion composition disposed thereon, wherein the first and the second lotion compositions differ in at least one respect. 
     
     
         9 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the first and the second cross-machine direction zones are immediately adjacent to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The tissue product of  claim 8  further comprising a third cross-machine direction zone disposed between the first and second zones. 
     
     
         11 . The tissue product of  claim 10  wherein the third cross-machine direction zone is substantially free from lotion. 
     
     
         12 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the first lotion comprises a wax and an oil and is substantially free from water and the second lotion comprises water. 
     
     
         13 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the first lotion comprises at least one high molecular weight polyethylene glycol and the second lotion comprises propylene glycol, glycerin and optionally water. 
     
     
         14 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the first lotion comprises at least one oil selected from the group consisting of mineral oil, animal oil, plant oil and silicone oil or at least one wax selected from the group consisting of natural wax, petroleum wax, silicone wax and synthetic wax and the second lotion comprises a high molecular weight polyethylene glycol or propylene glycol. 
     
     
         15 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the total add-on of the first and second lotions ranges from about 0.20 to about 3.0 grams per square meter of textured fibrous web. 
     
     
         16 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the first cross-machine direction zone covers from about 50 to about 75 percent of the surface area and the second cross-machine direction zone covers from about 25 to about 50 percent of the surface area of the first side of the tissue product. 
     
     
         17 . The tissue product of  claim 8  wherein the product has a basis weight from about 10 to about 50 grams per square meter (gsm) and a geometric mean tensile (GMT) from about 500 to about 1,500 g/3″. 
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing a lotion treated web comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a lotion composition having a penetration hardness ranging from about 5 to about 30 mm;   b. providing nip between a transfer surface and a second surface;   c. applying the lotion to the transfer surface;   d. conveying a web through the nip whereby one outwardly facing surface of the web is contacted by the transfer surface resulting in a transfer of the lotion to the surface of the web.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the transfer surface is heated and has a surface temperature ranging from about 70 to about 100° C. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the transfer surface comprises a steel calender roll and the second surface comprises a polymer coated calender roll. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the steel calender roll is heated and has a surface temperature ranging from about 70 to about 90° C. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the lotion comprises from about 30 to about 90 weight percent oil and from about 10 to about 40 weight percent wax. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the lotion has a penetration hardness from about 10 to about 20 mm and comprises at least one oil selected from the group consisting of mineral oil, animal oil, plant oil and silicone oil, at least one wax selected from the group consisting of natural wax, petroleum wax, silicone wax and synthetic wax and at least one fatty alcohol selected from the group consisting of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol and dodecyl alcohol. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the lotion comprises from about 30 to about 90 weight percent oil, from about 10 to about 40 weight percent wax and from about 15 to about 25 weight percent fatty alcohol. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the lotion comprises a high molecular weight polyethylene glycol or propylene glycol. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the web has a first side with an uppermost surface lying in a first surface plane and a second surface lying in a second surface plane, the second surface plane lying below the first surface plane and wherein the lotion is selectively disposed on the uppermost surface. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the web has a caliper and the caliper is reduced after being conveyed through the nip. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the amount of lotion transferred to the surface of the web ranges from about 0.20 to about 3.0 grams per square meter of web. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18  wherein lotion is transferred to about 70 to about 95 percent of the total surface area of the web. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of applying the lotion to the transfer surface comprises urging the solid lotion against the transfer surface at a feed rate ranging from about 0.05 to about 0.2 mm per second. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the web is conveyed through the nip at a speed ranging from about 15 to about 300 meters per minute (mpm). 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the steps of providing a second lotion having a penetration hardness ranging from about 5 to about 30 mm and applying the second solid lotion to the transfer surface, wherein the first and the second solid lotions are different.