A fiber blend includes a first amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at least about 150 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy, and a second amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at most about 10 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy.

A fiber blend includes a first amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at least about 150 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy, and a second amount of wood pulp fibers refined in an amount of at most about 10 kWh per metric ton of gross refining energy.

A method of making paper is described. The method includes providing a calcium bicarbonate solution an providing a cellulosic fibrous material, the cellulosic fibrous material comprising a plurality of elongated fibers having a fiber wall surrounding a hollow interior, the fibrous material having a moisture content. The method also includes adding the calcium bicarbonate solution to the cellulosic fibrous material to form a pulp mixture, the calcium bicarbonate solution containing from 0.5% to about 16% solids of calcium bicarbonate by weight. Further, the method includes dewatering the pulp slurry using a wet press device such that the solids of the calcium bicarbonate by weight is pulsed above and below 16% solids by weight, finally ending above 16% calcium bicarbonate by weight and refining the pulp mixture such that at least some of the calcium ions become associated with the reactive sites in the fiber walls. Further still, the method includes forming a web from the pulp mixture and wet pressing the web.

A method of making paper is described. The method includes providing a calcium bicarbonate solution an providing a cellulosic fibrous material, the cellulosic fibrous material comprising a plurality of elongated fibers having a fiber wall surrounding a hollow interior, the fibrous material having a moisture content. The method also includes adding the calcium bicarbonate solution to the cellulosic fibrous material to form a pulp mixture, the calcium bicarbonate solution containing from 0.5% to about 16% solids of calcium bicarbonate by weight. Further, the method includes dewatering the pulp slurry using a wet press device such that the solids of the calcium bicarbonate by weight is pulsed above and below 16% solids by weight, finally ending above 16% calcium bicarbonate by weight and refining the pulp mixture such that at least some of the calcium ions become associated with the reactive sites in the fiber walls. Further still, the method includes forming a web from the pulp mixture and wet pressing the web.

A system for treating recycled cellulosic fibers to improve paper, board and tissue quality; the system involves fractionating recycled fibers into a short fiber portion and a long fiber portion. The short fiber portion is split into an original short fiber portion and a refinable portion. The refinable portion is processed into glue pulp. The glue pulp is refined to targeted, measured fiber properties. Varying amounts of the glue pulp, original short unrefined fibers, and long unrefined fibers are blended together to form an optimized slurry that is processed by a paper machine into an optimized recycled paper product. The process provides for improved drainage with the same or better paper properties allowing for cost reductions in fabrication.

A system for treating recycled cellulosic fibers to improve paper, board and tissue quality; the system involves fractionating recycled fibers into a short fiber portion and a long fiber portion. The short fiber portion is split into an original short fiber portion and a refinable portion. The refinable portion is processed into glue pulp. The glue pulp is refined to targeted, measured fiber properties. Varying amounts of the glue pulp, original short unrefined fibers, and long unrefined fibers are blended together to form an optimized slurry that is processed by a paper machine into an optimized recycled paper product. The process provides for improved drainage with the same or better paper properties allowing for cost reductions in fabrication.

A method of making paper is described. The method includes providing a cellulosic fibrous material, the cellulosic fibrous material comprising a plurality of elongated fibers having a fiber wall surrounding a hollow interior, the fibrous material having moisture content. The method also includes adding calcium bicarbonate solution to the cellulosic fibrous material to form a pulp mixture, the calcium bicarbonate solution containing up to the saturation level of about 16% solids of calcium bicarbonate, the resulting pulp mixture having between 0.1% to 65% total solids by weight. Further, the method includes refining the pulp mixture such that at least some of the calcium ions become associated with the reactive sites in the fiber walls. Further still, the method includes forming a web from the pulp mixture and wet pressing the web.

A method of making paper is described. The method includes providing a cellulosic fibrous material, the cellulosic fibrous material comprising a plurality of elongated fibers having a fiber wall surrounding a hollow interior, the fibrous material having moisture content. The method also includes adding calcium bicarbonate solution to the cellulosic fibrous material to form a pulp mixture, the calcium bicarbonate solution containing up to the saturation level of about 16% solids of calcium bicarbonate, the resulting pulp mixture having between 0.1% to 65% total solids by weight. Further, the method includes refining the pulp mixture such that at least some of the calcium ions become associated with the reactive sites in the fiber walls. Further still, the method includes forming a web from the pulp mixture and wet pressing the web.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to surface enhanced pulp fibers, various products incorporating surface enhanced pulp fibers, and methods and systems for producing surface enhanced pulp fibers. Various embodiments of surface enhanced pulp fibers have significantly increased surface areas compared to conventional refined fibers while advantageously minimizing reductions in length following refinement. The surface enhanced pulp fibers can be incorporated into a number of products that might benefit from such properties including, for example, paper products, paperboard products, fiber cement boards, fiber reinforced plastics, fluff pulps, hydrogels, cellulose acetate products, and carboxymethyl cellulose products. In some embodiments, a plurality of surface enhanced pulp fibers have a length weighted average fiber length of at least about 0.3 millimeters and an average hydrodynamic specific surface area of at least about 10 square meters per gram, wherein the number of surface enhanced pulp fibers is at least 12,000 fibers/milligram on an oven-dry basis.