A grafted polyvinyl alcohol polymer has a balance between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. The grafted polyvinyl alcohol polymer has a chemical functionality that allows for adsorption onto the pulp fibers, polymer film formation upon drying, repelling water upon wetting, polymer film swelling and breaking for prolonged wetting by water. When incorporated into paper products, the polymer can provide a paper having improved wet strength, temporary water repellency, and/or is dispersible in aqueous solutions.

A process for making absorbent towel paper webs is provided. The process comprises the steps of (a) providing a papermaking furnish having from about 45% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the tissue towel paper web of a refined softwood pulp fiber mixture having from about 20.0% to about 88.5% by weight of softwood pulp fiber and from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of strengthening additive and from about 10% to about 55% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture having from about 9.9% to about 54.9% by weight of hardwood pulp fibers and from about 0.05% to about 20.0% by weight cellulose nanofilaments; (b) forming a wet fibrous web from the paper making furnish; and, (c) drying the web until the web contains not more than about 10% by weight moisture.

A process for making absorbent towel paper webs is provided. The process comprises the steps of (a) providing a papermaking furnish having from about 45% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the tissue towel paper web of a refined softwood pulp fiber mixture having from about 20.0% to about 88.5% by weight of softwood pulp fiber and from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of strengthening additive and from about 10% to about 55% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture having from about 9.9% to about 54.9% by weight of hardwood pulp fibers and from about 0.05% to about 20.0% by weight cellulose nanofilaments; (b) forming a wet fibrous web from the paper making furnish; and, (c) drying the web until the web contains not more than about 10% by weight moisture.

A soft sanitary tissue paper web having from about 2% to about 56.5% by weight of the soft sanitary tissue paper web of a softwood pulp fiber mixture, and from about 43.5% to about 99.9% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the soft sanitary tissue paper web of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture is disclosed. The softwood pulp fiber mixture has: 1) from about 0% to about 56.4% by weight of the dry fiber basis of softwood pulp fiber; 2) from about 0.05% to about 3.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of strengthening additive. The hardwood pulp fiber mixture comprises: 1) from about 43.4% to about 99.4% by weight of the dry fiber basis of hardwood pulp fibers; and, 2) from about 0.05% to about 20.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of cellulose nano-filaments.

A soft sanitary tissue paper web having from about 2% to about 56.5% by weight of the soft sanitary tissue paper web of a softwood pulp fiber mixture, and from about 43.5% to about 99.9% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the soft sanitary tissue paper web of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture is disclosed. The softwood pulp fiber mixture has: 1) from about 0% to about 56.4% by weight of the dry fiber basis of softwood pulp fiber; 2) from about 0.05% to about 3.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of strengthening additive. The hardwood pulp fiber mixture comprises: 1) from about 43.4% to about 99.4% by weight of the dry fiber basis of hardwood pulp fibers; and, 2) from about 0.05% to about 20.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of cellulose nano-filaments.

An absorbent towel paper web having from about 45% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a softwood pulp fiber mixture and from about 10% to about 55% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture is disclosed. The softwood pulp fiber mixture has: 1) from about 20.0% to about 88.5% by weight of the dry fiber basis of softwood pulp fiber; and, 2) from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of strengthening additive. The hardwood pulp fiber mixture has: 1) from about 9.9% to about 54.9% by weight of the dry fiber basis of hardwood pulp fibers; and, 2) from about 0.05% to about 20.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of cellulose nano-filaments.

An absorbent towel paper web having from about 45% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a softwood pulp fiber mixture and from about 10% to about 55% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture is disclosed. The softwood pulp fiber mixture has: 1) from about 20.0% to about 88.5% by weight of the dry fiber basis of softwood pulp fiber; and, 2) from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of strengthening additive. The hardwood pulp fiber mixture has: 1) from about 9.9% to about 54.9% by weight of the dry fiber basis of hardwood pulp fibers; and, 2) from about 0.05% to about 20.0% by weight of the dry fiber basis of cellulose nano-filaments.

A process for making an absorbent towel paper web is disclosed. The process steps include a) providing a papermaking furnish, b) forming a differential density wet fibrous web from the paper making furnish; and, c) drying the differential density wet fibrous web until fibrous web contains not more than about 10% by weight moisture to form the absorbent towel paper web. Step a) provides the steps of providing: i) from about 20.1% to about 99.9% by weight of a softwood pulp fiber mixture and, ii) from greater than 0% to about 79.9% by weight of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture. Step i) further provides the steps of providing u) from about 20% to about 99.8% by weight of softwood pulp fiber, v) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments, and, w) from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of strengthening additive.

A process for making an absorbent towel paper web is disclosed. The process steps include a) providing a papermaking furnish, b) forming a differential density wet fibrous web from the paper making furnish; and, c) drying the differential density wet fibrous web until fibrous web contains not more than about 10% by weight moisture to form the absorbent towel paper web. Step a) provides the steps of providing: i) from about 20.1% to about 99.9% by weight of a softwood pulp fiber mixture and, ii) from greater than 0% to about 79.9% by weight of a hardwood pulp fiber mixture. Step i) further provides the steps of providing u) from about 20% to about 99.8% by weight of softwood pulp fiber, v) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments, and, w) from about 0.05% to about 5.0% by weight of strengthening additive.

The present invention provides a tissue product formed from a fiber furnish consisting essentially of short cellulosic fibers, such as fibers having an average fiber length less than about 2.0 mm, and a synthetic fiber having at least one cross-section dimension less than about 20 microns. The invention also provides a tissue product comprising at least one wet laid multi-layered tissue web comprising a fiber furnish consisting essentially of synthetic fibers and short cellulosic fibers, the multi-layered tissue web having a first and second outer layer and a middle layer disposed there between where the synthetic fibers are selectively disposed in the middle layer. Generally the tissue product comprises less than about 30 percent, by weight of the tissue product, synthetic fiber. In a preferred embodiment the tissue product comprises non-fibrillated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers having a circular cross-section shape with a diameter less than about 5.0 microns and are substantially free from long cellulosic fibers. Despite being free from long cellulosic fibers the tissue product have good strength and low stiffness.