A fine cellulose fiber-containing substance that has excellent dispersibility in water and can be manufactured easily. A method is for manufacturing the fine cellulose fiber-containing substance, and a method is for manufacturing a fine cellulose fiber dispersion. A fine cellulose fiber-containing substance contains fine cellulose fibers into which a phosphite containing a cation of an inorganic substance is introduced. The ratio of the cation of the inorganic substance with respect to 1 g of the fine cellulose fibers is 0.14 mmol or more. In manufacturing the fine cellulose fiber-containing substance, a phosphite is introduced into cellulose fibers, and then the cellulose fibers are defibrated to obtain a dispersion containing fine cellulose fibers, during which an alkali metal ion-containing substance is added to the cellulose fibers, and the dispersion is concentrated. In manufacturing a fine cellulose fiber dispersion, the fine cellulose fiber-containing substance is mixed with water.

The present invention relates to a microporous polymeric battery separator comprised of a single layer of enmeshed microfibers and nanofibers. Such a separator accords the ability to attune the porosity and pore size to any desired level through a single nonwoven fabric. As a result, the inventive separator permits a high strength material with low porosity and low pore size to levels unattained. The combination of polymeric nanofibers within a polymeric microfiber matrix and/or onto such a substrate through high shear processing provides such benefits, as well. The separator, a battery including such a separator, the method of manufacturing such a separator, and the method of utilizing such a separator within a battery device, are all encompassed within this invention.

The present invention relates to a microporous polymeric battery separator comprised of a single layer of enmeshed microfibers and nanofibers. Such a separator accords the ability to attune the porosity and pore size to any desired level through a single nonwoven fabric. As a result, the inventive separator permits a high strength material with low porosity and low pore size to levels unattained. The combination of polymeric nanofibers within a polymeric microfiber matrix and/or onto such a substrate through high shear processing provides such benefits, as well. The separator, a battery including such a separator, the method of manufacturing such a separator, and the method of utilizing such a separator within a battery device, are all encompassed within this invention.

The present invention provides multi-layered tissue webs, and tissue product comprising the same, comprising long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers selectively deposited in one or more outer layers of the multi-layered web. Surprisingly disposing long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more outer layers, even in relatively modest amounts, may improve certain product properties, such as durability, without negatively affecting softness. In certain instances, both the softness and durability may be improved by selectively incorporating long, high-coarseness wood pulp fibers in one or more of the outer layers.

A differential density absorbent towel paper product comprising at least one absorbent towel paper web is disclosed. The absorbent towel paper web has: (a) from about 20% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture, (b) pulp fibers selected from the group consisting of hard wood fibers, non-wood fibers, recycled fibers, synthetic polymer fibers, bleached eucalyptus kraft fibers, and combinations thereof and, (c) not more than about 10% by weight moisture. The refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture has: i) from about 18.5% to about 88.5% by weight of soft wood pulp fiber; ii) from about 0.25% to about 5.0% by of cationic strengthening polymer; and, iii) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments.

A differential density absorbent towel paper product comprising at least one absorbent towel paper web is disclosed. The absorbent towel paper web has: (a) from about 20% to about 90% by weight of the dry fiber basis of the absorbent towel paper web of a refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture, (b) pulp fibers selected from the group consisting of hard wood fibers, non-wood fibers, recycled fibers, synthetic polymer fibers, bleached eucalyptus kraft fibers, and combinations thereof and, (c) not more than about 10% by weight moisture. The refined soft wood pulp fiber mixture has: i) from about 18.5% to about 88.5% by weight of soft wood pulp fiber; ii) from about 0.25% to about 5.0% by of cationic strengthening polymer; and, iii) from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of cellulose nano-filaments.

Methods of preparing partially dried or essentially completely dried compositions comprising microfibrillated cellulose and an inorganic particulate material may include microfibrillating a fibrous substrate comprising cellulose in an aqueous environment by grinding in the presence of an inorganic particulate material to form an aqueous composition comprising microfibrillated cellulose and inorganic particulate material, wherein the fibrous substrate comprising cellulose has a Canadian Standard freeness equal to or less than 450 cm, wherein the fibrous substrate to the inorganic particulate material are in a ratio of about 99.5:0.5 to about 0.5:99.5, and wherein the microfibrillated cellulose has a fibre steepness of from about 20 to about 50; by treating the aqueous composition comprising microfibrillated cellulose and inorganic particulate material to remove at least a portion or substantially all of the water of the aqueous composition to form a partially dried or essentially completely dried composition comprising microfibrillated cellulose and inorganic particulate material.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer film comprising microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) in a paper-making machine, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a bottom web layer by applying a first pulp suspension comprising at least 50% by dry weight of cellulose based fibrous material having an SR (Schopper-Riegler) value in the range of 18-75 on a bottom web wire; b) forming or applying an intermediate web layer formed from a second pulp suspension comprising at least 50% by dry weight of MFC having an SR value in the range of 80-100 on the bottom web layer; c) applying a top web layer formed from a third pulp suspension comprising at least 50% by dry weight of cellulose based fibrous material having an SR (Schopper-Riegler) value in the range of 18-75 on the intermediate web layer to form a multilayer web; and d) dewatering, and optionally drying, the formed multilayer web to obtain a multilayer film comprising MFC.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multilayer film comprising microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) in a paper-making machine, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a bottom web layer by applying a first pulp suspension comprising at least 50% by dry weight of cellulose based fibrous material having an SR (Schopper-Riegler) value in the range of 18-75 on a bottom web wire; b) forming or applying an intermediate web layer formed from a second pulp suspension comprising at least 50% by dry weight of MFC having an SR value in the range of 80-100 on the bottom web layer; c) applying a top web layer formed from a third pulp suspension comprising at least 50% by dry weight of cellulose based fibrous material having an SR (Schopper-Riegler) value in the range of 18-75 on the intermediate web layer to form a multilayer web; and d) dewatering, and optionally drying, the formed multilayer web to obtain a multilayer film comprising MFC.

The present invention provides a through-air dried tissue product comprising regenerated cellulose fibers that can provide 25 percent or less of the total weight of the through-air dried tissue product. The regenerated cellulose fibers can have a linear density less than about 1.5 dtex and a fiber length of less than 6.0 mm. The through-air dried tissue product can provide improvements in softness at a given strength.