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.

Disclosed are fibers which contain identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a one or more of chemical markers and one or more distinct features, or taggants, which may vary among the fibers or be incorporated throughout all of the fibers. The chemical markers and distinct features can be representative of specific supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying chemical markers and distinct features and correlating the chemical markers and distinct features to manufacturer-specific taggants to determine supply chain information.

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.

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.

The invention relates to a wrapping paper for a smoking article, said wrapping paper comprising long-fibre pulp, short-fibre pulp, and inorganic filler, wherein: at least a portion of the long-fibre pulp is ground and the ground long-fibre pulp constitutes at least 15% and at most 70% of the mass of the wrapping paper, at least a portion of the short-fibre pulp is ground and the ground short-fibre pulp constitutes at least 5% and at most 80% of the mass of the wrapping paper, and the ground short-fibre pulp has a freeness value of at least 20? SR and at most 60? SR; the short-fibre pulp as a whole constitutes at least 10% and at most 80% of the mass of the wrapping paper, at least 5% and at most 45% of the mass of the wrapping paper is constituted by one or more inorganic fillers; the mass per unit area of the wrapping paper is at least 15 g/m.sup.2 and at most 45 g/m.sup.2; the diffusion capacity of the wrapping paper is at least 0.05 cm/s and at most 0.5 cm/s; and the standard deviation of the diffusion capacity of the wrapping paper is at most 0.05 cm/s. The invention also relates to an associated manufacturing method and to a smoking article making use of said wrapping paper.

The invention relates to a wrapping paper for a smoking article, said wrapping paper comprising long-fibre pulp, short-fibre pulp, and inorganic filler, wherein: at least a portion of the long-fibre pulp is ground and the ground long-fibre pulp constitutes at least 15% and at most 70% of the mass of the wrapping paper, at least a portion of the short-fibre pulp is ground and the ground short-fibre pulp constitutes at least 5% and at most 80% of the mass of the wrapping paper, and the ground short-fibre pulp has a freeness value of at least 20? SR and at most 60? SR; the short-fibre pulp as a whole constitutes at least 10% and at most 80% of the mass of the wrapping paper, at least 5% and at most 45% of the mass of the wrapping paper is constituted by one or more inorganic fillers; the mass per unit area of the wrapping paper is at least 15 g/m.sup.2 and at most 45 g/m.sup.2; the diffusion capacity of the wrapping paper is at least 0.05 cm/s and at most 0.5 cm/s; and the standard deviation of the diffusion capacity of the wrapping paper is at most 0.05 cm/s. The invention also relates to an associated manufacturing method and to a smoking article making use of said wrapping paper.