Tissue, among the highest value added paper products, finds extensive application in modern society. Continued efforts are being made to further improve tissue properties, such as strength, softness and water absorbency. Besides the efforts on characterizing facial tissue softness, this study focuses on tissue quality improvement through chemical means. The application of a wet strength resin, Kymene1500 and a debonding agent, Softrite7516 onto cellulose fibers is considered. First, the adsorption kinetics of the two chemical additives onto cellulose fibers was studied. The adsorption mechanisms were proposed and validated by kinetic data. A novel apparatus was designed in this study, and represented the first in the field to collect real-time data, which has the potential to be applied to the adsorption kinetic study of other types of paper additives. Second, the effects of Kymene1500 and Softrite7516 on various sheet properties were studied. The results provide quantitative information on tissue additives effects on sheet properties. It is shown that the combined application of the additives can overcome the disadvantages of individual species and produce sheets with both wet strength and softness. Finally, environmental-benign debonding agents with polyoxyethylene chains were applied to the sheets, and the effects of two design parameters, i.e., fatty acid and degree of ethoxylation, on tissue properties were investigated.

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