Methods of making a belt-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet prepared with a perforated polymeric belt

摘要

A method of making a belt-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. The method includes compactively dewatering a papermaking furnish to form a dewatered web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber orientation. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer. The web from the transfer surface is belt-creped at a consistency of from about 30% to about 60%, utilizing a generally planar polymeric creping belt having a plurality of perforations. The belt-creping step occurs under pressure in a belt creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping belt. The belt travels at a belt speed that is slower than the speed of the transfer surface, and the web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping belt to form a web having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights.

主权项

1. A method of making a belt-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet, the method comprising:
(a) compactively dewatering a papermaking furnish to form a dewatered web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber orientation; (b) applying the dewatered web having the apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber orientation to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed: (c) belt-creping the web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30% to about 60% utilizing a generally planar polymeric creping belt provided with a plurality of tapered perforations through the creping belt, the belt-creping step occurring under pressure in a belt creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping belt, wherein the creping belt is traveling at a belt speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed, and the web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping belt to form a web having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights including at least:
(i) a plurality of fiber-enriched hollow domed regions projecting from an upper side of the sheet, the hollow domed regions having sidewalls and a local basis weight that is higher than a mean basis weight of the sheet,(ii) a plurality of connecting regions forming a network interconnecting the hollow domed regions, the connecting regions having a local basis weight that is lower than the local basis weight of the hollow domed regions, and(iii) transition areas with consolidated fibrous regions that transition from the connecting regions into the hollow domed regions, by extending upwardly and inwardly from the connecting regions into the sidewalls of the hollow domed regions; and (d) drying the web to produce the belt-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet.