Silicone products for tissues

Transcription

1 Creating tomorrow s solutions Silicone products for tissues The paper used in tissues must meet tough demands. It must be odorless or have a fresh fragrance. It must be fluffy, soft and gentle on the skin, yet easy to fold, tear-resistant and absorbent. Regional consumer preferences need to be taken into account as well. Innovative softener molecules from WACKER help to meet all of these requirements. They noticeable improve the feel of tissue products and they can also impart completely new sensory effects. Furthermore, they can be customized to meet the needs of individual clients. What is it that makes these silicones ideal for creating softeners? How does the use of high-quality silicones impact any given tissue product? What options are available for formulations and applications? You will find the answers in this article. Please feel free to contact WACKER if you have any questions our experts will be happy to assist you. Your direct line to us: info.silicones@wacker.com. 1. Silicone products in softener formulations 1.1 Interaction between fibers and silicon Softness is becoming increasingly one of the fundamental hallmarks of quality tissue products. In order to make the paper used in tissues feel soft, WACKER has developed novel silicones known as softeners. These specially designed functional silicones significantly improve the feel of tissue products and, as such, make them silky to the touch. Silicone-based softeners also go one step further: WACKER silicone additives can be used to process recycled fibers, low-quality fibers and fibers with low tensile strength, transforming them into premium tissues. When deposited on paper fibers, silicone polymers display very good spreading characteristics and outstanding lubricating properties. These benefits are due to the high degree of flexibility in the Si-O-Si chain as well as the low surface tension of the silicone polymers. Anchored on the surface of the paper fibers are silicone molecules that protrude quite far and easily bend when you run your hand over them. As a result, the skin detects very little resistance. By reducing the friction between paper and skin, these silicone molecules create a sensation of softness. The unique structure of the softeners and their orientation on cellulose fibers produce a premium feel. Only silicones can produce this unique sensation known as the silicone touch no other softener has yet achieved this level of performance.

2 1.2 Effects In addition to producing a characteristic silky touch and lending favorable absorption properties to the paper, these new silicone softener molecules generate innovative sensory effects. Tissues, for example, can be made to feel fluffy soft, provide skin care, and, if combined with special additives, release a pleasing fragrance. These molecules can also be applied in combination with other organic softeners and/or wellness additives such as aloe vera, jojoba, vitamin E, shea butter, etc. Compatibility testing can be performed in WACKER facilities or at your site. Softness is an important hallmark of quality tissue and is developing into a fundamental benchmark used by manufacturers for product differentiation. Example: WACKER TS 40 E and WACKER TS 50 E on facial tissue

3 Example: WACKER TS 40 E and WACKER TS 50 E on bathroom tissue 2. Formulation & processing: 2.1 Ready-to-use or customized formulations All of our tissue softener formulations are ready-to-use and have been optimized to meet the specialized needs of the industry. Ready-to-use emulsions are stable, easy to clean and characterized by low viscosity, these properties making them particularly easy to apply. Upon request, we will work closely with our clients to create individual softener formulations that are tailored to specific needs. To handle any undesirable foam that may form, WACKER offers a comprehensive line of compatible, highly effective SILFOAM antifoam agents. They offer the key advantages of: Excellent softness Very good hydrophilicity Highly permeable to water Readily dilutable in water Low viscosity High substantivity

4 2.2 Product application For best results, the coating application needs to be adjusted for the specific type of tissue, i.e., bathroom tissue, facial tissue or paper towel. A coating between 1 and 5 g/m² is generally recommended. WACKER tissue softeners are suitable for use in commonly used coating techniques: Automated spray coating system Roll coating Slot coating Spray coating Rotor damping systems In the roll coating process, the tissue is fed through two rollers, where the softening lotion is applied on the surface. 2.3 Test methods Comprehensive tests help to ensure that your formulations will be ideally balanced. An automated spray coating system and a laboratory roll coating system are available at WACKER for product application. These systems allow us to process the untreated samples from clients so that we can find the best WACKER product for your needs. Experienced specialists conduct softness and hand panel tests on various tissue samples to assess surface softness. Hydrophilicity, for instance, is determined using a test established in the tissue industry known as the drop test. Depending on clients needs, tear resistance can be evaluated on either dry or wet tissue. The haptic properties and recommended coating amounts are highly dependent on the base tissue used.

5 3. Silicones the better alternative WACKER tissue softeners noticeably improve the softness of tissue products and deliver unique sensory effects. Our experienced experts, tested products, extensive coating methods and tests all help to ensure that your formulations will be perfectly balanced and contribute to a marketable differentiated product. In our worldwide laboratories, we work continuously on new product solutions and provide you with support for specific coating jobs, initial testing and production-scale implementation. Our sites are located in Burghausen, Germany Adrian, MI, USA São Paulo, Brazil Shanghai, China Singapore Tokyo, Japan Do you have additional questions? Our experts will be happy to assist you. Contact us at: info.silicones@wacker.com.