Disclosed are adhesive formulations as creping process aids for producing
an absorbent creped cellulosic sheet having a high level of
surface-perceived softness that comprises continuously forming a web of
cellulosic papermaking fibers, adhering said web to a thermal drying means
by means of adhesive compositions comprising polymers having at least one
primary or secondary amine group in the backbone such as chitosan,
plolyvinylamine, polyvinyl alcohol-vinyl amine and polyaminoamide in
combination with crosslinking agents such as zirconium compounds having a
valence of plus four including ammonium zirconium carbonate, zirconium
acetylacetonate, zirconium acetate, zirconium carbonate, zirconium
sulfate, zirconium phosphate, potassium zirconium carbonate, zirconium
sodium phosphate and sodium zirconium tartrate and creping said treated
web from said thermal drying means. In the method for producing the
absorbent creped cellulosic sheets, the zirconium crosslinking agent is
advantageously applied directly and separately on the Yankee dryer at the
time the base polymer is applied to the surface. The crosslinking agent
functions to crosslink the polymer to the fibrous web. The absorbent paper
products are used as bathroom tissue and towels.
