Abstract:
A process for making a strong, bulky, absorbent paper sheet with improved uniformity by forming the web on a forming fabric with a furnish having a consistency in the range of from about 0.08% to about 0.6% solids, dewatering the web noncompressibly such that the web is the range of from about 30% to about 40% dry, transferring the web from the forming fabric to an imprinting fabric, lightly pressing the web and the imprinting fabric against the drying can to form a pattern of densifications in the web, can drying the web from no more than about 30% to 40% dry to at least 55% to 60% dry, and restraining the web between the imprinting fabric and the drying can during the can drying step until the web is at least 55% to 60% dry. In addition to the benefits on uniformity, chemicals added to the furnish such as wet strength resins, dry strength resins, surfactants and dyes will migrate during the drying step to the face of the sheet facing the drying can and, specifically, to the densifications formed in the sheet.