Individualized intrafiber crosslinked cellulosic fibers with improved brightness and color

Abstract

Individualized intrafiber crosslinked cellulosic fibers having improved color properties and brightness are disclosed.

1 . Individualized intrafiber crosslinked cellulosic fibers comprising cellulose fibers reacted with an effective amount of a crosslinking agent in the presence of an effective amount of a C 4 -C 12  polyol to form intrafiber crosslinked cellulosic fibers characterized by Whiteness Index, (WI CDM-L) ) greater than about 69.0.  
     
     
         2 . The fibers of  claim 1  having an L value greater than about 94.5.  
     
     
         3 . The fibers of  claim 1  having an a value greater than about −1.55 and less than about −0.60.  
     
     
         4 . The fibers of  claim 1  having a b value less than about 8.50.  
     
     
         5 . The fibers of  claim 1  wherein the crosslinking agent is an cc-hydroxy polycarboxylic acid.  
     
     
         6 . The fibers of  claim 5  wherein the α-hydroxy polycarboxylic crosslinking agent is selected from the group consisting of malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, tartronic acid, α-hydroxyglutaric acid, and citramalic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The fibers of  claim 6  wherein the crosslinking agent is citric acid.  
     
     
         8 . The fibers of  claim 6  wherein the crosslinking agent is malic acid.  
     
     
         9 . The fibers of  claim 6  wherein the crosslinking agent is tartaric acid.  
     
     
         10 . The fibers of  claim 1  wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of acyclic polyols, alicyclic polyols, and heterosides and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The fibers of  claim 10  wherein the acyclic polyol is selected from the group consisting of erythritol, xylitol, arabinitol, ribitol, sorbitol, mannitol, perseitol and volemitol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The fibers of  claim 11  wherein the acyclic polyol is sorbitol.  
     
     
         13 . The fibers of  claim 10  wherein the alicyclic polyol is myo-inositol.  
     
     
         14 . The fibers of  claim 10  wherein the heteroside is maltitol.  
     
     
         15 . The fibers of  claim 10  wherein the heteroside is lactitol.  
     
     
         16 . The fibers of  claim 1  having a brightness greater than about 79.0% ISO.  
     
     
         17 . The fibers of  claim 1  wherein the wet bulk is greater than about 16 cc/g.  
     
     
         18 . The fibers of  claim 1  wherein the polyol is present from about 1% to about 10% of the weight of the cellulose fiber.  
     
     
         19 . The fibers of  claim 1  wherein the polyol is present from about 2% to about 6% of the weight of cellulose fiber.