Recycled white ticket stock and method of making same

Abstract

A ticket stock and manufacturing process wherein a pulp is formulated from a blend of recycled furnishes, with added starch for enhancing sheet stiffness and reducing linting and dusting on cut edges of the stock, and clay or other opacifier for enhancing opacity of the stock. A preferred pulp comprises a blend of recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, recycled coated soft white, and recycled ground wood furnish such as newsprint or the like. In one embodiment, the blend comprises about 25-50 wt. % recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, about 25-50 wt. % recycled coated soft white, and about 15-25 wt. % recycled ground wood furnish. The furnish blend is repulped with minimal mechanical refining, is treated with steam injection for hydrating and softening the fibers, and is formed into a web that is pressed, dried, and soft calendered. The caliper of the resulting stock is about 7 to 9 points.

1 . A paper product, comprising: 
 a web formed from a pulp comprising a mixture of recycled furnish including recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, recycled coated soft white, and recycled ground wood furnish, the pulp further comprising starch for enhanced stiffness and reduction of linting and dusting on cut edges of the paper product, and an opacifier for enhanced opacity of the paper product.    
   
   
       2 . The paper product of  claim 1 , the paper product having a caliper of about 7 to 9 points, a TAPPI 519 opacity of at least about 98 percent and a Parker Smoothness not substantially exceeding about 8.0 microns.  
   
   
       3 . The paper product of  claim 2 , wherein the Parker Smoothness is not substantially in excess of about 6.0 microns.  
   
   
       4 . The paper product of  claim 2 , wherein the Parker Smoothness is not substantially in excess of about 5.0 microns.  
   
   
       5 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the recycled furnish comprises about 25-50 wt. % recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, about 25-50 wt. % recycled coated soft white, and about 15-25 wt. % recycled ground wood furnish.  
   
   
       6 . The paper product of  claim 5 , wherein the recycled ground wood furnish comprises newsprint or newsprint substitute.  
   
   
       7 . The paper product of  claim 5 , wherein the starch comprises about 25-35 lb/ton of the pulp.  
   
   
       8 . The paper product of  claim 5 , wherein the opacifier comprises clay.  
   
   
       9 . The paper product of  claim 8 , wherein the clay comprises about 80 to 120 lb/ton of the pulp.  
   
   
       10 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the paper product comprises a single ply.  
   
   
       11 . A paper product formed from a pulp consisting essentially of a mixture of recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, recycled coated soft white, recycled ground wood furnish, starch for enhanced stiffness and reduction of linting and dusting on cut edges of the paper product, and an opacifier for enhanced opacity of the paper product.  
   
   
       12 . A process for making a paper product, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) repulping a mixture of recycled furnish to produce a pulp;    (b) adding starch and opacifying agent to the pulp;    (c) hydrating and softening the fibers of the pulp under elevated temperature conditions;    (d) forming a wet web out of the pulp from step (c);    (e) dewatering and pressing the wet web in a press section;    (f) drying the web on a series of heated drying cylinders; and    (g) soft-nip calendering the dried web.    
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (a) comprises repulping a mixture including recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, recycled coated soft white, and recycled ground wood furnish.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 13 , comprising repulping a mixture of about 25-50 wt. % recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, about 25-50 wt. % recycled coated soft white, and about 15-25 wt. % recycled ground wood furnish.  
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (d) comprises forming the wet web using a fourdrinier former.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (e) comprising dewatering and pressing the wet web in a pair of sequentially arranged presses.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of treating the web with a steam box between steps (f) and (g).  
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (f) comprises using fabrics to urge the web against the heated drying cylinders.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (b) comprises adding starch in the amount of about 25-35 lb/ton of the pulp.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (b) comprises adding clay as the opacifying agent.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the clay is added in the amount of about 80-120 lb./ton of the pulp.  
   
   
       22 . A process for making a white ticket stock, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) repulping, with minimal mechanical refining or fiber shortening, a mixture of white recycled furnish to produce a pulp;    (b) adding starch and opacifying agent to the pulp;    (c) hydrating and softening the fibers of the pulp under elevated temperature conditions;    (d) forming a wet web out of the pulp from step (c);    (e) dewatering and pressing the wet web in a press section;    (f) drying the web on a series of heated drying cylinders; and    (g) soft-nip calendering the dried web.    
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein step (a) comprises repulping a mixture of solid bleached sulfate plate stock, coated soft white, and ground wood furnish.  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein step (c) comprises processing the pulp in a hot dispersion unit.  
   
   
       25 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein the pulp has a relatively high consistency during step (c), and further comprising the step of reducing the consistency of the pulp after step (c) but before step (d).  
   
   
       26 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein step (d) comprises forming a single-ply web.  
   
   
       27 . The process of  claim 22 , further comprising the step of treating the web with a steam box between steps (f) and (g).  
   
   
       28 . The process of  claim 22 , wherein step (f) comprises using fabrics to urge the web against the heated drying cylinders.  
   
   
       29 . A roll of redemption tickets formed as an elongate strip of ticket stock having perforations to define a series of interconnected redemption tickets, the ticket stock comprising a fibrous web formed from a pulp comprising a mixture of recycled furnish including recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, recycled coated soft white, and recycled ground wood furnish, and further comprising starch for reduction of linting and dusting on cut edges of the redemption tickets and opacifying agent for enhanced opacity of the redemption tickets, the redemption tickets having a caliper of about 7 to 9 points.  
   
   
       30 . The roll of redemption tickets of  claim 29 , wherein the redemption tickets have a Parker Smoothness not substantially exceeding about 8.0 microns.  
   
   
       31 . The roll of redemption tickets of  claim 29 , wherein the redemption tickets have a Parker Smoothness not substantially exceeding about 6.0 microns.  
   
   
       32 . The roll of redemption tickets of  claim 29 , wherein the redemption tickets have a Parker Smoothness not substantially exceeding about 5.0 microns.  
   
   
       33 . The roll of redemption tickets of  claim 29 , wherein the redemption tickets have a TAPPI 519 opacity of at least about 98 percent.  
   
   
       34 . The roll of redemption tickets of  claim 29 , wherein the furnish comprises about 25-50 wt. % recycled solid bleached sulfate plate stock, about 25-50 wt. % recycled coated soft white, and about 15-25 wt. % recycled ground wood furnish.