Porous, low opacity paper

Abstract

Paper products and products comprising such paper products, such as packaging paper, are provided that are made from a fibrous web containing highly refined cellulose fibers. A paper product comprises a fibrous web comprising cellulose fibers. The paper product has an opacity of less than or equal to about 45% and an air permeability of greater than or equal to about 350 cm 3 /min/cm 2 . The paper may comprise a transparency agent with at least 95% by weight of a bio-based wax or oil coated on a surface of the paper. The resulting product has a relatively low opacity and excellent transparent or translucent characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A paper product comprising:
 a fibrous web comprising cellulose fibers; and   wherein the paper product has an opacity of less than or equal to about 45% and an air permeability of greater than or equal to about 350 cm 3 /min/cm 2 .   
     
     
         2 . The paper product of  claim 1 , further comprising a coating on a surface of the fibrous web, the coating comprising a transparency agent with at least 95% by weight of a bio-based wax or oil. 
     
     
         3 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose fibers comprise unrefined cellulose fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web has a basis weight of about 13 g/m 2  to about 60 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         5 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the cellulose fibers have a Schopper-Riegler freeness value in the range of from about 5° SR to about 25° SR. 
     
     
         6 . The paper product of  claim 3 , wherein the fibrous web comprises greater than or equal to about 90% by weight of the unrefined cellulose fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The paper product of  claim 3 , wherein the unrefined cellulose fibers comprise wood fibers, such as softwood fibers, hardwood fibers, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The paper product of  claim 3 , wherein the unrefined cellulose fibers comprise leaf fibers, such as abaca fibers, sisal fibers, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises regenerated cellulose fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web comprises bast fibers, hemp fibers, flax fibers, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the paper product has an air permeability of greater than or equal to about 500 cm 3 /min/cm 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the paper product has a water drop resistance of greater than or equal to about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         13 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous web has a basis weight of less than or equal to about 55 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         14 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the paper product has a basis weight of less than or equal to about 75 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         15 . The paper product of  claim 2 , wherein the bio-based wax or oil is a plant derived from wax or oil and has a melting point of from about 25° C. to about 75° C. 
     
     
         16 . The paper product of  claim 2 , wherein the bio-based wax or oil is a coconut-based wax, a soy-based wax, a palm-based wax, a rice-based wax or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The paper product of  claim 2 , wherein the transparency agent comprises a wax having a melting point of from about 25° C. to about 75° C. 
     
     
         18 . The paper product of  claim 1 , wherein the paper product has an opacity of less than or equal to about 32%. 
     
     
         19 . The paper product of  claim 2 , wherein the transparency agent is present in the paper product in an amount greater than or equal to about 3 g/m 2  by weight. 
     
     
         20 . A paper product comprising:
 a fibrous web comprising unrefined cellulose fibers, wherein the fibrous web has a basis weight of about 13 g/m 2  to about 60 g/m 2 ; and   a coating on a surface of the fibrous web, the coating comprising a transparency agent with at least 95% by weight of a bio-based wax or oil.   
     
     
         21 . The paper product of  claim 20 , wherein the paper product has an opacity of less than or equal to about 45% and an air permeability of greater than or equal to about 350 cm 3 /min/cm 2 . 
     
     
         22 . A method for producing a paper product, the method comprising:
 creating an aqueous suspension of the cellulose fibers   depositing the aqueous suspension of fibers onto a porous forming surface to form a fibrous web; and   coating at least one side of the fibrous web with an aqueous composition containing the transparency agent.