BICOMPONENT STRENGTHENING SYSTEM FOR PAPER

The present invention is directed to a bicomponent strengthening system and the paper webs produced with the bicomponent strengthening system. Through u se of the strengthening system, paper webs may be produced in which the strengt h characteristics of the web may be specifically tailored. The first component of the system comprises a polymer having at least about 1.5 m-eq primary ami ne functionality per gram of polymer and a molecular weight of at least about 10,000 Daltons. The second component may be either a polymeric anionic compound or a polymeric aldehyde functional compound. For example, the polyamine polymer component may be a polyvinylamine or polysaccharide having primary amine functionality. In one embodiment, the second component may be a cationic polymeric aldehyde functional compound. For example, the second component may be a cationic glyoxylated polyacrylamide. In another embodimen t, the second component may be a polymeric anionic compound comprising carboxy functionality.