CELLULOSE-REINFORCED HIGH MINERAL CONTENT PRODUCTS AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

A method to prepare aqueous furnishes useful as feedstock in the manufacture of very high-mineral content products, particularly paper sheets having mineral filler content up to 90% that display the required physical properties for the intended applications; the furnishes comprise fibrillated long fibers/mineral fillers mixed with anionic acrylic binders and co-additives, in presence or absence of cellulose fibrils; the fibrillated long fibers and cellulose fibrils provide high surface area for greater filler fixation and the reinforcement backbone network that ties all of the product components together; the anionic binders allow rapid and strong fixation of filler particles onto the surfaces of fibrils when mixing is conducted at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the binder. The aqueous furnish provides excellent filler retention and drainage during product fabrication.