Impact of 5-ply toilet paper configuration on its mechanical and absorption properties

Several physical and mechanical properties can characterize tissue papers. In particular, low grammage but high values of bulk, flexibility, liquid absorption capacity, and softness are common properties for tissue papers. These properties must be adapted to meet the requirements of the final consumer, which can vary greatly in different countries. This work resulted from a study regarding the impact of two different stacking sequences of 5-ply toilet paper with configurations 1 and 2 (deco:micro embossing of 3:2 and 2:3 plies, respectively), which had the same base tissue papers in each mother reel, on their mechanical behavior and absorption capacity. The stacking sequence of the plies influenced the properties of the finished toilet paper. For configurations 1 and 2, after the embossing process, bulk increases of 46% and 40%, respectively, and water absorption capacity increases of 2% and 17%, respectively, were registered. In this case, the bulk increase was not the key property that influenced the water absorption capacity. Regarding mechanical properties, both configurations showed a higher negative impact caused by the deco embossing. For commercial purposes and to adhere to the final consumers’ preferences for toilet paper, configuration 1 was more suitable for mechanical strength, and configuration 2 was more suitable for absorption capacity.