Process of improving paper formation using hydroxyethyl cellulose or microbiological polysaccharides

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR MAKING A FIBROUS WEB OF IMPROVED FORMATION WHICH COMPRISES FORMING AN AQUEOUS SLURRY OF FIBERS, SAID FIBERS BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CELLULOSIC FIBERS AD SYNTETIC RESIN FIBERS, AND SAID SLURRY CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY NONGELLING WATER VISCOSITY INCREASING AGENT WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY NONSUBSTANTIVE TO SAID FIBERS IN THE AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO INCREASE THE VISCOSITY OF WATER ALONE TO A RANGE OF FROM 20 TO 500 CENTIPOISES, MEASURED AT 20*C., SAID AGENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER-SOLUBLE HYDROXYETHYL CELLULOSE HAVING AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 40,000 AND 210,000 AND AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 2.35 HYDROXYETHYL GROUPS PER GLUCOSE UNIT AND MICROBIOLOGICAL POLYSACCHARIDES PRODUCED BY MICROBIAL FERMENTATION OF GLUCOSE WITH A BACTERIUM OF THE GENUS XANTHOMONAS, FLOWING SAID SLURRY ONTO A PAPER MACHINE TO FORM THEREON A WEB FROM SAID FIBERS WHILE SEPARATING AND RECOVERING FROM SAID FIBERS THE AGENT-CONTAINING WATER, IN SUBSTANTIALLY UNDILUTED CONDITION, CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLING A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID AGENT-CONTAINING WATER IN SUBSTANTIALLY UNDILUTED CONDITION TO FORM, WITH MORE FIBERS, ADDITIONAL SLURRY FOR FLOWING ONTO THE PAPER MACHINE, WHEREBY SAID AGENT MAY E CONTINUOUSLY REUTILIZED AND LOSS THEREOF THROUGH DILUTION MINIMIZED.