Ask A Scientist General Science Archive

name         Ally H.
status       student
age          14

Question -   How does creeping and embossing affect the absorbancy of
cellulose fibres in paper towels?
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Negligibly.

Tim Mooney
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I assume you mean "creping" since it is similar to embossing. These are
not the major factors in the absorbency (of water) by paper towels. First,
cellulose is fairly water absorbent by itself, but manufacturers also add
hydrophilic surfactants to further increase the speed with which the fibers
absorb water.

Vince Calder
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