Cellulose acetate tow

A Cigarette filter is a component of the cigarette, along with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be made out of cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as being a cavity filter or embedded into the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have been utilized in cigarette filters The acetate and paper customize the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters can reduce “tar” and nicotine smoke yields around 50%, using a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), but you are ineffective in filtering toxins such as carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes include a filter; people that roll their particular can get them coming from a tobacconist.


Cellulose acetate is created by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. In the three cellulose hydroxy groups readily available for esterification, between two and three are esterified by managing the level of acid (degree of substitution (DS) 2.35-2.55). The ester is spun into fibers and formed into bundles called filter tow. Flavors (menthol), sweeteners, softeners (triacetin), flame retardants (sodium tungstate), breakable capsules releasing flavors when needed, and additives colouring the cigarette could possibly be added to cigarette filters. The five largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the usa, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in the uk.

Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives can be used for gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives bring bonding the filters to the cigarettes.

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It can be proof against weak acids and is also largely stable to mineral and fatty oils along with petroleum. It really is biodegradable as well as the raw material is a renewable natural polymer likely to find application for other uses later on. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% of the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or possibly a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine needs to be admitted to some hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, which many are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting with the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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