Cigarette filter

A Cigarette filter is an element of your cigarette, as well as cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter may be created from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either being a cavity filter or embedded to the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have been used 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 are ineffective in filtering toxins including dangerous. Most factory-made cigarettes come with a filter; people who roll their particular can find them coming from a tobacconist.


Cellulose acetate is manufactured by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. In the three cellulose hydroxy groups designed for esterification, between two and three are esterified by governing 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 on demand, and additives colouring the cigarette could possibly be added to cigarette filters. 5 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 United Kingdom.

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

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It can be resistant against weak acids and is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils as well as petroleum. It can be biodegradable as well as the raw materials are a renewable natural polymer supposed to find application for other uses later on. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% with 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 a hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, which many are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting over the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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