Filter tow

A Cigarette filter is an element of your cigarette, in addition to 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 seemed to be employed 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 help to eliminate “tar” and nicotine smoke yields around 50%, with a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), but they are ineffective in filtering toxins for example dangerous. Most factory-made cigarettes come with a filter; people that roll their particular can find them from a tobacconist.


Cellulose acetate is done by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. From the three cellulose hydroxy groups readily available for esterification, between two and three are esterified by managing the level of acid (level 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 tobacco smoke could possibly be combined with cigarette filters. The five largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the us, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in the uk.

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

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