EP4789557A1

EP4789557A1 - Functional additive composition applied to smoking article filter, lyocell tow for smoking article filter, produced using same, and production method therefor

Info

Publication number: EP4789557A1
Application number: EP24894528.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ji Eun Yang; Young Han Jeong; Jong Cheol Jeong; Sang Woo Jin; Yeong Nam Hwang; Jeong Hun Lee; Seung Dong SEO; Ki Jin AHN; Kyeng Bae Ma; Jin Chul Yang; Sung Hoon Ha; Min Hee Hwang
Original assignee: Kolon Industries Inc; KT&G Corp
Current assignee: Kolon Industries Inc; KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2023-11-21
Filing date: 2024-11-15
Publication date: 2026-08-12
Also published as: KR20250075006A; CN122206333A; WO2025110635A1

Abstract

A functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter, a lyocell tow for a smoking article filter manufactured using the same, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter containing a lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers includes: a phenol-reducing substance; polyethylene glycol (PEG); water; and an emulsion.

Description

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter, a lyocell tow for a smoking article filter manufactured using the same, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[Background Art]

A typical cigarette filter contains cellulose acetate tow, which is produced by extracting cellulose from wood pulp and then acetylating it. In addition, cigarette filters are assembled into tobacco products, distributed to consumers, provided for smoking, and ultimately discarded after the tobacco is smoked. Some cigarette filters are also directly discarded as manufacturing residues from cigarette filter manufacturing plants. These cigarette filter wastes are collected as waste and disposed of in landfills. In some cases, cigarette filters are not collected as waste after smoking but are instead left in the natural environment.
Recently, research has been conducted to replace cellulose acetate tow with eco-friendly materials in order to protect the natural environment and reduce costs. For example, development is underway for tow utilizing lyocell fibers, which are produced by directly fiberizing cellulose itself, unlike cellulose acetate.
Meanwhile, in the manufacture of tow for a cigarette filter, an emulsion treatment using a phenolic functional substance and an emulsion is carried out. Typically, lyocell tow treated with a conventional emulsion undergoes a drying process, during which the solids of the phenolic functional substance and the emulsion volatilize, resulting in a decrease in their residual amounts.
Therefore, there is a need to develop filter materials that can not only replace conventional cellulose acetate materials, but also achieve phenol reduction performance at a level equal to or better than that of the related art.

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is directed to providing a functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter, the composition including a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, and water, and further including polyethylene glycol (PEG) to reduce the volatile content of solids during the drying process after emulsion treatment of lyocell fibers, thereby minimizing the loss of the phenolic functional substance in the emulsion-treated lyocell fibers.
The present invention is also directed to providing a lyocell tow for a smoking article filter manufactured by applying a functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter, the composition including a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, and water, and further including PEG to reduce the volatile content of solids during the drying process after emulsion treatment, thereby minimizing the loss of the phenolic functional substance in the emulsion-treated lyocell fibers.
The present invention is also directed to providing a smoking article filter that exhibits excellent phenol reduction performance by including a lyocell tow manufactured using a functional additive composition.
The present invention is also directed to providing a method of manufacturing lyocell tow with reduced volatile content of solids during the drying process after emulsion treatment of lyocell fibers by using an additive composition further including PEG in addition to a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, and water.
The objectives of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other objectives not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[Technical Solution]

According to one aspect of the present invention, a functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter containing a lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers includes: a phenol-reducing substance; polyethylene glycol (PEG); water; and an emulsion.
The phenol-reducing substance may include triethyl citrate (TEC).
The polyethylene glycol (PEG) may have a weight average molecular weight of 50 to 10,000.
The functional additive composition may have a Turbiscan stability index (TSI) of 0.5 to less than 11.5 for 6 hours.
The functional additive composition may have a Turbiscan stability index (TSI) of 1.75 to 7.5 for 6 hours.
The polyethylene glycol (PEG) may have a weight average molecular weight of 150 to 3,000.
The polyethylene glycol (PEG) may have a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 1,000, and the content of PEG may be 1 wt% to 15 wt% based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
The polyethylene glycol (PEG) may be included in an amount of 4 wt% to 11 wt% based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
The functional additive composition may have a viscosity of 1.5 to 5.0.
When measured using a thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) device under conditions of an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature, a drying temperature of 110 °C, and a drying time of 30 minutes, the functional additive composition may have a volatile content of solids of 0.3% to 3.5%.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a lyocell tow is manufactured using lyocell fibers and a functional additive composition, wherein the functional additive composition includes a phenol-reducing substance, polyethylene glycol (PEG), water, and an emulsion.
The phenol-reducing substance may include triethyl citrate (TEC), the polyethylene glycol (PEG) may have a weight average molecular weight of 100 to 1,000, and the content of PEG may be 4.5 wt% to 8.0 wt% based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a lyocell tow including lyocell fibers includes: preparing a functional additive composition; adding the functional additive composition to the lyocell fibers; and drying the lyocell fibers to which the functional additive composition has been added, wherein the functional additive composition includes a phenol-reducing substance, polyethylene glycol (PEG), water, and an emulsion.
The phenol-reducing substance may include triethyl citrate (TEC).

[Advantageous Effects]

According to embodiments of the present invention, by further including polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the functional additive composition in addition to a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, and water, the volatile content of solids during the drying process after emulsion treatment of lyocell fibers is reduced, which can minimize the loss of the phenolic functional substance in the emulsion-treated lyocell tow, thereby enhancing the phenol reduction performance of the smoking article filter using the lyocell tow.
In addition, by optimizing the content or molecular weight of PEG in the functional additive composition, the volatile content of solids during the drying process after emulsion treatment of lyocell fibers is reduced, which can minimize the loss of the phenolic functional substance in the emulsion-treated lyocell tow, thereby enhancing the phenol reduction performance of the smoking article filter using the lyocell tow.
Furthermore, by further including PEG in the functional additive composition in addition to a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, and water, the dispersion stability of the functional additive composition is improved, which allows the functional additive composition to be uniformly sprayed onto lyocell fibers during treatment, thereby making it easy to manufacture lyocell tow or smoking article filters with a uniformly sprayed functional additive composition onto the lyocell fibers.
Advantageous effects according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned advantageous effects can be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the description below.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Modes of the Invention]

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving the same should become clear with embodiments described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to make the disclosure of the present invention complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the present invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals denote the same components.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.
In addition, unless otherwise specified in the context, the singular forms used herein are intended to include the plural forms as well. The terms "comprise" and/or "comprising" used herein do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more components, steps, operations, and/or devices other than those mentioned.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, various modifications may be made to the embodiments, and the scope of rights of the patent application should not be limited or restricted by these embodiments. All modifications, equivalents, and substitutions to the embodiments should be understood as being included within the scope of rights.
The terms used in the embodiments are used only for the purpose of description and should not be interpreted as limiting. Unless clearly indicated otherwise by the context, singular expressions include the plural. In this specification, terms such as "include" and "have" are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described herein, and do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms, used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in the present application.
In addition, when describing the embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components regardless of the figure number, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted. When describing the embodiments, detailed descriptions of well-known technologies related to the embodiments may be omitted if it is determined that such descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the gist of the embodiments.
When describing components of the embodiments, the terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. Such terms are only used for distinguishing one component from another component, and the essence, order, sequence, or the like of the corresponding component is not limited by the terms.
Components included in one embodiment and components having common functions will be described using the same terminology in other embodiments. Unless otherwise stated to the contrary, descriptions provided in one embodiment may also apply to other embodiments, and redundant explanations will be omitted to the extent they overlap.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Throughout the specification, the term "smoking article" refers to products such as cigarettes and cigars capable of generating aerosols. The smoking article may include an aerosol-generating substance or an aerosol-forming substrate. Additionally, the smoking article may include a solid material based on tobacco raw materials, such as reconstituted tobacco leaf, cut tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco. The smoking material may include volatile compounds.
Throughout the specification, "upstream" or "upstream direction" refers to a direction away from the mouth of a user smoking the smoking article 100, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" refers to a direction toward the mouth of a user smoking the smoking article 100. For example, in a smoking article 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, a smoking material portion 10 is located upstream or in an upstream direction of a filter portion 20 for a smoking article.
Although the present specification describes the case of a combustion-type cigarette as an example of the smoking article 100, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the smoking article 100 may also correspond to a heated cigarette or the like, which is used together with an aerosol-generating device (not shown) such as an electronic cigarette device.
The present invention relates to a functional additive composition that can be used in the manufacture of a filter portion 20 for a smoking article (or a smoking article filter) applicable to a smoking article 100, wherein the functional additive composition may be added to lyocell fibers during the manufacture of a lyocell tow composed of a plurality of lyocell fibers. Accordingly, the smoking article filter 20 according to the present invention may include a lyocell tow composed of a plurality of lyocell fibers to which the functional additive composition is applied. The lyocell fibers are eco-friendly fibers made from cellulose extracted from wood pulp.
The lyocell tow in the smoking article filter according to the present invention may be manufactured by adding the functional additive composition to a plurality of lyocell fibers and then performing a drying process. The method of manufacturing lyocell tow will be described in detail later.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a functional additive composition for a smoking article filter, which is applied to a smoking article 100, includes a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, water, and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
In some embodiments, the functional additive composition may have a Turbiscan stability index (TSI) of 0.5 to 11.5, 0.75 to 10.5, 1.0 to 10, 1.25 to 9.5, 1.5 to 8.5, 1.75 to 7.5, 2.0 to 6.5, 2.5 to 6, 2.75 to 4.5, or 3.0 to 4.0, for 6 hours, and may be preferably 3.4 to 3.7. A detailed description of this will be provided later.
In some embodiments, the functional additive composition may have a viscosity of 1.5 to 5.0, 1.6 to 4.5, 1.7 to 4.3, 1.8 to 4.0, or 2.0 to 3.6, preferably 2.3 to 3.4, and more preferably 2.5 to 3.2.
In some embodiments, when the functional additive composition is dried at a drying temperature of 110 °C for 30 minutes using a TGA device under conditions of an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature, the volatile content of solids in the functional additive composition may be 0.3% to 3.5%, preferably 0.35% to 3.4%.
The phenolic functional substance is a material that specifically reduces phenols generated during smoking. In an embodiment, the phenolic functional substance includes triethyl citrate (TEC). However, the phenolic functional substance is not limited to TEC, and any substance capable of reducing phenols generated during smoking may be used. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, phenolic functional substance and phenol-reducing substance may be used interchangeably.
In some embodiments, the phenolic functional substance may be included in an amount of 5 wt% to 15 wt%, preferably 8 wt% to 12 wt%, and more preferably about 10 wt%, based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
The emulsion is distinct from those used in conventional fibers and may be one specifically developed for lyocell. According to an exemplary embodiment, the emulsion is used to minimize a reduction in the hardness of the filter due to deformation of the filter caused by the smoker's saliva during smoking, and it delays saliva penetration by imparting hydrophobicity, thereby reducing the rate at which the hardness of the filter decreases. The emulsion may be composed of hydrophobic components.
In some embodiments, the emulsion may be included in an amount of 2.5 wt% to 20 wt%, preferably 4 wt% to 18 wt%, and more preferably 5 wt% to 15 wt%, based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
The polyethylene glycol (PEG) may serve to reduce the volatile content of solids of the phenolic functional substance and the emulsion during the drying process after applying the functional additive composition to a plurality of lyocell fibers, as described later. Additionally, by being included in the functional additive composition, PEG improves the dispersion stability of the phenolic functional substance, the water, and the emulsion in the functional additive composition, thereby preventing the phenolic functional substances from clumping together in the functional additive composition. In addition, PEG may maintain the viscosity of the functional additive composition at an appropriate level by being included in the functional additive composition.
In some embodiments, PEG has a weight average molecular weight (M.W) of 50 to 10,000, preferably 80 to 8,000, 100 to 5,000, 120 to 4,000, 150 to 3,000, 180 to 2,000, 200 to 1,500, 250 to 1,000, 300 to 1,000, 400 to 800, and more preferably 500 to 700. When PEG has a molecular weight within the above range, it may reduce the volatile content of solids during the drying process.
In some embodiments, PEG may be included in an amount of about 1 wt% to 15 wt%, 2 wt% to 14 wt%, 2.5 wt% to 13 wt%, 3.5 wt% to 12 wt%, 4 wt% to 11 wt%, 4.5 wt% to 10.5 wt%, 5 wt% to 10 wt%, preferably about 5.0 wt% or about 7.5 wt%, based on the total weight of the functional additive composition. When PEG is included within the above range, the viscosity and the dispersion stability of the functional additive composition are improved, and the volatile content of solids during the drying process may be minimized.
The water content may be the remaining portion after excluding the amounts of the phenolic functional substance, emulsion, water, and PEG from the total weight of the functional additive composition.
In some embodiments, the PEG in the functional additive composition has a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 1,200, and the functional additive composition may have a Turbiscan stability index (TSI) of 0.8 to 4.0 for 1 hour, 1.0 to 6.0 for 3 hours, and 2.2 to 8.5 for 6 hours.
In some embodiments, without being limited thereto, the functional additive composition may include PEG 1000, and the functional additive composition including PEG 1000 may have a TSI of 3.4 to 4.0 for 1 hour, 3.6 to 6.0 for 3 hours, or 5.6 to 8.5 for 6 hours. Preferably, the functional additive composition may have a TSI of 3.5 to 3.7 for 1 hour, 5.5 to 5.7 for 3 hours, or 8.1 to 8.3 for 6 hours.
In some embodiments, without being limited thereto, the functional additive composition may include PEG 600, and the functional additive composition including PEG 600 may have a TSI of 0.8 to 1.5 for 1 hour, 1.0 to 2.5 for 3 hours, or 2.2 to 3.8 for 6 hours. Preferably, the functional additive composition may have a TSI of 0.9 to 1.1 for 1 hour, 2.1 to 2.3 for 3 hours, or 3.4 to 3.7 for 6 hours.
In some embodiments, without being limited thereto, the functional additive composition may include PEG 1000, and when measured using a TGA device under conditions of an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature, a drying temperature of 110 °C, and a drying time of 30 minutes, the volatile content of solids in the functional additive composition including PEG 1000 may be 1.7% to 4.0%.
In some embodiments, without being limited thereto, the functional additive composition may include PEG 600, and when measured using a TGA device under conditions of an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature, a drying temperature of 110 °C, and a drying time of 30 minutes, the volatile content of solids in the functional additive composition including PEG 600 may be 0.37% to 0.65%.
Hereinafter, lyocell tow may be manufactured using the following method. The manufacturing method includes preparing a plurality of lyocell fibers, preparing a functional additive composition, adding the functional additive composition to the lyocell fibers, and drying the lyocell fibers to which the functional additive composition has been added, wherein the functional additive composition includes a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, water, and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The phenolic functional substance may include triethyl citrate (TEC).
Hereinafter, the composition of the present invention and its effects will be described in more detail through examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are for illustrating the present invention in more detail, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby.

Example 1

A functional additive composition including a phenolic functional substance, an emulsion, water, and PEG was prepared. The functional additive composition may be a solution. Specifically, the functional additive composition was prepared by adding 10 wt% of TEC, 70 wt% of water, 2.5 wt% of PEG 1000 with a weight average molecular weight of 1,000, and 17.5 wt% of an emulsion, based on the total weight of the functional additive composition. While not limited thereto, the viscosity of the functional additive composition in Example 1 may be 1.5 to 3.5, 1.8 to 3.2, 2.0 to 3.0, 2.3 to 2.8, or 2.4 to 2.7, and may be preferably 2.5 to 2.6.

Example 2

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 5 wt% of PEG 1000 and 15 wt% of an emulsion were added. While not limited thereto, the functional additive composition of Example 2 may have a viscosity of 2.0 to 5.0, 2.3 to 4.5, 2.4 to 4.0, 2.5 to 3.8, 2.6 to 3.6, or 2.8 to 3.4, preferably 3.0 to 3.3, and more preferably 3.1 to 3.2.

Example 3

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 7.5 wt% of PEG 1000 and 12.5 wt% of an emulsion were added.

Example 4

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 10 wt% of PEG 1000 and 10 wt% of an emulsion were added.

Comparative Example 1

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that PEG 1000 was not added and the content of the emulsion was adjusted to 20 wt%.

[Experimental Example 1]: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) according to PEG addition amount and emulsion content reduction

In Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 to 4, functional additive compositions were prepared by fixing TEC and water contents at 10 wt% and 70 wt%, respectively, while adjusting the emulsion content based on the amount of PEG 1000 added (0 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 5 wt%, 7.5 wt%, and 10 wt%).

TGA analysis was conducted on Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1 to 4 to evaluate the weight loss rate and the volatile content of solids under various drying temperatures and times, and the results are shown in Table 1. Specifically, the measurements were carried out using a TGA device under conditions of an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature to the target drying temperature (°C), and controlled drying times (in minutes or hours) to determine the volatile content of solids. The volatile content of solids was calculated by subtracting the amount of water evaporation from the total volatile content.

[Table 1]

Drying temperature	Volatile content of solids (%)
	Comparative Example 1		Example 1		Example 2		Example 3		Example 4
	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min
110 °C	6.53	2.82	5.91	2.13	4.33	1.36
120 °C	8.17	4.15	7.44	3.33	6.09	1.87	5.24	1.51	5.42	1.62

According to Table 1, although the volatile content of solids increases as the drying temperature increases, it can be seen that, regardless of the drying temperature, when PEG is included in the functional additive composition (Examples 1 to 4), the volatile content of solids decreases compared to the PEG-free composition (Comparative Example 1), even though the amount of the emulsion is reduced. In addition, it can be seen that Example 3, including 7.5 wt% of PEG 1000 in the functional additive composition, exhibits the lowest volatile content of solids compared to Example 2, including 5 wt% of PEG 1000, and Example 4, including 10 wt% of PEG 1000. This demonstrates that incorporating PEG into the functional additive composition during the drying process aimed at water removal effectively prevents the reduction of TEC during drying.

Example 5

A functional additive composition was prepared by adding 10 wt% of TEC, 5 wt% of an emulsion, 2.5 wt% of PEG 1000, and 82.5 wt% of water, based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.

Example 6

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 5, except that 5 wt% of PEG 1000 and 80 wt% of water were added.

Comparative Example 2

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 5, except that PEG 1000 was not added and the content of water was adjusted to 85 wt%.

[Experimental Example 2]: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) according to PEG 1000 addition amount and water content reduction

In Comparative Example 2, Example 5, and Example 6, functional additive compositions were prepared by fixing TEC and emulsion contents at 10 wt% and 5 wt%, respectively, while adjusting the water content based on the amount of PEG 1000 added (0 wt%, 2.5 wt%, and 5 wt%).
The volatile content of solids in Comparative Example 2, Example 5, and Example 6, was measured using a TGA device under the same conditions as Experimental Example 1, with an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature to a drying temperature of 110 °C, and drying times adjusted to 1 hour or 30 minutes. [Table 2]

Drying temperature Volatile content of solids (%)

Comparative Example 2 Example 5 Example 6

1 hr 30 min 1 hr 30 min 1 hr 30 min

110 °C 8.63 5.39 5.70 3.38 4.05 1.79
According to Table 2, it can be seen that functional additive compositions including PEG 1000 (Examples 5 and 6) exhibit a reduced volatile content of solids compared to the PEG-free composition (Comparative Example 2), even at reduced water content. Additionally, compared to Example 5, in Example 6, as the amount of PEG 1000 added to the functional additive composition increases, the volatile content of solids decreases.

Example 7

A functional additive composition was prepared by adding 10 wt% of TEC, 5 wt% of emulsion, 5 wt% of PEG 600, and 80 wt% of water, based on the total weight of the functional additive composition. That is, Example 7 was prepared in the same manner as the functional additive composition of Example 6, except that the weight average molecular weight of PEG used in Example 7 was 600.

Example 8

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 7, except that 7.5 wt% of PEG 600 and 77.5 wt% of water were added.

[Experimental Example 3]: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) according to PEG 600 addition amount and water content reduction

In Comparative Example 2, Example 7, and Example 8, functional additive compositions were prepared by fixing TEC and emulsion contents at 10 wt% and 5 wt%, respectively, while adjusting the water content based on the amount of PEG 600 added (0 wt%, 5 wt%, and 7.5 wt%).
The volatile content of solids in Comparative Example 2, Example 7, and Example 8 was measured using a TGA device under the same conditions as Experimental Example 1, with an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature to a drying temperature of 110 °C, and drying times adjusted to 1 hour or 30 minutes. [Table 3]

Drying temperature Volatile content of solids (%)

Comparative Example 2 Example 7 Example 8

1 hr 30 min 1 hr 30 min 1 hr 30 min

110 °C 8.63 5.39 3.17 0.39 3.72 0.62
According to Table 3, it can be seen that functional additive compositions including PEG 600 (Examples 7 and 8) exhibit a reduced volatile content of solids compared to the PEG-free composition (Comparative Example 2), even at reduced water content. Additionally, Example 7 including 5 wt% of PEG 600 in the functional additive composition shows a lower volatile content of solids than Example 8 including 7.5 wt% of PEG 600.

Example 9

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the weight average molecular weight of PEG included in the functional additive composition was 600 (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 600: 2.5 wt%, and emulsion: 17.5 wt%).

Example 10

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the weight average molecular weight of PEG included in the functional additive composition was 2,000 (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 2000: 2.5 wt%, and emulsion: 17.5 wt%).

Example 11

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the weight average molecular weight of PEG included in the functional additive composition was 4,000 (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 4000: 2.5 wt%, and emulsion: 17.5 wt%).

Example 12

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the weight average molecular weight of PEG included in the functional additive composition was 8,000 (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 8000: 2.5 wt%, and emulsion: 17.5 wt%).

Example 13

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 9, except that 5 wt% of PEG and 15 wt% of an emulsion were added (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 600: 5 wt%, and emulsion: 15 wt%).

Example 14

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 10, except that 5 wt% of PEG and 15 wt% of an emulsion were added (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 2000: 5 wt%, and emulsion: 15 wt%).

Example 15

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 11, except that 5 wt% of PEG and 15 wt% of an emulsion were added (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 4000: 5 wt%, and emulsion: 15 wt%).

Example 16

A functional additive composition was prepared in the same manner as in Example 12, except that 5 wt% of PEG and 15 wt% of an emulsion were added (i.e., TEC: 10 wt%, water: 70 wt%, PEG 8000: 5 wt%, and emulsion: 15 wt%).

[Experimental Example 4]: Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) according to PEG weight average molecular weight and PEG content

In Example 1 and Examples 9 to 12, functional additive compositions were prepared by fixing TEC and water contents at 10 wt% and 70 wt%, respectively, and PEG and emulsion contents at 2.5 wt% and 17.5 wt%, respectively, while adjusting the weight average molecular weight of PEG.
In Example 2 and Examples 13 to 16, functional additive compositions were prepared by fixing TEC and water contents at 10 wt% and 70 wt%, respectively, and PEG and emulsion contents at 5 wt% and 15 wt%, respectively, while adjusting the weight average molecular weight of PEG. Lyocell fibers were immersed in the prepared functional additive compositions, discharged, and then dried to manufacture lyocell tow.

The total volatile content of the functional additive compositions in Comparative Example 1, Examples 1, 2, and 9 to 16, was measured using a TGA device under the same conditions as Experimental Example 1, with an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature to a drying temperature of 120 °C, and drying times adjusted to 1 hour or 30 minutes.

[Table 4]

Total volatile content (%)
Comparative Example 1		Example 9		Example 1		Example 10		Example 11		Example 12
1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min
78.17	74.15	74.53	71.10	77.44	73.33	76.38	72.34	77.12	73.12	76.42	72.34

Comparative Example 1		Example 13		Example 2		Example 14		Example 15		Example 16
1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min	1 hr	30 min
78.17	74.15	74.34	71.96	76.09	71.87	74.91	71.45	75.18	71.50	75.02	71.33

According to Table 4, Examples 1, 2, and 9 to 16, including PEG in the functional additive composition, show a reduced total volatile content compared to Comparative Example 1. At the same weight average molecular weight, Examples 2 and 13 to 16, including 5 wt% of PEG, exhibit a lower total volatile content than Examples 1 and 9 to 12, including 2.5 wt% of PEG. It can be seen that Examples 9 and 13, which use PEG 600 at the same PEG content, exhibit a lower total volatile content compared to other examples. This demonstrates that PEG 600 significantly improves volatilization reduction in solids, leading to higher residual levels of the phenolic functional substance, TEC, in lyocell tow, and these improvements are suitable for imparting phenol reduction functionality to smoking article filters manufactured using the lyocell tow.

[Experimental Example 5]: Evaluation of dispersion stability of functional additive composition according to PEG molecular weight

The dispersion stability (Turbiscan stability index) of the functional additive compositions according to Comparative Example 2, Example 6, and Example 7 was evaluated. [Table 5]

Turbiscan stability index (TSI)

Time 1 hr 3 hr 6 hr

Comparative Example 2 4.7 10.0 12.1

Example 6 3.6 5.6 8.2

Example 7 1.0 2.2 3.6
According to Table 5, the functional additive compositions of Examples 6 and 7 including PEG exhibit significantly superior dispersion stability compared to Comparative Example 2, as evidenced by markedly lower Turbiscan stability index (TSI) values. In particular, in Example 7, the 6-hour TSI was lower than the 1-hour TSI of Comparative Example 2, highlighting its outstanding dispersion stability. The functional additive composition maintains high dispersion stability over time, thereby effectively preventing phase separation between the emulsion, water, and TEC components while improving uniformity among the constituent materials in the functional additive composition.

[Experimental Example 6]: Evaluation of volatile content of solids and residual TEC content in lyocell tow according to PEG molecular weight

Lyocell fibers were immersed in the functional additive compositions prepared according to Examples 6 and 7, discharged, and then dried to manufacture lyocell tow. Afterward, the residual TEC content in the lyocell tow was analyzed, and the results are shown in Table 6.
In addition, the volatile content of solids in the functional additive compositions of Comparative Example 1, Example 6, and Example 7 was measured using a TGA device under conditions of a heating rate of 20 °C/min to a drying temperature of 110 °C, and a drying time of 30 minutes, and the results are shown in Table 6. [Table 6]

Comparative Example 2 Example 6 Example 7

Volatile content of solids (%, 110 °C, 30 min) 5.39 1.79 0.39

Residual TEC content in lyocell tow (%) - 8.468 9.775
According to Table 6, the functional additive compositions including PEG 1000 (Example 6) and PEG 600 (Example 7) exhibit a significantly reduced volatile content of solids compared to Comparative Example 2. In addition, it can be seen that Example 7, which includes PEG 600, exhibits a significantly lower volatile content of solids and a higher residual TEC content in the lyocell tow compared to Example 6, which includes PEG 1000. When PEG 600 is included, the residual TEC content in lyocell tow increases, thereby enhancing the phenol reduction performance of smoking article filters manufactured using the lyocell tow.
The above-described smoking article filter may be applied to smoking articles. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present invention. The smoking article 100 includes a smoking material portion 10 and a filter portion 20, and the smoking article filter described above is applied to the filter portion 20 of the smoking article 100. In the smoking article 100, the smoking material portion 10 is located upstream of the filter portion 20.
The smoking material portion 10 may be filled with a smoking material such as raw leaf tobacco, reconstituted tobacco sheets, or a mixture of leaf tobacco and reconstituted sheets. The processed smoking material may be filled into the smoking material portion 10 in the form of a sheet or as cut filler. The smoking material portion 10 may have an elongated rod shape, and while its length, circumference, and diameter are not particularly limited, they may be adjusted to dimensions commonly used in the field, considering the filling capacity of the smoking material and user preferences. The smoking material portion 10 may include at least one aerosol-generating substance among glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The smoking material portion 10 may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or acetate compounds. The aerosol-generating substance and additives may be incorporated into the smoking material.
The filter portion 20 is located downstream of the smoking material portion 10 and serves as a final filter through which the aerosol generated from the smoking material portion 10 passes immediately before being inhaled by the user. The filter portion 20 may be manufactured from various materials or in various forms. The filter portion 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention basically includes the above-described tobacco filter including a lyocell tow in which a plurality of lyocell fibers are bound together by a binder. The tobacco filter including the lyocell tow may replace all or part of the filter portion 20 of a conventional smoking article, and when only part is replaced, conventional filter materials may be used in combination. Examples of conventional filter materials may include cellulose acetate filters and hollow tube filters.
In FIG. 1, the filter portion 20 is depicted as a mono filter consisting of a single filter, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the filter portion 20 may also be configured as a dual filter with two acetate filters or a triple filter to enhance filtration efficiency. In addition, although not shown, a crushable capsule (not shown) with a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is encapsulated by a film may be included in the filter portion 20.
The smoking material portion 10 and the filter portion 20 may each be wrapped with a wrapper 30a or 30b.
The smoking material portion 10 may be wrapped with a smoking material wrapper 30a. A portion of tobacco smoke (sidestream smoke) generated during the combustion of a conventional smoking material portion 10 is released into the atmosphere through the smoking material wrapper 30a before passing through the tobacco filter, causing discomfort to passive smokers. To reduce sidestream smoke, various attempts have been made by incorporating fillers, such as magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, cerium oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium carbonate, and zirconium carbonate, etc., into conventional cigarette paper, but have encountered difficulties, as these fillers often degrade smoking taste, cause incomplete combustion or reduced ash cohesion, making it challenging to resolve these issues solely through the appropriate combination of filler materials. The smoking material wrapper 30a according to an embodiment of the present invention uses a mixed filler of magnesium oxide (MgO) and/or magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂) with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to reduce sidestream smoke while maintaining smoking taste, ash cohesiveness, and preventing combustion flameout.
The filter portion 20 may be wrapped by a filter wrapper 30b. The filter wrapper 30b may be made from oil-resistant paper, and an aluminum foil layer may be included on the inner surface of the filter wrapper 30b.
The smoking material portion 10, wrapped by the smoking material wrapper 30a, and the filter portion 20, wrapped by the filter wrapper 30b, may be joined and packaged together using tipping paper 40. The tipping paper 40, as shown in FIG. 1, may be wrapped around at least portion (for example, a downstream region) of the smoking material wrapper 30a and the outer surface of the filter wrapper 30b. In other words, at least a portion of the smoking material portion 10 and the filter portion 20 may be further wrapped and physically joined together by the tipping paper 40. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the tipping paper 40 may be made of non-oil-resistant, non-porous wrapping paper, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the tipping paper 40 may include non-combustible materials to prevent ignition of the filter portion 20, but is not limited thereto.
Those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment will understand that the prevent invention may be implemented in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics described above. Therefore, the disclosed methods should be interpreted from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is defined by the patent claims rather than the foregoing description, and all variations within the equivalent scope thereof should be construed as being included in the present invention.

Claims

A functional additive composition applied to a smoking article filter including a lyocell tow that includes a plurality of lyocell fibers, the composition comprising:
a phenol-reducing substance;

polyethylene glycol (PEG);

water; and

an emulsion.
The functional additive composition of claim 1, wherein the phenol-reducing substance includes triethyl citrate (TEC).
The functional additive composition of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene glycol (PEG) has a weight average molecular weight of 50 to 10,000.
The functional additive composition of claim 1, wherein the functional additive composition has a Turbiscan stability index (TSI) of 0.5 to less than 11.5 for 6 hours.
The functional additive composition of claim 4, wherein the functional additive composition has a Turbiscan stability index (TSI) of 1.75 to 7.5 for 6 hours.
The functional additive composition of claim 4, wherein the polyethylene glycol (PEG) has a weight average molecular weight of 150 to 3,000.
The functional additive composition of claim 3, wherein the polyethylene glycol (PEG) has a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 1,000, and the PEG is included in an amount of 1 wt% to 15 wt% based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
The functional additive composition of claim 7, wherein the polyethylene glycol (PEG) is included in an amount of 4 wt% to 11 wt% based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
The functional additive composition of claim 1, wherein the functional additive composition has a viscosity of 1.5 to 5.0.
The functional additive composition of claim 1, wherein, when measured using a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) device under conditions of an air flow rate of 60 ml/min, a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature, a drying temperature of 110 °C, and a drying time of 30 minutes, the functional additive composition has a volatile content of solids of 0.3% to 3.5%.
A lyocell tow manufactured using lyocell fibers and a functional additive composition, wherein the functional additive composition includes a phenol-reducing substance, polyethylene glycol (PEG), water, and an emulsion.
The lyocell tow of claim 11, wherein
the phenol-reducing substance includes triethyl citrate (TEC),

the polyethylene glycol (PEG) has a weight average molecular weight of 100 to 1,000, and

the PEG is included in an amount of 4.5 wt% to 8.0 wt% based on the total weight of the functional additive composition.
A method of manufacturing a lyocell tow including lyocell fibers, comprising:
preparing a functional additive composition;

adding the functional additive composition to the lyocell fibers; and

drying the lyocell fibers to which the functional additive composition has been added,

wherein the functional additive composition includes a phenol-reducing substance, polyethylene glycol (PEG), water, and an emulsion.
The method of claim 13, wherein the phenol-reducing substance includes triethyl citrate (TEC).