JP2015523079A - Degradable filter for smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The filter (14) for the smoking article (10) includes segments of filter material (16), and the filter material (16) includes randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and cellulose acetate fibers. The filter material (16) further comprises triacetin. The filter (14) also has a wrapper (18) that surrounds a segment of the filter material (16). [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a filter for a smoking article comprising a segment of filter material comprising regenerated cellulose fibers, cellulose acetate fibers, and triacetin. The present invention also relates to a filter for smoking articles comprising segments of filter material comprising regenerated cellulose fibers and low molecular weight polyethers. The present invention also extends to smoking articles comprising such filters.

  Filter cigarettes typically include a tobacco cut filter cylindrical rod surrounded by wrapping paper and a cylindrical filter axially aligned with the wrapping tobacco rod in an end-butt relationship. Cylindrical filters typically include a filter material, usually cellulose acetate tow, surrounded by paper plug wrap. Traditionally, wrapping tobacco rods and filters are joined by a strip of tip wrapping paper that is usually formed from opaque paper material and surrounds the entire length of the filter and adjacent portions of the wrapping tobacco rod.

  The art also suggests several smoking articles where the tobacco is heated rather than burning. In heated smoking articles, aerosol is generated by heating a flavor generating substrate such as tobacco. Known heated smoking articles include, for example, electrically heated smoking articles and smoking articles that generate aerosols by the transfer of heat to a combustible fuel element or aerosol forming material that is physically separated from a heat source. During smoking, heat transfer from the fuel element releases volatile compounds from the aerosol-forming substrate and entrains in the air drawn through the smoking article. The released compound condenses as it cools, forming an aerosol that is inhaled by the consumer. Smoking articles are also known in which nicotine-containing aerosols are generated from tobacco materials, tobacco extracts, or other nicotine sources without burning or heating.

US 2,647,285

Method "Determining the highest aerobic biodegradation and collapse of plastics under controlled composting conditions", ISO 14855 (2005)

  It is desirable to disassemble the filter compartment as soon as possible after the smoking article is smoked and the rest of the article is discarded. It would be desirable to provide a filter for smoking articles that facilitates this.

  According to a first aspect of the invention, a filter for a smoking article is provided, the filter comprising segments of filter material, the filter material comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and cellulose acetate fibers. The filter material further includes triacetin, and the filter also includes a wrapping paper surrounding the segment of filter material.

  As used herein, the term “regenerated cellulosic fibers” is used to mean cellulosic fibers formed by processing naturally occurring cellulosic materials to provide cellulosic fibers having desirable physical properties. A typical process for forming regenerated cellulose fibers includes pulping a naturally occurring cellulosic material, such as wood chips, to form a pulp, and subjecting the pulp to one or more processing steps. Modifying the physical properties of cellulose and forming regenerated cellulose fibers from the treated pulp by, for example, spinning the cellulose fibers by passing the pulp through a spinneret.

  The use of a filter material comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose is advantageous because it improves the degradation of the filter material. This is because randomly oriented fibers can be more easily dispersed after discarding the filter, especially when compared to the substantially continuous filaments of conventional cellulose acetate tow filters. Increased fiber dispersion increases the exposure of individual fibers to the environment, thus increasing the rate at which the filter material degrades.

  Furthermore, despite the use of regenerated cellulose fibers as the filter material, the filter according to the present invention delivers a similar flavor to the consumer when compared to conventional cellulose acetate tow filters. A similar taste sensation is due to the cellulose acetate fiber and triacetin binder present in the filter material of the filter according to the invention. Furthermore, triacetin binds to cellulose acetate fibers to improve the structural integrity of the filter material, but triacetin does not bind to regenerated cellulose fibers and thus maintains improved degradation of the filter material.

  The inventor has also recognized that filters composed solely of regenerated cellulose fibers do not show the same level of selective phenol retention during smoking of smoking articles when compared to conventional cellulose acetate filters. Thus, the filter according to the present invention addresses this problem by incorporating cellulose acetate fibers and triacetin together with regenerated cellulose fibers in the filter.

  The triacetin is preferably about 1% to about 15% by weight of the filter material in the filter segment, more preferably about 5% to about 10% by weight of the filter material in the filter segment, and most preferably about It is present in an amount of 3% to about 5% by weight.

  In some embodiments, the filter material further comprises a low molecular weight polyether to further increase the filter's ability to selectively retain phenol during smoking of the smoking article. A suitable polyether is polyethylene glycol. Preferably, the polyethylene glycol has a number average molecular weight between about 200 and about 3600, more preferably between about 400 and about 1600.

  The use of low molecular weight polyethers to increase the selective phenol retention of filter materials containing randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers is a novel and inventive device in itself. Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a filter for a smoking article, the filter comprising segments of filter material, the filter material comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and low molecular weight polyethers. . The filter further includes wrapping paper surrounding the segment of filter material.

  As mentioned above, the incorporation of low molecular weight polyethers in the filter material improves the selective phenol retention of the filter material. This is considered important when using a regenerated cellulose filter instead of a conventional cellulose acetate tow filter, for example, because the selective phenol retention of the regenerated cellulose fiber is small when compared to conventional cellulose acetate. It is done. The use of low molecular weight polyethers to improve the selective phenol retention of regenerated cellulose filters is illustrated in the examples shown in Table 1 below.

(Table 1)

  Table 1: Comparison of retention of different phenols by conventional cellulose acetate filter, regenerated cellulose (Lyocell) filter, and regenerated cellulose (Lyocell) + polyethylene glycol (PEG) filter. The data represents the amount of each phenol that passes through the filter when the article is smoked (ie, the amount of phenol that the filter does not retain). The data is normalized to the amount of nicotine that also passes through the filter during smoking of the article. Data was collected using a smoking test according to ISO 4387, and the determination of total and nicotine-free dry particulate material used a routine analytical smoking machine.

  A suitable polyether is polyethylene glycol. Preferably, the polyethylene glycol has a number average molecular weight between about 200 and about 3600, preferably between about 400 and about 1600.

  To further improve the filter's ability to selectively remove phenol during smoking of the smoking article, the filter material can include triacetin. Inclusion of triacetin also helps increase filter stiffness, which reduces the likelihood of filter collapse during handling of smoking articles and during smoking. In embodiments comprising triacetin, the triacetin is preferably about 1% to about 15% by weight of the filter material in the filter segment, more preferably about 5% to about 10% by weight of the filter material in the filter segment, most preferably The filter segment is present in an amount from about 3% to about 5% by weight of the filter material.

Preferably, the filter material according to both aspects of the invention is at least about 30%, more preferably at least about 40%, most preferably less than 40 days, preferably less than 30 days, as measured according to any of the following tests: Will decompose by at least about 50%:
ISO 14855-2005, Test 1: Aerobic biodegradation under controlled composting conditions ISO 14851-2004, Test 2: Aquatic aerobic respiration measurement biodegradation test

  A comparison of the degradation of different filters under ISO 14851-2004, Test 2 is shown in Graph 1 below to show the degradation of filters containing regenerated cellulose fibers when compared to conventional cellulose acetate filters. ing.

  Graph 1: Comparison of decomposition of various filters under the conditions of ISO 14851-2004. The test filters are 100% regenerated cellulose (Lyocell) fibers and conventional cellulose acetate filters. For reference, the degradation of a pure cellulose sample under the same conditions is also shown.

  The random orientation of the fibers in the filter according to the invention advantageously provides the necessary filter material resistance to mechanical deformation so that the filter can withstand being gripped by the consumer during smoking of the smoking article. . The random orientation of the fibers also provides the necessary suction resistance so that the smoking experience using the filter according to the present invention is substantially the same as the smoking experience using a conventional cellulose acetate tow filter. The filter according to both aspects of the present invention is a filter between about 40 mmWG and about 250 mmWG for a filter length of 27 mm, preferably between about 75 mmWG and about 175 mmWG for a filter length of 27 mm, most preferably a filter of 27 mm. It may have a suction resistance between about 100 mmWG and about 150 mmWG for the length. Suction resistance is measured using the test procedure described in ISO 6565: 2002.

  Preferably, the regenerated cellulosic fiber is a wound staple staple fiber, which helps reduce mechanical degradation of the fiber during processing of the filter material to form the filter and during subsequent assembly of the smoking article. . The fibers can be crimped using known methods for winding textile fibers, such as the method described in US 2,647,285.

  The crimped staple filaments preferably have a stretch length between about 10 mm and about 30 mm under a tension between about 5 cN / denier and about 10 cN / denier. This provides an optimal balance between the mechanical integrity of the filter in use and the dispersion rate of the filter material after discarding the filter. As used herein, the term “stretched length” is used to mean the average length of crimped regenerated cellulose staple filaments when stretched under a given tensile load.

  Preferably, the crimped staple filaments are between about 0.5 and about 8.0, preferably between about 1.5 and about 5.5, most preferably between about 2.0 and about 3.2. Of denier.

  Preferably, the staple staple fibers have a crimp ratio between about 3 and about 10 curves per 10 mm of fiber length, more preferably between about 6 and about 8 curves per 10 mm of fiber length.

  Regenerated cellulose fibers can include lyocell fibers. Lyocell fiber is defined as regenerated cellulose fiber obtained by an organic solvent spinning process. Lyocell fibers suitable for use in the filter according to the present invention are commercially available from Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft, under the registered trademark Tencel®. Advantageously, the process of producing lyocell fibers is more environmentally friendly when compared to the production of conventional cellulose acetate and other regenerated cellulose materials such as rayon and viscos.

  In particular, the production of cellulose acetate uses a catalyst containing cobalt or manganese. When cellulose acetate is produced, a strong unpleasant odor is also generated. In contrast, the cellulose or ground pulp used to form lyocell is processed in a closed loop process where non-toxic solvents are recycled with a recovery of up to 99.5%. Furthermore, no bleaching agent is required when producing lyocell fibers. Any residual emissions resulting from the production of lyocell can be decomposed in a biological purification plant.

  The filter material may contain other fibers in addition to the regenerated cellulose fibers. Such additional fibers can be incorporated into the filter by mixing the additional fibers with regenerated cellulose fibers during the manufacture of the filter material. The additional fibers can be bound to the regenerated cellulose fibers using a suitable water soluble binder such as the water soluble binders described above. For example, the filter material of the filter according to the second aspect of the invention can include cellulose acetate fibers to improve the mechanical strength of the filter. Alternatively or additionally, the filter material can include additional fibers that change the appearance of the filter material. For example, the appearance of the filter material of a filter according to both aspects of the present invention can be modified to closely resemble the appearance of a conventional cellulose acetate tow filter. Exemplary fibers for altering the appearance of the filter material include silk, cotton, polyester, hemp yarn, nylon, and wool.

  To further improve the rate of filter dispersion and disassembly after the filter is discarded, the wrapping paper can include a dissolvable plug wrap. The term “dissolvable” is used herein to mean that the plug wrap can be dissolved in a solution with water. After the filter is discarded, the dissolvable plug wrap will break and open and disperse upon contact with water, thus exposing the underlying filter material to the environment and improving the dispersal and degradation rate of the filter material There are advantages to doing. In addition to being degradable, the plug wrap can be biodegradable.

  In embodiments comprising a dissolvable plug wrap, the plug wrap comprises or consists of a sheet of polymer film, the polymer film comprising at least one water soluble polymer. Using a polymer film to form the plug wrap reduces costs and simplifies the manufacture of the plug wrap. Specifically, in contrast to paper materials, polymer films inherently have the required properties of plug wrap, such as low gas permeability, without the need for any further processing steps when manufactured. Can be configured to hold. Furthermore, transparent polymer films can be provided more easily than transparent paper when it is desired that the plug wrap be transparent.

  Preferably, a 5 mm x 5 mm square sample of polymer film will dissolve in less than 72 hours when placed in 25 ml of distilled water at a temperature of 22 ° C. The test is performed in a container sized such that the water depth is sufficient to completely submerge the square sample (sample buoyancy is such that the sample floats on the surface of the water during the test) Is considered). The sample is considered dissolved when the water-soluble material disappears with the naked eye.

  Polymeric materials for forming the polymer film include, but are not limited to, polyvinyl alcohol, cellophane, starch, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, and combinations thereof.

  Suitable polymer films can be made entirely from one or more water-soluble polymers, or can include additional polymers that are dissolvable or insoluble, or inert inorganic fillers. The polymer film can have a single layer structure or a multilayer structure. If the film includes multiple layers, these layers can be formed from the same polymeric material or from different polymeric materials. When the layers are formed from different polymer materials, each polymer material includes at least one water soluble polymer.

  According to the present invention, there is also provided a smoking article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and a mouthpiece axially aligned and fixed with the aerosol-forming substrate, the mouthpiece comprising a filter according to any aspect of the present invention. Including.

  As used herein, the term “aerosol-forming substrate” is used to describe a substrate that can release a volatile compound upon heating to form an aerosol. The aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate of the smoking article described herein may or may not be visible, vapor (eg, particulates of a substance in a gaseous state that is normally liquid or solid at room temperature), Gas and condensed vapor droplets.

  A smoking article according to the present invention can be a filter cigarette or other smoking article in which the aerosol-forming substrate comprises tobacco material or another combustible material that burns to form smoke. Alternatively, a smoking article according to the present invention can be an article comprising a material that is heated to form an aerosol rather than burning the aerosol-forming substrate. In one type of heated smoking article, tobacco material or another aerosol forming material is heated by one or more electrical heating elements to produce an aerosol. In another type of heated smoking article, the aerosol is heat transferred from, for example, a flammable or chemical heat source to a physically separate aerosol forming material that may be located within, around, or downstream of the heat source. Generated by. The invention further encompasses smoking articles that generate a nicotine-containing aerosol from tobacco material, tobacco extract, or other nicotine source without burning or heating.

Test procedure
ISO 14855-2005
The controlled composting biodegradation test is an optimized simulation of the intensive aerobic composting process that determines the biodegradability of the test under dry aerobic conditions. The inoculum consists of stabilized and mature compost obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The test item is mixed with the inoculum and introduced into a stationary reaction vessel where it is intensively composted under optimal oxygen, temperature and humidity conditions. The test is performed according to the ISO 14855 (2005) method entitled “Determining the maximum aerobic biodegradation and decay of plastics under controlled composting conditions”, but in duplicate rather than triple.

ISO 14851-2004
This test determines aquatic aerobic biodegradation under laboratory conditions. The test material is placed in a chemically defined liquid medium and spiked with microorganisms. Oxygen is consumed during aerobic decomposition, and the carbonaceous material is converted to gaseous CO ₂ . NaOH pellets capture the released CO ₂ and the induced pressure drop is directly related to the consumed oxygen and biodegradation of the test material.

  The present invention will now be described in detail below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a figure which shows the smoking article by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the smoking article of FIG. 1 which unwrapped the filter.

  The filter cigarette 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a tobacco cut filter packaging rod 12 attached at one end to an axially aligned filter 14 according to the present invention. Filter 14 comprises a single segment of filter material 16 comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and cellulose acetate fibers, and triacetin. The filter material 16 can also include other fibers, such as silk fibers, to change its appearance. The filter material 16 can also include one or more binders to improve selective phenol retention and can have one or more additives. The segment of filter material 16 is surrounded by a plug wrap 18, which may be soluble and may be composed of a sheet of polymer film that includes at least one water soluble polymer. The wrapping tobacco rod 12 and the filter 14 are joined by a tip paper band 20 that surrounds the entire length of the filter 14 and the adjacent portion of the wrapping tobacco rod 12.

  Although the specific embodiments described above relate to conventional smoking articles that include a filter and a tobacco rod, it is believed that similar devices of the filter according to the present invention can also be used for heated smoking articles. Will be recognized.

10 Filter cigarette 12 Rod 16 Filter material 18 Plug wrap 20 Band

Claims (13)

A filter for smoking articles,
A segment of filter material comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and cellulose acetate fibers and further comprising triacetin;
Wrapping paper surrounding a segment of the filter material;
The filter characterized by including.   The filter of claim 1, wherein the filter material further comprises a low molecular weight polyether.   The filter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter material includes additional fibers selected from the group consisting of silk, cotton, polyester, hemp yarn, nylon, wool, and combinations thereof.   The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the triacetin is present in an amount of 1% to 15% by weight of the filter material. A filter for smoking articles,
Segments of filter material comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and low molecular weight polyethers;
Wrapping paper surrounding a segment of the filter material;
The filter characterized by including.   The filter according to claim 2 or 5, wherein the low molecular weight polyether contains polyethylene glycol.   The filter of claim 6, wherein the polyethylene glycol has a number average molecular weight between 200 and 3600.   The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the regenerated cellulose fiber is a wound staple staple fiber.   9. A filter according to claim 8, wherein the wound staple staple fibers have a stretch length between 10 mm and 30 mm under a tension between 5 cN / denier and 10 cN / denier.   10. The wound staple fiber according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the staple fiber staple has a denier between 0.5 and 8.0 and a crimp ratio between 3 and 10 bends per 10 mm fiber length. The filter described.   The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the regenerated cellulose fiber is a lyocell fiber. The wrapping paper includes a dissolvable plug wrap made of a sheet of polymer material;
The polymeric material comprises at least one water soluble polymer;
The filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter is a filter. An aerosol-forming substrate;
A mouthpiece including the filter according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the aerosol-forming base material is aligned and fixed in an axial direction.
A smoking article comprising:

Images