JPH08256751A - Biodegradable cigarette filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a material for cigarette capable of reducing the environmental pollution caused by the throwing away of cigarette butt by using a biodegradable filter as a substitute for the conventional cigarette filter. CONSTITUTION: This filter material is produced by bundling polylactic acid fibers composed of L-isomer and D-isomer at a molar ratio (L/D) of 98/2 to 90/10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an environmentally friendly cigarette filter having excellent biodegradability.

2. Description of the Related Art Today, it is known that cigarette smoke contains substances such as nicotine and tar, which burden the smoker's lungs, liver, stomach and the like, which is unfavorable for health. For this reason, most cigarettes are equipped with filters to remove these substances, but on the other hand, performance such as low ventilation resistance and aroma and flavor is also required, so a filter material with a good balance between these is used. Cellulose acetate fiber has been mainly used as the material.

However, cigarettes are predominantly used today, and the number of cigarette butts after smoking reaches an astronomical number, and some butts are not properly cleaned up.
The situation is scattered on the platform of the station, on the track, etc. In particular, the filter portion is scattered without being decomposed forever, which is a cause of social and environmental pollution. Therefore, alternative filters have been studied, but a filter having both the above filter characteristics and decomposability has not yet been found. The present invention, even in the cigarette butts of abandoned cigarettes, the filter part biodegrades together with the tobacco leaves, and eventually loses its original shape and is decomposed into carbon dioxide and water by the action of bacteria in the soil. It provides an eco-friendly biodegradable filter.

[0002]

[Means for Solving the Problems] That is, the present invention is a cigarette filter made of polylactic acid having a molar ratio of L-form to D-form of 98/2 to 90/10 as a fiber material. Have found that the environmental pollution caused by the discarded butts can be reduced. The composition of the polylactic acid of the present invention has a molar ratio of L-form to D-form of 98/2 to 90/10.
It is preferred that The molar ratio of L-form and D-form is 98 /
When it is 2 or more, polylactic acid is crystalline, and crystallization proceeds even during fiber orientation, resulting in a marked decrease in biodegradation rate. Further, when the molar ratio of the L-form and the D-form is 90/10 or less, polylactic acid remains amorphous even after the fiber orientation treatment, the strength of the fiber is insufficient, and it is difficult to obtain the filter itself. In the filter of the present invention, the polylactic acid is continuously fiberized to 0.8 to 16 denier, 2,000 to 100,000 pieces are collected to make a tow, and this can be rolled into a cylindrical shape with rice paper.

[0003]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Example 1 A cigarette filter was experimentally manufactured using a single fiber made of polylactic acid having an L-form / D-form molar ratio of 93/7. That is, a tow of the above polylactic acid fiber having a single fiber 6 denier, a total denier 40,000, and a regular cross section was widened and opened by a cigarette filter manufacturing machine, and a wound plug was formed on a cylinder with rice paper. The obtained plug was cut into a length of 17 mm, and the ventilation resistance and the fiber filling amount when used as a cigarette smoke filter were measured. Next, the filter portion of the commercially available cigarette highlight was removed, and the filter prepared as described above was attached instead of it, and the nicotine and tar removal rates were measured and the flavor and taste was monitored. In addition, this product was composted using the highlight as a control, and the biodegradability was examined. Table 1 summarizes these results in comparison with highlights. Table 1
Therefore, the filter of the present invention has a ventilation resistance, a tar removal rate,
It can be seen that although the nicotine removal rate and the flavor and taste are almost the same as those of commercial tobacco, it exhibits superior biodegradability to commercial tobacco.

[0004]

[Table 1]

[0005]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION Cigarette butt thrown away on roads, parks and the like was also unsightly because the filter part remained as scattered dust forever, but by using the filter of the present invention, even if the butt is thrown away, it will be a short time. It is expected that biodegrading it will reduce the environmental pollution.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The molar ratio of L-form to D-form is 98/2 to 90 /
Cigarette filter using polylactic acid of 10 as a fiber material