UA115062C2 - Degradable filter for smoking articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A filter (14) for a smoking article (10) comprises a segment of filtration material (16), the filtration material (16) comprising randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibres and cellulose acetate fibers. The filtration material (16) further comprises triacetin. The filter (14) also includes a wrapper (18) circumscribing the segment of filtration material (16).

Description

This invention relates to a filter for a smoking product, this filter includes a section of filter material containing regenerated cellulose fibers, acetyl cellulose fibers and triacetin. The present invention also relates to a filter for a smoking product, this filter comprising a section of filter material comprising regenerated cellulose fibers and low molecular weight polyester. This invention also extends to smoking products that include such filters.

Filter cigarettes typically include a cylindrical rod of cut tobacco filler surrounded along the perimeter by a paper wrapper, and a cylindrical filter positioned coaxially and end-to-end with this wrapped tobacco rod. A cylindrical filter usually includes a filter material, usually cellulose acetyl tow, surrounded along the circumference by a paper wrapper for the rod. As a rule, the wrapped tobacco rod and the filter are connected by a strip of rim wrapper, usually made of an opaque paper material, which surrounds along the perimeter the filter along its entire length and the adjacent part of the wrapped tobacco rod.

Numerous smoking products have been proposed in this field in which the tobacco is heated rather than burned. In heated smoking products, the aerosol is produced by heating a flavoring substrate such as tobacco. Known heated smoking products include, for example, electrically heated smoking products and smoking products in which the aerosol is generated by the transfer of heat from a burned fuel cell or heat source to a physical individual aerosol-forming substance. During smoking, volatile compounds are released from the aerosol substrate as a result of heat transfer from said fuel element, and are captured by the air that is drawn through this smoking product. As the released compounds cool, they condense to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the consumer. Smoking products are also known, in which the nicotine-containing aerosol is formed from tobacco material, tobacco extract or another source of nicotine without burning or heating it.

It is desirable that after smoking the smoking product and discarding the rest of the product, the filter section should be decomposed as quickly as possible. It would be desirable to offer a filter for the smoking product that facilitates this.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a filter for a smoking product is proposed, this filter includes a section of filter material, and this filter material contains randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers and acetyl cellulose fibers. This filter material also contains triacetin, and the filter also includes a wrap that circumferentially surrounds said section of filter material.

In this specification, the term "regenerated cellulose fibers" is used to refer to cellulose fibers that are formed by processing cellulose material of natural origin to obtain cellulose fibers with desired physical properties. A typical process for forming fibers of regenerated cellulose includes the following steps: conversion into fibrous mass of cellulosic material of natural origin, such as wood chips, to form a fibrous mass; subjecting this fibrous mass to one or more processing step(s) to alter the physical properties of the cellulose; and forming regenerated cellulose fibers from the processed fibrous mass, for example, by forming cellulose fibers by passing the fibrous mass through a spinneret.

The use of a filter material that contains randomly oriented regenerated cellulose provides the advantage of improving the decomposition of this filter material. This is due to the fact that randomly oriented fibers can disperse more easily after the filter is discarded, in particular, compared to the essentially endless fibers of traditional acetyl cellulose tow filters. Increasing the dispersion of fibers increases the environmental impact on individual fibers, thereby increasing the rate of decomposition of the filter material.

In addition, despite the use of regenerated cellulose fibers in the filter material, the filters of the present invention deliver a similar taste to the consumer compared to traditional acetyl cellulose tow filters. A similar taste sensation is due to the presence of acetyl cellulose fibers and triacetin as a binder in the filter material of the filters according to this invention. In addition, although triacetin binds to the acetyl cellulose fibers to improve the structural integrity of the filter material, it does not bind to the regenerated cellulose fibers, thereby maintaining the improved decomposition of this filter material.

The authors of the invention also found that filters consisting only of regenerated cellulose fibers do not exhibit the same levels of selective retention of phenols when smoking a smoking product as traditional acetyl cellulose filters. Therefore, in the filters according to this invention, this problem is solved by including acetyl cellulose fibers and triacetin in a filter made of regenerated cellulose fibers.

In a preferred embodiment, the triacetin is present in an amount of from about 1 95 (w/w) to about 15 95 (w/w) by weight of the filter material in the filter section, in a more preferred embodiment, from about 5 95 (w/w .) to about 10 95 (wt.) by weight of the filter material in the filter section, and according to the most preferred option, from about C 95 (wt.) to about 5 95 (wt.) by weight of the filter material in the filter section section

In certain embodiments of the present invention, the filter material also contains a low molecular weight polyester to further increase the ability of the filter to selectively retain phenols during smoking of the smoking product. An acceptable simple polyester is polyethylene glycol. In a preferred embodiment, said polyethylene glycol has a number average molecular weight of from about 200 to about 3600, more preferably from about 400 to about 1600.

The use of a simple low molecular weight polyester to increase the selective retention of phenols by a filter material containing randomly oriented regenerated cellulose fibers is in itself a novel and inventive method. Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filter for a smoking product, this filter includes a section of filter material, and this filter material contains randomly oriented fibers of regenerated cellulose and simple low molecular weight polyester. The filter also includes a wrap that circumferentially surrounds said section of filter material.

As discussed above, the inclusion of a low molecular weight polyester in the filter material improves the selective retention of phenols by this filter material. This may be important when a regenerated cellulose filter is used to replace a traditional acetyl cellulose tow filter, for example because regenerated cellulose fibers exhibit less selective retention

From phenols than traditional acetyl cellulose. The use of a simple low molecular weight polyester to improve the selective retention of phenols by a regenerated cellulose filter is illustrated in the examples shown in Table 1 below:

Table 1: Comparison of the retention of various phenols by a traditional acetyl cellulose filter, a regenerated cellulose filter (I oseii) and a regenerated cellulose (I oseii) and polyethylene glycol (PES) filter. The data reflect the amount of each of the phenols that passes through the filter (ie, the amount of phenol that is not retained by the filter) when the product is smoked. The data is normalized to the amount of nicotine that also passes through the filter while smoking the product. Data were collected using a smoking test in accordance with

IBO 4387: Determination of total and dry matter in the form of particles, not containing nicotine, using a conventional analytical smoking machine | о о о ralet nicotine nicotine mcg/mg nicotine

An acceptable simple polyester is polyethylene glycol. In a preferred embodiment, said polyethylene glycol has a number average molecular weight of from about 200 to about 3600, more preferably from about 400 to about 1600.

To further improve the function of the filter, which consists in the selective removal of phenols during smoking of the smoking product, the filter material may include triacetin. The inclusion of triacetin also helps to increase the rigidity of the filter, which reduces the possibility of filter destruction during the processing of the smoking product and during smoking. In filters of the present invention that contain triacetin, the triacetin is present in an amount of from about 1 95 (w/w) to about 1595 (w/w) of the filter material in the filter section, more preferably from about 5 95 (wt.) to about 10 95 (wt.) by weight of the filter material in the filter section, and according to the most preferred option, from about C 95 (wt.) to about 95 (wt.) by weight of the filter material in filter section.

The filter materials of both aspects of the present invention will, in a preferred embodiment, decompose to at least about 3095, in a more preferred embodiment, to at least about 40 95, in an even more preferred embodiment, to at least about 50 95, in less than about 40 days, preferably in less than about 30 days, when measured in accordance with one of the following tests:

IBO 14855-2005, TEBTI1: aerobic biological decomposition under controlled composting conditions;

IBO 14851-2004, TE5T2: test for aquatic aerobic respirometric biodegradation.

To illustrate the improved decomposition of a filter that includes regenerated cellulose fibers compared to a traditional acetyl cellulose filter, Graph 1 below shows a comparison of the decomposition of different filters according to IBO 14851-2004, TE5T2:

The results of the production of water adult respitnimetric ice

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Ф в - зай шле всё ш ш ш ше Э Ne ko 50 ж : ж выш - 100 ryti : : о ж Тик ш - more: 7 14 21 28 35 4?

Time (days) pk, Deludosa ot ZO0ifOssir 0 zhenie A retiliedulose

Chart 1: Comparison of decomposition of various filters in conditions according to ISO 14851-2004. The test filters are 100 95 fibers of regenerated cellulose (I oseili) and a traditional filter of acetyl cellulose. For comparison, the decomposition of a sample of pure cellulose under the same conditions is also shown

The arbitrary orientation of the fibers in the filters of the present invention has the advantage of providing the necessary resistance of the filter material to mechanical deformation, so that the filter can withstand being grasped by the user while smoking the smoking product.

The arbitrary orientation of the fibers also provides the necessary resistance to absorption, so that the smoking experience using the filters of this invention is generally the same as the smoking experience using a traditional acetyl cellulose tow filter.

Filters according to both aspects of the present invention can have a resistance to absorption from about 40 mm of water. Art. to about 250 mm of water. Art. for a filter length of 27 mm, according to the preferred option, from about 75 mm of water. Art. to about 175 mm of water. Art. for a filter length of 27 mm, and according to the most preferred option, from approximately 100 mm of water. Art. to about 150 mm of water. Art. for a filter length of 27 mm. The absorption resistance is measured using the test method described in ISO 6565:2002.

According to the preferred option, the regenerated cellulose fibers are twisted staple fibers, which helps to reduce the mechanical destruction of the fibers during the processing of the filter material to form the filter, and during the subsequent assembly of the smoking product. The fibers can be twisted using a known method of twisting textile fibers, such as the method disclosed in 05 2,647,285.

The preferred twisted staple fibers have a stretched length of from about 10 mm to about 30 mm at a tensile load of from about 5 cN/denier to about 10 cN/denier. This provides an optimal balance between the mechanical integrity of the filter during use and the rate of dispersion of the filter material after the filter is discarded. In this description, the term "length in the stretched state" is used to mean the average length of the twisted staple fibers of regenerated cellulose when they are stretched under a certain tensile load.

In a preferred embodiment, the twisted staple fibers have a linear density of from about 0.5 denier to about 8.0 denier, in a more preferred embodiment, from about 1.5 denier to about 5.5 denier, and the most preferred option is from about 2.0 denier to about 3.2 denier.

In a preferred embodiment, the staple fibers have a degree of twist of from about 3 turns to about 10 turns per 10 mm of fiber length, in a more preferred embodiment, from about 6 turns to about 8 turns per 10 mm of fiber length.

Fibers of regenerated cellulose can be fibers of Iuoseya. I uosei fibers are fibers of regenerated cellulose, which are obtained using the process of forming with the use of organic solvents. Fibers and fibers suitable for use in the filters of the present invention are commercially available from the manufacturer IEPGIPD.

AKiepdeseiIzsnaiy! under the trademark Tepse!y. The process of fiber production I oseei! provides the advantage that it is more environmentally friendly compared to the production of traditional acetyl cellulose, as well as other regenerated cellulosic materials such as rayon, viscose, etc.

In particular, in the production of acetyl cellulose, catalysts containing

From cobalt or manganese. During the production of acetyl cellulose, a strong unpleasant odor is also produced. In contrast, the cellulose or shredded fibrous mass used to form the fibers of the fiber is processed in a closed-loop process, in which non-toxic solvents are recycled with a degree of reuse of up to 99.5 95. In addition, for the production of fibers of the fiber ! no bleach needed. Any remnants of waste from the production of fibers AND waste products! can be subjected to decomposition in biological treatment facilities.

In addition to regenerated cellulose fibers, the filter material may also include other fibers. Such additional fibers can be incorporated into the filter by mixing these additional fibers with regenerated cellulose fibers during the manufacturing process of the filter material. The additional fibers may be bonded to the regenerated cellulose fibers using a suitable water-soluble binder such as those discussed above. For example, the filter material of the filters according to the second aspect of the present invention may include acetyl cellulose fibers to increase the mechanical strength of the filter. Alternatively or in addition, the filter material may include additional fibers that change the appearance of the filter material. For example, the appearance of the filter material of the filters of both aspects of the present invention can be changed to more closely resemble the appearance of a traditional cellulose wadding filter. Examples of fibers for changing the appearance of the filter material include silk, cotton, polyester, linen, nylon, and wool fibers.

To further increase the rate of atomization and decomposition of the filter after its ejection, said wrapper may be a dissolvable wrapper for the rod. In this specification, the term "dissolvable" is used to refer to the ability of the rod wrap to dissolve in a water solution. A dissolvable rod wrap provides the advantage that it breaks down and disperses upon contact with water after the filter is discarded, making the filter material located under the rod wrap available to the environment and increasing the rate of dispersion and degradation of the filter material. In addition to being dissolvable, the rod wrap may be biodegradable.

In embodiments of the present invention that include a dissolvable coil wrap, the coil wrap includes or consists of a sheet of polymer film, and the polymer film contains at least one water-soluble polymer.

Using a polymer film to form a rod wrap reduces costs and simplifies rod wrap production. In particular, unlike paper material, polymer film can be manufactured to inherently have the required properties of a rod wrap, such as low gas permeability, without the need for any additional processing steps during production. Also, if it is desired that the wire wrap be transparent, it is easier to make transparent polymer film than transparent paper.

In the preferred embodiment, a 5 x 5 mm square sample of polymer film will dissolve in less than 72 hours. when placed in distilled water with a volume of 25 ml at a temperature of 22 "C. This test is carried out in a container of such dimensions that the depth of water is sufficient for the complete immersion of the mentioned square sample (although the buoyancy of the sample may be such that it floats on the surface of the water under test time.) A sample is considered dissolved when the water-soluble material is no longer visible to the naked eye.

Polymeric materials acceptable for the manufacture of said polymer film include, but are not limited to, polyvinyl alcohol, cellophane, starch, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, and combinations thereof.

Acceptable polymeric films may be made entirely of one or more water-soluble polymer(s) or may include additional polymers or inert inorganic fillers that may or may not be soluble. The polymer film can be single-layer or multi-layer. If the film includes a plurality of layers, then these layers can be made of the same polymer materials or they can be made of different polymer materials. If the layers are made of different polymer materials, then each polymer material contains at least one water-soluble polymer.

The present invention also provides a smoking article that includes an aerosol-forming substrate and a mouthpiece axially aligned with and attached to the aerosol-forming substrate, wherein the mouthpiece includes a filter according to any of the aspects of the present invention.

In this description, the term "aerosol-forming substrate" is used to mean a substrate that has the ability to release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol when heated. Aerosols generated from the aerosol-forming substrates of the smoking articles disclosed herein may be visible or invisible, and may contain vapors (eg, small particles of substances that are in a gaseous state, but which are usually liquids or solids at room temperature), and as well as gases and liquid droplets of condensed vapors.

Smoking products according to the present invention can be filter cigarettes or other smoking products in which the aerosol-forming substrate contains tobacco material or other combustible substance that is burned to produce smoke. Alternatively, smoking products according to the present invention may be products in which the aerosol-generating substrate contains a substance that is heated to form an aerosol, rather than burned. In heated smoking products, one of 3 types of tobacco material or other aerosol-forming substance is heated using one or more electrical heating element(s) to form an aerosol. In heated smoking products, another type of aerosol is generated using heat transfer from a combustible or chemical heat source to a physically separate aerosol-forming substance that may be located within, around, or downstream of that heat source. This invention also encompasses smoking products in which the nicotine-containing aerosol is formed from tobacco material, tobacco extract or other source of nicotine without burning or heating it.

Test methods

IBO 14855-2005

The test for biological decomposition during controlled composting is an optimized simulation of the process of intensive aerobic composting, in which the ability of the studied sample to undergo biological decomposition in dry aerobic conditions is determined. The inoculum consists of stabilized and mature compost obtained from the organic fraction of solid household waste. The studied sample is mixed with the inoculum and placed in stationary reactor vessels, where it is intensively composted under optimal conditions of oxygen content, temperature and humidity. The tests are carried out according to the methodology of ISO 14855 (2005) "Determination of the ability to complete aerobic biological decomposition and destruction of plastics under controlled composting conditions", but with two repetitions instead of three. (510) IBO 14851-2004

This test determines aquatic aerobic biodegradation under laboratory conditions.

The researched material is placed in a liquid medium with a certain chemical composition, and microorganisms are introduced into it. During aerobic decomposition, oxygen is used up and the carbonaceous material is converted into CO gas.” The Maon granules absorb the released CO", and the pressure drop caused by this is directly related to the spent oxygen and the biological decomposition of the material under study.

Below, this invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, among which: in Fig. 1 shows a smoking product according to one of the variants of the present invention; and in Fig. 2 shows the smoking product shown in Fig. 1, with the filter wrap unfolded.

Cigarette 10 with a filter, which is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, includes a wrapped rod 12 of cut tobacco filler attached to one end of the coaxial filter 14 of the present invention. The filter 14 includes one section of filter material 16, this filter material 16 contains randomly oriented fibers of regenerated cellulose, acetyl cellulose fibers and triacetin. The filter material 16 may also include other fibers to modify the appearance of the filter material 16, such as silk fibers. The filter material 16 may also contain one or more binder(s) and may include one or more admixture(s) to improve the selective retention of phenols. The section of filter material 16 is surrounded along the perimeter by a wrap 18 for the rod, which may be able to dissolve and may consist of a sheet of polymer film that contains at least one water-soluble polymer. The wrapped tobacco rod 12 and the filter 14 are connected by a strip 20 of rim paper, which surrounds along the perimeter the filter 14 along its entire length and the adjacent part of the wrapped tobacco rod 12.

It should be noted that although the specific embodiment of the present invention described above relates to traditional smoking products that include a filter and a tobacco rod, a similar filter design of the present invention can also be used in a heated smoking product.

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Claims (13)

FORMULA OF THE INVENTION 1. A filter for a smoking product, said filter comprising: a section of filter material comprising randomly oriented fibers of regenerated cellulose and acetyl cellulose fibers, the filter material also containing triacetin, and a wrapper circumferentially surrounding said section of filter material. 2. A filter according to claim 1, characterized in that the filter material also contains a simple polyester with a low molecular weight. C. A filter according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the filter material contains additional fibers selected from the group consisting of silk, cotton, polyester, linen, nylon, wool fibers and combinations thereof. 4. A filter according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the triacetin is present in an amount of from 1 95 (wt.) to 15 95 (wt.) by weight of the filter material. 5. A filter for a smoking product, said filter comprising: a section of filter material comprising randomly oriented fibers of regenerated cellulose and simple low molecular weight polyester, and a wrapper circumferentially surrounding said section of filter material. b. A filter according to claim 2 or claim 5, characterized in that the simple polyester with a low molecular weight is polyethylene glycol. 7. Filter according to claim 6, which is characterized by the fact that said polyethylene glycol has a number average molecular weight from 200 to 3600. 8. A filter according to any of the previous items, characterized in that the regenerated cellulose fibers are twisted staple fibers. 9. A filter according to claim 8, characterized in that the twisted staple fibers have a stretched length of 10 mm to 30 mm at a tensile load of 5 cN/denier to 10 cN/denier. 10. A filter according to claim 8 or claim 9, which is characterized in that the twisted staple fibers have a linear density of from 0.5 denier to 8.0 denier and a degree of twist from 3 turns to 10 turns per 10 Gs10) mm of fiber length. 11. A filter according to any of the previous items, which is characterized in that the fibers of the regenerated cellulose are fibers of I osei. 12. A filter according to any of the previous items, characterized in that the wrap is a dissolvable wrap for the rod, which consists of a sheet of polymeric material, and this polymeric material contains at least one water-soluble polymer. 13. Smoking product, which includes: aerosol substrate; and a mouthpiece axially aligned with and attached to said aerosol-forming substrate, wherein said mouthpiece includes a filter according to any of the preceding claims. se LE 14 o'clock, /. with -n Fig. 1 to her and r I in | 18 70 Fig. 2