WO2006137690A1

WO2006137690A1 - Filtering media for smoking and cigarette filter, cigarette and smoking device using the same

Info

Publication number: WO2006137690A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/002391
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hyun-Soo Han
Original assignee: Hyun-Soo Han
Priority date: 2005-06-24
Filing date: 2006-06-21
Publication date: 2006-12-28
Also published as: CN101203149A; KR100676149B1; KR20060135106A; CN101203149B

Abstract

Provided are a filtering medium for smoking, a cigarette filter having the same, a cigarette, and a smoking device using the cigarette in which carbon monoxide (CO), which is a toxic substance of a cigarette generated during a smoking process, and an organic component of tar, which is the principal cancer-causing substance, are decomposed and absorbed in order to suppress absorption of toxic substances into the human body due to smoking. The filtering medium for smoking is formed of a bentonite-based mineral as the main material.

Description

FILTERING MEDIA FOR SMOKING AND CIGARETTE FILTER, CIGARETTE AND SMOKING DEVICE USING THE

SAME

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a filtering medium for smoking, a cigarette filter having the same, a cigarette, and a smoking device using the cigarette, and more particularly, to a filtering medium for smoking, a cigarette filter having the same, a cigarette, and a smoking device using the cigarette in which carbon monoxide (CO), which is a toxic substance of a cigarette generated during a smoking process, and an organic component of tar, which is the principal cancer-causing substance, are decomposed and absorbed in order to suppress absorption of toxic substances into the human body due to smoking. Background Art

[2] In general, when a smoker has a smoke, a variety of toxic substances are generated during combustion of tobacco. It is known that the number of the toxic substances is over 4,000 and about 60 compounds contained in a cigarette are carcinogenic substances. When the smoker breathes in the toxic substances and carcinogenic substances, these substances are accumulated in the smoker's body and may cause a lot of diseases, such as cancers.

[3] In particular, a cigarette contains about 2.0 to 3.3 D of tar. Since the tar is the main cancer-causing substance that is produced during the combustion of tobacco, it is necessary to remove or decompose the tar.

[4] Further, owing to incomplete combustion of cigarettes, about 2 to 6% of cigarette smoke includes carbon monoxide (CO) of which affinity for hemoglobin reaches about 210 times as high as oxygen (O), thus resulting in occurrence of hypoxia. Therefore, it is required to take appropriate measures to prevent absorption of CO into the human body.

[5] In addition, cigarettes cause generation of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC), such as benzene and formaldehyde (HCHO), and contain heavy metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. Thus, when smokers get poisoned by the VOCs and heavy metals, they may fall into ill health.

[6] In order to remove the toxic compounds and solve the foregoing problems, various methods have been proposed. For example, active carbon, zeolite, and ocher were conventionally applied to cigarette filters or tobacco portions so as to filter the toxic compounds by absorption. However, because these methods are all aimed at filtering and absorbing the toxic compounds using a porous structure, a filtering effect has a specific limit. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[7] The present invention provides a filtering medium for smoking, a cigarette filter having the same, a cigarette, and a smoking device using the cigarette in which carbon monoxide (CO), which is a toxic substance of a cigarette generated during a smoking process, and an organic component of tar, which is the principal cancer-causing substance, are decomposed and absorbed to suppress absorption of toxic substances due to smoking.

[8] Also, the present invention provides a filtering medium for smoking, a cigarette filter having the same, a cigarette, and a smoking device using the cigarette, which can filter heavy metals by absorption. Technical Solution

[9] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a filtering medium for smoking including a bentonite-based mineral as the main material.

[10] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cigarette filter including the filtering medium for smoking.

[11] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there are provided a cigarette and smoking device including the filtering medium located on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled.

Advantageous Effects

[12] According to the present invention as described above, CO, which is a toxic substance of a cigarette generated during a smoking process, and an organic component of tar, which is the principal cancer-causing substance, are decomposed through a catalytic process and absorbed to suppress absorption of toxic substances due to smoking.

[13] Also, organic materials are decomposed through a catalytic process, so that oxygen can be generated as a by-product and supplied to smokers.

[14] Further, heavy metals, which are not decomposed during the decomposition of the organic materials, can be filtered by absorption. Brief Description of the Drawings

[15] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a cigarette having a filtering medium and a cigarette filter according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[16] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a cigarette having a filtering medium and cigarette filter according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[17] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a cigarette having a filtering medium and a cigarette filter according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; and [18] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a smoking device having a filtering medium according to an embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[19] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.

[20] The present invention provides a filtering medium for smoking, which is formed of a bentonite-based mineral.

[21] The bentonite-based mineral used in the present invention is a clay mineral that is comprised of montmorillonite (MMT) as the main material. Since the bentonite-based mineral has a porous structure, it is highly absorptive and excellent in both swelling and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Thus, the bentonite-based mineral is reactive enough to form complexes with organic matters. Therefore, the bentonite-based mineral is quite capable of combining with or decomposing toxic organic materials contained in cigarette smoke.

[22] Particularly, bentonite may be divided into Ca-bentonite and Na-bentonite depending on the type of interlayer cations of MMT that is the main material of bentonite. Ca-bentonite, which is typically obtained, may be readily applied to the present invention. However, since Na-bentonite has lower interlayer coupling and is more reactive than Ca-bentonite, Na-bentonite is more appropriate for the present invention. Na-bentonite may be naturally mined or obtained from Ca-bentonite. Specifically, fabrication of Na-bentonite may include replacing cations by applying sodium carbonate (Na CO ) to Ca-bentonite.

[23] In addition to Ca ions and Na ions, interlayer cations may be replaced by or augmented with ions of at least one selected from the group consisting of Ca, Na, Al, Fe, Ti, Zr, Si, and oxides thereof. In other words, the interlayer cations of MMT may be replaced by ions of the foregoing elements and function as a medium or absorbent for decomposing or combining organic materials. Alternatively, the interlayer cations of MMT may be changed into hydroxide ions of the foregoing elements and sintered so that oxide of the hydroxide ions remains in a columnar phase. Thus, the oxide of the hydroxide ions may function as a medium or absorbent for decomposing or combining organic materials generated during combustion of tobaccos. Also, the ions of the foregoing elements are additionally or separately intercalated so that fine gas cavities are made between layers due to the intercalated ions, thus elevating an absorption effect.

[24] A method of fabricating a bentonite-based mineral that is both highly reactive and absorptive may be embodied by drying Na-bentonite at a high temperature or by milling the Na-bentonite using a ball mill and sintering the milled Na-bentonite.

[25] Since the Na-bentonite is highly reactive, when the Na-bentonite is dried at a temperature of 200 to 800 ⁰C for about 10 minutes to 12 hours, the Na-bentonite efficiently decomposes or combines with toxic organic materials into simple materials. Thus, the Na-bentonite provides a high reactive area and absorptive area owing to its catalytic function related with high reactivity and its porous structure.

[26] Also, the Na-bentonite may be sintered after milling the Na-bentonite using the ball mill in order to enhance the sintering effect.

[27] The bentonite-based mineral may have various shapes. Preferably, as shown in FIG.

1, the bentonite-based mineral may have a powdered, granular, or annular shape to facilitate dispersion of the bentonite-based mineral in a cigarette filter. In another case, the bentonite-based mineral may have a cylindrical or saddle shape in order to increase a reactive area. In yet another case, the bentonite-based mineral may have a plate shape corresponding to a flow path shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. Also, the plate shape may have a porous structure so as to increase a reactive area.

[28] Also, a material obtained by artificially mixing aluminum oxide (Al O ) and silicon oxide (SiO ) in a ratio of 15: 85 to 20: 80 and sintering the mixture at a high temperature may be used as a filtering medium for smoking. Preferably, the mixing ratio may be about 18: 82 in order to allow the material to have an appropriate structure.

[29] In order to obtain the mixture of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and silicon oxide may be mixed in the foregoing ratio or added by a deficient ratio to various minerals containing aluminum oxide and silicon oxide. For example, mullite (3 Al O 2SiO ) and silicon oxide (SiO ) may be mixed in a ratio of about 1 : 8 to 1: 12, preferably, 1: 10, so that a mixture having the same composition as the foregoing mixture of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide can be obtained and sintered.

[30] Also, when the sintering process is performed at a high temperature of about 1300 to 1450 ⁰C for about 1 to 3 hours, the mixture can provide a high reactive area and absorptive area owing to its catalytic function related with high reactivity and its porous structure. More preferably, in order to make smooth progress, after heating the mixture by raising the temperature up to 1400 ⁰C at a rate of 5 °C/min, the mixture may be sintered at a constant temperature of 1400 ⁰C for 2 hours.

[31] Also, the mixture may be sintered at a high temperature after the mixture is milled using a ball mill and mixed, in order to enhance a sintering effect. More preferably, the mixture may be milled using the ball mill for about 8 hours to make the mixture and sinter uniform. Mode for the Invention

[32] The filtering medium obtained through the high-temperature sintering process may have various shapes. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, the filtering medium may have a powdered, granular, or annular shape to facilitate dispersion of the filtering medium in a cigarette filter. In another case, the filtering medium may have a cylindrical or saddle-type shape in order to increase a reactive area. In yet another case, the filtering medium may have a plate shape corresponding to a flow path shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. Also, the plate shape may have a porous structure so as to increase a reactive area.

[33] Anion generation powder may be further added to the filtering medium.

Specifically, 5 to 100 parts by weight (per 100 parts by weight the filtering medium) of anion generation powder may be added to the filtering medium to dissolve toxic materials and keep generation of anions appropriate. In this case, various known anion generation powder may be used. For example, the anion generation powder may be formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of P O , Ce O , La O , Nd O ,

2 5 2 3 2 3 2 3

ThO , Pr O , SiO , and Sm O . More preferably, the anion generation powder may be formed of 25 to 35% by weight of P O , 20 to 30% by weight of Ce O , 7 to 15% by weight of La O , 8 to 12% by weight of Nd O , 5 to 10% by weight of ThO , 4 to 8% by weight of Pr O , and the remaining percentage by weight of SiO , Sm O , TiO , ZrO

2 , Y 2 O 3 , and Gd 2 O 3.

[34] The above-described filtering medium for smoking may be applied as various types into cigarettes and cigarette filters as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. Therefore, the present invention provides a cigarette filter including the above-described filtering medium for smoking. The cigarette filter may be one of various known cigarette filters, such as a cigarette filter containing dispersed active carbon powder for improving the filtering performance of a conventional cigarette filter and a decarburization filter including an additional active carbon layer. The filtering medium applied to the cigarette filter may have any various shapes capable of filtering inhaled cigarette smoke, including, but not limited to the shapes shown FIGS. 1 through 3. Alternatively, the filtering medium applied to the cigarette filter may have a combination of the shapes shown in FIGS. 1 through 3.

[35] Furthermore, the present invention provides a cigarette that is characterized by locating the filtering medium for smoking on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled. Accordingly, since the filtering medium for smoking performs a filtering function on the flow path, the filtering medium for smoking may be contained as various types not only in the foregoing cigarette filter but also at tobacco of a cigarette. For example, the filtering medium for smoking may be powdered or granulated and take on a dispersed or plate shape.

[36] In addition, the present invention provides a smoking device that is characterized by locating the filtering medium for smoking on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled. The smoking device may be a mouthpiece and a smoking pipe, and the filtering medium for smoking may be located as the above-described various types on the flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled. An exemplary embodiment of the smoking device is illustrated in FIG. 4.

[37] A cigarette filter according to the present invention can decompose carbon monoxide (CO), which is a toxic substance of cigarettes, and an organic component of tar, which is the principal cancer-causing substance, by use of a medium capable of decomposing organic materials. By making use of the cigarette filter according to the present invention, oxidative decomposition and hydrolysis of cigarette smoke are performed at the same time, so that organic materials can decompose. As a result, carbon dioxide (CO ), water (H O), methane (CH ), and oxygen (O ) are discharged, and moisture decomposes, thus generating oxygen.

[38] Decomposition of the organic component of tar contained in a medium filter includes, initially, absorbing tar and CO contained in cigarette smoke into a lot of pores made in the medium filter while passing through the cigarette filter according to the present invention. Strong attraction functions between a group of medium molecules and a group of absorbed molecules in the pores of the medium filter, with the result that some of oxygen chemically changes into oxygen radicals (active oxygen), some of moisture chemically changes into hydrogen radicals (active hydrogen), oxygen radicals, and hydroxy (-OH) radicals, and some of organic component chemically changes into various types of decomposed radicals. Since these radicals are very unstable under normal environments, they recombine instantaneously into new compounds. While organic materials are passing through the medium filter, decomposition of the organic materials and composition of a new compound are repeated. In this process, the organic materials decompose into simpler compounds (i.e., CO , H O, CH , and O ) and then are discharged.

[39] Tables 1 and 2 show results of deodorization tests using the filtering medium according to the embodiment of the present invention. The filtering medium was obtained by mixing a bentonite-based mineral and a mixture of Al O and SiO in a ratio of 3: 7 to 5: 5.

[40] Table 1

[41] Referring to Table 1, it can be confirmed that the deodorization rate of formaldehyde (HCHO) is excellent. [42] Table 2

[43] Referring to Table 2, it can be confirmed that the deodorization rate of ammonia (NH ) is also excellent. [44] Although the present invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and variations may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims, and their equivalents.

Claims

[1] A filtering medium for smoking comprising a bentonite-based mineral as the main material.

[2] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 1, wherein the bentonite- based mineral comprises bentonite including montmorillonite (MMT) of which interlayer cations are obtained from at least one selected from the group consisting of Ca, Na, Al, Fe, Ti, Zr, Si, and oxides thereof.

[3] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 1, wherein the bentonite- based mineral is fabricated by drying Na-bentonite at a high temperature or sintering the Na-bentonite.

[4] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 3, wherein drying Na- bentonite at a high temperature comprises drying Na-bentonite at a temperature of about 200 to 800 ⁰C for 10 minutes to 12 hours.

[5] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 1, wherein the bentonite- based mineral has one selected from the group consisting of a powdered shape, a granular shape, an annular shape, a cylindrical shape, a saddle shape, and a plate shape.

[6] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 1, further comprising a sintered material obtained by mixing aluminum oxide (Al O ) and silicon oxide (SiO ) in a ratio of 15: 85 to 20: 80, milling the mixture, and sintering the milled mixture at a high temperature of about 1300 to 1450 ⁰C.

[7] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 1, further comprising a sintered material obtained by mixing mullite (3Al 2 O 3 2SiO 2 ) and silicon oxide

(SiO ) in a ratio of about 1: 8 to 1: 12, milling the mixture, and sintering the milled mixture at a high temperature of about 1300 to 1450 ⁰C. [8] A filtering medium for smoking comprising a sintered material obtained by mixing aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) and silicon oxide (SiO 2 ) in a ratio of 15: 85 to

20: 80, milling the mixture using a ball mill, and sintering the milled mixture at a high temperature of about 1300 to 1450 ⁰C. [9] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 8, wherein the sintered material has one selected from the group consisting of a powdered shape, a granular shape, an annular shape, a cylindrical shape, a saddle shape, and a plate shape. [10] A filtering medium for smoking comprising a sintered material obtained by mixing mullite (3 Al O 2SiO ) and silicon oxide (SiO ) in a ratio of about 1 : 8 to

1: 12, milling the mixture, and sintering the milled mixture at a high temperature of about 1300 to 1450 ⁰C. [11] The filtering medium for smoking according to claim 10, wherein the sintered material has one selected from the group consisting of a powdered shape, a granular shape, an annular shape, a cylindrical shape, a saddle shape, and a plate shape. [12] A filtering medium for smoking according to any one of claims 1 through 11, further comprising anion generation powder. [13] A cigarette filter comprising the filtering medium for smoking according to any one of claims 1 through

11. [14] A cigarette filter comprising the filtering medium for smoking according to claim

12. [15] A cigarette comprising the filtering medium for smoking according to any one of claims 1 through 11 on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled. [16] A cigarette comprising the filtering medium for smoking according to claim 12 on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled. [17] A smoking device comprising the filtering medium for smoking according to any one of claims 1 through 11 on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled. [18] A smoking device comprising the filtering medium for smoking according to claim 12 on a flow path through which cigarette smoke is inhaled.