A Cigarette filter is a component of the cigarette, together with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be made out of cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as being a cavity filter or embedded into the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have also been used in cigarette filters The acetate and paper change the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters is able to reduce “tar” and nicotine smoke yields up to 50%, which has a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), however are ineffective in filtering toxins including carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes come with a filter; people who roll their very own can buy them from your tobacconist.
Cellulose acetate is done by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. From the three cellulose hydroxy groups designed for esterification, between two and three are esterified by governing the amount of acid (degree of substitution (DS) 2.35-2.55). The ester is spun into fibers and formed into bundles called filter tow. Flavors (menthol), sweeteners, softeners (triacetin), flame retardants (sodium tungstate), breakable capsules releasing flavors when needed, and additives colouring the cigarette smoke could possibly be put into cigarette filters. 5 largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the us, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in britain.
Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives can be used gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives are used for filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives can be used bonding filters to the cigarettes.
Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It really is resistant against weak acids which is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils and also petroleum. It can be biodegradable and also the raw materials are a renewable natural polymer anticipated to find application for other uses in the future. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% from the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or perhaps a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine should be admitted to some hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, that most are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting through the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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