Filter tow

A Cigarette filter is part of your cigarette, along with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be made from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as being a cavity filter or embedded to the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos are also utilized in cigarette filters The acetate and paper customize the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters can help to eliminate “tar” and nicotine smoke yields up to 50%, using a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), but are ineffective in filtering toxins such as carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes are equipped with a filter; people that roll their unique can find them from the tobacconist.


Cellulose acetate is manufactured by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. Of the three cellulose hydroxy groups designed for esterification, between two and three are esterified by controlling the level 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 on demand, and additives colouring the tobacco smoke could be added to cigarette filters. The 5 largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in america, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in england.

Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives can be used gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives bring filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives bring bonding filters for the cigarettes.

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It’s resistant against weak acids and is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils and also petroleum. It’s biodegradable along with the raw materials are a renewable natural polymer expected to find application for other uses later on. 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 even a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine should be admitted with a hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, which lots of people are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting over the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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