A Cigarette filter is an element of the cigarette, along with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could possibly be made from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as a cavity filter or embedded to the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos are also employed 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 can help to eliminate “tar” and nicotine smoke yields up to 50%, having a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), however are ineffective in filtering toxins including deadly carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes include a filter; people that roll their particular can find them coming from a tobacconist.
Cellulose acetate is created 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 volume 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 at will, and additives colouring the cigarette may be combined with cigarette filters. The five largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in america, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in the United Kingdom.
Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives are used for gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives can be used bonding the filters towards the cigarettes.
Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It is resistant to weak acids and it is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils as well as petroleum. It’s biodegradable and the raw material is a renewable natural polymer expected to find application for other uses in the foreseeable future. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% of the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or perhaps a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine ought to be admitted into a hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, of which lots of people are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting through the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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