A Cigarette filter is part of a cigarette, along with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could possibly be created 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 have also been employed in cigarette filters The acetate and paper modify the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters can reduce “tar” and nicotine smoke yields around 50%, which has a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), however are ineffective in filtering toxins including dangerous. Most factory-made cigarettes come with a filter; people that roll their unique can purchase them from a tobacconist.
Cellulose acetate is manufactured by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. From the three cellulose hydroxy groups available for esterification, between two and three are esterified by managing the level of acid (amount 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 tobacco smoke could be included with cigarette filters. The five largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the usa, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in the United Kingdom.
Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives can be used gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used for filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives bring bonding filters to the cigarettes.
Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It can be resistant to weak acids and it is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils and also petroleum. It’s biodegradable and the raw materials are a renewable natural polymer supposed to find application for other uses in the foreseeable future. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% in the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or possibly 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, of which the majority are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting over the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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