A Cigarette filter is a component of a cigarette, together with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could 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 seemed to be 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 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), but are ineffective in filtering toxins for example carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes include a filter; those that roll their own can get 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 available 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 on demand, and additives colouring the tobacco smoke might be included with 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 the United Kingdom.
Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives can be used for gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used for filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives can be used bonding filters for the cigarettes.
Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It can be resistance against weak acids and is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils and also petroleum. It can be biodegradable as well as the raw material is a renewable natural polymer expected to find application for other uses in the 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 ought to be admitted to some 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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