A Cigarette filter is part of an cigarette, as well as cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be produced from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as being a cavity filter or embedded in the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos are also found 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%, having 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 are equipped with a filter; people who roll their particular can find them from the tobacconist.
Cellulose acetate is created by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. From the three cellulose hydroxy groups readily available for esterification, between two and three are esterified by managing the amount of acid (a higher level 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 may be added to cigarette filters. The five largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the United States, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in britain.
Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives are 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 towards the cigarettes.
Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It really is resistant to weak acids and it is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils in addition to petroleum. It is biodegradable along with the raw material is a renewable natural polymer supposed 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 must be admitted into a hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, that most are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting from the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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