A Cigarette filter is part of a cigarette, as well as cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be produced from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either like a cavity filter or embedded in the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have been 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 is effective in reducing “tar” and nicotine smoke yields as much as 50%, which has a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), but are ineffective in filtering toxins including co. Most factory-made cigarettes have a filter; those who roll their particular can get them from a tobacconist.


Cellulose acetate is created by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. With the three cellulose hydroxy groups designed for esterification, between two and three are esterified by manipulating 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 cigarettes could possibly be combined with cigarette filters. 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 gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives can be used bonding filters to the cigarettes.

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It is resistant against weak acids and is also largely stable to mineral and fatty oils in addition to petroleum. It’s biodegradable and the raw material is a renewable natural polymer likely to find application for other uses down the road. 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 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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