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Cellulose esters having mixed-phase titanium dioxide particles for improved degradation

a technology of titanium dioxide and cellulose esters, which is applied in the field of cellulose esters, can solve the problems of plasticizers that cannot be easily re-used, plasticizers that cannot be easily reused, and conventional cigarette filters that can take years to degrade and disintegrate when discarded,

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-12-27
EASTMAN CHEM CO
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0033]Alternatively, the cellulose ester fibers may be in the form of a filter prepared by a process that includes the steps of applying a plasticizer, having the mixed-phase titanium dioxide particles dispersed therein, to the cellulose ester fibers to obtain plasticized cellulose ester fibers; and thereafter forming the plasticized cellulose ester fibers into a filter. In this aspect, the plasticizer may include one or more of:

Problems solved by technology

However, plasticizers typically are not water-soluble, and the fibers will remain bonded over extended periods of time.
In fact, conventional cigarette filters can require years to degrade and disintegrate when discarded, due to the highly entangled nature of the filter fibers, the solvent bonding between the fibers, and the inherent slow degradability of the cellulose acetate polymer.
375-77 discloses that the use of plasticizers used to form filters from acetate tow decrease the degradation of cigarette filters by holding the fibers together, but that simply leaving off the plasticizer will not allow the rapid disintegration of the filters in the environment due to fiber entanglement.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

No TiO2

[0068]Ten cigarette filters with cellulose acetate fibers containing no TiO2 were constructed. The outdoor weathering results are shown in Table 1 for comparison with Examples 1 through 4. The results show the limited photo degradation rate for the cellulose acetate fibers with no TiO2 present.

example 2

Pigment-Size (210 nm) Uncoated Anatase TiO2

[0069]Ten conventional cigarette filters were constructed with cellulose acetate fibers containing 0.5% pigment-size (210 nm) uncoated anatase TiO2. The properties of the TiO2 (Tioxide A-HR) are listed in Table 2 for comparison to the other experimental samples.

example 3

Ultrafine-Size (32 nm) Uncoated TiO2

[0070]To illustrate the importance of the amount of mixed phases and crystal size, ten filters were made with cellulose acetate fibers containing 0.5% of Nanotek, an ultrafine-size (32 nm), uncoated TiO2 available from Nanophase. The percent crystal phase structure for the ultrafine-size TiO2 was 94% anatase and 6% rutile. The crystal structure was greater than 500 Å, which indicates large crystals. The remaining properties of the ultrafine-size TiO2 (Nanotek from Nanophase) are listed in Table 2.

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PUM

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Abstract

Degradable cellulose esters are disclosed that have incorporated therein or thereon mixed-phase titanium dioxide particles. The esters may be in the form of filters prepared by applying a plasticizer, having the mixed-phase titanium dioxide particles dispersed therein, to cellulose ester fibers to obtain plasticized cellulose ester fibers; and thereafter forming the plasticized cellulose ester fibers into a filter. Alternatively, the particles may be added to the dope from which the fibers are spun, or blended with a cellulose ester intended for molded articles.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to cellulose esters, and specifically, to cellulose esters that exhibit improved degradation.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Typical cigarette filters are made from a continuous-filament tow band of cellulose acetate-based fibers, called cellulose acetate tow, or simply acetate tow. The use of acetate tow to make filters is described in various patents, and the tow may be plasticized. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,239.[0003]Instead of continuous fibers, staple fibers may be used which are shorter, and which may assist in the ultimate degradation of the filters. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,626 which discloses the production of staple fiber smoke filter elements and the like directly from a continuous filamentary tow. These staple fibers also may be plasticized.[0004]Acetate tow for cigarette fibers is typically made up of Y-shaped, small-filament-denier fibers which are intentionally highly crimped and entan...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A24D3/10
CPCA24D3/068A24D3/16A24D3/14A24D3/10
Inventor WILSON, STEVEN ANTHONYSTEACH, JEREMY KENNETHFAUVER, JERRY STEVEN
Owner EASTMAN CHEM CO