Eco-friendly filter tip with biodegradability

Abstract

The present invention provides a filter tip for smoking products and a smoking product including the filter tip, wherein the filter tip comprises a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, an adhesive solution and filter tip packaging paper, and the biodegradation degree is greater than 90% measured in 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C according to ASTM D6691.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an environmentally friendly filter tip with biodegradability and smoking products using the filter tip. Background Technology

[0002] Cellulose acetate tow is a material produced by reacting cellulose with sulfuric acid and acetic acid; it is a chemically altered material. Previously, cellulose acetate (CA) tow used in cigarette filter manufacturing increased the filter's rigidity by applying plasticizers. Using cellulose acetate tow in filter manufacturing not only increases rigidity but also enhances the bonding strength between the tow fibers. However, cellulose acetate filters manufactured using plasticizers have the problem of failing to meet analytical standards for marine conditions.

[0003] On the other hand, Lyocell tow (L-tow) is a material produced by dissolving cellulose in an environmentally friendly solvent called N-methylmorpholine N-Oxide (NMMO) to form fiber bundles, rather than altering the structure of cellulose through a chemical reaction like cellulose acetate tow. Lyocell tow is an environmentally friendly material with cellulose as its main component, and the adhesives used to improve the rigidity of filters made from it and the bonding strength between the tows are also environmentally friendly materials. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical issues

[0005] In this context, in order to overcome the problems and / or limitations of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide an environmentally friendly Lyocell filter with biodegradability and a smoking article including the same, wherein the Lyocell filter comprises Lyocell tow, an adhesive solution, and filter packaging paper.

[0006] However, the technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those described above. Other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0007] Solution to the problem

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a filter tip for smoking products is provided, the filter tip for smoking products comprising a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, an adhesive solution, and filter tip packaging paper, wherein the biodegradability is greater than 90% as measured within 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C according to ASTM D6691.

[0009] According to another aspect, a smoking article is provided, the smoking article comprising a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion, and a wrapping paper, the filter portion comprising a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, an adhesive solution, and a filter wrapping paper, and having a biodegradability of 90% or more measured within 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C according to ASTM D6691, the adhesive being at least one selected from the group consisting of cellulose, vinyl, and polyester adhesives, and the adhesive solution comprising at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycerin.

[0010] The effects of the invention

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, there is an excellent effect that by making lyocell fibers with a cellulose network structure into tows to form filter rods and applying them to cigarette filters using an environmentally friendly adhesive solution, an environmentally friendly filter with improved hardness and biodegradability can be provided.

[0012] The effects of this invention are not limited to those described above, and should be understood to include all effects inferred from the structure of the invention as described in the detailed description or claims. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates a schematic structure of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a schematic structure of a smoking article including wrapping paper according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 A graph showing the degree of biodegradability over 28 days under marine conditions by comparing cellulose, lyocell filters, lyocell tow, and cellulose acetate filters.

[0016] Figure 4 A graph showing the degree of biodegradability over 182 days under marine conditions by comparing cellulose, lyocell filters, lyocell tow, and cellulose acetate filters. Detailed Implementation

[0017] In the following, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, since various changes can be made to the embodiments, the scope of this patent application is not limited or restricted by these embodiments. It should be understood that all changes, equivalents, or substitutions to the embodiments are included within the scope of the claims.

[0018] The terminology used in the embodiments is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise expressly distinguished in the text, descriptions indicating the singular should be understood to include the plural. In this specification, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof recorded in the specification, and should not be construed as excluding the presence or additional possibilities of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms identical to those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the relevant technical text, and, unless explicitly defined in this description, should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning.

[0020] Furthermore, when describing the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same structural elements regardless of the reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of these elements are omitted. In describing embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of related well-known technologies would obscure the essence of the invention, such detailed description may be omitted.

[0021] Furthermore, when describing the components of the embodiments, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the related components are not limited by these terms.

[0022] Components that have a common function with components included in one embodiment are described with similar names in another embodiment. Unless otherwise described, descriptions in one embodiment may apply to another embodiment, and detailed descriptions of the same scope are omitted.

[0023] Throughout this specification, "smoking products" can refer to products capable of generating aerosols, such as cigarettes, cigars, etc. Smoking products may contain aerosol-generating substances or aerosol-forming matrices. Additionally, smoking products may include solid materials based on tobacco raw materials, such as reconstituted tobacco, pipe tobacco, and blended tobacco. Smoking substances may include volatile compounds.

[0024] Furthermore, throughout the instruction manual, "upstream" or "upstream direction" can refer to a direction away from the mouth of the user inhaling the smoking product 1, while "downstream" or "downstream direction" can refer to a direction closer to the mouth of the user inhaling the smoking product 1. For example, in Figure 1 In the smoking product 1 shown, the smoking material portion 10 is located upstream of or in the upstream direction of the cigarette filter portion 20.

[0025] Furthermore, although the smoking product 1 is described as a combustible cigarette in this specification, the present invention is not limited thereto. The smoking product 1 may also be a heated cigarette or the like, which is used with an aerosol generating device (not shown in the figure) such as an electronic cigarette device.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a filter tip for smoking products is provided, the filter tip for smoking products comprising a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, an adhesive solution, and filter tip packaging paper, wherein the biodegradability is greater than 90% as measured within 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C according to ASTM D6691.

[0027] Lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers is an environmentally friendly material with cellulose as its main component. Lyocell tow containing the aforementioned lyocell fibers can have 15 to 60 crimps (wrinkles) per inch and 80% to 95% whiteness.

[0028] If the number of curls is greater than the above range, the strength of the Lyocell filament bundle will be weakened; conversely, if the number of curls of the Lyocell filament bundle is less than the above range, the filling capacity of the filament bundle will be reduced, making it difficult to achieve appropriate suction resistance relative to weight when manufacturing filter tips.

[0029] When the whiteness is below 80%, the filter tip will turn yellow or gray, giving smokers a negative feeling that the filter is unclean. Furthermore, achieving a whiteness greater than 95% is technically challenging, and even if achieved, it would increase costs.

[0030] On the other hand, in order to increase the rigidity of the manufactured lyocell filter tip and enhance its bonding strength with the fiber bundle, an adhesive solution can be added during the manufacturing process. The adhesive used is made from environmentally friendly materials, and the solvent used to dissolve the adhesive is also environmentally friendly. Specific examples of such an adhesive may be at least one selected from the group consisting of cellulose-based adhesives, vinyl-based adhesives, and polyester-based adhesives.

[0031] More specifically, the aforementioned cellulose-based adhesives may include hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose (EC), methyl cellulose (MC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), etc., and the aforementioned vinyl-based adhesives may include polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVAc), etc. Furthermore, the aforementioned polyester-based adhesives may be polyesters comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of alkylene, aryl, and heteroaryl groups having 5 to 12 carbon atoms.

[0032] On the other hand, as shown in the following examples, from the viewpoint of more effectively preventing the filter tip from becoming less rigid due to the smoker's saliva during smoking, the above-mentioned polyester adhesive is preferred.

[0033] Specific examples of environmentally friendly solvents for dissolving the above-mentioned adhesives include water, ethanol, propylene glycol (PG), glycerin, etc., and more specifically, propylene glycol (PG) is preferred.

[0034] When propylene glycol (PG) is used as a solvent to dissolve the adhesive, propylene glycol (PG) acts as a release agent to reduce the adhesion between the lyocell filaments and the filter equipment roll and roll. Therefore, the filter tip manufacturing process efficiency is improved, and the phenomenon of weakening of the strength of cellulose material filter tips when using polar solvents such as water can be prevented and overcome.

[0035] On the other hand, the filter wrapping paper in the aforementioned lyocell filter can be equivalent to porous or non-porous paper capable of wrapping the lyocell filaments with adhesive and maintaining the cylindrical filter shape. Furthermore, it can be made from hemp (flax), wood pulp, etc., and is required to maintain combustibility and tobacco flavor during combustion. In addition, the aforementioned filter wrapping paper can contain filler, thereby increasing the opacity of the filter wrapping paper, imparting porosity, and improving the smoothness and ash integrity of the filter wrapping paper. For example, materials such as calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and magnesium oxide can be included as fillers.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a smoking article is provided, the smoking article comprising a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion, and a wrapping paper, the filter portion comprising a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, an adhesive solution, and a filter wrapping paper, and having a biodegradability of more than 90% measured within 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C according to ASTM D6691, the adhesive being at least one selected from the group consisting of cellulose adhesives, vinyl adhesives, and polyester adhesives, and the adhesive solution comprising at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycerin.

[0037] The filter tip in the aforementioned smoking product can be considered substantially similar to the aforementioned Lyocell filter tip, and the specific components contained therein are as described above.

[0038] Furthermore, the filter portion of the aforementioned smoking product may be divided into two or more sections, such as a first filter portion, a second filter portion, etc. Regardless of the arrangement position, when one of the two or more sections corresponds to a filter portion comprising lyocell tow and an adhesive solution according to an embodiment of the present invention, it can be included within the scope of the present invention. In addition, one or more of the two or more sections may include a capsule capable of producing fragrance, the shape of which may correspond to spherical or cylindrical, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0039] Furthermore, the aforementioned tobacco medium typically includes nicotine-containing tobacco materials such as tobacco leaves, and may further include excipients such as binders or other additives. As an example, the tobacco medium in the tobacco medium of the present invention can be made into granules containing tobacco substances and excipients. Additionally, flavoring liquids such as menthol or humectants can be added to the tobacco medium.

[0040] In this invention, the tobacco material is the material that forms the aerosol generation matrix, and can be tobacco leaves, tobacco stems, tobacco dust generated during tobacco processing, and / or tobacco leaf strips. The tobacco leaves can be selected from at least one of yellow tobacco, burley tobacco, oriental tobacco, cigar tobacco, and flue-cured tobacco, but are not limited thereto.

[0041] On the other hand, such as Figure 2 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the packaging paper may include packaging paper for each component of a smoking article, and may be divided into tobacco medium portion packaging paper 110a for wrapping the tobacco medium portion and filter portion packaging paper (filter packaging paper) 120a for wrapping the filter tip, etc. Furthermore, as described above, when the filter tip portion is divided into multiple sections, each section may include packaging paper wrapping it. In addition, to secure the connection between the tobacco medium portion and the filter tip portion, a splice paper 130 may be included that wraps a portion of the tobacco medium portion and the filter tip portion. Furthermore, to maintain the overall shape of the smoking article, an outer packaging paper located at the outermost periphery of the smoking article may also be included, simultaneously wrapping the tobacco medium portion and the filter tip.

[0042] The tipping paper that combines the tobacco medium and the filter tip can be selectively formed with one or more perforations in the circumferential direction, allowing external air to flow in or internal gas to flow out. This achieves the air dilution rate of the cigarette and also has the effect of regulating the migration amount of mainstream smoke components.

[0043] The construction and effects of the present invention will be described in more detail below through embodiments and comparative examples. However, these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0044] -Example

[0045] (1) Evaluation test of biodegradability under marine conditions

[0046] The tests were conducted in seawater at 30°C (28 days and 182 days) using analytical samples ground to less than 1 mm and control samples as cellulose standard powder.

[0047] As for biodegradability, the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the decomposition of samples and standards is measured, and the amount of carbon dioxide measured in the analytical sample is compared with the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the decomposition of standards to calculate the relative biodegradability.

[0048] The results are shown in Table 1 and Figure 3 (As above, 28 days) and Table 2 and Figure 4 As shown above (182 days), it can be confirmed that the Lyocell filter tip according to an embodiment of the present invention has a biodegradability of more than 90% compared to the standard product within 6 months under marine conditions, and also has a biodegradability of more than 90% compared to the standard product in a short period of 28 days.

[0049] Table 1

[0050]

[0051] (Biodegradation results under 28-day marine conditions)

[0052] Table 2

[0053]

[0054] (Biodegradation results under 182 days of marine conditions)

[0055] *AVG = Average

[0056] *SD = Standard Deviation

[0057] *REL = Relative biodegradability

[0058] (2) Moisture decomposition test

[0059] The study simulates the decrease in filter hardness due to smoker's saliva and other substances during smoking, and measures the degree of moisture breakdown of the filter based on the presence and type of adhesive.

[0060] Specifically, using Filtrona's DHT 200 TM The device measures hardness before and after water injection and injects 20 μl of water into the filter tip. This injection volume was determined by measuring the residual moisture content in the filter tip after a group of smokers had finished smoking cigarettes fitted with Lyocell filters.

[0061] The degree of collapse was determined by dividing the hardness difference before / after water injection by the initial hardness, as shown below.

[0062] Hardness (%) = (Filter tip diameter (mm) - Pressing length (mm) when pressed with a hammer of a specific weight (300g)) / Initial filter tip diameter (mm) × 100

[0063] Moisture deterioration (%) = (Filter tip hardness before filling - Filter tip hardness after filling) / (Filter tip hardness before filling) × 100

[0064] Table 3

[0065]

[0066] *Blank = Sample without adhesive

[0067] Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) adhesives have a tendency to release water due to the resonance structure of the amide group in their structure. As shown in Table 3 above, the water breakage rate is 10.0%. In the case of polyester adhesives, they initially dissolve or disperse in water, but after imparting adhesive strength, they are not easily released by water, and the water breakage rate is measured to be 5.9%, which is relatively low.

[0068] Based on these results, when polyester adhesives are used as the binder, the moisture breakdown is further improved compared to not using them or using other types of adhesives, thus having the effect of preventing the filter tip from becoming less hard due to smoker's saliva and other substances during smoking.

[0069] In summary, the embodiments have been described with reference to the limited accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations based on the description. For example, appropriate results can be obtained by performing the described techniques in a different order than the described methods, and / or by combining or integrating the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, and other constituent elements in a different manner than the described methods, or by replacing or substituting them with other constituent elements or equivalents.

[0070] Therefore, other embodiments, other implementations, and equivalent substitutions within the scope of the claims are also included within the scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A filter tip for smoking products, characterized in that, This includes lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, adhesive solutions, and filter tip packaging paper, which exhibit a biodegradability of over 90% measured within 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C according to ASTM D6691. The adhesive in the above adhesive solution is a polyester adhesive, or The above adhesives are polyester adhesives and cellulose adhesives, or The adhesives mentioned above are polyester adhesives and vinyl adhesives, or The adhesives mentioned above are polyester adhesives, cellulose adhesives, and vinyl adhesives.

2. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moisture content of the filters used in the aforementioned smoking products is below 7%. The aforementioned degree of moisture deterioration is defined by the following formula: Moisture deterioration (%) = (Filter tip hardness before water filling - Filter tip hardness after water filling) / (Filter tip hardness before water filling) × 100.

3. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned lyocell bundles have 15 to 60 curls per inch.

4. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The whiteness of the aforementioned Lyocell filament bundles is 80% to 95%.

5. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned cellulose-based adhesives are at least one selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, ethyl cellulose, methylcellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose. The aforementioned vinyl adhesives are at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, and ethylene vinyl acetate. The aforementioned polyester adhesives include at least one selected from the group consisting of alkylene, aryl, and heteroaryl groups having 5 to 12 carbon atoms.

6. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adhesive solution described above includes at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propylene glycol and glycerin.

7. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 6, characterized in that, The solvent mentioned above is at least one of propylene glycol and glycerol.

8. The filter tip for smoking products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned filter tip packaging paper is made of hemp or wood pulp and includes at least one filler selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and magnesium oxide.

9. A smoking article comprising a tobacco medium portion, a filter portion, and a packaging paper, characterized in that, The aforementioned filter tip comprises a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, an adhesive solution, and filter tip packaging paper, and its biodegradability, measured according to ASTM D6691, is over 90% within 6 months under seawater conditions at 30°C. The adhesive in the above adhesive solution is a polyester adhesive, or The above adhesives are polyester adhesives and cellulose adhesives, or The adhesives mentioned above are polyester adhesives and vinyl adhesives, or The adhesives mentioned above are polyester adhesives, cellulose adhesives, and vinyl adhesives.

10. The smoking article according to claim 9, characterized in that, The adhesive solution described above includes at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propylene glycol and glycerin.

11. The smoking article according to claim 9, characterized in that, The aforementioned cellulose-based adhesives are at least one selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, ethyl cellulose, methylcellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose. The aforementioned vinyl adhesives are at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, and ethylene vinyl acetate. The aforementioned polyester adhesives include at least one selected from the group consisting of alkylene, aryl, and heteroaryl groups having 5 to 12 carbon atoms.

12. The smoking article according to claim 10, characterized in that, The solvent mentioned above is at least one of propylene glycol and glycerol.

13. The smoking article according to claim 9, characterized in that, The aforementioned filter tip further includes a capsule that produces fragrance.

14. The smoking article according to claim 9, characterized in that, The tobacco medium section mentioned above contains flavoring liquid.

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