Filters for smoking products or e-cigarette products containing nonwoven fabric base material

Abstract

We provide filters for smoking products or e-cigarette products. [Solution] The filter comprises a nonwoven fabric base material with low density and containing natural fibers and a binder.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The subject of this invention is a filter comprising a low-density nonwoven fabric substrate containing natural fibers and a binder. This nonwoven fabric substrate can be obtained by an airlaid process. This filter is used as a filter for smoking products or e-cigarette products (vaping articles). [Background technology]

[0002] Filters for smoking or e-cigarette products have a cylindrical shape and typically include an outer casing made of plug wrap paper and a base material placed inside the outer casing. The filter of a smoking or e-cigarette product, through the base material, prevents the user from inhaling tobacco particles and allows harmful particulate matter such as tar contained in smoke or aerosols to be trapped inside.

[0003] Filters are generally made from cellulose acetate. These cellulose acetate filters possess nicotine capture capabilities that provide users with a perceptually satisfying experience with filtered smoke. Furthermore, these filters produce filtered smoke with good perceptual characteristics. However, this cellulose acetate substrate decomposes very slowly and does not disperse in water. This property is particularly harmful because the filter does not wear down during smoking / inhalation of smoking / e-cigarette products, but remains permanently in the environment. Thus, cellulose acetate substrates have a significant impact on the environment.

[0004] In order to reduce the environmental load of conventional filters, it has been proposed to replace cellulose acetate with paper. Since paper base materials are biodegradable, they degrade rapidly. On the other hand, regarding the nicotine trapping performance of filters produced from paper base materials, there is a risk that users cannot satisfactorily perceive the filtered smoke. Additionally, smoke filtered by a filter produced from a paper base material may have an undesirable dry taste for users. Therefore, the user experience provided by these paper base materials does not yield much satisfaction when compared with cellulose acetate.

[0005] (Technical Problem) Accordingly, there is a need for a filter that has nicotine trapping performance comparable to that of filters composed of cellulose acetate base materials, provides a satisfying user experience, can degrade rapidly, and additionally is water-dispersible.

[0006] Therefore, the present inventors have found that a non-woven fabric base material can meet this need. Summary of the Invention Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A filter comprising a non-woven fabric base material containing natural fibers and a binder, wherein the natural fibers account for 70% to 99% by weight, particularly 80% to 98% by weight, more specifically 85% to 98% by weight of the solid content of the non-woven fabric base material, the binder accounts for 1% to 30% by weight, particularly 2% to 20% by weight, more specifically 2% to 15% by weight of the solid content of the non-woven fabric base material, and the non-woven fabric base material has a mass per unit area of 10 mg / cm 3 to 60 mg / cm 3 , particularly 15 mg / cm 3 to 55 mg / cm 3 , more specifically 20 mg / cm 3 to 45 mg / cm 3 characterized by having the density.

[0008] Advantageously, the filter of the present invention has nicotine capture performance comparable to that of filters containing a cellulose acetate substrate. As a result, users will experience perceptual satisfaction from the smoke filtered by the filter of the present invention.

[0009] The nonwoven fabric substrate of the filter of the present invention is also capable of decomposing very rapidly in the environment and is dispersible in water. This is particularly advantageous because the filter has a very low environmental impact.

[0010] Furthermore, the smoke filtered by the filter of the present invention has sensory characteristics that provide a sense of satisfaction to the user.

[0011] Unlike paper substrates, the nonwoven fabric substrate of the filter of the present invention enables the manufacture of the filter without a pre-forming step. Therefore, the method for manufacturing the filter of the present invention is simplified.

[0012] In another embodiment, a method is proposed for manufacturing a filter of the present invention comprising a nonwoven fabric substrate. This method comprises the steps of: a) forming a rod of the nonwoven fabric substrate from the nonwoven fabric substrate; b) wrapping the rod of the nonwoven fabric substrate with a sheet of plugwrap paper; c) attaching adhesive lines to the sheets of plugwrap paper to join them together to obtain a rod of filter material; and d) cutting the rod of filter material to manufacture a filter, wherein the nonwoven fabric substrate is as described above, or i) manufacturing a web from natural fibers by an airlaid method; ii) introducing a binder into the web; and iii) drying the web obtained in step ii) to obtain a nonwoven fabric substrate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Disclosed is a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate including natural fibers and a binder. The natural fibers account for 70% to 99%, particularly 80% to 98%, more specifically 85% to 98% by weight of the solid content of the nonwoven substrate. The binder accounts for 1% to 30%, particularly 2% to 20%, more specifically 2% to 15% by weight of the solid content of the nonwoven substrate. The nonwoven substrate has a density of 10 mg / cm 3 to 60 mg / cm 3 , particularly 15 mg / cm 3 to 50 mg / cm 3 , more specifically 20 mg / cm 3 to 45 mg / cm 3 , characterized in that

[0014] Compared with the density exceeding 300 mg / cm 3 of conventional paper substrates, the density of the nonwoven substrate is very low.

[0015] While not wishing to be bound by any theory, the present inventors consider that due to this low density, the filter loading capacity of the nonwoven substrate of the filter of the present invention is higher than that of paper substrates. This higher loading capacity makes it possible to reduce the amount of the nonwoven substrate in the filter such that the filter of the present invention has nicotine trapping performance comparable to that of filters comprising a cellulose acetate substrate.

[0016] In the present application, the term "nonwoven substrate" (also referred to as "non-woven substrate") refers to a sheet product formed of a web or ply of fibers bonded to each other by friction, cohesion and / or adhesion, and oriented regularly or randomly.

[0017] Generally, the density of a nonwoven substrate is calculated by dividing its basis weight by its thickness.

[0018] The basis weight of the nonwoven fabric substrate can be determined according to the standard ISO 536:2012. The substrate is prepared at 23°C and 50% relative humidity for at least 16 hours before measurement.

[0019] To measure the thickness of the nonwoven fabric substrate, a 25cm² pressure surface with two flat, parallel, and circular pressure surfaces is used. 2 A self-weight micrometer equipped with a measuring head can be used. During measurement, the nonwoven fabric substrate is placed between two pressure surfaces for 10 seconds. The pressure between the pressure surfaces during thickness measurement is 0.5 kPa. The substrate is pre-conditioned at 23°C and 50% relative humidity for at least 16 hours before measurement.

[0020] The basis weight of the nonwoven fabric base material of the filter of the present invention is, for example, 25 g / m². 2 ~65g / m 2 , especially 30g / m 2 ~60g / m 2 More specifically, 35g / m 2 ~55g / m 2 That's fine.

[0021] The thickness of the nonwoven fabric substrate of the filter of the present invention may be, for example, 700 μm to 4000 μm, particularly 900 μm to 3000 μm, and more specifically 1200 μm to 2500 μm.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the nonwoven fabric substrate contains 20 mg / cm³ 3 ~45 mg / cm³ 3 It may have a density and a thickness of 1200 μm to 2500 μm.

[0023] Those skilled in the art will know how to adjust the basis weight and thickness of the nonwoven fabric substrate to obtain the desired density.

[0024] In this application, the term "natural fiber" refers to a fiber of natural origin that has been optionally treated by chemical treatment, physical treatment, or both, in order to improve its physical properties.

[0025] For example, natural fibers may be selected from wood fibers, leaf fibers, fruit fibers, seed fibers, bast fibers, stem fibers, reed fibers, and mixtures thereof, particularly from wood fibers, leaf fibers, seed fibers, bast fibers, and mixtures thereof, and more specifically from wood fibers and mixtures thereof. Examples of wood fibers that may be included in the nonwoven fabric base material of the filter of the present invention include hardwood pulp, bleached hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, bleached softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers (cellulose fibers crushed and dissolved in N-methylmorpholine N-oxide monohydrate for the purpose of obtaining fibers having variable cross-sections (circular, elliptical, cruciate, round, lamellar cross-sections) with calibrated length and mass per unit length, which can be selected as needed by those skilled in the art), viscose fibers (modified hydroxyl groups with carbon disulfide (CS2)) Fibers obtained by dissolving cellulose and precipitating it in the presence of sulfuric acid (H2SO4), having a variable cross-section (circular, elliptical, cruciate, circular, lamellar cross-section) with calibrated length and mass per unit length (selectable as needed by those skilled in the art), as well as mixtures thereof, particularly hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers, viscose fibers, and mixtures thereof, more specifically softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers, and mixtures thereof.

[0026] In this application, "bast fibers" refers to plant fibers contained in the bast of plants.

[0027] Examples of bast fibers include hemp fibers, Indian hemp fibers, jute fibers, kenaf fibers, kudzu fibers, coinvine fibers, flax fibers, okra fibers, nettle fibers, papyrus fibers, ramie fibers, sisal fibers, esparto fibers, and mixtures thereof, in particular hemp fibers, flax fibers, and mixtures thereof, more specifically flax fibers.

[0028] Typically, bast fibers may undergo pretreatment. Therefore, bast fibers may include cottonizing bast fibers, individualized bast fibers, litted bast fibers, bleached bast fibers, and mixtures thereof, with cottonizing bast fibers, individualized bast fibers, and mixtures thereof being particularly noteworthy.

[0029] In this application, the term "seed fiber" refers to fibers obtained from plant seeds. Examples of seed fibers include cotton fiber, kapok fiber, loofah fiber, milkweed fiber, and mixtures thereof, and kapok fiber in particular may also be used.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the natural fiber is selected from coniferous pulp, coniferous fluff pulp, and especially coniferous fluff pulp.

[0031] According to the present invention, the natural fibers have a length of 1 mm to 10 mm, particularly 1.5 mm to 8 mm, and more specifically 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0032] The airlaid method is particularly suitable for natural fibers of these sizes. Therefore, the nonwoven fabric base material for the filter of the present invention can be obtained by the airlaid method.

[0033] The length of natural fibers can be measured using a projection microscope at a desired magnification.

[0034] Natural fibers may be cut to have lengths within the range described above. Conventional cutting techniques that can be used include guillotine cutting of natural fibers and crushing of natural fibers with (or without) an air cyclone or screen-type system for removing excessively short (long) fibers.

[0035] In this application, "binder" refers to a compound having properties that enable the consolidation of nonwoven fabric substrates. Advantageously, a water-soluble binder is selected. Water solubility should be understood as the property that the binder dissolves in water at a controlled temperature and with stirring, forming a homogeneous solution rather than a suspension at ambient temperature. Because the binder is water-soluble, the substrate becomes dispersible after drying. Advantageously, the nonwoven fabric substrate is dispersible in water in less than 60 seconds at room temperature. The experimental conditions of Example 4 can be used to measure the time required for dispersion.

[0036] For example, the binder can be selected from polysaccharides, cellulose derivatives, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and mixtures thereof.

[0037] The polysaccharide used as a binder may be a polysaccharide or a polysaccharide derivative. For example, starch, dextrin, gum arabic, and mixtures thereof, in particular starch, can be used as a binder.

[0038] For example, cellulose derivatives can be selected from ethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, alkali metal salts of carboxymethylcellulose, and mixtures thereof, particularly carboxymethylcellulose. Carboxymethylcellulose with a degree of substitution greater than 0.4 is particularly advantageous. Typically, the degree of substitution is 0.6 to 0.9.

[0039] Examples of alkali metals in carboxymethylcellulose include potassium, sodium, and magnesium.

[0040] Polyvinyl alcohol, particularly polyvinyl alcohol with a degree of hydrolysis of less than 99%, less than 95%, or less than 90%, can also be used as a binder.

[0041] According to one specific embodiment, the nonwoven fabric substrate comprises softwood fluff pulp and a binder selected from starch, carboxymethylcellulose, or polyvinyl alcohol, wherein the softwood fluff pulp accounts for 85% to 95% by weight of the solids content of the nonwoven fabric substrate, and the binder accounts for 5% to 15% by weight of the solids content of the nonwoven fabric substrate, with a concentration of 20 mg / cm³. 3 ~45 mg / cm³ 3 It has a density of .

[0042] The nonwoven fabric substrate in this particularly specific embodiment can be obtained by the airlaid method.

[0043] Advantageously, the nonwoven fabric substrate of the filter of the present invention, obtained by the airlaid method, can be dispersed very rapidly in water at ambient temperature.

[0044] The filter of the present invention may be a filter for a smoking product or an e-cigarette product that includes the nonwoven fabric substrate of the present invention as defined above.

[0045] In this application, “smoking product” means a product containing tobacco and / or any other plant intended to be smoked. For example, a smoking product may be machine-made tobacco, a roll-your-own cigarette, or homemade tobacco.

[0046] Typically, filters for smoking products have a cylindrical shape and consist of an outer casing made of plug wrap paper for smoking products, particularly cigarettes, and a nonwoven fabric substrate for the filter of the present invention, as defined above, which is disposed within the outer casing.

[0047] In this application, “electronic cigarette product” means an article containing tobacco and / or any other plant intended to be inhaled, which is intended to be inserted into a device that heats the tobacco / plant without combustion, and which enables the delivery of an aerosol to the user. For example, an electronic cigarette product may be a tobacco stick.

[0048] Typically, filters for e-cigarette products have a cylindrical shape and consist of an outer casing made of plug wrap paper for e-cigarette products, particularly tobacco sticks, and a nonwoven fabric substrate for the filter of the present invention, as defined above, which is placed inside the outer casing.

[0049] The filter of the present invention has a density of 100 mg / cm³. 3 ~200 mg / cm³ 3 , especially 110 mg / cm³ 3 ~175 mg / cm³ 3 More specifically, 120 mg / cm³ 3 ~160 mg / cm³ 3 It may have a density of [a certain value].

[0050] Typically, the density of a filter is measured after its manufacture by dividing its mass by its volume. For a perfectly cylindrical filter, the density is calculated by dividing the volume of the filter (V filter ) is calculated using the following formula: V filter =π*L*r 2 Here, r represents the radius of the filter, and L represents the length of the filter.

[0051] The nonwoven fabric substrate of the filter of the present invention does not need to be molded within the filter. In particular, the nonwoven fabric substrate of the filter of the present invention does not need to be folded into a V-shape and / or crimped within the filter. This makes it possible to manufacture the filter without the step of molding the substrate. Therefore, it is very advantageous in that it allows for the simplification of filter manufacturing.

[0052] In another embodiment, the present invention also relates to a smoking product comprising the filter defined above.

[0053] In another embodiment, the present invention also relates to an electronic cigarette product comprising the filter defined above.

[0054] The present invention also relates to the use of the nonwoven fabric substrate defined above for filters, particularly for filters for smoking products or for filters for e-cigarette products.

[0055] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a filter of the present invention comprising a nonwoven fabric substrate, the method comprising: a) forming a rod of the nonwoven fabric substrate from the nonwoven fabric substrate; b) wrapping the rod of the nonwoven fabric substrate with plug wrap paper; c) joining sheets of plug wrap paper together and attaching adhesive lines to obtain a rod of filter material; and d) cutting the rod of filter material to manufacture a filter, wherein the nonwoven fabric substrate is as described above, or is obtained by a method comprising: i) manufacturing a web from natural fibers by an airlaid method; ii) introducing a binder into the web; and iii) drying the web obtained in step ii) to obtain a nonwoven fabric substrate.

[0056] The nonwoven fabric base material, natural fibers, and binder are as described above with respect to the nonwoven fabric base material.

[0057] Therefore, the nonwoven fabric substrate for the filter of the present invention can be obtained by the airlaid method.

[0058] The airlaid method and the drylaid method are two different conventional methods known to those skilled in the art for manufacturing webs. Those skilled in the art will know how to adapt the parameters of the airlaid method to manufacture the nonwoven fabric substrate for the filter of the present invention.

[0059] The method of the present invention may include step i1) cutting natural fibers to obtain natural fibers having the lengths within the range described above, prior to step i) manufacturing.

[0060] Step i1), which involves cutting, can be carried out by conventional techniques such as guillotine cutting of natural fibers or crushing of natural fibers with (or without) an air cyclone or screen-type system for removing excessively short (long) fibers.

[0061] During step ii) introduction, an aqueous dispersion of the binder is introduced into the web. This introduction may be carried out, for example, by impregnation by sizing press, spraying, coating or printing the surface, and in particular by spraying. Advantageously, spraying is performed on both sides of the web.

[0062] Aqueous dispersions of the binder can be obtained by any technique known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will know how to adjust the concentration of the binder in the aqueous dispersion to obtain a desired content of the binder in the nonwoven fabric substrate of the present invention.

[0063] The drying step (iii) can be carried out, for example, by a drying device such as a tunnel through which air passes or an infrared lamp.

[0064] This drying step iii) can be carried out at a temperature of 75°C to 220°C, particularly 90°C to 200°C, and more specifically, 100°C to 190°C. Temperatures within this range are advantageous in that they allow for the shortest possible drying time in step iii) while simultaneously minimizing the degradation of the natural fibers in the nonwoven substrate, thereby optimizing the process of the present invention.

[0065] Advantageously, the combination of the introduction step ii) and the drying step iii) makes it possible to strengthen the structure of the nonwoven fabric substrate of the present invention by improving the bonding of natural fibers.

[0066] The natural fibers used in step i) of manufacturing may be a mixture of natural fibers. This mixture of natural fibers may be obtained before step i) of manufacturing.

[0067] This process may also include, between the manufacturing step i) and the introduction step ii), a step of compressing a web in order to obtain a compressed web, which then undergoes the introduction step ii).

[0068] This compression step ii1) can reduce the thickness of the web in order to control the density of the nonwoven substrate.

[0069] According to a particular embodiment, the method comprises: i) producing a web from coniferous fluff pulp by an airlaid method; ii) introducing the binder into the web by spraying an aqueous dispersion of the binder selected from starch, carboxymethylcellulose, or polyvinyl alcohol; and iii) 20 mg / cm 3 ~45 mg / cm³ 3 The method may include a step of drying the web obtained in step ii) in order to obtain a nonwoven fabric substrate having a density such that coniferous fluff pulp accounts for 85% to 95% by weight of the solids content of the nonwoven fabric substrate, and starch accounts for 5% to 15% by weight of the solids content of the nonwoven fabric substrate.

[0070] If necessary, the nonwoven fabric substrate obtained in step iii) may be calendered.

[0071] After step iii) and before step a), the nonwoven fabric substrate may be compressed into a bobbin shape and formed into a roll by a spooling method, or deposited into a paperboard shape by a festoon process.

[0072] Example 1: Manufacturing of nonwoven fabric substrate

[0073] In the examples, air permeability is measured using the "FX3300 Lab Air IV" air permeability tester. For the measurement, the web to be tested is placed under the measuring head and measured for 20 cm. 2 Airflow through the web was measured in the region with a pressure drop of 200 Pa. The air permeability was [cm]. 3 / cm 2 Measurements were taken in [ / sec]. Three measurements were taken for each sample, and the average value of the air permeability was displayed.

[0074] Example 1.1

[0075] A nonwoven fabric base material consisting of 92% solid weight from coniferous fluff pulp and 8% solid weight from starch was prepared by the airlaid method.

[0076] A web was obtained by crushing coniferous fluff pulp and depositing it onto a cloth formed by the airlaid method. A solution containing 0.7% solids of starch (Perfectafilm X115, Avebe) was sprayed onto both sides of the web. The sprayed web was then dried in an infrared and hot air oven at a temperature of 180°C to 190°C.

[0077] Density 30mg / cm 3 Thickness 1530 μm, basis weight 46 g / m² 2 , and ventilation of 440 cm 3 ,cm -2 , seconds -1 A nonwoven fabric base material was obtained.

[0078] Example 1.2

[0079] A nonwoven fabric substrate consisting of 85% solid weight from coniferous tree fluff pulp and 15% solid weight from starch was prepared by the airlaid method.

[0080] According to the method described in Example 1.1, 37 g / m 2 A nonwoven fabric substrate was obtained. The web was compressed at a pressure of 1 bar before spraying it with a solution containing 1.27% starch solids. The binder content of the web after drying was 15%.

[0081] Density 41mg / cm 3 Thickness 900 μm, basis weight 37 g / m² 2 , breathability 345cm 3 ·cm -2 sec -1 A nonwoven fabric base material was obtained.

[0082] Example 1.3

[0083] A nonwoven fabric substrate, consisting of 95% coniferous fluff pulp and 5% carboxymethylcellulose by weight, was prepared using the airlaid method.

[0084] A nonwoven fabric substrate was obtained by the method described in Example 1.1. A solution containing 0.7% solids of carboxymethylcellulose (Ashland, Blanose 7LCF, degree of substitution 0.65-0.9) was sprayed onto both sides of the web. The binder content of the web after drying was 5%.

[0085] Density 21mg / cm 3 Thickness 2340 gm, basis weight 51 g / m² 2 , and breathability of 407 cm 3 ,cm -2 sec -1 A nonwoven fabric base material was obtained.

[0086] Example 1.4

[0087] A nonwoven fabric substrate consisting of 92% coniferous tree fluff pulp and 8% highly hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol was prepared by the airlaid method.

[0088] A nonwoven fabric substrate was obtained by the method described in Example 1.1. A solution containing 0.8% solids of polyvinyl alcohol (Kuraray Co., Ltd., Ervanol 71-30 with a degree of hydrolysis of 99.5%) was sprayed onto both sides of the web. The binder content of the web after drying was 8%.

[0089] Density 21mg / cm 3 Thickness 1900 μm, basis weight 40 g / m² 2 , and breathability of 403 cm 3 ,cm -2 sec -1 A nonwoven fabric base material was obtained.

[0090] Example 1.5

[0091] A nonwoven fabric substrate consisting of 92% coniferous fluff pulp and 8% partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol was prepared by the airlaid method.

[0092] A nonwoven fabric substrate was obtained by the method described in Example 1.1. A solution containing 0.87% solids of polyvinyl alcohol (Poval 6-88, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd., with a degree of hydrolysis of 88%) was sprayed onto both sides of the web. The binder content of the web after drying was 8%.

[0093] Density is 24 mg / cm³ 3 The thickness is 1690 μm and the basis weight is 41 g / m². 2 The breathability is 480 cm. 3 ,cm -2 sec -1 A nonwoven fabric base material was obtained.

[0094] Example 2: Manufacturing and Characterization of Filters for Smoking Products

[0095] Using the substrates of Examples 1.1 to 1.4, filters for smoking products were manufactured using a standard filter manufacturing method without the use of a crimping machine. Non-porous plug wrap paper was used to wrap the rods of nonwoven fabric filter material.

[0096] The filter of the present invention was compared with a paper filter and a commercially available cellulose acetate filter. The paper filter had a density of 36 g / m². 2 The filters were manufactured using a standard method for producing filters, by pressing a 100 μm thick CF36 substrate onto them. The filters obtained in each term were cut into 21 mm stick shapes.

[0097] The filter characteristics are shown in Table 1 below.

[0098] [Table 1]

[0099] Example 3: Manufacturing and Characterization of Cigarettes

[0100] A cigarette was prepared using the filter described in Example 2. To form the cigarette, the filter was rolled up using chip paper to assemble the tobacco rod. Commercially available "American Blend" tobacco was used to form the cigarette rod. The cigarette was prepared under the same pressure drop as commercially available cigarettes. The airflow of the cigarette was blocked.

[0101] The prepared tobacco was inhaled using a Borgwaldt RM20 smoking device in accordance with standard ISO 3308:2000. Pressure loss (PD in Table 2) was measured in accordance with standard ISO 6565:2002. Nicotine content in the smoke was measured in accordance with standard ISO 10315:2000. The smoking results are shown in Table 2 below.

[0102] [Table 2]

[0103] Table 2 shows that, at equivalent pressure drops, cigarettes equipped with the filter according to the present invention and cigarettes equipped with commercially available cellulose acetate filters have similar levels of nicotine in the smoke. Those made with laminated paper have significantly lower levels of nicotine in the smoke.

[0104] Therefore, this third embodiment demonstrates that the user experience provided by a cigarette equipped with the filter according to the present invention is just as satisfying as that provided by a commercially available cigarette equipped with a cellulose acetate filter.

[0105] Example 4: Dispersibility of the filter in water at ambient temperature

[0106] A filter containing the substrate from Example 1 without plug wrap paper, a commercially available cellulose acetate filter without plug wrap paper, and a paper filter without plug wrap paper were each placed separately in 100 ml of tap water at 22°C. The mixture was manually stirred at 60 rpm for 30 seconds every 4 hours to confirm dispersion in the water. The time required for the fibers to separate from each other was recorded. This time is shown in Table 3.

[0107] [Table 3]

[0108] The fibers of the filters in Examples 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.5 were found to disperse after 20 seconds. The wood fibers of the filter using crimped paper began to disperse after 8 hours. Therefore, it can be seen that paper filters have lower dispersibility in water than the filters containing the substrates in Examples 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.5. After 24 hours, there was no change in the cellulose acetate filter and the filter of the present invention in Example 1.4. The cellulose acetate filter and the filter of Example 1.4 do not disperse in water.

Claims

1. A filter comprising a nonwoven fabric substrate containing natural fibers and a binder, The natural fibers comprise 70% to 99% by weight of the solid content of the nonwoven fabric base material. The binder has a weight equivalent to 1% to 30% of the solid content of the nonwoven fabric substrate. The nonwoven fabric substrate contains 10 mg / cm³ ３ ~60 mg / cm³ ３ A filter having a density of [value].

2. The filter according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric substrate has a thickness of 700 μm to 4000 μm.

3. The filter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the length of the natural fibers is 1 mm to 10 mm.

4. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the natural fibers are selected from woody fibers, leaf fibers, fruit fibers, seed fibers, bast fibers, stem fibers, reed fibers, and mixtures thereof.

5. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the natural fibers are selected from hardwood pulp, bleached hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, bleached softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers, viscose fibers, and mixtures thereof.

6. The filter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the binder is configured to be a water-soluble binder.

7. The filter according to claim 6, wherein the binder is selected from polysaccharides, cellulose derivatives, polyvinyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

8. A filter according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for a smoking product or an e-cigarette product.

9. A smoking product comprising the filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An electronic cigarette product comprising the filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A method for manufacturing a filter for a smoking product or e-cigarette product containing a nonwoven fabric substrate, a) A step of forming a rod of the nonwoven fabric from the nonwoven fabric substrate, b) The step of wrapping the rod of the nonwoven fabric substrate with the sheet of plug wrap paper, c) The step of attaching adhesive lines to the sheets of the plug wrap paper in order to join them together to obtain a rod of filter material, d) A step of cutting the rod of the filter material in order to manufacture the filter, The nonwoven fabric base material is as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or i) Steps to manufacture a web from natural fibers by the airlaid method, ii) The step of introducing the binder into the web, and iii) A method configured to obtain the nonwoven fabric substrate by a method comprising the step of drying the web obtained in step ii).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, after step iii) and before step a), the nonwoven fabric substrate is compressed into a bobbin shape, formed into a roll shape by a spooling method, or deposited into a cardboard shape by a festooning process.

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