Filters for smoking articles containing lyocelto, and smoking articles containing the same

Abstract

Provided are a smoking article filter and a smoking article, which include a filter portion including lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow, and a filter portion wrapper that wraps the filter portion and has been treated to be oil-resistant, the filter portion wrapper having a basis weight of 30 gsm to 180 gsm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter for a smoking article, including a filter part containing lyocell tow in which a phenolic-reducing substance is dispersed, and a filter part wrapper formed of a roll paper (i.e., oil-resistant hard roll paper) that wraps the filter part, has a range of a predetermined basis weight or more, and has been subjected to an oil-resistant treatment, and a smoking article including the same.

Background Art

[0002] A general tobacco filter contains cellulose acetate tow obtained by extracting cellulose from wood pulp and acetylating it. Further, the tobacco filter is assembled in a tobacco product, distributed to consumers, provided for smoking, and finally discarded after smoking the tobacco. Also, some tobacco filters are directly discarded as manufacturing residues from a tobacco filter manufacturing factory. These tobacco filter wastes are collected as garbage and buried for their treatment. Also, in some cases, tobacco smoking is left in the natural environment without being collected as garbage.

[0003] Therefore, recently, research has been underway to replace cellulose acetate tow with eco-friendly materials in order to protect the natural environment and reduce costs. For example, unlike cellulose acetate, the development of tow using lyocell fibers obtained by fibrillating cellulose itself has been progressing.

[0004] When manufacturing filters for smoking products, phenol-reducing substances that can specifically reduce phenols generated during smoking are added to reduce the phenol smoke component in mainstream smoke. Conventionally, polyethylene glycol (PEG), triethyl citrate (TEC), and triacetin (TA) are known to be added to cellulose acetate tofu as phenol-reducing substances. When phenol-reducing substances consisting of PEG, TEC, and TA are added to hydrophobic cellulose acetate, the phenol-reducing substances also function as plasticizers for the cellulose acetate fibers, causing the hydrophobic cellulose acetate fibers to interbond and reducing the degree of biodegradation.

[0005] Furthermore, when phenol-reducing substances such as PEG, TEC, and TA are added to lyocell fibers, the lyocell fibers do not become plasticized. This revealed that adding phenol-reducing substances such as PEG, TEC, and TA to lyocell fibers does not reduce biodegradability, but does reduce the phenol smoke components in the mainstream smoke.

[0006] Furthermore, when phenol-reducing substances such as PEG, TEC, and TA are added to lyocell fibers to reduce phenolic smoke components in mainstream smoke, problems arise such as the lyocell tow containing the lyocell fibers not becoming plasticized, the hardness of the lyocell tow decreasing, and the filter collapsing. To compensate for the aforementioned problem of reduced hardness, a solution has been proposed in which, during the manufacturing of smoking product filters, the filter wrapper that encloses the lyocell tow is wrapped with a high-basis-weight wrapping paper called hard wrapping paper, thereby imparting a predetermined hardness to the smoking product filter.

[0007] Furthermore, while hard wrapping paper has a higher basis weight compared to general wrapping paper and imparts a certain hardness to the filter for smoking items, a problem arises in that the phenol-reducing substance dispersed in lyocelltou transfers from the filter portion containing lyocelltou to the filter wrapping paper (hereinafter referred to as the filter wrapper) and is absorbed, resulting in a decrease in the phenol reduction performance of the filter for smoking items. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a smoking article filter that can solve the hardness problem inherent in lyocell tow by constructing the filter wrapper from wrapping paper having a basis weight above a certain value and having an oil-resistant treatment on its surface (i.e., oil-resistant hard wrapping paper).

[0009] Furthermore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an excellent smoking filter that is biodegradable, by constructing the filter wrapper of a filter section with a basis weight of a certain value or more and an oil-resistant treatment on its surface (i.e., an oil-resistant hard wrapping paper), thereby minimizing the amount of phenol-reducing substances transferred from the filter section, which contains lyocell tow and phenol-reducing substances dispersed in lyocell tow, to the filter wrapper, thereby more effectively removing phenols and other components present in tobacco smoke components during smoking.

[0010] Furthermore, another problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a superior smoking article that is biodegradable, by constructing the filter wrapper surrounding the filter portion containing lyocell to be made of wrapping paper having a basis weight above a certain value and having an oil-resistant treatment on its surface (i.e., oil-resistant hard wrapping paper), thereby solving the problem of the hardness of lyocell to, minimizing the amount of phenol-reducing substances transferred from lyocell to the filter wrapper, more effectively removing phenols and other components present in tobacco smoke during smoking, and providing a superior smoking article that is biodegradable.

[0011] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and any other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person ordinary to the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A filter for smoking articles according to one embodiment for solving the above problem comprises: a filter portion comprising: lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers; and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow; and an oil-resistant filter portion wrapper enclosing the filter portion, wherein the filter portion wrapper has a basis weight of 30 gsm to 180 gsm.

[0013] Furthermore, the phenol-reducing substance may contain at least one of the following: triethyl citrate (TEC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and triacetin (TA).

[0014] Furthermore, the filter wrapper is characterized by having a basis weight of 40 gsm to 160 gsm.

[0015] Furthermore, the filter wrapper is characterized by having a basis weight of 70 gsm to 150 gsm.

[0016] Furthermore, the hardness of the filter portion is characterized by being 93% to 99%.

[0017] Furthermore, the filter wrapper may have an oil resistance rating of 8 or higher based on the 3M KIT method.

[0018] Furthermore, the transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the filter wrapper is 1% to 13%, and the transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the filter wrapper is defined as the percentage of the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter wrapper relative to the total weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the smoking article filter, and the total weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the smoking article filter may be the sum of the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter and the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter wrapper.

[0019] Furthermore, the transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the wrapper of the filter section is characterized by being 2% to 5%.

[0020] A smoking article according to one embodiment for solving the aforementioned other problems comprises a smoking substance section and a smoking article filter disposed upstream of the smoking substance section, wherein the smoking article filter comprises a filter section comprising lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow; and an oil-resistant filter section wrapper enclosing the filter section, wherein the filter section wrapper has a basis weight of 30 gsm to 180 gsm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to a filter for a smoking article and a smoking article including the same according to an embodiment, a filter wrapper that wraps a filter part including lyocell in which phenolic-reducing substances are dispersed is made of a wrapping paper having a basis weight of a certain numerical value or more and having an oil-resistant treatment on the surface (that is, an oil-resistant treated hard wrapping paper), whereby the problem of the hardness that lyocell basically has can be solved.

[0022] Further, according to a filter for a smoking article and a smoking article including the same according to an embodiment, by configuring a filter wrapper that wraps lyocell in which phenolic-reducing substances are dispersed with a wrapping paper having a basis weight of a certain numerical value or more and having an oil-resistant treatment on the surface (that is, an oil-resistant treated hard wrapping paper), the transfer amount of the phenolic-reducing substances transferred from the filter part to the filter wrapper can be minimized, the content of the phenolic-reducing substances remaining in the pill tabu can be optimized, and components such as phenols present in the tobacco smoke components during smoking can be removed more effectively.

[0023] Further, according to a filter for a smoking article and a smoking article including the same according to an embodiment, even though phenolic-reducing substances such as PEG, TEC, and TA are added to lyocell, the phenolic-reducing substances do not act as a plasticizer for lyocell, so that a filter for a smoking article having a phenolic-reducing performance and excellent biodegradability and a smoking article including the same can be provided.

[0024] The effects according to the technical idea of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by an ordinary technician from the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The merits and features of the present disclosure, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be embodied in various different shapes. Merely, the following embodiments are provided to make the technical idea of the present disclosure complete and to fully inform those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains of the scope of the present disclosure. The technical idea of the present disclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims.

[0027] When adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that for the same components, as far as possible, the same numerals are used even if they are shown on different drawings. Also, when explaining the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific explanation of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification can be used in a meaning commonly understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Also, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not ideally or overly analyzed unless specifically defined clearly. The terms used in this specification are for explaining the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specifically mentioned in the text.

[0029] Furthermore, when describing the components of this disclosure, terms such as 1, 2, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are merely for distinguishing a component from other components and do not limit the nature, procedure, or order of the component. Where it is stated that any component is “linked,” “joined,” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that the component is directly linked to or can be connected to that other component, but that other components may be further “linked,” “joined,” or “connected” between each component.

[0030] As used in this disclosure, “comprises” and / or “comprising” does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, stages, operations and / or elements from the components, stages, operations and / or elements mentioned.

[0031] First, we will clarify some of the terms used in this specification.

[0032] In this specification, “smoking article” may mean any product that is smokeable or can provide a smoking experience, regardless of whether it is based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. For example, a smoking article may include smokeable products such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos.

[0033] In this specification, “smoking material” may mean all types of substances that can be used in smoking articles.

[0034] In this specification, “upstream” or “upstream direction” may mean the direction away from the smoker’s mouth, and “downstream” or “downstream direction” may mean the direction away from the smoker’s mouth.

[0035] In this specification, “longitudinal direction” may mean the direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.

[0036] Various embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Throughout the specification, "smoking articles" may mean objects capable of generating aerosols, such as tobacco (cigarettes) and cigars. Smoking articles may include aerosol-generating substances or aerosol-forming substrates. Smoking articles may also include solid substances based on tobacco raw materials, such as flat tobacco leaves, shredded tobacco, and reconstituted tobacco. Smoking substances may also include volatile compounds.

[0039] Furthermore, throughout the specification, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means the direction away from the mouth of the user smoking the smoking article 100, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" means the direction towards the mouth of the user smoking the smoking article 100. For example, in the smoking article 100 shown in Figure 1, the smoking substance portion 10 is located upstream or in the upstream direction of the filter portion 20 included in the filter for the smoking article.

[0040] Furthermore, although this specification uses the example of a combustion-type cigarette as the smoking article 100, it is not limited to this, and the smoking article 100 can also refer to heated cigarettes used with an aerosol generating device (not shown), such as an e-cigarette device.

[0041] Referring to Figure 1, the smoking article 100 includes a smoking substance section 10, a filter section 20, a smoking substance section wrapper 30a, a filter section wrapper 30b, and a tip paper 40. The filter for the smoking article may include a filter section 20 and a filter section wrapper 30b that encloses the filter section 20. In the smoking article 100, the smoking substance section 10 is located upstream of the filter section 20.

[0042] The smoking material section 10 can be filled with a smoking material such as raw tobacco leaves, plate-shaped leaves, or a mixture of tobacco leaves and plate-shaped leaves. The processed smoking material can be filled into the smoking material section 10 in sheet form or in shredded form. The smoking material section 10 may have an elongated rod form, and its length, circumference, and diameter are not particularly limited, but can be adjusted to a size commonly used in the art, taking into account the amount of smoking material to be filled, user preferences, etc.

[0043] The smoking substance portion 10 may contain at least one aerosol-generating substance selected from glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The smoking substance portion 10 may also contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or acetate compounds. The aerosol-generating substances and additives may be contained in the smoking substance.

[0044] The smoking material section 10 can be wrapped with a smoking material section wrapper 30a. In the general smoking material section 10, some of the tobacco smoke generated during the combustion process is released into the atmosphere via the smoking material section wrapper 30a before passing through the tobacco filter, and this sidestream smoke causes discomfort to those who smoke indirectly. There have been various attempts to reduce such sidestream smoke, such as adding fillers such as magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, cerium oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium carbonate, and zirconium carbonate to conventional cigarette paper. However, simply applying such fillers to reduce sidestream smoke results in a decrease in flavor, combustion off, and a decrease in ash solidification, making it difficult to solve the above-mentioned problems through an appropriate combination of substances in the filler. In one embodiment of the present invention, the smoking material section wrapper 30a is fitted with a filler mixture of magnesium oxide (MgO and / or Mg(OH)2) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to reduce sidestream smoke while simultaneously preventing a decrease in flavor, ash solidification, and combustion off.

[0045] The filter for the smoking article may be positioned downstream of the smoking substance section 10. The filter section 20 of the filter for the smoking article is positioned downstream of the smoking substance section 10 and acts as a filter that passes aerosol substances generated from the smoking substance section 10 just before the user inhales them. The filter section 20 can be manufactured from various materials or in various forms. The filter section 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention may basically contain lyocell tow, in which phenol-reducing substances are dispersed in a plurality of lyocell fibers. The filter for the smoking article containing the lyocell tow can replace all or part of the filter section 20 of a conventional smoking article, and when replacing only a part, the conventionally used filter material can be used together. Conventional filter materials can be, for example, cellulose acetate filters, hollow tube filters, etc.

[0046] Figure 1 shows that the filter section 20 is a monofilter consisting of a single filter, but it is not limited to this. For example, the filter section 20 may be provided as a dual filter or triple filter, which has two or more filters, in order to increase the filtering efficiency.

[0047] In some embodiments, when the filter section 20 is provided as a dual filter or triple filter, one of the filters may be a filter (hereinafter referred to as the lyocell filter) containing lyocell tow containing the lyocell fibers of the present invention and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow, while the other filters may be cellulose acetate filters and / or paper filters. In this case, the length of the lyocell filter of the present invention may be 25% to 50% of the total length of the filter section 20. Although not shown, the filter section 20 may also further contain a crushable capsule (not shown) with a structure in which an internal liquid containing a fragrance is enclosed in a film.

[0048] The filter wrapper 30b can wrap around the filter 20 and package the filter 20. The filter wrapper 30b can be made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper. A detailed description of the filter wrapper 30b will be given later. Although not limited thereto, the inner surface of the filter wrapper 30b facing the filter 20 may further contain aluminum foil.

[0049] The smoking material portion 10, wrapped by the smoking material portion wrapper 30a, and the filter portion 20, wrapped by the filter portion wrapper 30b, can be joined together by tip paper 40. The tip paper 40 may be wrapped around at least a portion of the smoking material portion wrapper 30a (for example, a portion of the downstream area) and the outside of the filter portion wrapper 30b, as shown in Figure 1. In other words, at least a portion of the smoking material portion 10 and the filter portion 20 may be further wrapped and physically joined by tip paper 40.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the chip paper 40 can be made from non-porous wrapping paper that has not been treated to be oil-resistant, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the chip paper 40 can also prevent the filter portion 20 from burning by containing a non-flammable substance, but is not limited thereto.

[0051] Although not shown in the illustration, the smoking article 100 may further include a hollow tube structure, which is a tubular structure containing a hollow interior. The hollow tube structure may be positioned downstream of the lyocell filter.

[0052] In some embodiments, the hollow tube structure may have perforations, but is not limited thereto. The hollow tube structure may not have perforations. In some embodiments, if perforations are formed in the hollow tube structure, the perforations may be formed at a location 10 mm to 15 mm upstream from the downstream end of the smoking article 100.

[0053] The following describes in detail a filter for smoking items according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] The present invention relates to a filter for a smoking article included in a smoking article 100, and a filter for a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a filter portion 20 comprising: lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow; and a filter portion wrapper 30b that encloses the filter portion 20.

[0055] The lyocell fiber is an environmentally friendly fiber made from cellulose extracted from wood pulp. The lyocell bundle refers to a bundle formed by the cross-linking of adjacent lyocell fibers.

[0056] In some embodiments, lyocell fibers may have a release cross-section. A release cross-section is defined as a cross-section whose shape is not circular and includes a number of protrusions. For example, a cross-section with multiple protrusions extending from the center can be called a release cross-section.

[0057] In some embodiments, the lyocell fiber may have a Y-shaped cross section with three projections branching from the center, a cruciform cross section with four projections, a star-shaped cross section with five or more projections, or an O-shaped cross section, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] In one embodiment, the phenol-reducing substance is a substance that can specifically reduce phenols generated during smoking, and may contain at least one of polyethylene glycol (hereinafter referred to as "PEG"), triethyl citrate (hereinafter referred to as "TEC"), and triacetin (hereinafter referred to as "TA").

[0059] In some embodiments, the phenol-reducing substance may include PEG, may include TEC, or may include both PEG and TEC. However, it is not limited thereto, and any phenol-reducing functional substance further added to at least one of PEG, TEC, or TA is not limited as long as it is a substance that can reduce the amount of phenols generated during smoking.

[0060] In some embodiments, the phenol-reducing substance may be uniformly dispersed in the lyocellus and distributed throughout the entire area of ​​the lyocellus constituting the filter section 20.

[0061] The phenol-reducing substance may be applied to the surface of the lyocell fibers constituting the lyocell tow. Note that at least one of PEG, TEC, and TA, which are exemplary substances of the phenol-reducing substance according to one embodiment, functions as a plasticizer for cellulose acetate fibers, but does not necessarily act as a plasticizer for lyocell fibers. Therefore, when at least one of PEG, TEC, and TA is included as a phenol-reducing substance, the lyocell fibers do not need to be plasticized by the phenol-reducing substance, even though it is applied to the surface of the lyocell fibers.

[0062] The smoking article filter to which the lyocell tow according to the present invention is applied contains at least one phenol-reducing substance among PEG, TEC, or TA dispersed on the lyocell tow, and is therefore superior to the smoking article filter without the addition of a phenol-reducing substance in reducing phenols generated during smoking.

[0063] In some embodiments, the polyethylene glycol (PEG) contained in the phenol reduction substance may have a weight-average molecular weight (MW) of 50 to 10,000, 50 to 2,500, 200 to 2,000, 500 to 700, or 600.

[0064] In some embodiments, when the phenol reduction substance includes TEC and PEG, the ratio of TEC to PEG content may be 9:1 to 7:3, but is not limited thereto.

[0065] In the case of a smoking article filter, if the phenol-reducing substance dispersed in lyocellto contains polyethylene glycol (PEG), the phenol-reducing performance may differ depending on the molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol (PEG). Specifically, when the polyethylene glycol (PEG) dispersed in lyocellto has a weight-average molecular weight within the aforementioned range, the smoking article filter manufactured using the lyocellto exhibits excellent phenol-reducing performance. Preferably, when the polyethylene glycol (PEG) dispersed in lyocellto has a weight-average molecular weight of 600, the smoking article filter manufactured using the lyocellto exhibits the best phenol-reducing performance, but the molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) is not limited thereto.

[0066] The filter wrapper 30b may be positioned to enclose the filter section 20. The filter wrapper 30b can be made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper having a basis weight of a predetermined value or higher and treated to be oil-resistant.

[0067] Furthermore, by being made of hard wrapping paper having a basis weight of a predetermined value or higher, the filter wrapper 30b not only functions as a packaging material that encloses the filter portion 20 containing lyocell, but also functions to impart a certain level of hardness or higher to the smoking article filter according to the present invention.

[0068] Specifically, when the filter portion 20 is composed of lyocell tow in which at least one phenol-reducing substance from PEG, TEC, and TA is dispersed, the lyocell fibers are not plasticized by the phenol-reducing substance, which may reduce the hardness of the lyocell tow. As a result, the filter portion wrapper 30b that encloses the filter portion 20 is made of hard wrapping paper having a basis weight of a predetermined value or higher, which can compensate for the hardness of the filter for smoking articles.

[0069] In some embodiments, the filter wrapper 30b may include wrapping paper having a basis weight of 30gsm to 180gsm, 35gsm to 170gsm, 40gsm to 160gsm, 50gsm to 158gsm, 60gsm to 155gsm, 70gsm to 150gsm, or 75gsm to 150gsm. By making the filter wrapper 30b a wrapping paper with a high basis weight, the filter wrapper 30b complements the hardness of the filter 20 containing lyocell to which the phenol-reducing substance is dispersed, thereby ensuring that the hardness of the smoking filter is above a certain level and solving the problem of hardness reduction in smoking filters.

[0070] In some embodiments, the filter wrapper 30b can be made from oil-resistant wrapping paper that has been treated to be oil-resistant. To impart oil resistance to the filter wrapper 30b, the oil-resistant treatment can be performed by applying an oil-resistant coating substance to wrapping paper having a basis weight of a predetermined value or higher using a size-press method. In exemplary embodiments, the oil-resistant coating substance may include, but is not limited to, a fluoroacrylate copolymer, and is not limited to any substance that can impart oil resistance to hard wrapping paper.

[0071] The filter wrapper 30b may include a first surface (or inner surface) facing the filter 20 and a second surface (or outer surface) facing the first surface (inner surface), or at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the filter wrapper 30b may be treated with an oil-resistant coating.

[0072] In exemplary embodiments, the oil-resistant treatment may be applied only to the inner surface of the filter wrapper 30b, resulting in oil resistance only on the inner surface of the filter wrapper 30b; the oil-resistant treatment may be applied only to the outer surface of the filter wrapper 30b, resulting in oil resistance only on the outer surface of the filter wrapper 30b; or both the inner and outer surfaces of the filter wrapper 30b may be treated with an oil-resistant coating, resulting in oil resistance on both the inner and outer surfaces.

[0073] By manufacturing the filter wrapper 30b from oil-resistant wrapping paper, the transfer rate of phenol-reducing substances from the lyocell to the filter wrapper 30b, where the phenol-reducing substances are dispersed, can be minimized compared to wrapping paper that is not oil-resistant (i.e., has no oil resistance). Specifically, by applying an oil-resistant treatment to the filter wrapper 30b, the filter wrapper 30b becomes oil-resistant, preventing the transfer of phenol-reducing substances dispersed in the lyocell to the filter wrapper 30b. This prevents the phenol-reducing substances on the lyocell tob from being absorbed by the filter wrapper 30b. Therefore, the problems of the filter wrapper 30b becoming wet with phenol-reducing substances, reducing the hardness of the smoking filter, and reducing the amount of phenol-reducing substances remaining on the lyocell tob can be solved.

[0074] In some embodiments, the filter wrapper 30b may have an oil resistance of 8 or higher, 9 or higher, 10 or higher, or 11 or higher based on the 3M KIT method. The oil resistance of the filter wrapper 30b may be a value obtained by measuring the oil resistance of at least one of the outer and inner surfaces of the filter wrapper 30b. In some embodiments, both the outer and inner surfaces of the filter wrapper 30b are treated with an oil-resistant coating, and the oil resistance of the outer and inner surfaces of the filter wrapper 30b may be 8 or higher, 9 or higher, 10 or higher, or 11 or higher, respectively. By making the filter wrapper 30b out of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper having the aforementioned oil resistance, the amount of phenol-reducing substances transferred from lyocell to the filter wrapper 30b can be reduced.

[0075] The oil resistance was measured using the 3M KIT method as follows. Specifically, to analyze the oil resistance of the wrapping paper, an oil resistance measurement solution was prepared using a commonly used method, dropped onto a test piece, and after a certain period of time, the oil resistance was determined by the highest solution number that left no oil residue on the test piece. The solution was prepared by mixing castor oil, toluene, and heptane in the proportions specified for each kit number, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0076] [Table 1]

[0077] Tests were conducted on test specimens starting with reagents of the lowest kit number. One drop of the prepared reagent was placed on the test specimen, and after 15 seconds, the dropped reagent was removed using a damp cotton ball or thin paper, and then checked for oil residue. If no oil residue appeared, the experiment was then conducted by increasing the kit number until oil residue appeared. The final kit number that did not produce oil residue was used to evaluate the oil resistance. Based on the 3M KIT method described above, the oil resistance of the aerosol generating article according to this disclosure was evaluated, and it was confirmed that the filter wrapper 30b according to this embodiment can have an oil resistance of 8 or higher, 9 or higher, 10 or higher, or 11 or higher based on the 3M KIT method.

[0078] In some embodiments, the filter for a smoking article, including the filter portion 20 and the filter portion wrapper 30b surrounding the filter portion according to the present invention, may have a hardness of 93% to 99%, 93.5% to 98.5%, 94% to 98%, 94.3% to 97.8%, or 93.4% to 97%. The hardness of the filter for the smoking article is a numerical value that quantifies the degree to which the diameter of the filter is maintained when the filter is pressed with a certain level of force perpendicular to the length direction of the filter, and the ratio of the diameter of the filter after force is applied to the diameter of the filter before force is applied can be expressed as a percentage.

[0079] Specifically, in the smoking article filter according to the present invention, the filter wrapper 30b surrounding the filter portion 20 is made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper having a basis weight of a predetermined value or higher and being oil-resistant, thereby complementing the hardness of the lyocell tow, and at the same time preventing the phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow from transferring to the filter wrapper 30b, and preventing the filter wrapper 30b from getting wet with the phenol-reducing substance, so that the smoking article filter can have the hardness range described above.

[0080] In one embodiment, the transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the filter wrapper 30b, defined as the percentage of the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter wrapper 30b relative to the total weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the smoking article filter, may be 1% to 13%, 1.2% to 10%, 1.4% to 8%, 1.6% to 7%, 1.8% to 6%, 2% to 5%, or 3% to 4.5%. The total weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the smoking article filter can be calculated as the sum of the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter 20 and the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter wrapper 30b.

[0081] The configuration of the present invention and its effects will be described in more detail below through examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are provided to illustrate the present invention more specifically, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0082] Example 1 Using a filter manufacturing apparatus manufactured by TYM (with the same operating mechanism as the CA tow filter manufacturing apparatus), a phenol-reducing substance containing TEC was added to lyocell tow by spraying at a rate of 50 mg / rod. The lyocell tow with dispersed TEC was then wrapped in oil-resistant hard wrapping paper having a basis weight of 75 gsm and an oil resistance rating of 11 on both the inner and outer surfaces, thereby producing a 126 mm long filter for smoking items. The oil resistance of the oil-resistant hard wrapping paper may be measured using the oil resistance measurement method described above.

[0083] Example 2 A filter for smoking articles was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that PEG600 was used as the phenol-reducing substance dispersed on lyoceltau.

[0084] Comparative Example 1 A filter for smoking articles was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the wrapping paper used to wrap the lyocell toffee was a general hard wrapping paper with a basis weight of 75 gsm that had not been treated to resist oil.

[0085] Comparative Example 2 A filter for smoking articles was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the wrapping paper used to wrap the lyocell was a general hard wrapping paper with a basis weight of 75 gsm that had not been treated to resist oil.

[0086] Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of the amount of phenol reduction substance transferred to the filter wrapper.

[0087] To measure the transfer rate of phenol-reducing substances to the filter wrapper in Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-2 (i.e., the transfer characteristics of phenol-reducing substances to the filter wrapper), smoking filters were randomly selected and their weight was measured. To measure the weight of the filter wrapper (i.e., the filter wrapping paper), the lyocell portion was removed from the selected smoking filters and the weight of the filter wrapper (i.e., the filter wrapping paper) was measured. Next, 50 mL of the extraction solution contained in the internal standard solution was added to each selected filter sample and stirred for 60 minutes. The TEC component was analyzed using GC-FID (DB-WAX column), and the PEG component was analyzed using an HPLD instrument to measure the remaining amount of phenol-reducing substances.

[0088] Next, the percentage of the weight of phenol-reducing substances contained in the filter wrapper relative to the total weight of phenol-reducing substances contained in the smoking product filter was calculated, and the transfer rate to the filter wrapper was calculated by rounding the value to two decimal places. The measured residual amount of phenol-reducing substances and the transfer rate to the filter wrapper are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below.

[0089] [Table 2]

[0090] [Table 3]

[0091] As shown in Tables 2 and 3 above, even though the filter wrapper 30b is made of hard wrapping paper having the same basis weight, it can be confirmed that the amount of phenol-reducing substance transferred from the filter 20 to the filter wrapper 30b (i.e., the amount transferred) is reduced due to the oil resistance of the filter wrapper 30b. Specifically, in Example 1, which contains TEC, the same phenol-reducing substance, the transfer rate of TEC from the filter 20 to the filter wrapper 30b was significantly reduced from 26.5% to 4.3% compared to Comparative Example 1, due to the oil resistance of the filter wrapper 30b. In Example 2, which contains PEG 600, the same phenol-reducing substance, the transfer rate of PEG 600 from the filter 20 to the filter wrapper 30b was significantly reduced from 14.3% to 3.8% compared to Comparative Example 2, due to the oil resistance of the filter wrapper 30b. As a result, it can be expected that the amount of phenol-reducing substance remaining in the filter section 20 made of lyocell will increase in oil-resistant hard wrapping paper compared to general hard wrapping paper, thereby improving the phenol reduction performance of the filter for smoking items.

[0092] Example 3 A filter for smoking articles was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a phenol-reducing substance containing TEC was added to the lyocell to the lyocell tofu by spraying it at a rate of 70 mg / rod instead of 50 mg / rod.

[0093] Comparative Example 3 A filter for smoking items was manufactured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 1, except that a phenol-reducing substance was not sprayed onto the lyocell (i.e., no phenol-reducing substance was added to the filter section 20).

[0094] Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of the phenol reduction performance of a smoking article filter by adding a phenol-reducing substance and oil-resistant treatment of the filter wrapper.

[0095] Smoking articles were manufactured using the filters for smoking articles described in Comparative Examples 1-2 and Examples 1 and 3. Smoking was performed using a HAUNI LX20 manual (Linear type) cigarette smoking machine. The smoke components were collected using a Cambridge filter pad (CFP). 30 mL of 1% acetic acid was added to the collected pad to extract the substances, followed by stirring. The mixture was then filtered through a 0.45 μm PVDF syringe filter and analyzed using a Water Alliance HPLC-FLD analyzer. The results are shown in Table 4 below.

[0096] [Table 4]

[0097] As shown in Table 4 above, it can be confirmed that the amount of phenols transferred was significantly reduced in Comparative Example 1 and Example 1, in which a phenol-reducing substance (specifically TEC) was dispersed in the lyocell tofu, compared to Comparative Example 3, in which no phenol-reducing substance was added to the lyocell tofu. Furthermore, it can be confirmed that the amount of phenols transferred was even further reduced in Example 1, in which the filter wrapper 30b was made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper, compared to Comparative Example 1, in which the filter wrapper 30b was made of general hard wrapping paper. In other words, it can be confirmed that when a phenol-reducing substance (specifically TEC) is added to the filter section 20, the phenol-reducing effect is increased compared to when it is not added, and when the filter section 20 is wrapped with a filter wrapper 30b made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper, the phenol-reducing effect is even better. Furthermore, it can be confirmed that Example 3, in which an even larger amount of phenol-reducing substance (specifically TEC) is added, exhibits an even better phenol-reducing effect compared to Example 1.

[0098] This suggests that when the filter wrapper 30b is made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper compared to when it is made of general hard wrapping paper, the amount of phenol-reducing substances transferred from lyocell to the hard wrapping paper decreases, and the amount of phenol-reducing substances remaining on the lyocell tow becomes optimal, resulting in a superior phenol-reducing effect.

[0099] Example 4 A filter for smoking articles was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the phenol-reducing substance dispersed on lyocell contained TEC and PEG in an 8:2 ratio.

[0100] Comparative Example 4 A filter for smoking articles was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the wrapping paper used to wrap the lyocell toffee was a general hard wrapping paper with a basis weight of 75 gsm that had not been treated to resist oil.

[0101] Experimental Example 3: Evaluation of the hardness of smoking filters by adding phenol-reducing substances and oil-resistant treatment of the filter wrapper.

[0102] Smoking articles were manufactured using the filters for smoking articles described in Comparative Examples 3-4 and Example 4. The hardness of the manufactured smoking article filters was measured, and the results are shown in Table 5 below.

[0103] [Formula 1] Filter hardness (%) = [Da] / D × 100

[0104] Here, D is the filter diameter (mm), and a is the distance (mm) that a 300g weight descends (the filter is pressed). The measurements necessary to calculate the hardness of the tobacco filter can be obtained using equipment commonly used in the art, for example, Filtrona's DHT200TM. The force applied when measuring the hardness takes into account the force actually applied by a smoker when gripping a cigarette. The hardness value of 85% or more obtained through a tobacco filter according to one specific example of the present invention has technical significance in that it is possible to ensure a level of hardness that can replace conventional tobacco filters made of cellulose acetate by using lyocell tofu, an eco-friendly material.

[0105] [Table 5]

[0106] As shown in Table 5 above, it can be confirmed that the hardness of the smoking filter is even higher in Example 4, where the filter wrapper 30b is made of oil-resistant hard wrapping paper, compared to Comparative Example 4, where the filter wrapper 30b is made of general hard wrapping paper. Furthermore, in Example 4, where a phenol-reducing substance is added to the lyocell, it can be confirmed that the hardness is maintained at a similar level to Comparative Example 3, where no phenol-reducing substance is added to the lyocell.

[0107] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, a person with ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains will understand that this disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical idea or essential features. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not limiting. The scope of protection of this disclosure should be understood to be as defined in the claims below, and all technical ideas within an equivalent scope should be understood to be included in the scope of rights of the technical idea as defined by this disclosure.

Claims

1. A filter section comprising lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow; The filter portion is enclosed and includes an oil-resistant filter portion wrapper; The filter wrapper is characterized by having a basis weight of 70 gsm to 150 gsm, and is a filter for smoking articles.

2. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, characterized in that the phenol-reducing substance comprises at least one of triethyl citrate (TEC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and triacetin (TA).

3. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the filter wrapper is treated to be oil-resistant.

4. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 3, characterized in that the inner surface of the filter wrapper is coated with an oil-resistant coating material containing a fluoroacrylate copolymer.

5. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 1, characterized in that the hardness of the filter portion is 93% to 99%.

6. The filter wrapper of the filter portion is characterized by having an oil resistance of 8 or higher based on the 3M KIT method, as described in claim 1 for a filter for smoking articles.

7. The transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the wrapper of the filter section is 1% to 13%. The transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the filter wrapper is defined as the percentage of the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter wrapper relative to the total weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the smoking article filter. The smoking article filter according to claim 1, characterized in that the total weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the smoking article filter is the sum of the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the filter portion and the weight of the phenol-reducing substance contained in the wrapper of the filter portion.

8. The filter for smoking articles according to claim 7, characterized in that the transfer rate of the phenol-reducing substance to the wrapper of the filter portion is 2% to 5%.

9. Smoking substance section; Includes; a filter for smoking articles disposed downstream of the smoking substance section; The aforementioned filter for smoking articles is A filter section comprising: lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers and a phenol-reducing substance dispersed in the lyocell tow; and an oil-resistant filter section wrapper enclosing the filter section; The aforementioned filter wrapper is characterized by having a basis weight of 70 gsm to 150 gsm. Smoking items.

Images