Nonwoven substrate comprising pectin

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nonwoven substrate comprising natural fibers and a binder. In particular, this nonwoven substrate can be used as filter media in a filter for a smoking or vaping article.

Description

DescriptionTitle: Nonwoven substrate comprising pectinTechnical field

[0001] A subject of the invention is a filter comprising, as filter media, a nonwoven substrate comprising natural fibers and pectin as binder. In particular, this filter can be used as filter for a smoking or vaping article.Prior art

[0002] A smoking or a vaping article commonly comprises a filter having a right circular cylindrical shape. A common filter comprises at least two parts: one filter media and one plug wrap paper. The plug wrap paper is the outer envelope of the filter, and the filter media is located within this outer envelope. The filter makes it possible to prevent the user from inhaling tobacco particles and allows retention of the harmful particulate substances contained in the smoke or the aerosol produced by the smoking or vaping article, such as tar.

[0003] Filter media of a smoking or vaping article is generally made from cellulose acetate tow. Cellulose acetate filters are known to be a good compromise between production price and customer’s experience. In particular, filters comprising filter media made with cellulose acetate tow exhibit good hardness, good nicotine retention and satisfactory taste.

[0004] The huge environmental impact caused by waste of tobacco products with filters containing cellulose acetate, directly discarded into the environment, needs to be reduced. Directive (EU) 2019 / 904 of the European parliament and of the council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment has been voted to tackle plastic pollution and marine litter to accelerate the transition to a circular and resource-efficient plastics economy. Specific rules and targets apply to certain areas, including cellulose acetate filters of smoking article.

[0005] For this reason, many studies have been carried out to find filter media alternatives that comply with the aforementioned European directive as for examplefilter media made of paper substrate or nonwoven substrate. As paper substrates and nonwoven substrates can be made with natural fibers, the filters comprising these substrates have lower environmental impact.

[0006] It has been described, in PCT / EP2021 / 074948 and PCT / EP2023 / 086807, filters comprising a nonwoven substrate as filter media, said nonwoven substrate comprising a natural binder such as starch. Those filters exhibit advantages as they degrade very rapidly in the environment in comparison to cellulose acetate filters. The properties of the filters comprising nonwoven substrate described in PCT / EP2021 / 074948 and PCT / EP2023 / 086807 are satisfactory but can still be improved.Technical problem

[0007] There is therefore a need for a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate as filter media that exhibits improved properties.

[0008] It is thus to the credit of the inventors to have found that it was possible to meet this need by means of a nonwoven substrate comprising natural fibers and a binder comprising pectin.Summary

[0009] It is proposed a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate as filter media, wherein said nonwoven substrate comprises natural fibers and a binder, characterized in that the binder comprises pectin, in particular is pectin.

[0010] Advantageously, the filter of the present invention exhibits improved properties, such as improved nicotine retention, in comparison to a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate, the binder of which does not comprise pectin, in particular binder not being pectin.

[0011] Unexpectedly, those improved properties, such as improved nicotine retention, result from the pectin.

[0012] The filter of the present invention also degrades very rapidly in the environment.

[0013] The filter of the present invention has advantageous properties fulfilling the needs of the user of smoking or vaping article, such as filter hardness, no harsh taste of the smoke / aerosol, low or no formaldehyde content in smoke. These results are unexpected.

[0014] According to another aspect, a smoking or a vaping article comprising the filter of the present invention is proposed.

[0015] According to another aspect, a nonwoven substrate of the invention is proposed, said nonwoven substrate comprises natural fibers and a binder, and is characterized in that the binder comprises pectin, in particular is pectin.

[0016] According to another aspect, a process is proposed for producing the filter, in particular a filter for a smoking or vaping article, of the present invention as defined above, said process comprising the following steps: a) forming a rod of nonwoven substrate from a nonwoven substrate, b) wrapping the rod of nonwoven substrate with a sheet of plug wrap paper, c) depositing an adhesive line, joining the sheet of plug wrap paper to obtain a rod of filtering material, d) cutting the rod of filtering material to produce the filter.

[0017] According to another aspect, a process is proposed for producing the nonwoven substrate of the invention comprising the following steps: i) producing a web from natural fibers by an airlaid process or a drylaid process, in particular an airlaid process, ii) introducing the binder into the web, and iii) drying the web resulting from step ii) to obtain the nonwoven substrate.Detailed description of the invention

[0018] It is proposed a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate as filter media, wherein said nonwoven substrate comprises natural fibers and a binder, characterized in that the binder comprises pectin, in particular is pectin.

[0019] For the purposes of the present application, “filter” denotes a component that is designed to reduce the amounts of particles and harmful substances, such as tar, that are inhaled by the user of smoking or vaping article. The filter is thus intendedto trap and retain particulate matter while allowing the smoke or the aerosol produced by the smoking or vaping article to pass through for inhalation. Typically, the filter has a right circular cylindrical shape and comprises an outer envelope of plug wrap paper and a nonwoven substrate, as filter media, located within this outer envelope.

[0020] For the purposes of the present application, "nonwoven substrate" (also referred to as "non-woven substrate") denotes a manufactured sheet consisting of a web or ply of directionally or randomly oriented fibers bonded together by friction and / or cohesion and / or adhesion.

[0021] For the purposes of the present application, "binder" denotes a compound having properties enabling consolidation of the nonwoven substrate.

[0022] According to the present invention, the binder comprises pectin, in particular is pectin

[0023] For the purposes of the present application, "pectin" is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is found in the cell walls of plants, particularly in fruits and vegetables. It is a complex carbohydrate composed of a chain of sugar molecules, primarily galacturonic acid.

[0024] For example, the pectin may be originated from apple, citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits, berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, plums, quinces, carrots, beets, cabbages, brussels sprouts, peas or mixtures thereof, in particular apple, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or mixtures thereof, more particularly apple.

[0025] Typically, the pectin may have a degree of methoxylation of from 20% to 33%, more particularly of from 20% to 25%, or of from 29% to 33%, depending on the desired properties. The degree of methoxylation is understood as the molar percentage of galacturonic acid units esterified with methyl groups, relative to the total number of galacturonic acid units. Examples of pectin that may be used in the nonwoven substrate of the invention include JRS Aglupectin LA-S20 and JRS Aglupectin LC-S12X.

[0026] According to the present invention, the binder may further comprise a water- soluble binder, a latex, or mixtures thereof, in particular a water-soluble binder.

[0027] For example, the water-soluble binder can be chosen from a polysaccharide, a cellulose derivative, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and mixtures thereof, in particular from a polysaccharide, a cellulose derivative and mixtures thereof, more particularly a polysaccharide.

[0028] The polysaccharide which can be used as water-soluble binder can be a polysaccharide or a polysaccharide derivative. For example, starch, carrageenan, chitosan, pullulan, guar gum, xanthan gum, dextrin, gum arabic, and mixtures thereof are polysaccharide that can be used as water-soluble binder, more particularly starch.

[0029] For example, the cellulose derivative can be chosen from ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, an alkali metal salt of carboxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof, in particular carboxymethyl cellulose. A carboxymethyl cellulose with a degree of substitution of greater than 0.4 is particularly advantageous. Typically, the degree of substitution will be between 0.6-0.9.

[0030] As alkali metal of the carboxymethyl cellulose salt, mention may be made of potassium, sodium, and magnesium.

[0031] Polyvinyl alcohol may also be used as binder, in particular polyvinyl alcohol with a degree of hydrolysis of less than 99%, less than 95%, or less than 90%.

[0032] According to a particular embodiment, the binder comprises pectin and starch.

[0033] For the purposes of the present application, the term "natural fiber" denotes a fiber of natural origin.

[0034] For example, the natural fibers can be chosen from wood fibers, leaf fibers, fruit fibers, seed fibers, bast fibers, stalk fibers, reed fibers, and mixtures thereof, in particular from wood fibers, leaf fibers, seed fibers, bast fibers, and mixtures thereof, more particularly from wood fibers, bast fibers and mixtures thereof.

[0035] Examples of wood fibers which may be present in the nonwoven substrate of the invention can be hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, bleached hardwood pulp, bleached softwood pulp, bleached softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers (cellulose fibers which are ground and dissolved in N-methylmorpholine N-oxide monohydrate for the purpose of obtaining fibers with a cross section of variable shape (round, oval, cross-shaped, circular, lamellar cross section) with calibrated length and mass per unit length, which the person skilled in the art can choose depending on their needs), viscose fibers (fibers obtained by dissolving cellulose by means of modification of its hydroxyl groups by carbon disulfide (CS2) and then its precipitation in the presence of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) for the purpose of obtaining fibers with a cross section of variable shape (round, oval, cross-shaped, circular, lamellar cross section) with calibrated length and mass per unit length, which the person skilled in the art can choose depending on their needs), and mixtures thereof, in particular hardwood pulp, softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers, viscose fibers, and mixtures thereof, more particularly softwood pulp, softwood fluff pulp, lyocell fibers, and mixtures thereof.

[0036] For the purposes of the present application, "bast fiber" denotes a plant fiber contained in the bast of the plants.

[0037] As bast fiber, mention may be made of hemp fiber, Indian hemp fiber, jute fiber, kenaf fiber, kudzu fiber, coin vine fiber, flax fiber, okra fiber, nettle fiber, papyrus fiber, ramie fiber, sisal fiber, esparto fiber, and mixtures thereof, in particular hemp fiber, flax fiber, and mixtures thereof, more particularly flax fiber.

[0038] Typically, the bast fibers may have undergone prior treatment. Thus, the bast fibers may be cottonized bast fibers, individualized bast fibers, bast fibers which have undergone retting, bleached bast fibers, and mixtures thereof, in particular cottonized bast fibers, individualized bast fibers and mixtures thereof.

[0039] For the purposes of the present application, "seed fiber" denotes a fiber obtained from seeds of a plant. Examples of seed fibers can be cotton fiber, kapok fiber, luffa fiber, milkweed fiber, and mixtures thereof, in particular kapok fiber.

[0040] The natural fibers may have a length of from 1 mm to 10 mm, in particular from 1 .5 mm to 8 mm, very particularly from 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0041] An airlaid process is particularly suitable for these sizes of natural fibers. Thus, the nonwoven substrate of the invention can be obtained by an airlaid process.

[0042] The natural fibers may have a length of from 10 mm to 150 mm, in particular from 15 mm to 100 mm, very particularly from 20 mm to 60 mm.

[0043] A dry laid process is particularly suitable for these sizes of natural fibers. Thus, the nonwoven substrate of the invention can be obtained by a dry laid process.

[0044] The length of the natural fibers can be measured by microscopic measurement using a projection microscope by means of the necessary magnification.

[0045] The natural fibers may also be cut so as to have a length within the ranges mentioned above. Conventional cutting techniques which can be used are guillotine cutting of natural fibers, grinding of the natural fibers with or without a system for removing excessively short and excessively long fibers of air cyclone or screen type.

[0046] The binder may represent from 5% to 30% by weight of solid of the nonwoven substrate of the present invention, in particular from 8% to 25%, more particularly from 10% to 20%. Independently from the content of the binder or additionally to the content of the binder, the natural fibers may represent from 70% to 95% by weight of solid of the nonwoven substrate of the present invention, in particular from 75% to 92%, more particularly from 80% to 90%.

[0047] The mass ratio of binder: natural fibers in the nonwoven substrate of the present invention may be from 1 :2 to 1 :19, in particular from 1 :3 to 1 :12, more particularly from 1 :4 to 1 : 10.

[0048] A content of binder and natural fibers in the above ranges, a ratio in the above ranges, or their combination allows for the production of a nonwoven substrate that effectively addresses environmental concerns without compromising the performance of the filters comprising said nonwoven substrate.

[0049] The pectin may represent from 10% to 100% by weight of solid of the binder, in particular from 15% to 70%, more particularly from 20% to 60%.

[0050] Typically, when the binder comprises water-soluble binder and pectin, the mass ratio of water-soluble binder: pectin may be of from 10:1 to 0:1 , in particular or from 7:1 to 0.85:1 , more particularly of from 4:1 to 0.75:1 , the ratio being expressed as the mass of the water-soluble binder relative to the mass of the pectin.

[0051] According to a particular embodiment, the binder comprises pectin with a degree of methoxylation of from 29% to 33% and starch, and the mass ratio starch: pectin is of from 3:1 to 1 :1.

[0052] According to a particular embodiment, the binder comprises pectin with a degree of methoxylation of from 20% to 25% and starch, and the mass ratio starch: pectin is of from 3:1 to 1 :1.

[0053] For instance, the basis weight of the nonwoven substrate may be of from 20 g.rrr2to 80 g.rrr2, in particular of from 30 g.rrr2to 70 g.rrr2, more particularly of from 40 g.rrr2to 60 g.rrr2

[0054] The standard ISO 536:2012 can be used to determine the basis weight of the nonwoven substrate. The nonwoven substrate can be conditioned for at least 30 min at 23°C and 50% humidity before the measurement.

[0055] The thickness of the nonwoven substrate may be of from 500 pm to 1500 pm, in particular of from 750 pm to 1250 pm, more particularly of from 900 pm to 1100 pm.

[0056] To measure the thickness of the nonwoven substrate, it is possible to use a dead-weight micrometer comprising a 25 cm2measuring head with two planar, parallel and circular pressure surfaces. During the measurement, the nonwoven substrate is placed between the two pressure surfaces for 10 seconds. The pressure exerted between the pressure surfaces during the measurement of the thickness is 0.5 kPa. The substrate is conditioned for at least 1 hour at 23°C and 50% humidity before the measurement. For each sample, ten measurements were made with a Micrometer for paper, such as Noviprofibre (N1107P), and the thickness indicated above is the average value.

[0057] The air permeability of the nonwoven substrate may be of from 2500 l / m2 / sec to 3800 l / m2 / sec, in particular of from 3000 l / m2 / sec to 3800 l / m2 / sec, moreparticularly of from 3200 l / m2 / sec to 3500 l / m2 / sec, even more particularly of from 3300 l / m2 / sec to 3350 l / m2 / sec.

[0058] Air permeability in these ranges is adapted to the use of the nonwoven substrate into filter, in particular into a filter for a smoking or vaping article.

[0059] The air permeability may be determined using an Air permeability tester such as “FX3300 Lab Air IV”. During the measurements, the tested web is placed under the measurement head, and we measured the air flow passing through the web at pressure drop of 200 Pa over the area of 20 cm2. The permeability is measured in [l / m2 / sec]. For each sample, ten measurements were made, and the air permeability indicated above is the average value.

[0060] The nonwoven substrate of the filter of the invention can be shaped; in particular, it can be crimped, embossed, folded, compressed or combinations thereof. This shaping can make it possible to modify the properties of the nonwoven substrate and therefore the properties of the filter of the invention. For example, through crimping, it is possible, without changing the weight of the filter, to modify the density of the nonwoven substrate so as to modify the pressure drop of the filter of the invention, thereby modifying also the pressure drop of a smoking article or vaping article comprising the filter.

[0061] The filter of the present invention may be a filter for a smoking or vaping article.

[0062] For the purposes of the present application, "smoking article" denotes an article comprising tobacco and / or any other plant intended to be smoked. For example, the smoking article may be a machine-manufactured cigarette, a roll-your- own cigarette or a make-your-own cigarette.

[0063] Typically, the filter for a smoking article has a right circular cylindrical shape and comprises an outer envelope of plug wrap paper for a smoking article, in particular for a cigarette, and the nonwoven substrate of the filter of the invention as defined above located within the outer envelope.

[0064] For the purposes of the present application, "vaping article" denotes an article comprising tobacco and / or any other plant intended to be vaped, which isintended to be inserted into a device which heats the tobacco and / or the plant without burning said tobacco / plant and which enables delivery of an aerosol to a user. For example, the vaping article can be a tobacco stick.

[0065] Typically, the filter for a vaping article has a right circular cylindrical shape and comprises an outer envelope of plug wrap paper for a vaping article, in particular for a tobacco stick, and the nonwoven substrate of the filter of the invention as defined above located within the outer envelope.

[0066] According to another aspect, the present invention also relates to a smoking article comprising a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate as defined above.

[0067] According to another aspect, the present invention also relates to a vaping article comprising a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate as defined above.

[0068] According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a nonwoven substrate.

[0069] This nonwoven substrate is as defined above in relation with the filter of the present invention.

[0070] The present invention also relates to a process for producing the filter, in particular a filter for a smoking or vaping article, of the present invention as defined above, said process comprising the following steps: a) forming a rod of nonwoven substrate from a nonwoven substrate, b) wrapping the rod of nonwoven substrate with a sheet of plug wrap paper, c) depositing an adhesive line, joining the sheet of plug wrap paper to obtain a rod of filtering material, d) cutting the rod of filtering material to produce the filter.

[0071] The nonwoven substrate is as described above in relation to the filter of the present invention.

[0072] This process is advantageously easy to implement since all the steps a) to d) are well-known by the skilled person. Accordingly, the skilled person skilled will easily know how to adapt the parameters of said steps to produce the filter.

[0073] The nonwoven substrate used in step a) may be shaped. Therefore, the process may comprise, before step a), a step of shaping the nonwoven substrate by crimping, embossing, folding, compression, or combinations thereof, in particular by crimping.

[0074] The present invention also relates to a process for producing the nonwoven substrate of the present invention as defined above comprising the following steps: i) producing a web from natural fibers by an airlaid process or a drylaid process, in particular an airlaid process, ii) introducing the binder into the web, and iii) drying the web resulting from step ii) to obtain the nonwoven substrate.

[0075] The nonwoven substrate, the natural fibers and the binder of the process for producing the filter are as described above in relation to the filter of the present invention.

[0076] The airlaid process and the drylaid process are two different conventional routes known to the person skilled in the art to produce a web. The person skilled in the art will know how to adapt the parameters of the airlaid process and the drylaid process to produce the nonwoven substrate by step i).

[0077] During step ii), an aqueous dispersion of the binder is introduced into the web. This introduction may for example be carried out by impregnation, such as impregnation with a size press, by spraying, such as spraying using a spray, by surface application, such as surface application by coating or by printing, in particular by spraying using a spray. Advantageously, the spraying will be performed on both faces of the web.

[0078] The aqueous dispersion of the binder can be obtained by any technique known to the person skilled in the art. The person skilled in the art will know how to adapt the concentration of binder in the aqueous dispersion to obtain the desired content of binder in the nonwoven substrate of the invention.

[0079] Drying step iii) can, for example, be carried out by a drying device, such as a tunnel through which air passes or an infrared ramp.

[0080] This drying step iii) can be carried out at a temperature of from 75°C to 220°C, in particular from 90°C to 220°C, more particularly from 180°C to 210°C. A temperature within these ranges advantageously makes it possible to minimize the duration of this drying step iii) while at the same time minimizing the deterioration of the natural fibers of the nonwoven substrate, thus optimizing the process of the invention.

[0081] Advantageously, the combination of the introduction step ii) and of the drying step iii) makes it possible to improve the cohesion of the natural fibers and hence to consolidate the structure of the nonwoven substrate of the filter of the invention.

[0082] The natural fibers used in production step i) can be a mixture of natural fibers. This mixture of natural fibers can be obtained before production step i).

[0083] The process can further comprise, before production step i), a step i1 ) of cutting the natural fibers to obtain natural fibers having a length within the ranges mentioned above.

[0084] Cutting step i1 ) can be carried out by conventional techniques such as guillotine cutting, grinding of the natural fibers with or without a system for removing excessively short and excessively long fibers of air cyclone or screen type.

[0085] The process can further comprise, between production step i) and introduction step ii), a step ii1 ) of compacting the web to obtain a compacted web, this compacted web then undergoing introduction step ii).

[0086] This compacting step ii1 ) can make it possible to reduce the thickness of the web in order to control the density of the nonwoven substrate.

[0087] Optionally, the nonwoven substrate obtained at step iii) may be shaped, in particular by crimping, embossing, folding, compression, or combinations thereof, more particularly by crimping.

[0088] Optionally, the nonwoven substrate obtained at step iii) may be calendered.

[0089] The nonwoven substrate obtained at step iii) may be involved in step a) of the process for producing the filter of the present invention.

[0090] After step iii), the nonwoven substrate may be packed as bobbin, as roll by a spooling process, or as festooned bale.

[0091] Advantageously, such packages are adapted to the easy transport of the packed nonwoven substrate to the location wherein the process for producing the filter is performed of the present invention.Examples

[0092] Example 1 : Manufacture of the nonwoven substrates

[0093] Three nonwoven substrates were manufactured by the following process:Natural fibers were defibrated into individual fibers and deposited on a forming fabric aerodynamically to obtain a web by an airlaid process. A solution comprising a binder was sprayed on both sides of the web. The sprayed web was then dried by hot air oven at a temperature of 180°C to manufacture the nonwoven substrate.

[0094] For each of the three nonwoven substrates, the type and amount of natural fibers and binder are presented in Table 1 below.

[0095] Table 1

[0096] Example 2: Characterization of the nonwoven substrates

[0097] The properties of the four nonwoven substrates manufactured in Example 1 are determined and indicated in Table 2 below.

[0098] The values indicated in Table 2 are an average of 10 values determined independently.

[0099] The basis weight, the thickness and the air permeability are determined using the methods described above.

[0100] The elongation MD measurements were performed on the substrates according to ISO 1924-2:2008 method, adapted to be performed with 30 mm width specimens at 10 mm / min elongation gradient (speed of jaw separation). The results of elongation MD measurements are presented in Table 2 below.

[0101] By comparing the properties of nonwoven substrate 1 , 2 and 3 (according to the invention) to the properties of the nonwoven substrate 4 (not according to the invention), it is demonstrated that using a mixture of water-soluble binder and pectin enables reducing the air permeability of the nonwoven substrate 4 comprising only starch as a binder.

[0102] The air permeability and elongation of the nonwoven substrates 1 , 2 and 3 are suitable for a use in a filter, in particular a filter for a smoking or a vaping article.

[0103] Example 3: Manufacture and characterization of filters for a smoking article

[0104] Filters for a smoking article were manufactured with the nonwoven substrates 1 , 2, 3 and 4 by a standard method for manufacturing filters, providing a pressure drop of about 230 mm water gauge for 120 mm filter rods, without passage through a crimping machine. A nonporous plug wrap paper was used to wrap the rods of nonwoven filtering material.

[0105] Example 4: Manufacture and characterization of cigarettes

[0106] Cigarettes were prepared using the filters described in Example 3. To form the cigarettes, the rods of tobacco were assembled with the filters using tipping paper. A commercial 'American blend" tobacco was used to form the rods oftobacco. The cigarettes were prepared with a pressure difference similar to that of the commercial cigarette. The ventilation of the cigarettes was blocked.

[0107] The cigarettes prepared were smoked on a Borgwaldt RM20 smoking machine in accordance with the standard ISO 3308:2000. The pressure drop (PD) was measured in accordance with the standard ISO 6565:2002. The PD values measured were within the standard range and showed no significant differences between the tested cigarettes. The nicotine content in the smoke was measured in accordance with the standard ISO 10315:2000. The smoking results are given in Table 3 below.

[0108] The data in Table 3 demonstrate that cigarettes comprising filters comprising nonwoven substrates 1 , 2 and 3 according to the invention exhibit a lower retention of nicotine, namely -11.8 %, -14.2 % and -3.3 % respectively, relative to the reference cigarettes comprising a filter comprising nonwoven substrate 4 (not according to the invention), which are used as the reference and are normalized to 0.0 % on this relative scale. In the context of the present invention, negative values indicate a reduction of nicotine retention as compared to the reference cigarettes comprising a filter comprising nonwoven substrate 4 (not according to the invention).

[0109] By comparing the properties of cigarettes comprising filters with nonwoven substrates 1 , 2, and 3 (according to the invention) to those comprising nonwoven substrate 4 (not according to the invention), Table 3 demonstrates that the filters according to the invention exhibit improved nicotine retention. Therefore, it is demonstrated that filters comprising a nonwoven substrate comprising both pectin and starch (1 , 2, and 3) achieve improved nicotine retention compared to filters comprising a nonwoven substrate comprising only starch (nonwoven substrate 4, not according to the invention). Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that this unexpected improvement is related to the presence of pectin in the nonwoven substrate comprised in the filter according to the invention.

[0110] This Example 4 thus demonstrates that cigarettes comprising a filter comprising a nonwoven substrate comprising both pectin and starch achieve a superior user experience compared to cigarettes comprising a filter with a nonwovensubstrate comprising only starch. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that this unexpected improvement is related to the presence of pectin in the nonwoven substrate comprised in the filter according to the invention.

[0111] Table 2

[0112] Table3

Claims

Claims

1. A filter comprising a nonwoven substrate as filter media, wherein said nonwoven substrate comprises natural fibers and a binder, characterized in that the binder comprises pectin, in particular is pectin.

2. The filter according to claim 1 , wherein the binder is pectin.

3. The filter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pectin is originated from apple, citrus fruits, berries, plums, quinces, carrots, beets, cabbages, brussels sprouts, peas or mixtures thereof.

4. The filter according any one of claim 1 to 3, wherein the natural fibers are wood fibers, leaf fibers, fruit fibers, seed fibers, bast fibers, stalk fibers, reed fibers, or mixtures thereof.

5. Filter according to any one of claim 1 to 4 for a smoking or vaping article.

6. Smoking article comprising a filter as defined in Claim 5.

7. Vaping article comprising a filter as defined in Claim 5.

8. A nonwoven substrate comprising natural fibers and a binder, said nonwoven substrate being characterized in that the binder comprises pectin, in particular is pectin.

9. A nonwoven substrate as defined in claim 8, wherein the binder is pectin.

10. Process for producing a filter as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5 comprising the following steps: a) forming a rod of nonwoven substrate from a nonwoven substrate, b) wrapping the rod of nonwoven substrate with a sheet of plug wrap paper, c) depositing an adhesive line, joining the sheet of plug wrap paper to obtain a rod of filtering material, d) cutting the rod of filtering material to produce the filter.

11. Process for producing a nonwoven substrate as defined in claim 8 or 9 comprising the following steps: i) producing a web from natural fibers by an airlaid process or a drylaid process, in particular an airlaid process,ii) introducing the binder into the web, and iii) drying the web resulting from step ii) to obtain the nonwoven substrate.

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