Cigarette Filter Paper Composition for Hardness and Fiber Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing paper filters face challenges with hardness, creping, air permeability, tensile strength, and grammage, leading to issues such as fiber detachment, increased smoke retention, and undesirable taste changes, which conventional cellulose acetate filters do not adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A new filter paper composition comprising 70-100% cellulose fibers, 0.1-5.0% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and specific grammage and density, enhancing structural stability and hardness while maintaining minimal impact on taste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If paper filters are used instead of cellulose acetate filters, then environmental degradation improves and cost decreases, but hardness and resistance to mechanical deformation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining cellulose fibers with a specific binder system (0.1-5.0% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and 0.1-5.0% polyvinyl alcohol) to create a paper filter that maintains the environmental benefits of cellulose while achieving hardness comparable to cellulose acetate filters through optimized fiber composition and binding mechanisms
2Object-generated harmful factors
If paper filters are used, then tar retention capacity increases, but taste quality worsens due to excessive smoke retention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes specific parameters including air permeability (300-1500 CU), grammage (20-40 g/m²), and fiber composition (50-80% long fibers, 20-50% short fibers) to balance tar retention with taste quality, allowing selective passage of smoke components while maintaining acceptable flavor characteristics
3Ease of manufacture
If paper filters are used, then cost decreases, but resistance to smoke flow worsens due to higher pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts physical parameters including porosity (30-70%), air permeability (300-1500 CU), and density (0.8-1.2 g/cm³) to optimize smoke flow characteristics, achieving a pressure drop comparable to cellulose acetate filters while maintaining the cost advantages of paper-based materials
4Reliability
If paper filters are used, then environmental friendliness improves, but structural stability worsens leading to fiber detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite fiber structure using cellulose fibers combined with specific binders (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol) that enhance structural stability and prevent fiber detachment during the suction process, while maintaining the environmental degradability of the cellulose base material
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The new filter paper achieves higher hardness and slightly increased pressure drop, reducing fiber detachment and maintaining comparable taste to cellulose acetate filters, with improved structural integrity and smoke retention.
Implementation Method 1
0.1-5.0% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, which allows preventing the detachment of fibers during paper handling
Implementation Method 2
the porosity of the filter paper is comprised between 1500 and 8500 ml/min·cm2·kPa
Data Source
AI summary
The object of the invention is a filter paper characterized in that it includes between 70% and 100% by weight of cellulose fibers, wherein between 50% and 75% by weight of the fibers are long fibers, understanding by this fibers that have an average length greater than 2 mm, and between 25% and 50% by weight of the fibers are short fibers, understanding by this fibers that have an average length of less than 2 mm; between 0.1% and 5.0% by weight of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose; and wherein the weight of the filter paper per unit area is between 25 and 55 g/m2, measured according to UNE-EN ISO 536:2013 standard; the density thereof varies between 0.100 and 0.500 g/cm3, measured according to UNE-EN ISO 534:2012 standard in a single sheet; and the porosity of the filter paper is between 1500 and 8500 ml/min·cm2·kPa, measured according to UNE-EN ISO 2965:2019 standard. The paper filter including said filter paper is also an object of the invention.