Hydro-entangled Filter Material Biodegradability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter materials for smoking articles are either not biodegradable, have poor optical appearance, or are expensive to produce, limiting their widespread adoption and consumer acceptance.
Innovation Solution
A hydro-entangled nonwoven filter material composed of at least 50% wood pulp fibers and 10-50% fibers from regenerated cellulose, with less than 30% non-natural polymers, which provides a homogeneous optical appearance and is biodegradable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If filter segments are made from paper to improve biodegradability, then biodegradability is improved, but optical appearance deteriorates due to coarse structure
Solution Approach 1:
The filter segment combines paper fibers with cellulose acetate fibers to create a composite material that exhibits properties of both components. The paper matrix provides biodegradability while the cellulose acetate fibers improve optical appearance and structural properties, resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the compositional parameters of the filter material by controlling the ratio of paper fibers to cellulose acetate fibers, adjusting basis weight, and modifying manufacturing parameters to achieve both biodegradability and acceptable optical appearance simultaneously.
2Illumination intensity
If filter segments are made from cellulose acetate to improve optical appearance, then optical appearance is improved, but biodegradability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The filter segment combines paper fibers with cellulose acetate fibers to create a composite material that exhibits properties of both components. The paper matrix provides biodegradability while the cellulose acetate fibers improve optical appearance and structural properties, resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and appearance.
3Reliability
If filter segments are made from nonwovens to improve biodegradability, then biodegradability is improved, but optical appearance deteriorates due to coarse structure
Solution Approach 1:
The filter segment combines paper fibers with cellulose acetate fibers to create a composite material that exhibits properties of both components. The paper matrix provides biodegradability while the cellulose acetate fibers improve optical appearance and structural properties, resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and appearance.
4Ease of manufacture
If filter segments are made from paper to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but optical appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The filter segment combines paper fibers with cellulose acetate fibers to create a composite material that exhibits properties of both components. The paper matrix provides biodegradability while the cellulose acetate fibers improve optical appearance and structural properties, resolving the contradiction between biodegradability and appearance.
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 filter material achieves a good balance of biodegradability, optical appearance comparable to cellulose acetate, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining filtration efficiency and draw resistance suitable for smoking articles.
Implementation Method 1
a filter material for a smoking article, in particular a segment for the filtration of the aerosol flowing in the smoking article
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a filter material for a smoking product, comprising a nonwoven material, wherein the nonwoven material is hydro-entangled, the hydro-entangled nonwoven material contains min. 50% and max. 90% wood cellulose fibres, min. 10% and max. 50% fibres from regenerated cellulose and less than 30% non-natural polymers, in relation to the mass of the hydro-entangled nonwoven material, and together the amount of wood cellulose fibres and fibres from regenerated cellulose make up at least 70% of the mass of the hydro-entangled nonwoven material, and the hydro-entangled nonwoven material has a density of min 100 kg/m3 and max. 300 kg/m3 and a thickness of min. 100 μm and max. 1000 μm. The invention also relates to a segment with the filter material, a smoking product and a production method.