Hydroentangled Cellulose Filter for Smoking Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current filter materials for smoking articles, such as those made from cellulose acetate or paper, face issues with biodegradability, filtration efficiency, and optical appearance, leading to consumer dissatisfaction and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A hydroentangled nonwoven filter material with a high proportion of cellulose fibers, providing enhanced plastic deformability in the cross direction, which allows for efficient processing and production of segments with improved biodegradability and filtration efficiency, while maintaining an appealing optical appearance similar to cellulose acetate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If filter segments are made from paper to improve biodegradability, then environmental friendliness is improved, but the optical appearance becomes coarse and lower quality
Solution Approach 1:
The filter material uses a composite structure combining cellulose fibers (50-90% by weight) with synthetic fibers (10-50% by weight), specifically polyvinyl alcohol, polylactide, or polyglycolic acid. This composite approach allows the material to biodegrade like natural paper while maintaining the smooth optical appearance and structural integrity of synthetic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the filter material by controlling fiber composition ratios, basis weight (15-60 g/m²), and hydroentangling process parameters. These parameter adjustments enable the material to achieve both biodegradability and acceptable optical appearance simultaneously.
2Illumination intensity
If filter segments are made from cellulose acetate to maintain optical appearance, then visual quality is improved, but biodegradability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The filter material uses a composite structure combining cellulose fibers (50-90% by weight) with synthetic fibers (10-50% by weight), specifically polyvinyl alcohol, polylactide, or polyglycolic acid. This composite approach allows the material to biodegrade like natural paper while maintaining the smooth optical appearance and structural integrity of synthetic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the filter material by controlling fiber composition ratios, basis weight (15-60 g/m²), and hydroentangling process parameters. These parameter adjustments enable the material to achieve both biodegradability and acceptable optical appearance simultaneously.
3Productivity
If filter material is made thinner to improve processing efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the optical appearance and filtration quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the basis weight parameter to a specific range of 15-60 g/m², which is thin enough for efficient processing and high productivity but thick enough to maintain acceptable optical appearance and filtration performance. The hydroentangling process further enhances this by creating a dense felt structure that provides sufficient quality at reduced material thickness.
4Ease of manufacture
If filter material has high plastic deformability for efficient processing, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The filter material is manufactured using a hydroentangling process where high-pressure water jets (pneumatic/hydraulic action) entangle and bond the fibers together. This creates a dense felt structure with sufficient structural integrity while maintaining the plastic deformability needed for efficient processing into smoking article segments.
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 hydroentangled nonwoven filter material enables the production of smoking article segments with increased biodegradability, improved filtration efficiency, and a visually appealing structure, addressing the limitations of existing materials and enhancing manufacturing productivity.
Implementation Method 1
the filter material is a web-shaped hydroentangled nonwoven
Data Source
AI summary
Shown is a hydroentangled nonwoven for manufacturing a segment for a smoking article, wherein the hydroentangled nonwoven is web-shaped and contains at least 50% and at most 100% cellulose fibers, each with respect to the mass of the hydroentangled nonwoven, wherein the hydroentangled nonwoven has a basis weight of at least 15 g/m2 and at most 60 g/m2, wherein the hydroentangled nonwoven has a machine direction and a cross direction orthogonal thereto and lying in the plane of the web of the hydroentangled nonwoven, and wherein the hydroentangled nonwoven has a characteristic plastic deformability in the cross direction which is characterized in that in a tensile test in the cross direction in accordance with ISO 1924-2:2008, the nonlinear portion of the deformation energy absorbed by the hydroentangled nonwoven up to half the elongation at break is at least 10% and at most 50% of the total deformation energy absorbed by the hydroentangled nonwoven up to half the elongation at break.