Biodegradable Paper Filter Element with Activated Carbon
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mouthpieces or filter elements for smoking articles, such as cigarettes and heat-not-burn products, face challenges with non-biodegradability and adverse effects on taste and appearance due to the use of cellulose acetate, while alternatives like paper filters have issues with filtration efficiency and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A mouthpiece or filter element comprising a longitudinally extending hollow tube of paper with a filler layer of biodegradable filtering material and a wrapper, designed to provide enhanced biodegradability, filtration properties, and firmness, using materials like non-woven papers and airlaid papers, which are biodegradable and have a uniform cross-section.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cellulose acetate is used for filter elements, then filtration properties and firmness are maintained, but biodegradability is poor and environmental persistence is high
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element uses a composite structure combining paper (cellulose-based) as the base material with activated carbon particles dispersed throughout. This composite approach maintains the firmness and structural integrity of paper while adding the filtration capabilities of activated carbon, creating a material that is both effective and biodegradable.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element incorporates activated carbon particles which create a porous structure within the paper matrix. This porous network provides extensive surface area for adsorbing harmful substances while maintaining the overall structural framework, enabling effective filtration through a biodegradable material.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If paper is used as filtering material, then biodegradability is enhanced, but filter firmness and appearance are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
By combining paper with activated carbon particles, the invention creates a composite material that reinforces the paper structure. The activated carbon particles act as fillers that can enhance the mechanical properties of the paper, improving firmness while maintaining biodegradability.
Solution Approach 2:
The activated carbon particles are distributed throughout the paper matrix, providing localized reinforcement and filtration functionality. This local enhancement of properties allows the paper to maintain its biodegradability while gaining improved firmness and filtration capability where needed.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional paper filters are used, then biodegradability is improved, but retention of toxic phenolic compounds is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The activated carbon particles create a porous structure with high surface area that provides numerous adsorption sites for toxic phenolic compounds. This porous network allows the biodegradable paper filter to effectively capture and retain harmful substances through adsorption mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite of paper and activated carbon combines the biodegradability of cellulose with the adsorption capabilities of activated carbon. This material synergy enables the filter to maintain environmental friendliness while achieving effective retention of toxic phenolic compounds.
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 solution achieves greater than 90% biodegradability, improved filtration performance, and a more appealing appearance, aligning with environmental regulations and consumer preferences, while maintaining a sensory experience comparable to cellulose acetate filtered products.
Implementation Method 1
a filler layer comprising paper filtering material and/or other biodegradable filtering material engaged around the hollow tube
Implementation Method 2
The wrapper, hollow tube of paper and the paper filtering material and/or other biodegradable filtering material used in the present invention are biodegradable and have an enhanced biodegradability compared to cellulose acetate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a mouthpiece or filter element (e.g., for a smoking article such as a cigarette, a tobacco heating product, a HNB product) comprising a longitudinally extending (e.g., substantially cylindrical) hollow tube of paper; a filler layer comprising paper filtering material and/or other biodegradable filtering material engaged around the hollow tube along the full (e.g., longitudinal) length of the hollow tube; and a wrapper (e.g., plugwrap) engaged around the filler layer along the full (e.g., longitudinal) length of the filler layer, wherein the hollow tube, the filler layer and the wrapper are the same length.