A Cigarette filter is a component of the cigarette, together with cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could possibly be created from cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either being a cavity filter or embedded to the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos have been found in cigarette filters The acetate and paper customize the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters is effective in reducing “tar” and nicotine smoke yields around 50%, using a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), but are ineffective in filtering toxins for example carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes are equipped with a filter; people who roll their own can get them coming from a tobacconist.

Cellulose acetate is manufactured by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. With the three cellulose hydroxy groups available for esterification, between two and three are esterified by governing the amount of acid (degree of substitution (DS) 2.35-2.55). The ester is spun into fibers and formed into bundles called filter tow. Flavors (menthol), sweeteners, softeners (triacetin), flame retardants (sodium tungstate), breakable capsules releasing flavors on demand, and additives colouring the cigarettes could possibly be put into cigarette filters. The 5 largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in the usa, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in britain.

Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives are used for gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used for filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives can be used for bonding the filters for the cigarettes.

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It really is resistant to weak acids and is also largely stable to mineral and fatty oils along with petroleum. It can be biodegradable and also the raw material is a renewable natural polymer anticipated to find application for other uses down the road. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% of the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or perhaps a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine should be admitted to a hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, ones lots of people are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting from the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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