US20250064110A1

US20250064110A1 - Tobacco filter and smoking article including same

Info

Publication number: US20250064110A1
Application number: US18/810,674
Authority: US
Inventors: Sung Min MOON; Hyeon Tae KIM; Chang Jin Park
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2023-08-22
Filing date: 2024-08-21
Publication date: 2025-02-27
Also published as: WO2025042050A1; KR20250028779A

Abstract

Disclosed is a tobacco cigarette filter to reduce hazardous smoke components. The tobacco filter includes a paper sheet, wherein the paper sheet includes a pulp fiber and a chitosan fiber, and the pulp fiber includes at least one of a single fiber having an average coarseness of 13 mg/100 m or higher and a mixed fiber.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0109858, filed on Aug. 22, 2023 the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a tobacco filter. More specifically, a tobacco filter, a smoking article including the same, and an aerosol-generating device.

Description of the Related Art

Tobacco filters are divided mainly into a cellulose acetate filter, a paper filter, and a charcoal filter. A commonly manufactured cellulose acetate filter may include cellulose acetate tow.
Despite being mainly used to reduce specific smoke components that a consumer inhales during a smoking process, cellulose acetate filters are poorly biodegradable, which has been problematic. In addition, there has been another problem in that specific smoke components are insufficiently reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve such problems, attempts to manufacture a filter by mixing a chitosan powder or chitosan fiber with a cellulose-based fiber or by making a synthetic polymer fiber into a non-woven fabric form were made. In such method, the biodegradability was poor due to the nature of synthetic polymer fibers, which was problematic. In addition, the non-woven fabric containing the synthetic polymer fiber had a problem of significantly reducing the reaction area of the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber as adhesive components were necessary during the manufacturing process.
The present disclosure, which has been made to solve the problems described above, aims to provide a tobacco filter capable of reducing hazardous smoke components by improving biodegradability while uniformly mixing a chitosan fiber with a pulp fiber in a paper sheet to keep the reaction area of an amine functional group high.
In addition, the present disclosure aims to provide a method of manufacturing a tobacco filter to increase the reaction area of an amine functional group without requiring an additional process and involving an adhesive during a paper sheet manufacturing process.
In addition, the present disclosure aims to provide a smoking article including the tobacco filter.
In addition, the present disclosure aims to provide an aerosol-generating device including the smoking article.
Objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to the objectives mentioned above. Other objectives and advantages of the present disclosure not mentioned will be clearly understood from the description and embodiments of the present disclosure below. In addition, it will be readily apparent that the objectives and advantages of the present disclosure will be realized by means of the appended claims and combinations thereof.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a tobacco filter including a paper sheet, wherein the paper sheet includes a pulp fiber and a chitosan fiber, and the pulp fiber includes at least one of a single fiber having an average coarseness of 13 mg/100 m or higher and a mixed fiber.
According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the single fiber may be included in an amount in the range of 50 to 99 wt % based on the total weight of the paper sheet.
According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first or second aspect, the mixed fiber may include a sub-pulp fiber and a regenerated fiber.
According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to third aspects, the single fiber may be included in an amount in the range of 10 to 40 wt % based on the total weight of the paper sheet.
According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the paper sheet may have a basis weight in the range of 20 to 60 gsm.
According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the paper sheet may have a thickness in the range of 60 to 100 μm.
According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the paper sheet may have a bulk in the range of 2 to 4 cm³/g.
According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the paper sheet may have an air permeability in the range of 2,000 to 30,000 CU.
According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a smoking article including a first part including a medium and a second part including a filter element, wherein the filter element includes the tobacco filter in any one of the first to eighth aspects.
According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, in the ninth aspect, the smoking article may further include a third part interposed between the first and second parts, wherein the third part includes a first cooling element or a tube filter.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the smoking article may further include a fourth part placed on one side of the first part, wherein at least one of the second and fourth parts includes the paper sheet.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, in the eleventh aspect, either the second or fourth part may include the paper sheet, and the other may include a cellulose acetate filter.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, in the eleventh aspect, the second and fourth parts may include the paper sheet.
According to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure, in the eleventh aspect, the fourth part may include a second cooling element.
The technical solutions to the problems above are not exhaustive of the features of the present disclosure. A variety of features of the present disclosure, and the resulting advantages and effects will be clearly understood in more detail with reference to the specific embodiments below.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the biodegradability can be improved while uniformly mixing a chitosan fiber with a pulp fiber in a paper sheet to keep the reaction area of an amine functional group high, thus implementing a tobacco filter capable of reducing hazardous smoke components.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a paper sheet manufacturing process does not require an additional process, and an adhesive is not used during the paper sheet manufacturing process, thus implementing a method of manufacturing a tobacco filter to increase the reaction area of an amine functional group.
In addition to the effects described above, specific effects of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to specific details for carrying out the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a paper sheet included in a tobacco filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method of manufacturing a paper sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a smoking article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a smoking article according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a smoking article according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an aerosol-generating device to which a smoking article, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is applicable; and

FIG. 7 illustrates an aerosol-generating device to which a smoking article, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, is applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms.
As used herein, “at least one of a, b, and c” may include a, b, or c alone or a combination of two or more selected from the group consisting of a, b, and c.
As used herein, the term “connected” not only means that certain members are directly connected but also means that members are indirectly connected by interposing other members therebetween.
As used herein, the term “to” refers to a numerical range including the respective values listed before and after this term as lower and upper limits. When a plurality of numerical values is disclosed for the upper and lower limits of a numerical range, the numerical range disclosed herein may be understood as a numerical range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. For example, assuming that “a to b” or “c to d” is stated herein, this may be understood as follows: a or more and b or less, a or more and d or less, c or more and d or less, or c or more and b or less.
As used herein, the term “smoking article” may refer to any product that is smokable or capable of providing a smoking whether experience, or not based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or a tobacco substitute. Examples of smoking articles may include smokable products such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos. Other examples of smoking articles may include combustible smoking articles or heated smoking articles.
As used herein, the term “upstream” or “upstream direction” may refer to a direction moving away from the mouth end of a smoker, and the term “downstream” or “downstream direction” may refer to a direction approaching the mouth end of a smoker. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” may be used to describe the relative positions of the elements constituting a smoking article.
As used herein, the term “longitudinal direction” may refer to a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of a smoking article.
As used herein, the term “single fiber” may refer to a fiber made of one type of raw fiber. Specifically, the single fiber may refer to an individual fiber strand constituting a pulp fiber.
As used herein, the term “mixed fiber”, opposite to the single fiber in concept, may refer to a fiber derived from two or more types among wood or vegetation or to a fiber including a sub-pulp fiber and a regenerated fiber.

1. Tobacco Filter

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a tobacco filter including a paper sheet, wherein the paper sheet includes a pulp fiber and a chitosan fiber, and the pulp fiber includes at least one of a single fiber having an average coarseness of 13 mg/100 m or higher and a mixed fiber. Despite being mainly used to reduce hazardous smoke components (for example, formaldehyde) that a consumer inhales during a smoking process in the related art, cellulose acetate filters are poorly biodegradable because an acetyl group is introduced into a cellulose molecule through chemical treatment during the manufacturing process thereof and thus fails to be quickly degradable in natural environments. In addition, there has been another problem in that hazardous smoke components are insufficiently reduced. To solve such problems, attempts to manufacture a filter by mixing a chitosan powder or chitosan fiber with a cellulose-based fiber or by making a non-woven fabric form through application to a synthetic polymer fiber were made. However, the low biodegradability was still problematic, and there was another problem in that the chitosan fiber was unevenly distributed in the filter, so the reaction area of an amine functional group of chitosan was low. In addition, the non-woven fabric including the synthetic polymer fiber had a problem of significantly reducing the reaction area of the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber as adhesive components were necessary during the manufacturing process. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the paper sheet may include the chitosan fiber and at least one of the single fiber having an average coarseness of 13 mg/100 m or higher and the mixed fiber, thus not only keeping the reaction area of the amine functional group with specific smoke components high because the chitosan fiber is distributed evenly in the paper sheet but also providing an eco-friendly tobacco filter using the highly biodegradable characteristics of the paper sheet.
Hereinafter, the configuration of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the paper sheet included in the tobacco filter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 1 , the crimp structure of the paper sheet 100, according to the present disclosure, may be kept in the tobacco filter. When being unwound, such a crimped paper sheet 100 may change into a sheet-like paper filter (step (a) of FIG. 1 ).
The paper sheet 100, according to the present disclosure, may include the pulp fiber 10A and the chitosan fiber 10B. Specifically, the pulp fiber 10A and the chitosan fiber 10B may be uniformly mixed in the paper sheet 100.
The chitosan fiber 10B, according to the present disclosure, is prepared from a polymer containing a repeating unit represented by Formula 1 below. Specifically, the surface of the chitosan fiber 10B has an amine group (—NH₂) as a functional group, which may react with smoke components delivered to a user during a smoking process to reduce the smoke components. For example, the smoke component may be formaldehyde. Specifically, the formaldehyde may react with the amine functional group of the chitosan fiber and be adsorbed onto the surface of the chitosan fiber.
Unlike a typical cellulose acetate filter composed of a plurality of filaments, the paper sheet of the present disclosure is much denser than the filament. Therefore, particulate matter having a large particle size may be removed to an appropriate level. In addition, the paper sheet, according to the present disclosure, may include the chitosan fiber, thus further improving the removal performance of vapor phase substances. In other words, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the particulate matter may be removed to an appropriate level while improving the removal performance of the vapor phase substances.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the chitosan fiber and the pulp fiber may be included in the paper sheet, thus further improving the filtration performance of the vapor phase substances and the particulate matter per unit volume compared to filters with which the chitosan fiber and the pulp fiber are filled separately.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method of manufacturing the paper sheet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 2 , the method of manufacturing the paper sheet, according to the present disclosure, may include the following steps: S1 of preparing a pulp fiber by disintegrating and refining raw pulp; S2 of preparing a pulp-chitosan fiber by mixing the pulp fiber and a chitosan pulp; and S3 of manufacturing a paper sheet from the pulp-chitosan fiber using a paper-making machine.
The disintegrating herein refers to a process of completely separating the fibers by being stirred with water, and the refining herein refers to a process of applying force to the fibers in water to cut and split the same to provide paper-making properties to the disintegrated raw pulp, thereby achieving a predetermined degree of microfiberization. Due to differences in the method and the degree of disintegrating and refining, the characteristics of the pulp fiber having undergone microfiberization may vary, which may ultimately affect the structure and physical properties of the paper sheet. The higher the degree of refining, the higher the freeness, and the lower the degree of refining, the lower the freeness. The freeness herein serves as an indicator that quantitatively determines the degree of refining the fiber. Through the pulp fiber prepared to have high freeness, the strength of the paper may increase, and the bonds of the fiber strands may increase, enabling dense paper having relatively high strength to be manufactured. On the other hand, through the pulp fiber prepared to have low freeness, the density of the fiber strands may be reduced, enabling relatively soft paper to be manufactured.
In other words, depending on the degree of the raw pulp microfiberization, the bulk and air permeability of the paper sheet may vary. For example, under the condition where the average coarseness of the single fiber is the same, the higher the freeness, the lower the bulk of the paper may be. In addition, under the condition where the freeness is the same, the higher the average coarseness of the single fiber, the higher the bulk of the paper may be. Therefore, the degree of the chitosan fiber distributed evenly in the paper sheet may vary by controlling both the freeness and the average coarseness of the single fiber.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the raw pulp in step S1 may be derived from one or more among wood and vegetation, which may be in a state before undergoing microfiberization. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the raw pulp in step S1 may be a mixture of the sub-pulp fiber and the regenerated fiber, which may be in a state before undergoing microfiberization.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the freeness during the refining process of the raw pulp may be: 10° SR or higher, 11° SR or higher, 12° SR or higher, 13° SR or higher, 14° SR or higher, 15° SR or higher, 16° SR or higher, 17° SR or higher, 18° SR or higher, 19° SR or higher, or 20° SR or higher; 29° SR or lower, 28° SR or lower, 27° SR or lower, 26° SR or lower, 25° SR or lower, 24° SR or lower, 23° SR or lower, 22° SR or lower, 21° SR or lower, 20° SR or lower, 19° SR or lower, 18° SR or lower, 17° SR or lower, 16° SR or lower, 15° SR or lower, 14° SR or lower, or 13.5° SR or lower; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. Specifically, the freeness during the refining process of the raw pulp may be in the range of 13 to 20° SR, 13 to 19° SR, 13 to 18° SR, 13 to 17° SR, 13 to 16° SR, 13 to 15° SR, 13 to 14° SR, or 13 to 13.5° SR. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the freeness during the refining process of the raw pulp falls within the above numerical range, the bulk performance of the paper sheet may be improved, thus forming a porous structure. Accordingly, the smoke component airflow may pass through a space between the pulp fiber and the chitosan fiber included in the paper sheet, thus widening the reaction area thereof being capable of reacting with the amine functional group. As a result, the ability to reduce the delivery of the hazardous smoke components may be improved.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the pulp fiber may include at least one of the single fiber having an average coarseness of 13 mg/100 m or higher and the mixed fiber. The average coarseness herein refers to the average mass per unit length of the fiber.
Specifically, the average coarseness of the single fiber may be: 13 mg/100 m or higher, 14 mg/100 m or higher, 15 mg/100 m or higher, 16 mg/100 m or higher, 17 mg/100 m or higher, 18 mg/100 m or higher, 19 mg/100 m or higher, 20 mg/100 m or higher, 21 mg/100 m or higher, 22 mg/100 m or higher, 23 mg/100 m or higher, 24 mg/100 m or higher, 25 mg/100 m or higher, 26 mg/100 m or higher, 27 mg/100 m or higher, or 28 mg/100 m or higher; 40 mg/100 m or lower, 39 mg/100 m or lower, 38 mg/100 m or lower, 37 mg/100 m or lower, 36 mg/100 m or lower, 35 mg/100 m or lower, 34 mg/100 m or lower, 33 mg/100 m or lower, 32 mg/100 m or lower, 31 mg/100 m or lower, 30 mg/100 m or lower, 29 mg/100 m or lower, or 28 mg/100 m or lower; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. More specifically, the average coarseness of the single fiber may be in the range of 13 to 29 mg/100 m, 14 to 29 mg/100 m, 15 to 28 mg/100 m, 16 to 28 mg/100 m, 17 to 28 mg/100 m, 18 to 28 mg/100 m, 19 to 28 mg/100 m, 20 to 28 mg/100 m, 21 to 28 mg/100 m, 22 to 28 mg/100 m, 23 to 28 mg/100 m, 24 to 28 mg/100 m, 25 to 28 mg/100 m, 26 to 28 mg/100 m, or 27 to 28 mg/100 m.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the average coarseness of the single fiber may fall within the above numerical range, thus increasing the air permeability of the paper sheet. As a result, the delivery of the smoke components can be sufficiently reduced. On the other hand, the coarseness of the fiber is one of the characteristics found in natural fibers such as wood and vegetation. The higher the coarseness, the bulkier the paper sheet may be. When the coarseness is low, the number of points where the fibers come into contact with each other and form hydrogen bonds may increase, thus reducing the air permeability of the paper sheet, increasing the tensile strength, and forming an entangled structure between the fibers. Therefore, the average coarseness of the single fiber is required to be controlled so that the chitosan fiber is well-mixed. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the average coarseness of the single fiber falls within the above numerical range, the chitosan fiber is well-mixed with the pulp fiber and thus may be distributed evenly in the paper sheet. Accordingly, the reaction area of the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber with the specific smoke components may increase.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an appropriate level of the organic combination relationship between the freeness range and the average coarseness range of the single fiber described above may be satisfied, thus further increasing the air permeability. As a result, the delivery of the smoke components can be further reduced. In addition, the chitosan fiber is well-mixed with the pulp fiber and thus may be distributed evenly in the paper sheet. Accordingly, the reaction area of the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber with the specific smoke components may increase.
For example, as a method to analyze the average coarseness of the single fiber, an analysis method based on the KS M ISO 9184-6:1994 test standard may be used.
For example, the average length of the pulp fiber may be in the range of 1 to 10 mm or 3 to 7 mm.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an appropriate level of the organic combination relationship between the freeness range and the average coarseness range of the single fiber described above may be satisfied, further enabling the pulp fiber and the chitosan fiber in step S2 to be better mixed. Thus, the chitosan fiber may be distributed evenly in the paper sheet. Specifically, the pulp-chitosan fiber may refer to a group of fibers in which the pulp fiber and the chitosan fiber are uniformly mixed.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paper-making machine in step S3 may be a paper-making machine or paper-manufacturing machine commonly used in the related art to which the present disclosure pertains. When using the pulp-chitosan fiber implemented through steps S1 and S2, the bulk properties of the paper sheet are excellent, and the air permeability may be sufficiently high.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the total weight of the paper sheet, the single fiber may be included in an amount of 50 wt % or more, which may specifically be in the range of 50 to 99 wt %, 50 to 90 wt %, 52 to 88 wt %, 53 to 86 wt %, 54 to 84 wt %, 55 to 83 wt %, 56 to 82 wt %, 57 to 81 wt %, 58 to 80 wt %, 59 to 79 wt %, 60 to 75 wt %, 62 to 74 wt %, or 63 to 70 wt %. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the amount of the single fiber included may fall within the above numerical range, thus improving the workability in manufacturing the paper sheet and sufficiently achieving the filtration performance of the paper sheet.
The mixed fiber, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may be a mixture of pulp fibers derived from two or more types of wood and/or vegetation. For example, the wood or vegetation is not particularly limited and may be a raw material capable of manufacturing paper sheets in the related art to which the present disclosure pertains. Specifically, the wood may be an evergreen, hardwood, softwood, or the like, and the vegetation may be bamboo, hemp, linen, and the like. More specifically, the wood may include one or more among southern pine, mixed softwood, Cedrus, hardwood, and softwood. However, the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the mixed fiber may include the sub-pulp fiber and the regenerated fiber. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the chitosan fiber may be better mixed using the mixed fiber in which the sub-pulp fiber and the regenerated fiber are mixed. Accordingly, the air permeability of the paper sheet increases, and the delivery of the smoke components thus can be sufficiently reduced. Specifically, the sub-pulp fiber may be a pulp fiber derived from an evergreen, which is, more specifically, southern pine. For example, based on the total weight of the mixed fiber, the sub-pulp fiber may be included in an amount of 50 wt % or more, 51 wt % or more, 52 wt % or more, 53 wt % or more, 54 wt % or more, 55 wt % or more, 56 wt % or more, 57 wt % or more, 58 wt % or more, 59 wt % or more, 60 wt % or more, 61 wt % or more, 62 wt % or more, 63 wt % or more, 64 wt % or more, 65 wt % or more, 66 wt % or more, 67 wt % or more, 68 wt % or more, 69 wt % or more, 70 wt % or more, 71 wt % or more, 72 wt % or more, 73 wt % or more, 74 wt % or more, 75 wt % or more, 76 wt % or more, 77 wt % or more, 78 wt % or more, 79 wt % or more, or 80 wt % or more. Specifically, the sub-pulp fiber may be the same as or different from the single fiber. For example, the regenerated fiber may include one or more among rayon and Lyocell and may specifically include rayon.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the weight ratio of the sub-pulp fiber to the regenerated fiber (sub-pulp fiber:regenerated fiber) may be in the range of 9:1 to 5:5, specifically in the range of 8:2 to 6:4, and more specifically in the range of 8:2 to 7:3. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the weight ratio of the sub-pulp fiber to the regenerated fiber falls within the above numerical range, the air permeability of the paper sheet increases, and the delivery of the smoke components thus can be sufficiently reduced.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, based on the total weight of the paper sheet, the chitosan fiber may be included in an amount of: 10 wt % or more, 11 wt % or more, 12 wt % or more, 13 wt % or more, 14 wt % or more, 15 wt % or more, 16 wt % or more, 17 wt % or more, 18 wt % or more, 19 wt % or more, 20 wt % or more, 21 wt % or more, 22 wt % or more, 23 wt % or more, 24 wt % or more, 25 wt % or more, 26 wt % or more, 27 wt % or more, 28 wt % or more, 29 wt % or more, 30 wt % or more, 31 wt % or more, 32 wt % or more, 33 wt % or more, 34 wt % or more, 35 wt % or more, 36 wt % or more, 37 wt % or more, 38 wt % or more, or 39 wt % or more; 40 wt % or less, 39 wt % or less, 38 wt % or less, 37 wt % or less, 36 wt % or less, 35 wt % or less, 34 wt % or less, 33 wt % or less, 32 wt % or less, 31 wt % or less, 30 wt % or less, 29 wt % or less, 28 wt % or less, 27 wt % or less, 26 wt % or less, 25 wt % or less, 24 wt % or less, 23 wt % or less, 22 wt % or less, 21 wt % or less, 20 wt % or less, 19 wt % or less, 18 wt % or less, 17 wt % or less, 16 wt % or less, 15 wt % or less, 14 wt % or less, 13 wt % or less, 12 wt % or less, or 11 wt % or less; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. Specifically, based on the total weight of the paper sheet, the chitosan fiber may be included in an amount in a range of 10 to 40 wt %, 15 to 35 wt %, 20 to 30 wt %, 22 to 28 wt %, 23 to 27 wt %, or 25 to 26 wt %. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the amount of the chitosan fiber included, based on the total weight of the paper sheet, may fall within the above numerical range, thus sufficiently realizing the ability to reduce the delivery of the hazardous smoke components while sufficiently achieving the workability in manufacturing the paper sheet. The workability in manufacturing the paper sheet herein may mean that an adhesive is unnecessary during the paper sheet manufacturing process. When using an adhesive in the paper sheet manufacturing process, a problem with a significant decrease in the reaction area of the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber with the specific smoke components may occur.
On the other hand, the basis weight of the paper sheet, the weight per unit area of the paper sheet (g/m²=gsm), may affect the functionality of the paper sheet and the workability in manufacturing thereof.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the basis weight of the paper sheet may be: 20 gsm or more, 21 gsm or more, 22 gsm or more, 23 gsm or more, 24 gsm or more, 25 gsm or more, 26 gsm or more, 27 gsm or more, 28 gsm or more, 29 gsm or more, 30 gsm or more, 31 gsm or more, 32 gsm or more, 33 gsm or more, 34 gsm or more, 35 gsm or more, 36 gsm or more, 37 gsm or more, 38 gsm or more, 39 gsm or more, 40 gsm or more, 41 gsm or more, 42 gsm or more, 43 gsm or more, 44 gsm or more, 45 gsm or more, 46 gsm or more, 47 gsm or more, 48 gsm or more, 49 gsm or more, 50 gsm or more, 52 gsm or more, 53 gsm or more, 54 gsm or more, 55 gsm or more, 56 gsm or more, 57 gsm or more, 58 gsm or more, or 59 gsm or more; 60 gsm or less, 59 gsm or less, 58 gsm or less, 57 gsm or less, 56 gsm or less, 55 gsm or less, 54 gsm or less, 53 gsm or less, 52 gsm or less, 51 gsm or less, 50 gsm or less, 49 gsm or less, 48 gsm or less, 47 gsm or less, 46 gsm or less, 45 gsm or less, 44 gsm or less, 43 gsm or less, 42 gsm or less, 41 gsm or less, 40 gsm or less, 39 gsm or less, 38 gsm or less, 37 gsm or less, 36 gsm or less, 35 gsm or less, 34 gsm or less, 33 gsm or less, 32 gsm or less, 31 gsm or less, 30 gsm or less, 29 gsm or less, 28 gsm or less, 27 gsm or less, 26 gsm or less, 25 gsm or less, 24 gsm or less, 23 gsm or less, 22 gsm or less, or 21 gsm or less; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. Specifically, the basis weight of the paper sheet may be in the range of 20 to 60 gsm, 25 to 55 gsm, 30 to 50 gsm, or 35 to 45 gsm. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the basis weight of the paper sheet is less than the above numerical range, the amount of the chitosan fiber included may be reduced, leading to a problem that the smoke components and the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber fail to react sufficiently. On the contrary, when the basis weight of the paper sheet is more than the above numerical range, there may be problems with high stiffness and excessive increase in the thickness of the paper sheet, resulting in manufacturing difficulties.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the thickness of the paper sheet may be: 60 μm or larger, 61 μm or larger, 62 μm or larger, 63 μm or larger, 64 μm or larger, 65 μm or larger, 66 μm or larger, 67 μm or larger, 68 μm or larger, 69 μm or larger, 70 μm or larger, 71 μm or larger, 72 μm or larger, 73 μm or larger, 74 μm or larger, 75 μm or larger, 76 μm or larger, 77 μm or larger, 78 μm or larger, 79 μm or larger, 80 μm or larger, 81 μm or larger, 82 μm or larger, 83 μm or larger, 84 μm or larger, 85 μm or larger, 86 μm or larger, 87 μm or larger, 88 μm or larger, 89 μm or larger, 90 μm or larger, 91 μm or larger, 92 μm or larger, 93 μm or larger, 94 μm or larger, 95 μm or larger, 96 μm or larger, 97 μm or larger, 98 μm or larger, or 99 μm or larger; 100 μm or smaller, 99 μm or smaller, 98 μm or smaller, 97 μm or smaller, 96 μm or smaller, 95 μm or smaller, 94 μm or smaller, 93 μm or smaller, 92 μm or smaller, 91 μm or smaller, 90 μm or smaller, 89 μm or smaller, 88 μm or smaller, 87 μm or smaller, 86 μm or smaller, 85 μm or smaller, 84 μm or smaller, 83 μm or smaller, 82 μm or smaller, 81 μm or smaller, 80 μm or smaller, 79 μm or smaller, 78 μm or smaller, 77 μm or smaller, 76 μm or smaller, 75 μm or smaller, 74 μm or smaller, 73 μm or smaller, 72 μm or smaller, 71 μm or smaller, 70 μm or smaller, 69 μm or smaller, 68 μm or smaller, 67 μm or smaller, 66 μm or smaller, 65 μm or smaller, 64 μm or smaller, 63 μm or smaller, 62 μm or smaller, or 61 μm or smaller; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. Specifically, the thickness of the paper sheet may be in the range of 60 to 100 μm. When the thickness of the paper sheet is smaller than the above numerical range, the level of achievable draw resistance may be significantly low, or the paper sheet may tear, leading to problems during the manufacturing process. On the contrary, when the thickness of the paper sheet is larger than the above numerical range, an explosion may occur during the manufacturing process of the filter, or the pressure drop may be excessively high, leading to an abnormal increase in the draw resistance of a smoking article.
On the other hand, the bulk of the paper sheet is a thickness value with respect to the basis weight of the paper sheet. The higher the air permeability of the paper sheet, the higher the bulk of the paper sheet may be. The paper sheet preferably has an appropriate air permeability and bulk to facilitate the smoke components to pass through the crimped paper sheet and react with the amine functional group on the surface of the chitosan fiber.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the bulk of the paper sheet may be: 2 cm³/g or higher, 2.1 cm³/g or higher, 2.2 cm³/g or higher, 2.3 cm³/g or higher, 2.4 cm³/g or higher, 2.5 cm³/g or higher, 2.6 cm³/g or higher, 2.7 cm³/g or higher, 2.8 cm³/g or higher, 2.9 cm³/g or higher, 3.0 cm³/g or higher, 3.1 cm³/g or higher, 3.2 cm³/g or higher, 3.3 cm³/g or higher, 3.4 cm³/g or higher, 3.5 cm³/g or higher, 3.6 cm³/g or higher, 3.7 cm³/g or higher, 3.8 cm³/g or higher, or 3.9 cm³/g or higher; 4.0 cm³/g or lower, 3.9 cm³/g or lower, 3.8 cm³/g or lower, 3.7 cm³/g or lower, 3.6 cm³/g or lower, 3.5 cm³/g or lower, 3.4 cm³/g or lower, 3.3 cm³/g or lower, 3.2 cm³/g or lower, 3.1 cm³/g or lower, 3.0 cm³/g or lower, 2.9 cm³/g or lower, 2.8 cm³/g or lower, 2.7 cm³/g or lower, 2.6 cm³/g or lower, 2.5 cm³/g or lower, 2.4 cm³/g or lower, 2.3 cm³/g or lower, 2.2 cm³/g or lower, or 2.1 cm³/g or lower; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. Specifically, the bulk of the paper sheet may be in the range of 2 to 4 cm³/g, 2.5 to 4 cm³/g, 2.6 to 4 cm³/g, 2.95 to 4 cm³/g, 2.95 to 3.5 cm³/g, or 2.95 to 3.26 cm³/g. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the bulk of the paper sheet is lower than the above numerical range, a problem leading to a pressure drop to the extent that the smoke component airflow fails to pass through may occur. On the contrary, when the bulk of the paper sheet is higher than the above numerical range, a problem with the area of the amine functional group capable of making contact with the smoke components being even further reduced due to the structure may occur.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air permeability of the paper sheet may be: 2,000 CU or higher, 3000 CU or higher, 4000 CU or higher, 5000 CU or higher, 6000 CU or higher, 7000 CU or higher, 8000 CU or higher, 9000 CU or higher, 10000 CU or higher, 11000 CU or higher, 12000 CU or higher, 13000 CU or higher, 14000 CU or higher, 15000 CU or higher, 16000 CU or higher, 17000 CU or higher, 18000 CU or higher, 19000 CU or higher, 20000 CU or higher, 21000 CU or higher, 22000 CU or higher, 23000 CU or higher, 24000 CU or higher, 25000 CU or higher, 26000 CU or higher, 27000 CU or higher, 28000 CU or higher, or 29000 CU or higher; 30000 CU or lower, 29000 CU or lower, 28000 CU or lower, 27000 CU or lower, 26000 CU or lower, 25000 CU or lower, 24000 CU or lower, 23000 CU or lower, 22000 CU or lower, 21000 CU or lower, 20000 CU or lower, 19000 CU or lower, 18000 CU or lower, 17000 CU or lower, 16000 CU or lower, 15000 CU or lower, 14000 CU or lower, 13000 CU or lower, 12000 CU or lower, 11000 CU or lower, 10000 CU or lower, 9000 CU or lower, 8000 CU or lower, 7000 CU or lower, 6000 CU or lower, 5000 CU or lower, 4000 CU or lower, or 3000 CU or lower; or in a range including any one value of the plurality of lower limit values above and any one value of the plurality of upper limit values above as the lower limit value and the upper limit value, respectively. Specifically, the air permeability of the paper sheet may be in the range of 2,000 to 30,000 CU. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the air permeability of the paper sheet is lower than the above numerical range, a problem leading to a pressure drop to the extent that the smoke component airflow fails to pass through may occur. On the contrary, when the air permeability of the paper sheet is higher than the above numerical range, a problem with the area of the amine functional group capable of making contact with the smoke components being even further reduced due to the structure may occur.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a moisturizer may be applied on at least a portion of the surface of the paper sheet to achieve a desired level of pressure drop. The pressure drop herein may refer to a perceived air resistance when a user holds a smoking article while inhaling air. User satisfaction with smoking may vary with the pressure drop, so a target pressure drop is required to be realized. For example, the moisturizer may include at least one of glycerin, gum guar, starch, methylcellulose, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), gum arabic, and propylene glycol. In addition, the moisturizer, applied on at least a portion of the surface of the paper sheet, may, for example, be included in an amount in the range of 0.5 to 5 mg/mm.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the tobacco filter may further include granules to improve the bonding strength between the moisturizer and the paper sheet. Specifically, the granules may be added and settled on the surface of the paper sheet, thus improving the bonding strength between the moisturizer and the paper sheet. For example, the granules may include a coating layer formed on the surface thereof to prevent the granules from breaking or fracturing due to external impact. According to one example, the coating layer may include at least one of microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous lactose, Cellactose 80 (25% of lactose and 75% of microcrystalline cellulose processed simultaneously), isomalt, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, calcium silicate, calcium sulfate, carbomers, calciumcarboxymethylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose, silicified microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose acetate, Ceratonia, copovidone, corn starch, dextrates, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, ethylcellulose, fructose, fumaric acid, glyceryl monooleate, glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl palmitostearate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl betadex, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl starch, hypromellose, hypromellose acetate succinate, kaolin, lactitol, anhydrous lactose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, maltitol, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, methylcellulose, poloxamers, polycarbophil, polydextrose, poly(DL-lactic acid), polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, polymethacrylate, polyoxyglyceride, polyvinyl alcohol, povidone, shellac, simethicone, sodium alginate, sodium chloride, sorbitol, starch, pregelatinized starch, sucrose, sugar spheres, sulfobutylether B-cyclodextrins, titanium dioxide, trehalose, microcrystalline wax, white wax, yellow wax, xanthan gum, xylitol, beeswax, candelilla, carnauba, caraway, sugarcane wax, myrtle wax, gum arabic, locust bean wax, gum guar, alginates, carrageenans, and pectin.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the paper sheet may be formed by being rolled into a cylindrical shape and have a circumference in the range of 20 to 25 mm. For example, the paper sheet may be formed by crimping base paper and rolling the crimped paper or manufactured by rolling the base paper into a cylindrical shape when dried. In this case, the circumference of the paper sheet may be the circumference of the bottom surface of the cylindrical shape after being rolled.

2. Smoking Article

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a smoking article including a first part including a medium and a second part including a filter element, wherein the filter element includes the tobacco filter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the tobacco filter (paper sheet) may be included in the filter element, thus not only making the chitosan fiber distributed evenly in the paper sheet to keep the reaction area of the amine functional group high but also providing the eco-friendly smoking article using the highly biodegradable paper sheet.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the smoking article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 3 , a first smoking article 200 a being one embodiment of the smoking article 200, according to the present disclosure, may, for example, be combustible tobacco.
The first smoking article 200 a, according to the present disclosure, includes the first part 210 and the second part 220. The first smoking article 200 a may further include a wrapper 250. Specifically, the first part 210 and the second part 220 may be arranged in such an order along the longitudinal direction of the first smoking article 200 a. More specifically, the first part 210 may be placed upstream of the second part 220. In this case, the wrapper 250 may be wrapped around at least one of the first part 210 and the second part 220 or may specifically be wrapped around a portion of the first part 210 and all of the second part 220. For example, the first part 210 and the second part 220 may have a cylindrical shape.
The first part 210, according to the present disclosure, includes a medium capable of generating an aerosol and/or smoke as it is combusted. Specifically, the mainstream smoke generated as the first part 210 is combusted may be inhaled by a user through the second part 220, which will be described later, from the first part 210 in the longitudinal direction of the first smoking article 200 a.
For example, the medium is not particularly limited and may be any substance capable of generating an aerosol and/or smoke commonly used in the related art to which the present disclosure pertains. Specifically, the medium may include tobacco raw materials, such as tobacco leaf pieces, tobacco stems, and the like, and materials processed therefrom. For a more specific example, the medium may include crushed tobacco leaves, expanded stems, tobacco shreds (for example, leaf tobacco shreds and reconstituted tobacco shreds), tobacco sheets (for example, reconstituted tobacco leaves), and the like.
According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the medium may further include one or more among a wetting agent and a flavoring agent. For example, the wetting agent may keep the moisture in the medium at an appropriate level to soften the inherent taste and increase the amount of atomization. Specifically, the wetting agent may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. For example, the flavoring agent may be added to enhance flavor. Specifically, the flavoring agents may include licorice, sucrose, fructose syrup, ISO sweet, cocoa, lavender, cardamom, celery, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oil, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, salvia, spearmint, ginger, cilantro, clove extract (or clove substance), coffee, or the like.
The second part 220, according to the present disclosure, may be a filter part performing a filtration function on the aerosol and/or smoke generated in the first part 210. Specifically, the second part 220 may be placed downstream of the first part 210 and thus connected to a downstream end of the first part 210.
The second part 220, according to the present disclosure, includes a filter element to perform the filtration function. Specifically, the filter element may include the tobacco filter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and may specifically include a crimped paper sheet 100.
The wrapper 250, according to the present disclosure, has a cylindrical shape and may be placed on the surface of the paper sheet 100, which may specifically be wrapped around the paper sheet 100. More specifically, the wrapper 250 may be filter wrapping paper or tipping paper. For example, the paper sheet 100 may be wrapped when the wrapper 250 is the filter wrapping paper, and the filter wrapping paper may be wrapped when the wrapper 250 is the tipping paper. For example, the wrapper 250 may include cellulose or dextrin.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the smoking article according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Any descriptions that are redundant of the above will be briefly described or omitted.
Referring to FIG. 4 , a second smoking article 200 b being another embodiment of the smoking article 200, according to the present disclosure, may, for example, be combustible tobacco.
The second smoking article 200 b, according to the present disclosure, may further include a third part 230 interposed between the first part 210 and the second part 220. Specifically, the third part 230 may be placed on one side of the first part 210 while being placed on one side of the second part 220. More specifically, the first part 210, the third part 230, and the second part 220 may be arranged in succession in such an order along the longitudinal direction of the second smoking article 200 b according to the present disclosure.
The third part 230, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may cool an airflow passing through the first part 210 from the outside of the second smoking article 200 b. Specifically, the third part 230 may include a first cooling element.
According to some embodiment of the present disclosure, the first cooling element may be a paper tube formed from paper material and having a hollow cylindrical shape. Specifically, the inner surface of the paper tube may be coated with polylactic acid. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the paper tube may be coated with polylactic acid, thus more effectively cooling the tobacco mainstream smoke and/or aerosol generated by igniting the first part 210.
According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the first cooling element may be formed from a biodegradable polymeric material and may specifically be formed from a polylactic acid fiber.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the first cooling element may be a cellulose acetate filter.
The wrapper 250, according to the present disclosure, may be wrapped around at least one of the first part 210, the second part 220, and the third part 230.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the smoking article according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. Any descriptions that are redundant of the above will be briefly described or omitted.
Referring to FIG. 5 , a third smoking article 200 c being a further embodiment of the smoking article 200, according to the present disclosure, may, for example, be heated tobacco. Specifically, the third smoking article 200 c may be heated tobacco heated by an aerosol-generating device, which will be described later, externally or internally.
The third smoking article 200 c, according to the present disclosure, may further include a fourth part 240 placed on one side of the first part 210. Specifically, the fourth part 240, the first part 210, the third part 230, and the second part 220 may be arranged in succession in such an order along the longitudinal direction of the third smoking article 200 c according to the present disclosure. In other words, the first part 210 may be interposed between the third part 230 and the fourth part 240, and the third part 230 may be interposed between the first part 210 and the second part 220.
The third smoking article 200 c, according to the present disclosure, may include the wrapper 250 wrapped around at least one of the first part 210, the second part 220, the third part 230, and the fourth part 240.
The fourth part 240, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may be an aerosol-generating substrate. Specifically, the fourth part 240 may include an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may include at least one among glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the second part 220 and the fourth part 240 may include the paper sheet according to some embodiments. Specifically, the paper sheet, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, may be included in at least one of the second part 220 and the fourth part 240, thus maintaining the functionality of the heated tobacco while further improving the biodegradability of the smoking article.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, either the second part 220 or the fourth part 240 may include the paper sheet, and the other may include a cellulose acetate filter. Specifically, the second part 220 may include the cellulose acetate filter, and the fourth part 240 may include the paper sheet. More specifically, the paper sheet of the fourth part 240 may be impregnated with the aerosol-generating substance described above. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fourth part 240 may include the paper sheet impregnated with the aerosol-generating substance, thus further improving the impregnation rate of the paper sheet with the aerosol-generating substance and better realizing an atomization function.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part 220 and the fourth part 240 may include the paper sheet. Specifically, the paper sheet, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, may be included in the second part 220 and the fourth part 240, thus improving the ability to reduce the specific smoke components while realizing the atomization function and providing the highly biodegradable smoking article.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the fourth part 240 may include a second cooling element configured to cool the atomization supplied by a liquid cartridge. In this case, the second part 220 may include the paper sheet according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the second cooling element may be the same as or different from the first cooling element. Specifically, the second cooling element may be a paper tube formed from paper material and having a hollow cylindrical shape. According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner surface of the paper tube may be coated with polylactic acid. The inner surface of the paper tube may be coated with polylactic acid, thus further effectively cooling the atomization supplied by the liquid cartridge.
The third part 230, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, may include a tube filter. The tube filter through which the atomization moves may be a hollow-structured cellulose acetate filter.
FIG. 6 illustrates the aerosol-generating device to which the smoking article, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, is applicable.
The aerosol-generating device 300, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may be a first aerosol-generating device 300 a.
Referring to FIG. 6 , the first aerosol-generating device 300 a, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may include a housing (not illustrated), a heater 330, a control part 320, and a battery 310. For example, the first aerosol-generating device 300 a may further include other general-purpose or general components in addition to the illustrated components. Specifically, the first aerosol-generating device 300 a may further include an output module (for example, a motor and a display) configured to output the status of the device and/or an input module (for example, a button) configured to receive user input (for example, device on/off and the like).
The housing, according to the present disclosure, may form the exterior of the first aerosol-generating device 300 a and may form a receiving space configured to receive the third smoking article 200 c according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
The heater 330, according to the present disclosure, may be configured to heat the third smoking article 200 c received in the receiving space, thus generating an aerosol and/or smoke. As being heated, the third smoking article 200 c received in the receiving space, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, may enable the aerosol and/or smoke to be generated. The generated aerosol and/or smoke may be inhaled through the mouth end of a user.
Despite illustrating the heater 330 implemented as an internally heated type in FIG. 6 , this is just for the convenience of understanding, and the heater 330 may also be modified as an externally heated type. For example, the heater 330 may be implemented as an electric resistance heater or an induction-heated type.
The control part 320, according to the present disclosure, may be configured to control the overall operation of the first aerosol-generating device 300 a. For example, the control part 320 may be configured to control the operation of the heater 330 and the battery 310 or to control the operation of other components included in the first aerosol-generating device 300 a. Specifically, the control part 320 may control the power supplied by the battery 310, the heating temperature of the heater 330, and the like. In addition, the control part 320 may check the status of each configuration of the first aerosol-generating device 300 a to determine whether the first aerosol-generating device 300 a is operable or inoperable.
The control part 320, according to the present disclosure, may be implemented by at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and memory in which programs enabled to be executed on this microprocessor are stored.
The battery 310, according to the present disclosure, may supply power usable in operating the first aerosol-generating device 300 a. For example, the battery 310 may supply power to the heater 330 or may supply the power necessary for the control part 320 to operate. In addition, the battery 310 may supply the power necessary for electrical components such as a display, a sensor, a motor, and the like installed in the first aerosol-generating device 300 a to operate.
FIG. 7 illustrates the aerosol-generating device to which the smoking article, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, is applicable.
Referring to FIG. 7 , the aerosol-generating device 300, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, may be a second aerosol-generating device 300 b.
The second aerosol-generating device 300 b, according to the present disclosure, may further include a vaporizer 340.
The vaporizer 340, according to the present disclosure, may be configured to generate an aerosol by vaporizing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. For example, the vaporizer 340 may include a liquid reservoir configured to store the liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a wick configured to absorb the stored liquid, and a liquid vaporization element configured to vaporize the absorbed liquid. In this case, the liquid vaporization element may be implemented as a heating element, a vibration element to vaporize liquid through ultrasonic vibration, or other forms. For another example, the vaporizer 340 may be wick-free. The liquid vaporization element of the vaporizer 340 may be controlled by the control part 320.
The aerosol generated in the vaporizer 340 may pass through the third smoking article 200 c and be inhaled through the mouth end of a user.
The heater 330, according to the present disclosure, may be placed in an appropriate position to implement an external heating method.
Hereinafter, exemplary examples of the present disclosure will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present disclosure. However, the following examples are only examples, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of Bulk Performance of Paper Sheet Depending on Average Coarseness and Freeness of Pulp Fiber

Raw pulps of various origins were disintegrated and refined to prepare pulp fibers undergoing microfiberization. The freeness during the refining process of the raw pulps was adjusted to the values shown in Table 1 below.
On the other hand, the bulk of the paper sheet is the thickness of the paper sheet with respect to the basis weight of the paper sheet (thickness/basis weight). Specifically, the bulk performance of the paper sheet was evaluated as “excellent” when the bulk was 2.90 cm³/g or higher and 4.0 cm³/g or lower, as “good” when the bulk was 2.50 cm³/g or higher and lower than 2.90 cm³/g, or as “fair” when the bulk was 2.20 cm³/g or higher and lower than 2.50 cm³/g, respectively.
In addition, the average coarseness of the single fiber was analyzed on the basis of KS M ISO 9184-6.

TABLE 1

					Paper
			Average		sheet
		Raw pulp	coarseness	Freeness	Bulk	Bulk
Classification	Fiber	configuration	(mg/100 m)	(°SR)	(cm³/g)	performance

Preparation	Mixed	80 wt % of southern pine +	—	13.5	3.26	Excellent
Example 1	fiber	20 wt % of rayon
Preparation	Single	Southern	28	13.5	2.95	Excellent
Example 2	fiber	pine
Preparation	Single	Cedar	14	13.5	2.48	Fair
Example 3	fiber
Preparation	Single	Southern pine	28	15.5	2.56	Good
Example 4	fiber
Preparation	Mixed	80 wt % of	—	20.0	2.64	Good
Example 5	fiber	southern pine +
		20 wt % of rayon

Referring to Table 1 above, it is confirmed that the average coarseness varies with the origin of the pulp fiber. The origin of the pulp fiber, whether the raw fiber further includes a regenerated fiber, and the freeness (degree of refining) may all be influential in achieving the excellent bulk performance of the paper sheet.
Specifically, when comparing Preparation Examples 2 and 4 from the viewpoint of the bulk performance of the paper sheet depending on the freeness under the condition where the average coarseness of the single fiber is the same, it is confirmed that the higher the freeness, the lower the bulk of the paper sheet.
When comparing Preparation Examples 2 and 3 from the viewpoint of the bulk performance of the paper sheet depending on the average coarseness of the single fiber under the condition where the freeness is the same, it is confirmed that the higher the average coarseness of the single fiber, the higher the bulk of the paper sheet, further improving the bulk performance.
When comparing Preparation Examples 1 and 2 from the viewpoint of the bulk performance of the paper sheet as the regenerated fiber and a sub-pulp fiber are mixed, it is confirmed that the bulk of the paper sheet is further improved by manufacturing the paper sheet using the mixed fiber including the sub-pulp fiber and the regenerated fiber.
When comparing Preparation Examples 1 and 5 from the viewpoint of the bulk performance of the paper sheet depending on the freeness range of the mixed fiber controlled, it is confirmed that the freeness is reduced when manufacturing the paper sheet using the mixed fiber including the sub-pulp fiber and the regenerated fiber, further improving the bulk performance of the paper sheet. On this basis, it is inferred that the range of the freeness controlled to achieve the excellent bulk performance of the paper sheet widens as the regenerated fiber is included in the paper sheet.
It is inferred through the above experimental results that the degree of smoke components passing smoothly in the paper sheet and the degree of the amine function group of a chitosan fiber reacting with the smoke components may vary depending on the appropriate air permeability and bulk of the paper sheet.

Experimental Example 2: Reference Data Demonstrating Particulate Removal Ability of Paper Sheet Compared to Cellulose Acetate (C.A.) Filter

The removal ability was derived through the following steps: 1) measuring the delivery of smoke components in tobacco filter-free tobacco; 2) measuring the delivery of smoke components in tobacco filter-attached tobacco under the same conditions; 3) calculating the smoke components removed from the filter being a difference in the delivery between the smoke components in step 1) and the smoke components in step 2); and 4) calculating a removal ability by calculating the ratio of the components in step 3) to the components step 1).

TABLE 2

	Cellulose acetate	Paper sheet filter
Classification	tow (CA-Tow) filter	(Preparation Example 2)

Particulate	Removal	62.2	82.3
Matter	ability (%)
(TPM)	delivery	12.4	5.8
	(mg/cig.)
Tar (Tar.)	Removal	56.2	79.5
	ability (%)
	delivery	9.7	4.5
	(mg/cig.)
Nicotine	Removal	44.2	75.5
(Nic.)	ability (%)
	delivery	0.82	0.36
	(mg/cig.)

Smoking conditions: a puff volume of 35 mL, a duration of 2 seconds, an interval of 60 seconds, and non-ventilation

Referring to Table 2 above, it is confirmed that the removal ability of the paper sheet for the particulate matter, tar, and nicotine is significantly better than that of the cellulose acetate tow filter.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail hereinabove, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, several modifications and alternatives made by those skilled in the art using a basic concept of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS


10A: PULP FIBER	10B: CHITOSAN FIBER
100: PAPER SHEET	200: SMOKING ARTICLE
200a: FIRST SMOKING ARTICLE
200b: SECOND SMOKING ARTICLE
200c: THIRD SMOKING ARTICLE
210: FIRST PART	220: SECOND PART
230: THIRD PART	240: FOURTH PART
250: WRAPPER	300: AEROSOL-
	GENERATING DEVICE
300a: FIRST AEROSOL-
GENERATING DEVICE
300b: SECOND AEROSOL-
GENERATING DEVICE
310: BATTERY	320: CONTROL PART
330: HEATER	340: VAPORIZER

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco filter comprising a paper sheet,

wherein the paper sheet comprises a pulp fiber and a chitosan fiber, and

the pulp fiber comprises at least one of:

a single fiber having an average coarseness of 13 mg/100 m or higher; and

a mixed fiber.

2. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the single fiber is included in an amount in a range of 50 to 99 wt % based on the total weight of the paper sheet.

3. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the mixed fiber comprises a sub-pulp fiber and a regenerated fiber.

4. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the chitosan fiber is included in an amount in a range of 10 to 40 wt % based on the total weight of the paper sheet.

5. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the paper sheet has a basis weight in a range of 20 to 60 gsm.

6. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the paper sheet has a thickness in a range of 60 to 100 μm.

7. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the paper sheet has a bulk in a range of 2 to 4 cm³/g.

8. The tobacco filter of claim 1, wherein the paper sheet has an air permeability in a range of 2,000 to 30,000 CU.

9. A smoking article comprising:

a first part comprising a medium; and

a second part comprising a filter element,

wherein the filter element comprises the tobacco filter of claim 1.

10. The smoking article of claim 9, further comprising a third part interposed between the first and second parts,

wherein the third part comprises a first cooling element or a tube filter.

11. The smoking article of claim 10, further comprising a fourth part placed on one side of the first part,

wherein at least one of the second and fourth parts comprises the paper sheet.

12. The smoking article of claim 11, wherein either the second or fourth part comprises the paper sheet, and the other comprises a cellulose acetate filter.

13. The smoking article of claim 11, wherein the second and fourth parts comprise the paper sheet.

14. The smoking article of claim 11, wherein the fourth part comprises a second cooling element.