WO2025029040A1 - Bio-disintegrable and eco-friendly filter for smoking article - Google Patents

Abstract

A filter for a smoking article and a smoking article comprising same are provided. The filter for a smoking article comprises a lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers and has a degree of bio-disintegration of 80% or more after 3 months (12 weeks) according to EN 13432 under industrial compost conditions with a temperature of 58℃±2℃ and a humidity of 50%±2%, wherein the degree of bio-disintegration (%) is defined by the following equation. D={(m1-m2)/m1}*100 (where D is the degree of bio-disintegration (%), m1 is the initial weight (g) of the filter for a smoking article, and m2 is the weight (g) of residues on a standard sieve after a period of time).

Description

Eco-friendly filter for smoking articles with biodegradability

The present invention relates to an eco-friendly filter for smoking articles having excellent biodegradability and biodegradability under industrial composting conditions and a smoking article including the same.

Cellulose acetate tow is a material that is made by reacting sulfuric acid and acetic acid to cellulose, and is a material that has undergone chemical transformation. Cellulose acetate (CA) tow used in the manufacture of existing cigarette filters improves the hardness of the filter by applying a plasticizer, and when a filter is manufactured using cellulose acetate tow, the applied plasticizer increases the bonding force between fibers in the tow, thereby improving the hardness of the filter. However, cellulose acetate filters manufactured using a plasticizer have the problem that it is difficult to meet the analysis passing criteria such as industrial compost conditions.

Meanwhile, lyocell tow (L-tow) is a material that is made into a fiber bundle shape by dissolving cellulose in an eco-friendly solvent called NMMO (NMethylmorpholine N-Oxide) rather than changing the structure of cellulose through a chemical reaction like cellulose acetate tow. Lyocell tow is an eco-friendly material whose main component is cellulose, and in the case of filters manufactured using it, there is a problem of low hardness in the case of lyocell filters because there is no plasticizer that can increase the bonding strength between the fibers within the tow. In the past, to improve the problem of low hardness, hardness was provided by applying a synthetic binder.

Meanwhile, when a synthetic binder is applied to lyocell tow (L-tow), a certain hardness is imparted, but there is a problem that the biodegradability is reduced in the long term due to a decrease in the degree of biodegradation under industrial composting conditions. Accordingly, there is a need for a material that can impart a certain degree of hardness to lyocell tow (L-tow) and have excellent degree of biodegradation under industrial composting conditions.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an eco-friendly filter for smoking articles having improved phenol reduction performance and excellent disintegrability under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432) and thus improved biodegradability by adding an additive, which is a phenol reduction material, to lyocell tow, and a smoking article including the eco-friendly filter for smoking articles.

However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the relevant technical field from the description below.

According to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem, a filter for a smoking article comprises lyocell tow including lyocell fibers, and has a degree of biodegradability of 80% or more after 3 months (12 weeks) under industrial composting conditions of a temperature of 58°C±2°C and a humidity of 50%±2% according to EN 13432, and the degree of biodegradability is defined by the following mathematical formula.

[Mathematical formula]

D={(m1-m2)/m1}*100

(Here, D is the degree of biodegradation (%), m1 is the initial weight of the filter for smoking articles (g), and m2 is the weight of the residue on the top of the standard body after the period (g).)

In some embodiments, the lyocell tow may further comprise additives dispersed therein.

In some embodiments, the additive may include a phenol reducing agent.

In some embodiments, the phenol-reducing material may include at least one of an organic acid-derived derivative having multiple ester groups, a polyhydric alcohol molecule derivative having multiple ester groups, a molecule in which multiple polyhydric alcohols are sequentially bonded, and a molecule in which three or more polyhydric alcohols are sequentially bonded.

In some embodiments, the phenol-reducing material may include at least one of polyethylene glycol (PEG), triethyl citrate (TEC), and triacetin (TA).

In some embodiments, the biodegradability may be characterized as being greater than 85%.

In some embodiments, the filter member wrapper may further comprise a filter member wrapper surrounding the lyocell tow.

In some embodiments, the filter member wrapper can be characterized as a nonporous paper having a basis weight of from 20 gsm to 180 gsm.

In some embodiments, the filter member wrapper can be characterized as a nonporous paper having a basis weight of 70 gsm to 150 gsm.

In some embodiments, the hardness of the filter for the smoking article may be characterized as being between 80% and 99%.

According to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described other problems, a smoking article comprises: a smoking material portion; and a smoking article filter disposed downstream of the smoking material portion, wherein the smoking article filter comprises: lyocell tow including lyocell fibers; and a filter portion wrapper surrounding the filter portion, and has a degree of decomposition of 80% or more after 3 months (12 weeks) under industrial composting conditions of a temperature of 58°C±2°C and a humidity of 50%±2% according to EN 13432, and the degree of decomposition is defined by the following mathematical formula.

[Mathematical formula]

D={(m1-m2)/m1}*100

(Here, D is the degree of biodegradation (%), m1 is the initial weight of the filter for smoking articles (g), and m2 is the weight of the residue on the top of the standard body after the period (g).)

In some embodiments, the filter for the smoking article further comprises an additive dispersed on the lyocell tow, wherein the additive comprises at least one of polyethylene glycol (PEG), triethyl citrate (TEC), and triacetin (TA).

According to an environmentally friendly filter for a smoking article according to one embodiment and a smoking article comprising the same, by adding an additive which is a phenol-reducing substance to Lyocell tow, the phenol-reducing performance is improved, the hardness is excellent, and the biodegradability is excellent under industrial composting conditions (EN 13432), thereby providing an excellent biodegradability effect.

It should be understood that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, but include all effects that can be inferred from the composition of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a schematic configuration of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Example 1 of the present invention, taken over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432). (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles taken after 0 week, (b) after 4 weeks, (c) after 8 weeks, and (d) after 12 weeks.

Figure 3 is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Comparative Example 1, taken over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432). (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles taken after 0 week, (b) after 4 weeks, (c) after 8 weeks, and (d) after 12 weeks.

Figure 4 is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Comparative Example 2, taken over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432). (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles taken after 0 week, (b) after 4 weeks, (c) after 8 weeks, and (d) after 12 weeks.

Figure 5 is a photograph of the state of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Comparative Example 3 over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432). (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles taken after 0 week, (b) after 4 weeks, and (c) after 12 weeks.

Figure 6 is a photograph of the state of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Comparative Example 4 over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432). (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles taken after 0 week, (b) after 4 weeks, and (c) after 12 weeks.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments but may be implemented in various different forms, and the following embodiments are provided only to make the technical idea of the present disclosure complete and to fully inform a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical idea of the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims.

When adding reference signs to components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same signs as much as possible even if they are shown on different drawings. In addition, when describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description is omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification can be used in the meaning that can be commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly specifically defined. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing embodiments and is not intended to limit this disclosure. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated in the phrase.

Also, in describing components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms. When it is described that a component is "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component may also be "connected," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

As used herein, the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising” do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements.

First, let us clarify some terms used in this specification.

As used herein, a "smoking article" may mean any smokeable product or any product capable of providing a smoking experience, whether based on tobacco, a tobacco derivative, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or a tobacco substitute. For example, smoking articles may include smokeable products such as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos.

In this specification, “smoking material” may mean any type of material that can be used in a smoking article.

In this specification, “upstream” or “upstream direction” may mean a direction away from the smoker’s mouth, and “downstream” or “downstream direction” may mean a direction toward the smoker’s mouth.

In this specification, “longitudinal direction” may mean a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a schematic configuration of a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Throughout the specification, a "smoking article" may mean an article capable of generating an aerosol, such as a cigarette (cigarette), a cigar, etc. The smoking article may include an aerosol generating material or an aerosol forming substrate. Additionally, the smoking article may include a solid material based on tobacco raw materials, such as leaf tobacco, tobacco ash, or reconstituted tobacco. The smoking material may include a volatile compound.

In addition, throughout the specification, 'upstream' or 'upstream direction' means a direction away from the mouth of a user smoking the smoking article (1), and 'downstream' or 'downstream direction' means a direction approaching the mouth of a user smoking the smoking article (1). For example, in the smoking article (1) illustrated in FIG. 1, the smoking material portion (10) is located upstream or in the upstream direction of the filter portion (20) included in the smoking article filter (or eco-friendly filter for smoking article, hereinafter referred to as 'smoking article filter').

Furthermore, in this specification, the smoking article (1) is described as an example of a combustion-type cigarette, but is not limited thereto, and the smoking article (1) may correspond to a heated cigarette, etc. used with an aerosol generating device (not shown) such as an electronic cigarette device.

Referring to FIG. 1, a smoking article (100) includes a smoking material portion (10), a filter portion (20), a smoking material portion wrapper (30a), a filter portion wrapper (30b, or filter paper), and a tip paper (40).

A filter for a smoking article (or an eco-friendly filter for a smoking article) may include a filter part (20) and a filter part wrapper (30b) surrounding the filter part (20). In a smoking article (100), the smoking material part (10) is located upstream compared to the filter part (20).

The smoking material portion (10) can be filled with a smoking material such as raw tobacco leaf, a sheet leaf, or a mixture of leaf tobacco and a sheet leaf. The processed smoking material can be filled in the smoking material portion (10) in the form of a sheet or a piece of paper. The smoking material portion (10) can have an elongated rod shape, and its length, circumference, and diameter are not particularly limited, but can be adjusted to a size generally used in the relevant technical field in consideration of the amount of smoking material filled, the user's preference, etc.

The smoking material portion (10) may include at least one aerosol-generating material selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The smoking material portion (10) may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or acetate compounds. The aerosol-generating material and additives may be contained in the smoking material. The smoking material portion (10) may be packaged by a smoking material portion wrapper (30a).

The filter for smoking articles can be placed downstream of the smoking material section (10). The filter section (20) of the filter for smoking articles is placed downstream of the smoking material section (10) and functions as a filter through which aerosol substances generated from the smoking material section (10) pass immediately before the user inhales them.

The filter part (20) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, and an additive including a phenol-reducing material and dispersed in the lyocell tow. The filter for a smoking article including the lyocell tow may replace all or part of the filter part (20) of an existing smoking article, and when replacing part of it, a previously used filter material may be used together. Existing filter materials, such as a cellulose acetate filter and a hollow tube filter, may be used.

In Fig. 1, the filter unit (20) is illustrated as a mono filter consisting of a single filter, but is not limited thereto. For example, the filter unit (20) may be provided as a dual filter or triple filter having two or more filters to increase filter efficiency.

In some embodiments, when the filter unit (20) is provided as a dual filter or a triple filter, etc., one of the plurality of filters may be a filter (hereinafter, “Lyocell filter”) including lyocell tow including the lyocell fiber of the present invention and an additive including a phenol-reducing material dispersed in the lyocell tow, and another filter among the plurality of filters may be a cellulose acetate filter and/or a paper filter.

The filter part wrapper (30b) surrounds the filter part (20) and can package the filter part (20). The filter part wrapper (30b) is a filter paper, and can correspond to porous paper or non-porous paper that wraps the lyocell tow in which the additive is dispersed and can maintain a cylindrical filter shape. In addition, the filter part wrapper (30b) can be manufactured from flax, wood pulp, etc., and can be required to maintain combustibility and the taste of tobacco when burned.

Although not limited thereto, as described below, the filter part wrapper (30b) may be applied with a nonporous hard paper to supplement the hardness of the filter part (20) including lyocell tow in which an additive including a phenol-reducing material is dispersed. However, the filter part wrapper (30b) may be applied with a porous general paper to provide the filter part wrapper (30b) with excellent hardness of the smoking article filter according to the present invention, even when the filter part wrapper (30b) is applied with a nonporous hard paper to provide excellent hardness of the smoking article filter, the biodegradability is not lowered and excellent biodegradability can be achieved.

The smoking material portion (10) wrapped by the smoking material portion wrapper (30a) and the filter portion (20) wrapped by the filter portion wrapper (30b) can be combined and wrapped by the tip paper (40). The tip paper (40) can be wrapped around at least a portion (for example, a downstream portion) of the smoking material portion wrapper (30a) and the periphery of the filter portion wrapper (30b) as illustrated in FIG. 1. In other words, at least a portion of the smoking material portion (10) and the filter portion (20) can be further wrapped and physically combined by the tip paper (40).

Hereinafter, a filter for a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

The present invention relates to a filter for a smoking article included in a smoking article (100), and a filter for a smoking article according to one embodiment of the present invention includes lyocell tow including a plurality of lyocell fibers, an additive dispersed in the lyocell tow, and a filter wrapper (30b) wrapping the lyocell tow, and under industrial composting conditions of a temperature of 58°C±2°C and a humidity of 50%±2%, the biodegradability may be 80% or higher after 3 months (12 weeks) according to EN 13432.

The above lyocell fiber is an eco-friendly fiber made from cellulose extracted from wood pulp. The above lyocell tow refers to a bundle formed by cross-linking adjacent lyocell fibers.

In some embodiments, the lyocell fibers may have a non-circular cross-section. A non-circular cross-section is defined as a cross-section whose shape is not circular but includes a plurality of protrusions. For example, a cross-section having a shape in which a plurality of protrusions extend from a center may be referred to as a non-circular cross-section.

In some embodiments, the lyocell fibers may have, but are not limited to, a Y-shaped cross-section with three protrusions branching from the center, a cruciform cross-section with four protrusions, a star-shaped cross-section with five or more protrusions, or an O-shaped cross-section.

In some embodiments, the filter for smoking articles may have a biodegradability of at least 80%, at least 81%, at least 82%, at least 83%, at least 84%, and preferably at least 85%, after 3 months (12 weeks) under industrial composting conditions of 58°C±2°C and 50%±2% humidity, as per EN 13432.

As described below, the biodegradability can be measured by measuring the initial weight (g) of the filter for smoking articles before being placed in the analysis chamber (hereinafter referred to as the "initial weight of the filter"), measuring the weight (g) of the residue on the top of the standard sieve filtered through the standard sieve after the experimental period (3 months) (hereinafter referred to as the "weight of the residue on the top of the standard sieve after the period"), and dividing the difference between the initial weight of the filter and the weight of the residue on the top of the standard sieve after the period by the initial weight of the filter using a formula. A detailed description thereof will be described below.

In some embodiments, the additive may include a phenol-reducing agent. In one embodiment, the phenol-reducing agent may be a substance that can specifically reduce phenols produced during smoking.

In some embodiments, the phenol-reducing material may be a material including at least one of an organic acid-derived derivative having a plurality of ester groups, a polyhydric alcohol molecule derivative having a plurality of ester groups, a molecule in which a plurality of polyhydric alcohols are sequentially bonded, and a molecule in which three or more polyhydric alcohols are sequentially bonded. Preferably, the phenol-reducing material may include at least one of polyethylene glycol (hereinafter referred to as 'PEG'), triethyl citrate (hereinafter referred to as 'TEC'), and triacetin (hereinafter referred to as 'TA').

In some embodiments, the phenol-reducing material may include PEG, may include TEC, or may include both PEG and TEC. However, without limitation, the phenol-functional material additionally added to at least one of the PEG, TEC, and TA is not limited as long as it is a material capable of reducing phenols generated during smoking.

In some embodiments, the additive comprising a phenol-reducing material may be uniformly dispersed in the lyocell tow and distributed throughout the entire area of the lyocell tow constituting the filter member (20).

Meanwhile, at least one of PEG, TEC, and TA, which are exemplary materials of the phenol-reducing material according to one embodiment, may perform a plasticizer function for cellulose acetate fibers but may not act as a plasticizer for lyocell fibers. Accordingly, when at least one of PEG, TEC, and TA is included as a phenol-reducing material, even though the phenol-reducing material is applied onto the lyocell fibers, the lyocell fibers may not be plasticized by the phenol-reducing material.

A filter for a smoking article to which lyocell tow according to the present invention is applied can have a superior effect in reducing phenols generated during smoking compared to a filter for a smoking article to which a phenol reducing substance is not added, by including an additive including at least one phenol reducing substance among PEG, TEC, or TA dispersed on the lyocell tow.

In addition, even though a phenol-reducing substance including at least one of PEG, TEC, and TA is dispersed in lyocell tow, the phenol-reducing substance, which functions as a plasticizer for cellulose acetate fibers, does not function as a plasticizer for lyocell fibers, so that the filter for a smoking article according to the present invention does not have a reduced biodegradability and can further have excellent biodegradability.

The filter part wrapper (30b) can be arranged to surround the filter part (20). The filter part wrapper (30b) has a weight greater than a predetermined value and can be composed (manufactured) of a nonporous hard paper.

Meanwhile, since the filter part wrapper (30b) is composed of a hard paper having a weight greater than a predetermined value, it not only functions as a packaging material surrounding the filter part (20) including lyocell tow, but also can perform the function of providing a certain level of hardness or greater to the filter for a smoking article according to the present invention.

Specifically, when the filter part (20) is composed of lyocell tow having at least one phenol-reducing substance dispersed therein among PEG, TEC, and TA, the hardness of the lyocell tow may be reduced compared to cellulose acetate tow since the lyocell fibers are not plasticized by the phenol-reducing substance. Accordingly, the hardness of the filter for smoking articles can be supplemented by applying the filter part wrapper (30b) wrapping the filter part (20) as a hard paper having a basis weight greater than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the problem of reduced biodegradability that may occur when a synthetic polymer binder is applied on lyocell tow to impart hardness to the lyocell filter by coagulation, bonding, and adhesion between bundles of lyocell fibers can be prevented, while providing a filter for smoking articles having excellent hardness.

In some embodiments, the filter portion wrapper (30b) may include a paper having a basis weight of 20 gsm to 180 gsm, 25 gsm to 175 gsm, 35 gsm to 170 gsm, 40 gsm to 160 gsm, 50 gsm to 158 gsm, 60 gsm to 155 gsm, 70 gsm to 150 gsm, or 75 gsm to 150 gsm. Since the filter portion wrapper (30b) is composed of a paper having a high basis weight, the hardness of the filter portion (20) including the lyocell tow having the phenol-reducing material dispersed therein is supplemented by the filter portion wrapper (30b), so that the hardness of the filter for smoking articles is at a certain level or higher, thereby solving the problem of lowering the hardness of the filter for smoking articles. In addition, as described below, even though the filter part wrapper (30b) is composed of a high-weight paper, the phenol-reducing material does not act as a plasticizer on the lyocell tow, so that the biodegradability of the filter for smoking articles can be excellent at 80% or more, preferably 85% or more, under industrial composting conditions of 58°C±2°C and 50%±2% humidity, according to EN 13432.

In some embodiments, a smoking article filter including a filter member (20) and a filter member wrapper (30b) surrounding the filter member according to the present invention may have a hardness of 80% to 99%, 83% to 98.5%, 85% to 98%, or 88% to 97.5%. The hardness of the smoking article filter is a numerical value indicating the degree to which the diameter of the smoking article filter is maintained when the smoking article filter is pressed with a certain level of force in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the smoking article filter, and may be a value indicating the ratio of the diameter of the smoking article filter after the force is applied to the diameter of the smoking article filter before the force is applied.

Below, the composition of the present invention and the effects thereof will be described in more detail through examples and comparative examples. However, these examples are intended to explain the present invention more specifically, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Example 1 of the present invention, taken over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432), wherein (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 0 week, (b) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 4 weeks, (c) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 8 weeks, and (d) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 12 weeks, and FIG. 3 is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Comparative Example 1, taken over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432), wherein (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 0 week, (b) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 4 weeks, (c) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 8 weeks, and (d) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 12 weeks, and FIG. 4 is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles manufactured according to Comparative Example 2, taken over time under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432), wherein (a) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 0 week, (b) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 4 weeks, (c) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 8 weeks, and (d) is a photograph of a filter for smoking articles after 12 weeks, and This is a photograph of a smoking article filter taken after 12 weeks, and FIG. 5 is a photograph taken over time of a smoking article filter manufactured according to Comparative Example 3 under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432), wherein (a) is a photograph of the smoking article filter after 0 week, (b) is a photograph of the smoking article filter after 4 weeks, and (c) is a photograph of the smoking article filter after 12 weeks, and FIG. 6 is a photograph taken over time of a smoking article filter manufactured according to Comparative Example 4 under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432), wherein (a) is a photograph of the smoking article filter after 0 week, (b) is a photograph of the smoking article filter after 4 weeks, and (c) is a photograph of the smoking article filter after 12 weeks.

Example 1 (L-Filter TEC+PEG, 75gsm hard paper)

After spraying and adding 15.6 mg of a mixture of TEC and PEG, in which 5.1 mg of TEC and 10.5 mg of PEG are mixed per mm of lyocell tow length, onto lyocell tow, the lyocell tow in which the mixture of TEC and PEG is dispersed is wrapped with a nonporous hard paper having a basis weight of 75 gsm to manufacture a smoking article filter having a length of 108 mm, a circumference of 24.2 mm, and a suction resistance of 300 mmWG to 450 mmWG.

Example 2 (L-Filter TEC, 75gsm hard paper)

A filter for a smoking article was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 15.6 mg of TEC per mm of lyocell tow length was added by spraying instead of the mixture of TEC and PEG on the lyocell tow.

Example 3 (L-filter PEG, 75gsm hard paper)

A filter for a smoking article was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that 15.6 mg of PEG per mm of lyocell tow length was added by spraying instead of the mixture of TEC and PEG on the lyocell tow.

Comparative Example 1 (L-Filter Blank, 75gsm hard paper)

A filter for a smoking article was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that no additive containing a phenol-reducing substance was added to the lyocell tow.

Comparative Example 2 (L-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 75gsm Hard Paper)

A filter for a smoking article was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a binder solution having a concentration of 15% was added as a synthetic polymer binder of the polyester series instead of an additive containing a phenol-reducing substance on lyocell tow, in an amount of 15% by weight relative to the weight of lyocell tow.

Experimental Example 1: Evaluation of Phenol Reduction Performance

Smoking articles were manufactured using the smoking article filters of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1, and the smoking conditions were HC conditions (Puff volume: 55 ml / Puff frequency: 30 s / Puff duration: 2 s / vent blocking). A cigarette smoking machine HAUNI LX20 manual (Linear type) was used as a smoking device. Smoke components were captured using a Cambridge filter pad (CFP), 30 mL of 1% acetic acid was added to the captured pad to extract the substance, stirred, and filtered using a 0.45 um PVDF syringe filter. Phenol and phenol-type smoke components in the smoke passing through each smoking article filter were measured and analyzed using an Alliance HPLC-FLD analyzer from Water, and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

Ingredients in smoke phenol
(ug/cig) Total phenols
(ug/cig) Comparative Example 1 (L-Filter Blank, 75gsm hard paper) 38.9 249.4 Example 1 (L-Filter TEC+PEG, 75gsm hard paper) 18.3 203.2 Example 2 (L-Filter TEC, 75gsm hard paper) 21.4 202.4 Example 3 (L-filter PEG, 75gsm hard paper) 18.6 204.5

As shown in Table 1 above, in Examples 1 to 3 manufactured using lyocell tow in which a phenol-reducing substance was dispersed, the amount of phenol components migrated decreased compared to Comparative Example 1 in which a phenol-reducing substance was not dispersed in lyocell tow, and the total amount of phenol components migrated also decreased. In addition, in Examples 1 to 3, the total amount of phenol components migrated decreased similarly, and it could be confirmed that the phenol-reducing performance of Example 1 in which a mixture of TEC and PEG was added and Example 3 in which PEG was added alone was superior to that of Example 2 in which TEC was added alone as a phenol-reducing substance.

Therefore, it can be expected that there will be an advantage of improved phenol reduction performance when a filter for a smoking article is manufactured by dispersing an additive including at least one of TEC and PEG on lyocell tow.

Experimental Example 2: Biodegradability of Lyocell Filter under Industrial Composting Conditions

Using the smoking article filters of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, experiments were conducted for 3 months (12 weeks) under industrial composting conditions of EN 13432 at a temperature of 58°C and a humidity of 50% in an analysis room consisting of a 2-L reaction vessel stored in a 300-L chamber.

In order to confirm the biodegradability over time of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2, photographs of the smoking article filters of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 were taken over a period of time (0 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks) and are shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, respectively. The biodegradability of the smoking article filters of Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 after 12 weeks (3 months) was measured and is shown in Table 2.

The degree of biodegradability under the above industrial compost conditions can be measured by utilizing the principle that when a smoking article filter stored in an analysis laboratory disintegrates over time and is filtered using a standard sieve having a mesh size of 2 mm x 2 mm, if the degree of biodegradability is excellent, the filter disintegrates into pieces smaller than 2 mm and is not filtered by the standard sieve. Unless otherwise specified herein, the standard sieve may mean a sieve having mesh sizes of 2 mm x 2 mm. In addition, satisfying the conditions under the industrial compost conditions of EN 13432 may mean satisfying a biodegradability of 90% or more within a maximum of 12 weeks and a maximum of less than 10% of residues larger than 2 mm filtered by the standard sieve.

Specifically, the initial weight (g) of the filter for smoking articles before being put into the analysis chamber (hereinafter referred to as the "initial weight of the filter") was measured, the weight (g) of the residue on the top of the standard sieve filtered through the standard sieve after the experimental period (3 months) (hereinafter referred to as the "weight of the residue on the top of the standard sieve after the period") was measured, and the difference between the initial weight of the filter and the weight of the residue on the top of the standard sieve after the period was divided by the initial weight of the filter, was used to measure the biodegradability under industrial compost conditions (EN 13432) using the following mathematical equation 1.

[Mathematical Formula 1]

D={(m1-m2)/m1}*100

(Here, D is the degree of biodegradation (%), m1 is the initial weight of the filter (g), and m2 is the weight of the residue on top of the standard body after the period (g).)

Biodegradation rate (%) Example 1 (L-Filter TEC+PEG, 75gsm hard paper) 85 Comparative Example 1 (L-Filter Blank, 75gsm hard paper) 91 Comparative Example 2 (L-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 75gsm Hard Paper) 70

As shown in Table 2 above, the biodegradability of Example 1 in which an additive including a phenol-reducing substance was applied to lyocell tow was 85%, which is a significantly increased biodegradability under industrial compost conditions compared to the biodegradability of 70% in Comparative Example 2 in which a synthetic polymer binder was applied to lyocell tow. In addition, it can be confirmed that the biodegradability of Example 1 decreased compared to Comparative Example 1 in which no additive for improving hardness or reducing phenol was applied to lyocell tow, but the decrease rate was not large.

In addition, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, it can be confirmed that the state of the filter after 12 weeks (3 months) of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 is a powder form rather than a cylindrical shape due to biodegradation, but the state of the filter after 12 weeks (3 months) of Comparative Example 2 is a powder form rather than a cylindrical shape, as the biodegradation progresses at a rate that maintains the initial shape of the filter.

From these results, it can be confirmed that when an additive including a phenol-reducing substance is applied to lyocell tow, not only can the phenol-reducing performance be improved, but also the problem of reduced biodegradability can be prevented compared to when a polymer binder is applied.

Comparative Example 3 (L-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 21gsm General Paper)

A filter for a smoking article was manufactured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 2, except that the lyocell tow was wrapped with a porous general paper having a basis weight of 21 gsm instead of a nonporous hard paper having a basis weight of 75 gsm.

Comparative Example 4 (CA-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 21gsm General Paper)

A filter for a smoking article was manufactured in the same manner as in Comparative Example 3, except that cellulose acetate tow was used instead of lyocell tow and TEC was used as a plasticizer in an amount of 7 wt% based on the filter weight in the cellulose acetate tow.

Experimental Example 3: Comparison of biodegradability of lyocell filter and cellulose acetate filter under industrial composting conditions

In the same manner as Experimental Example 2, Comparative Examples 3 and 4 were placed in the analysis room and the experiment was conducted for 3 months (12 weeks) under industrial compost conditions of EN 13432 with a temperature of 58℃ and a humidity of 50%. The photographs of the status of the filters for smoking articles were taken at each time point (0 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks) and are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. The biodegradation degree of the filters for smoking articles for each comparative example after 12 weeks (3 months) was measured and is shown in Table 3.

Biodegradation rate (%) Comparative Example 3 (L-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 21gsm General Paper) 70 Comparative Example 4 (CA-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 21gsm General Paper) 30

As shown in Table 3 above, it can be confirmed that the degree of biodegradability of the filter for smoking articles in Comparative Example 3, which is a lyocell filter, significantly increases compared to Comparative Example 4, which is a cellulose acetate filter. Therefore, it can be expected that the biodegradability of the filter for smoking articles can also be improved as the degree of biodegradability of the filter for smoking articles significantly increases.

In addition, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, it can be confirmed that the condition of the filter after 12 weeks (3 months) of Comparative Example 3 to which a lyocell filter was applied is lower than that of the filter after 12 weeks (3 months) of Comparative Example 4 to which a cellulose acetate filter was applied, and thus the initial shape of the filter is generally maintained due to the slow progress of biodegradation.

Therefore, since Comparative Example 3, which is a lyocell filter to which a synthetic polymer binder is added and a general paper is applied, has a significantly superior biodegradability compared to Comparative Example 4, which is a cellulose acetate filter to which a synthetic polymer binder is added and a general paper is applied, it can be expected that Example 1, which has a significantly superior biodegradability compared to Comparative Example 2, which is a lyocell filter to which a synthetic polymer binder is added and a hard paper is applied, has a significantly superior biodegradability compared to Comparative Example 4.

Experimental Example 4: Comparison of biodegradability under industrial compost conditions according to application of filter paper

The biodegradability of Comparative Examples 2 and 3 under the previously measured industrial compost conditions of EN 13432 is compared as shown in Table 4 below.

Biodegradation rate (%) Comparative Example 2 (L-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 75gsm Hard Paper) 70 Comparative Example 3 (L-Filter Synthetic Polymer Binder, 21gsm General Paper) 70

As shown in Table 4 above, regardless of the basis weight of the filter paper, it can be confirmed that the biodegradability of the lyocell filter to which the synthetic polymer binder is added is the same in Comparative Examples 2 and 3. That is, even when a hard paper is applied to the filter paper wrapping the lyocell tow to supplement the hardness of the lyocell filter, it can be expected that the biodegradability of the filter for smoking articles will not be reduced by the hard paper.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the attached drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical ideas or essential features thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary and not restrictive in all respects. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

Claims (12)

Contains lyocell tow containing lyocell fibers, Under industrial composting conditions of 58℃±2℃ and 50%±2% humidity, the biodegradability is 80% or higher after 3 months (12 weeks) according to EN 13432. The above biodegradation rate is defined by the following mathematical formula 1: Filters for smoking articles. [Mathematical Formula 1] D={(m1-m2)/m1}*100 (Here, D is the degree of biodegradation (%), m1 is the initial weight of the filter for smoking articles (g), and m2 is the weight of the residue on the top of the standard body after the period (g).) In the first paragraph, Further comprising an additive dispersed in the above lyocell tow, Filters for smoking articles. In the second paragraph, The above additive comprises a phenol reducing substance, Filters for smoking articles. In the third paragraph, The above phenol-reducing material comprises at least one of an organic acid-derived derivative having multiple ester groups, a polyhydric alcohol molecule derivative having multiple ester groups, a molecule in which multiple polyhydric alcohols are sequentially bonded, and a molecule in which three or more polyhydric alcohols are sequentially bonded. Filters for smoking articles. In the third paragraph, The above phenol reducing material comprises at least one of polyethylene glycol (PEG), triethyl citrate (TEC), and triacetin (TA). Filters for smoking articles. In the first paragraph, The above biodegradability is characterized by being 85% or higher. Filters for smoking articles. In the first paragraph, Further comprising a filter wrapper wrapping the above lyocell tow, Filters for smoking articles. In Article 7, The above filter part wrapper is characterized by being a nonporous paper having a basis weight of 20 gsm to 180 gsm. Filters for smoking articles. In Article 7, The above filter part wrapper is characterized by being a nonporous paper having a basis weight of 70 gsm to 150 gsm. Filters for smoking articles. In Article 9, The hardness of the filter for the above smoking article is characterized by being 80% to 99%. Filters for smoking articles. Smoking substance section; and Including a filter for smoking articles arranged downstream of the above smoking material section, The above filter for smoking articles is, Lyocell tow comprising lyocell fibers; and Including a filter part wrapper surrounding the above filter part, Under industrial composting conditions of 58℃±2℃ and 50%±2% humidity, the biodegradability is 80% or higher after 3 months (12 weeks) according to EN 13432. The above biodegradation rate is defined by the following mathematical formula 2: Smoking items. [Mathematical formula 2] D={(m1-m2)/m1}*100 (Here, D is the degree of biodegradation (%), m1 is the initial weight of the filter for smoking articles (g), and m2 is the weight of the residue on the top of the standard body after the period (g).) In Article 11, The filter for the above smoking article further comprises an additive dispersed on the lyocell tow, The above additive comprises at least one of polyethylene glycol (PEG), triethyl citrate (TEC), and triacetin (TA). Smoking items.

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