Biodegradable cigarette filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018338525-A1
Application number	US-201816046392-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2010
Publication date	Nov 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A biodegradable bi-component fiber may include a polyhydroxyalkanoate and/or polylactic acid with cellulose acetate and/or plasticized cellulose acetate for use in a filter material configured for use in a filter of a smoking article. The bi-component fiber may have a sheath-core construction where one component of the bi-component forms the core, and the other component forms the sheath of each fiber. A filter made in accordance with this design may also include non-biodegradable material.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A filter material configured for use as part of a smoking article, comprising:
a plurality of bi-component fibers assembled as fibrous filter tow, each fiber including a core comprising a first degradable polymer material including polylactic acid or a polyhydroxyalkanoate and a sheath comprising a second polymer material including at least a cellulose ester and a plasticizer; wherein the core comprises a higher melt temperature than the sheath; and wherein at least one of the first degradable polymer material and the second polymer material further comprises particles of starch and/or particles of cellulose.

2 . The filter material of claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises polylactic acid.

3 . The filter material of claim 1 , wherein the sheath further comprises cellulose acetate.

4 . The filter material of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise 5 percent to 30 percent by weight of an overall dry weight of the filter material.

5 . The filter material of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises at least about 60 percent to about 95 percent by volume of the bi-component fibers.

6 . The filter material of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises at least 80 percent by volume of the bi-component fibers.

7 . The filter material of claim 1 , wherein the particles are soluble in water to at least 50 g/L.

8 . The filter material of claim 1 , further comprising a state of being formed into a filter element and being attached to tobacco material so as to form a smoking article.

9 . The filter material of claim 1 , where the core first degradable material consists of polylactic acid.

10 . The filter material of claim 9 , where the sheath comprises plasticized cellulose acetate.

11 . A method of making filter material of claim 10 , comprising a step of coextruding the plasticized cellulose acetate with the polylactic acid core.

12 . A method of making filter material of claim 10 , comprising applying cellulose acetate solution together with a plasticizer onto core polylactic acid fiber.

13 . A method of making filter material of claim 10 , comprising applying cellulose acetate solution as a sheath onto core polylactic acid fiber and thereafter applying a plasticizer to the cellulose acetate sheath.

14 . A filter material configured for use as part of a smoking article, comprising:
a plurality of bi-component fibers assembled as fibrous filter tow, each fiber including a core comprising a first degradable polymer material including polylactic acid or a polyhydroxyalkanoate and a sheath comprising a second polymer material including at least a cellulose ester and a plasticizer; wherein the core comprises a higher melt temperature than the sheath; wherein at least one of the first degradable polymer material and the second polymer material further comprises particles of starch and/or particles of cellulose; and where the second material further comprises a degradable material selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxypropionate, polyhydroxyvalaerate, polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyoctanoate, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate adipate, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, polyesteramide, and regenerated cellulose.

15 . The filter material of claim 14 , wherein the core comprises at least about 60 percent to about 95 percent by volume of the bi-component fibers.

16 . The filter material of claim 14 , wherein the second polymer material selected is polylactic acid.

17 . The filter material of claim 14 , wherein the second polymer material is cellulose acetate.

18 . The filter material of claim 17 , wherein the cellulose acetate is plasticized.

19 . The filter material of claim 14 , wherein the particles are soluble in water to at least 50 g/L.

20 . The filter material of claim 14 , wherein the particles comprise 5 percent to 30 percent by weight of an overall dry weight of the filter material.

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Sebastian Andries D
• Norman Alan B
• Joyce Leigh Ann
• Gan Huamin

Classifications

• A24D3/065

  with sheath/core of bi-component type structure · CPC title

• A24D3/10

  of cellulose or cellulose derivatives · CPC title

• A24D3/064

  having non-circular cross-section · CPC title

• A24D3/0237

  by extrusion · CPC title

• A24D3/068 Primary

  Biodegradable or disintegrable · CPC title