CN102781265A - Enhancing the disintegration and/or degradation of a smoking article - Google Patents

Abstract

A filter (2) for a smoking article (1) is provided by the present invention, the filter comprising a vehicle containing a liquid capable of enhancing the disintegration and/or dispersibility of the smoking article. A method of enhancing the disintegration and/or degradation of a smoking article is also provided, wherein the smoking article comprises a vehicle containing a liquid capable of enhancing the disintegration and/or degradation of the smoking article.

Description

Improved breakdown and/or degradation of smoking articles

technical field

The present invention relates to improving the disintegration and/or degradation of used smoking articles, and in particular but not exclusively to improving the disintegration and/or degradation of filters for such smoking articles.

Background technique

A problem with currently available tobacco smoke filters, especially cigarette filters, is that they can be difficult to dispose of after use.

During smoking, most of the tobacco rod and the wrapper surrounding the tobacco rod are converted into gases and ash during incineration. The remaining components of a used smoking article include a small portion of ash, a portion of the original tobacco rod and wrapper, and a filter consisting of a filter plug, plug wrap and tipping paper surrounding the tobacco rod and filter wrap. There is also an adhesive that holds these parts together. Used smoking articles typically disintegrate completely into their individual components within a relatively short period of time when exposed to moisture and/or mechanical abrasion. Thereby, the individual components of the used smoking article can then be dispersed and degraded.

However, plugs of filter material typically do not disperse or degrade easily. With limited exceptions, filters are currently formed from highly crimped cellulose acetate fibers bonded at their points of contact using plasticizers to provide considerable interstitial volume for aerosol passage. The adhesive contacts of this filter element degrade very slowly under normal environmental conditions. Cellulose acetate fibers themselves are generally poorly biodegradable.

Although developments to date have been devoted to improving the biodegradability of filter plugs, there is still interest in improved techniques for producing filters with higher biodegradation rates. At the same time, there is a need to maintain the filtration chemistry, smoke characteristics, and consumer acceptability offered by currently available smoking article filters.

In order to produce smoking articles that include filter cigarettes that are more easily disintegrated or dispersible and more readily biodegradable, it would be desirable to provide a smoking article that exhibits a relatively rapid disintegration of the individual components of the used smoking article, followed by disintegration of the individual components. Rapidly disperses and biodegrades. In other words, increasing the rate of decomposition of the used smoking article thereby increasing the rate of degradation by increasing the exposure of the individual components to natural factors such as moisture, sunlight, mechanical wear and aerobic biodegradation.

One approach previously used to improve the disintegration of used smoking article filters involves incorporating water-swellable gels into the filter material to cause the filter to swell when it comes in contact with moisture, thereby breaking open the filter tip. paper to expose the filter material to the elements.

Water-disintegrable papers have also been proposed for the manufacture of smoking article filter components - including filter material, filter plug wraps and tipping papers. The use of water soluble adhesives to secure filter plugs and wrap tipping papers is also known.

All of these methods of improving the degradation of smoking article filters require the presence of water, eg moisture from rain, snow, dew, or residual moisture from those factors - eg moist soil. However, these methods may not be effective in arid regions with little rainfall.

Another problem is that cellulose acetate tow, which is commonly used as filter material, does not degrade or biodegrade easily. Thus, despite efforts to promote the breakdown of the used smoking article, the filter material itself will not subsequently degrade. Accordingly, most efforts to reduce the environmental burden of used smoking articles or to make such used smoking articles more environmentally compatible have involved improving the biodegradability of cellulose acetate fibers. A water-soluble polymer has been used to replace triacetin - the solvent that binds the cellulose acetate fibers typically used to make filters. Alternatively, dissolvable polymeric materials such as polyvinyl alcohol and ethylene vinyl alcohol polymers can be used in place of cellulose acetate. At the same time, tobacco smoke filters made of creped paper produced from wood pulp sheets and tobacco filters made of regenerated cellulose fiber bundles are also known. These filters were slightly more prone to disintegration when exposed to moisture than filters comprising cellulose acetate tow.

While there are significantly better environmental alternatives than cellulose acetate, degradability is often dependent on the presence of moisture, which may be lacking in some areas as previously mentioned.

In accordance with the above description, at least one embodiment of the present invention provides a smoking article with improved disintegration, dispersion and/or degradation. More specifically, at least one embodiment of the present invention provides a filter for a smoking article that is capable of degrading in the absence of water in the environment.

Contents of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a filter for a smoking article comprising a carrier comprising a liquid capable of improving the breakdown and/or degradation of the smoking article.

The carrier may be a membrane capsule which can be broken or otherwise actuated to release liquid just before disposal of the smoking article, or which can be broken or otherwise actuated after disposal. Typically, the carrier is arranged to be actuated to release liquid after smoking the smoking article.

The carrier may be arranged to be actuated by a longitudinal or bending force on the filter, for example the action of "pinching" the smoking article to release liquid. The process of actuating the carrier to release the liquid may substantially deform the filter.

The liquid may improve the degradation of the smoking article in one or more of the following ways. First, the liquid can cause breakdown of the various components of the smoking article, leading to their greater exposure to the environment and accelerating dispersion and biodegradation. Second, the degradation of one or more components of the smoking article can be improved directly by the liquid. For example, the filter may comprise a filter material that is degradable by the liquid carried by the carrier. Thereby, for example, when the membrane capsule containing the liquid is broken, the liquid is released and the degradation of the filter material is improved.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a smoking article comprising a filter as described herein.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of using a membrane capsule containing a liquid for improving disintegration and/or degradation of a smoking article.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of improving the disintegration and/or degradation of a smoking article, wherein the smoking article comprises a membrane capsule containing a liquid capable of improving the disintegration and/or degradation of the smoking article.

Description of drawings

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the schematic drawings, each showing a longitudinal cross-section of a single filter cigarette (not drawn to scale) comprising a filter according to an embodiment of the invention .

Figure 1 shows a filter according to one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a filter according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed ways

The present invention provides a filter for a smoking article comprising a carrier comprising a liquid capable of improving the breakdown, dispersion and/or degradation of the smoking article. The carrier is preferably resistant to manipulation during use of the smoking article and will be actuated to release the liquid contents into the filter when the smoking article is handled. Disintegration and degradation of the filter may occur directly, for example, by dissolution or degradation of one or more components of the filter (eg filter material) in the liquid. Alternatively, the improvement in degradation may be achieved indirectly, for example due to increased environmental exposure due to accelerated decomposition of the filter under the action of liquids.

FIG. 1 shows a smoking article 1 comprising a filter 2 . The filter 2 comprises two sections of a generally cylindrical filter plug 3 separated by a cavity 6 . The filter plug and cavity are wrapped in the plug wrap 4. The liquid-containing membrane capsule 5 is located in the cavity 6 of the filter 2 . The smoking article further comprises a cylindrical rod 7 of smokeable material aligned with the filter 2 such that the end of the rod 7 abuts the end of the filter 2 . The rod is wrapped in a paper wrap 8 and bonded to the filter 2 by tipping paper 9 in a conventional manner.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment, where corresponding features have the same reference numerals. This embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the capsule 15 has an elongated shape. In addition, the membrane capsule 15 is embedded within the material of the filter plug 13 rather than being positioned in a cavity within the filter 2 .

The liquid retained within the capsule improves the degradation of the smoking article. Thus, the choice of liquid depends on the composition of the material making up the remainder of the smoking article and vice versa. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as outlined below, the liquid is water and the various components of the smoking article are to some extent water dispersible or moisture degradable. In this way, the degradation of the smoking article is improved relative to the same smoking article lacking the water-containing capsule.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the membrane capsule 15 is enclosed within the filter material 13 . In some embodiments, the filter may be a composite filter comprising multiple filter segments. For example, the filter shown in Figure 1 comprises two filter material segments 3 separated by a cavity 6 containing a membrane capsule. In a further embodiment, the capsule may be positioned in a cavity formed between the filter material and the rod of smokeable material, or the filter may comprise more than two filter segments and may It even includes multiple cavities.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the smoking article comprises a single capsule. However, in alternative embodiments, more than one capsule may be used, and in such an embodiment, the capsules will generally remain in the cavity segments formed in the multi-segment filter.

Capsules may be inserted into the filter using any suitable method, and various methods of capsule insertion will be known to those skilled in the art. Suitable means may, for example, include means for supplying a continuous flow of filter material from a source of such material (eg bags, spools, etc.). The device may further include a capsule insertion unit for inserting or placing individual capsules at predetermined intervals within the filter material. The filter material with the membrane pockets disposed therein can then be received into a rod making apparatus to provide a continuous rod which can then be subdivided at predetermined intervals into desired lengths to form individual filters of the present invention.

In general, prior art disclosures of membrane capsules for use in smoking article filters relate to providing an encapsulation method for releasing the encapsulation material before smoking occurs. The capsule is designed to resist damage only during transport and storage when the filter is not substantially subjected to significant external pressure. The capsule will be ruptured just prior to use of the smoking article, and since this is the first time the smoking article has been subjected to significant manipulation and external pressure, it does not have to be particularly strong.

In contrast, the capsule used in the present invention will break down after smoking the smoking article, and thus is preferably able to tolerate a significant degree of manipulation while smoking the smoking article. Therefore, the capsules of the present invention should be stronger than those generally described in the prior art. It is important that the capsule does not rupture accidentally before the smoking article is ready to be discarded. Such premature rupture may lead to changes in the filtering and thus delivery properties of the smoking article compared to what is desired.

On the other hand, it is important that the capsule is not overly strong, since it should be able to be easily destroyed after the puff has ended, during manual extinguishing or "nipping". The membrane capsules used according to the invention may, for example, have a crush strength of between 1.5 and 2.5 kp, preferably between 1.7 and 2 kp.

The membrane capsule can be designed and inserted into the filter in such a way that the rupture capability depends on the nature of the applied pressure. The pressure exerted by the user during smoking will be applied to the peripheral surface of the smoking article primarily through the fingers and mouth ("lateral" pressure). In certain embodiments of the invention, the capsule is relatively resistant to lateral pressure to prevent premature rupture. On the other hand, the pinching process may involve the application of "longitudinal" pressure along the length of the smoking article, and thus the membrane capsule should exhibit a relatively reduced ability to resist failure in response to longitudinal pressure.

This directional membrane elasticity can be achieved in a number of ways. For example, the membrane capsule may be elliptical or oval in shape and thus exhibit an increased resistance to rupture when pressure is applied in one direction relative to the other. Alternatively, directional elasticity can be achieved using capsules that have been specially reinforced in certain areas. Such membrane capsules can, for example, be produced with increased shell thickness in selected regions. Of course, a similar effect could be achieved by weakening the membrane vesicle wall in certain regions so as to break or rupture in response to a force applied in a particular manner or in a particular direction.

The pinch process can also involve bending of the filter. Thus, in certain embodiments, the membrane capsule is designed to exhibit increased susceptibility to rupture when the filter is bent or bent. For example, long columnar membranous vesicles that can be ruptured by sharp pinching can be used. Such elongated capsules will be positioned longitudinally within the filter so that they bend and rupture easily when the filter of the smoking article is pinched and bent.

Various means for releasing encapsulated substances, especially liquids, in smoking article filters are known and generally suitable for use in the present invention. Clearly, one of the main considerations is that the membrane vesicle should be generally resistant to degradation by the intended contents. The capsule should also comprise a material with a melting point above the temperature of the smoke within the filter.

The capsule may be brittle under stress and/or may include lines of weakness - such as score lines, points of weakness or sections of weakness. Alternatively, the piercing device may be incorporated into the filter.

In a preferred embodiment, the capsule is constructed of a frangible material. In one embodiment, the membrane vesicle is composed of low solubility, high molecular weight polyvinyl alcohol. A number of suitable alternative materials are known and, by way of example, membrane vesicles commonly employed in the pharmaceutical industry may be used. Such membrane capsules may, for example, be gum-based, or may be formed from polymeric materials, such as modified cellulose. One modified cellulose that can be used is hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. A number of biodegradable materials suitable for membrane vesicle production are known, and these include high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, polylactic acid, plastic starch biodegradable materials, polycaprolactone, polyglycolide, Polyhydroxyalkyl esters such as poly-3-hydroxybutyrate and bioplastics derived from zein fiber.

Alternatively, the capsule may comprise a length of thin-walled glass tube, the ends of which may be sealed by heating or using a material capable of withstanding manual manipulation before or during smoking, but which may be removed after smoking. rupture. Other suitable materials include thin walled aluminum tubes or hollow food material such as extruded hollow tubes of dough or reconstituted tobacco material. The inner walls of the capsule material may advantageously be coated with a varnish or a water-resistant material, such as silicon, to protect the rigidity of the capsule material by preventing it from absorbing or being degraded by the liquid content over a long period of time.

The membrane capsule may alternatively comprise wax, resin, natural or synthetic rubber, latex or plastic that retains its shape and strength at room temperature and at smoking temperatures but ruptures to release the liquid contents when pressure is applied to extinguish the smoking article. Examples of suitable waxes include beeswax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, shellac wax, wax palm, sugar cane wax, myrtle wax and petroleum wax.

Suitable resins include epoxy resins, terpene resins, petroleum resins, ester rubbers, phenolic resins and rosin based resins. Preferred rubbers include gum arabic, locust bean, guar, alginate, carrageenan and pectin.

Preferably, the substance constituting the capsule does not affect the taste of the mainstream smoke stream during smoking.

Vesicles can be formed in a variety of physical forms, including single- or multi-component vesicles, large vesicles, small vesicles, microvesicles, and the like. A number of different capsule configurations are suitable for use in the present invention; for example, the capsule may be generally spherical (as shown in Figure 1), oval, elliptical (as shown in Figure 2), cylindrical, or may be approximately polygonal Prismatic shape.

The membranous vesicles can be stained. For example, the membranous vesicles can include a dye. The stain can be used to more easily locate the membrane capsules within the filter during the manufacturing process. Alternatively or additionally, particularly if one or more capsules are to be only partially enclosed within the filter material, or if the tipping paper is to have a transparent window portion, a coloring agent may provide an interesting or attractive feature to the smoking article. Powerful appearance.

Alternatively or in addition, the liquid held in the capsule may be dyed. This will give the user an additional visual signal that the liquid has been successfully released and that degradation of the used smoking article will be improved. The stained fluid also has the added advantage of being useful as an indicator when the capsule ruptures accidentally prior to smoking. This color will warn the smoker that the smoking article is damaged and should not be smoked.

The size of the capsules will obviously depend on the volume of liquid required, but consideration should be given to the fact that the presence of capsules in the filter should not adversely affect the filtration or suction properties of the filter.

In a preferred embodiment, the capsule has a diameter of 5 mm. Typically, the diameter of the capsule can be up to 80% of the diameter of the smoking article. Preferably, the capsule diameter is up to 70%, 60% or 50% of the diameter of the smoking article. For example, the diameter of the capsule may be between 2 and 7 mm, and preferably the diameter is between 4 and 6 mm.

The capsule should be large enough to hold a sufficient amount of content to improve degradation of the smoking article. The required volume will vary depending on the nature of the liquid held within the capsule, the composition of the remainder of the smoking article and the relative ability of the liquid to improve degradation of the smoking article. The volume of the membrane capsule can be as high as 60%, 50%, 40% or 30% of the total volume of the filter. However, the need for a large volume of liquid should be balanced with the need to maintain sufficient filter material within the filter to provide the required degree of filtration.

While it is more desirable that the volume of the capsule be as large as possible, as the capsule size increases, so does the risk of premature capsule failure. Furthermore, the larger the capsule, the greater the obstruction to the smoke flow path. Thus, it is more desirable for the filter to comprise two, three, four or more membrane capsules in order to accommodate the volume of liquid required. For example, a plurality of membrane capsules may be positioned at regular intervals along the length of the filter. Alternatively, a plurality of membrane capsules may be positioned in clusters within the filter - for example within a cavity formed between two lengths of filter material.

Alternatively, long cylindrical or ellipsoidal capsules (or tubes) of length equal to a substantial proportion of the filter length or even to the entire length of the filter may be used. Such capsules can be up to 5 mm in diameter.

Multiple capsules comprising different liquids may be used.

In certain embodiments, the one or more capsules may be further encapsulated in a second capsule, a protective sheath, or the like. This may allow for greater protection against accidental or premature failure or accidental leakage. In this way, single- or multi-walled capsules can be used to specifically engineer capsule stability, strength, rupture resistance, ease of filter manufacturing process, and the like.

The capsules may be made using any suitable method, the method of making the capsules will obviously depend on the precise composition and composition desired. Various methods of fabricating membrane capsules - including techniques such as co-extrusion, spin coating, coacervation, interfacial polymerization, solvent evaporation and annular injection molding - will be well known to those skilled in the art.

In certain embodiments where the capsule is a seamless capsule, the capsule may be produced using a co-extrusion process. Co-Extrusion Process Simultaneously extrudes two liquids that will subsequently form the shell and vesicle contents (or "core"). The first (co-extrusion) step involves forming a droplet with a liquid core material inside the liquid shell material. After this co-extrusion step, the membrane capsule is cured by cooling or eg by immersion in a curing agent. The membrane capsules can then be subjected to various treatments such as washing, removal of excess liquid, dyeing, application of additional coatings, and the like.

Alternatively, annular injection molding techniques may be used. This method uses two concentric nozzles for the injection of inner jet liquid core material and outer jet liquid shell material. The fluid stream breaks up into droplets and the liquid shell material solidifies through phase transitions induced by the presence of ionic cross-links, pH differences, temperature changes, and the like.

In certain embodiments where the membrane capsule comprises a wax capsule, the membrane capsule may be formed, for example, by a method comprising freezing a solution of a liquid core material until small crystals form. According to this method, the crystals then drop into the molten wax and are removed by means of a spatula after a wax coating has formed around the cooled crystals. As the coated membrane capsule reaches room temperature, the frozen core material gradually becomes liquid.

In alternative embodiments, membrane capsules can be fabricated in situ. For example, in embodiments where the capsule comprises an elongated cylindrical capsule extending the entire length of the filter, the capsule may be constructed by crimping continuous tubing into the filter length as part of the filter manufacturing process.

The liquid retained within the capsule may be any liquid capable of improving the degradation of the material or materials making up the remainder of the smoking article. Obviously, the properties of the liquid depend on the material composition of the smoking article and vice versa.

Disintegration and/or degradation of smoking articles may be improved in one or more of the following ways. Firstly, the disintegration of the smoking article may be improved, resulting in substantially increased exposure of the individual components to the environment and thus making it easier to accelerate degradation. Second, degradation of one or more of the individual components can be directly improved, eg, one or more of the components can dissolve or otherwise react with the liquid held within the capsule.

Smoking articles typically comprise a number of different papers (tipping paper, plug wrap and tobacco wrapper) that bond and hold the various components of the smoking article together. In certain embodiments, the dispersion of the adhesive bonding the papers and/or the paper itself is improved by the action of the liquid in the membrane capsule. In a preferred embodiment, the liquid is water, the binder is a water-soluble or water-dispersible binder, and the plug wrap and tipping paper comprise moisture-disintegrable paper. Thus, when the capsule ruptures, the water acts on the adhesive, plug wrap and tipping paper, thereby improving the disintegration of the smoking article and accelerating the environmental degradation of the various components of the smoking article.

Liquids can be used to improve the degradation of smoking objects in a number of ways. When the capsule ruptures, the liquid is released and can move throughout the smoking article. In certain embodiments, the liquid held within the capsule is an aqueous solution, and one or more of the remaining components of the smoking article are water-degradable in some way, such as being composed of a water-soluble or water-dispersible material . In one embodiment, the liquid within the capsule is water and the filter material is a water soluble or dispersible material - eg polyvinyl alcohol.

In alternative embodiments other liquids may be used in the capsule, and the choice of liquid used will obviously depend on the components of the other components of the smoking article.

In general, the preferred liquid for use in the capsule is an aqueous solution, and the most preferred liquid is water. Weakly acidic or alkaline solutions can be used. In general, any liquid that is not potentially toxic or harmful to the user may be used. It is also important that no other components of the smoking article degrade to produce a product that is potentially toxic or harmful to the user in terms of accidental premature failure of the capsule.

Liquids can be dyed. This can be used as a visual signal that the capsule has ruptured, which may be important for two reasons. Firstly, if the capsule breaks prematurely, this will notify the user, thereby warning the user that the smoking article should not be smoked. Second, when the user attempts to break the capsule, this will serve to confirm to the user that the capsule has in fact ruptured satisfactorily. The interesting possibility of viewing the colored liquid can also be used as a stimulus to prompt the user to break the capsule when throwing away the smoking article.

In certain embodiments, degradation of the smoking article is improved by a chemical reaction between the liquid and one or more of the remaining components of the smoking article, eg filter material. The chemicals contained within the capsule may be selected to specifically react with specific components of the smoking article. Alternatively, the chemical may exhibit a selected ability to less chemically react with and degrade the smoking article, for example the chemical may be a weakly acidic solution.

A filter may comprise two or more membrane capsules containing different liquids. The different liquids may be reacted together or otherwise combined to form a liquid capable of improving degradation of the smoking article. Alternatively, different components of the smoking article may be degraded by different liquids.

In certain embodiments, a membrane capsule contains a solution that acts as an attractant for microorganisms, insects, or other organisms. Thus, the degradation rate of the smoking article is effectively improved by the action of living organisms.

According to these embodiments, the membrane vesicles may contain an environmentally acceptable aqueous solution, such as dextrose (or other sugar solution), salt (as a saline solution), or starch (as dilute maize syrup). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in all of these embodiments, the choice of materials making up the remainder of the smoking article is important in promoting the action of microorganisms.

The capsule will rupture when the smoking article is disposed of, and often, used smoking articles are associated with an undesirable odor. Thus, in addition to the degradation effect, the liquid may additionally possess deodorizing qualities. Alternatively, separate degradation and deodorization liquids may be incorporated into the filter in separate membrane capsules that rupture simultaneously.

The deodorant can be a neutralizing agent or a masking agent, or a combination of a neutralizing agent and a masking agent.

Preferred deodorants include 2-trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-8-ol (commonly known as geraniol), l-carvone, l-carveol, Terpine Acetate, Geranyl Propionate, Citronellyl Butyrate, Leaf Alcohol, Glyceryl Triacetate, Benzyl Benzoate, Acetone, Safrole, Terpinyl Propionate, Methyl Salicylate, Hexylcinnamaldehyde, Isopropanol, Triethylglycol diacetate (TEGDA), OdorGone ^™ , Methylcinnamaldehyde, Linalyl Propionate, Acetic Acid, Citronellal, Citronellyl Formate, Formic Acid Geranyl and Linalool. Mixtures of these compounds are also suitable. Many other masking agents - eg fragrances - such as essential oils used in scented flower packs are also suitable compounds for use in the present invention.

The filter material used in the vast majority of currently available filters for smoking articles is composed of cellulose acetate fibers and does not readily break down or biodegrade.

A filter material according to one embodiment of the present invention is composed of polyvinyl alcohol. Polyvinyl alcohol is commercially available as a relatively inexpensive and nontoxic thermoplastic, water-soluble, solid polymer. Polyvinyl alcohol is unique in that it is the only biodegradable, carbon-carbon backbone polymer that is fully biodegradable under ambient conditions. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the user ruptures the capsule when discarding the used smoking article, for example by squeezing the filter, or by stepping on the used smoking article. This releases the water contained within the membrane capsule, which travels throughout the filter and promotes degradation of the polyvinyl alcohol filter material.

In alternative embodiments, other water degradable substances such as starch, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, polylactic acid, creped paper made from wood pulp sheets, or regenerated cellulose tow may be used.

As described above, the liquid may not be used to dissolve the filter material, but may improve degradation of the smoking article through some other mechanism. For example, in certain embodiments, the filter material may be cellulose acetate that has been manufactured using a water-soluble plasticizer to bind cellulose acetate fibers. According to these embodiments, the liquid may be water, while other components - eg plug wrap, tipping paper and/or adhesive - may also preferably be water soluble or water dispersible. Thus, rupture of the membrane capsule results in breakdown of components of the filter, including dispersion or dissolution of the plasticizer. Consequently, the cellulose acetate fibers are no longer bonded to each other and the filter material decomposes, while individual cellulose acetate fibers are able to disperse. As an alternative to using water-soluble plasticizers, nonwoven or bulked cellulose acetate fibers can be used.

In embodiments where the liquid facilitates the disintegration of components of the smoking article, the filter may further comprise a material or powder capable of swelling under the action of the liquid. In this way, rupture of the membrane capsule causes expansion of this substance and thus ruptures the filter. Suitable materials capable of swelling will be known to those skilled in the art. Examples of materials that will swell when in contact with water include carboxymethyl cellulose, water dispersible starches, chemically modified starches, and superabsorbent polymers—such as cross-linked copolymers of acrylic acid and sodium acrylate or acrylamide and acrylic acid Potassium cross-linked copolymer. These materials may be incorporated into the filter, eg in powder form, and will swell when exposed to water, eg from the membrane capsules of the invention. The swelling action physically separates the components of the filter, thereby improving the breakdown of the structure and dispersion of the components.

In other embodiments, the liquid may be an aqueous solution comprising a biological agent capable of degrading cellulose - such as cellulase.

In certain embodiments, the filter material can include paper. The liquid can be water which will not dissolve the paper but will still improve its breakdown and degradation.

Filter materials that are not themselves biodegradable but can be broken down or converted to a biodegradable form by the action of specific chemicals held within the membrane capsule can be used.

Many smoking articles are configured to include flavorants within the smoke drawn by the user along the smoking article. This is typically achieved by incorporating flavorant-containing membrane capsules within the filter of the smoking article. In such smoking articles, the capsule prevents premature evaporation of the volatile flavorant, wherein the capsule ruptures to release the flavorant prior to use of the smoking article. However, this method of flavoring smoking articles is clearly not compatible with the degradable smoking articles described herein. This is due to the different adequacy of capsules required in filters, and the fact that flavor capsules should be ruptured prior to smoking, whereas degrading liquid capsules should be destroyed when disposing of used smoking articles.

Thus, in certain embodiments of the invention, the filter may comprise a wire passing along the longitudinal axis of the filter from the tobacco rod end to the mouth end. According to these embodiments, the thread is loaded with aroma material or flavorant. Thus, flavorant retained within the thread becomes entangled in the smoke as the smoke is drawn along the smoking article. The use of flavorant-enriched threads also provides a simple way of incorporating flavorants into smoking article filters requiring minimal modifications to the manufacturing process.

As used herein, the terms "flavor", "perfume" and "flavorant" mean materials that can be used to impart a desired taste or aroma. Preferred flavorants include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, peppermint, anise seed, cinnamon, vanilla, oil of wintergreen, cherry, Berry, Peach, Apple, Dramboui, Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey, Spearmint, Peppermint, Lavender, Cardamom, Celery, Bittersweet, Nutmeg, Sandalwood, Bergamot, Geranium, Honey Essence, Rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cinnamon bark, fennel, cognac, jasmine, ylang ylang, red root, fennel, quince, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee or from the mint family peppermint oil of any kind), flavor masking agents, bitter receptor site blockers, receptor site enhancers, sweeteners (eg, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol or mannitol) and other additives - such as chlorophyll, minerals, plants or breath fresheners. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or mixtures thereof.

The preferred material for making the threads is cotton, however other materials may also be used - eg cellulose acetate and rayon or natural materials such as plant fibres. According to these embodiments, the liquid held within the capsule is capable of degrading the flavorant-enriched threads.

In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the moisture-degradable paper is used as plug wrap, tobacco wrapper and tipping paper. Thereby, when the capsule ruptures, water is released and degradation of the wrapper is improved, thereby facilitating disintegration of the smoking article.

In alternative embodiments, one or more of the papers used in the smoking article may not be hydrolyzed, but may otherwise biodegrade. In other embodiments, one or more papers are not themselves biodegradable but can be broken down by the action of specific chemicals held within the membrane capsule, such as a mildly acidic solution.

To create a unique visual effect, in certain embodiments, the filter includes a transparent window that allows visual inspection of the filter material and/or membrane capsules within the filter. In certain such embodiments, the membrane capsule is retained in a cavity formed between two pieces of filter material and the transparent window is aligned with the cavity portion of the filter material. In this way, the user is provided with the unique effect of being able to visually observe the capsule within the filter, and this can be used as an indicator of breach of the capsule once the smoking article is smoked. To create the effect of a transparent window, the tipping wrap may comprise a single piece of transparent material which may be, but is not limited to, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), cellulose acetate film, polyethylene terephthalate ( PET), polyethylene oxide (PEOX), polyethylene, cellophane, Natureflex ^TM , polylactic acid, moldable starch biodegradable materials, polycaprolactone, polyglycolide, polyglycolides such as poly-3-hydroxybutyrate One of the bioplastics derived from polyhydroxyalkanoate and zein fiber. The tipping paper has an opaque coating on certain portions so as to form an uncoated transparent section that defines the window. Since the material will be in contact with moisture from the user's mouth and fingers, the transparent material used is either insoluble or treated with a water resistant outer coating. According to these embodiments comprising a transparent material, the liquid held within the capsule is capable of degrading the transparent material.

Adhesives are commonly used to bond plug wraps, tipping papers and seams of cigarette paper in smoking articles. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, water-soluble or water-dispersible binders are used. The release of water from the capsule when the capsule ruptures leads to a failure of the bonds between the various components of the smoking article, resulting in greatly increased exposure of the individual components to the environment and thus greater ease of accelerated decomposition and biodegradation .

A preferred water soluble adhesive for gap bonding is a liquid starch adhesive. Hot melt adhesives or EVA and PVA adhesives can also be used.

In certain embodiments, one or more of the binders used are not water-soluble binders. In this case, the solvent used to soften or dissolve the adhesive is held within the membrane capsule, thereby facilitating disintegration of the smoking article.

Although the carrier containing the liquid that improves the disintegration and/or dispersion of the smoking article is generally described above as a capsule, other fluid-containing carriers may also be used. For example, pockets or pockets formed directly within the filter material or through a separate material, such as polyethylene, may be used to rupture when the smoking article is smoked. In addition, spongy porous materials such as expanded plastic polymers may be used to contain fluid which can be released by a squeezing or twisting action once the smoking article has been drawn. Other suitable fluid-containing arrangements will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What has been described above is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (18)

1. filter that is used for smoking article, this filter comprises carrier, said carrier contains the decomposition that can improve said smoking article and/or the liquid of degraded.

2. filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid can improve the dispersion of said smoking article.

3. like claim 1 or the described filter of claim 2, wherein said carrier comprises membrane vesicle.

4. as the described filter of aforementioned each claim, thus wherein said carrier is arranged to after having aspirated said smoking article, activated and discharges said liquid.

5. filter as claimed in claim 4, wherein said carrier are arranged through the vertical or bending force that affacts on the said filter and activate.

6. like claim 4 or 5 described filters, make said filter distortion substantially thereby wherein activate the process that said carrier discharges said liquid.

7. like the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said liquid improves the decomposition of the parts of said filter.

8. like the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said liquid is water.

9. like the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said filter comprises the filter material that can in water, dissolve, expand or disperse.

10. filter as claimed in claim 9, wherein said filter material is a polyvinyl alcohol.

11. as the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said filter comprises plug wrap, tipping paper and adhesive, and wherein one or more in these plug wrap, tipping paper and the adhesive can dissolve in water, expand or disperse.

12. like the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said carrier comprises biodegradable material.

13. like the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said carrier comprises the membrane vesicle that has greater than the breaking strength of 1.7kp.

14. as the described filter of aforementioned each claim, wherein said carrier comprises the membrane vesicle of 50% volume with cumulative volume of being not more than said filter.

15. filter that is used for smoking article as illustrating and describing among the application substantially.

16. one kind comprises the smoking article like the described filter of aforementioned each claim.

17. method for using that contains the liquid support that is useful on the decomposition that improves smoking article and/or degraded.

18. comprising, a method of improving the decomposition and/or the degraded of smoking article, wherein said smoking article contain the decomposition that can improve said smoking article and/or the liquid support of degraded.

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