BIODEGRADABLE CIGARETTE FILTER TOW AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

• US 20150374030A1
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Greenbutts LLC
• Original Assignee: Greenbutts LLC
• Inventors: Lisauskas, Tadas, Van Osten, Xavier Alexander, Tipper, Matthew, Russell, Stephen, Chetty, Vera
• Application Number:
  US14/849,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20150374030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/0229 Filter rod forming processes A24D3/0275 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/06 Use of materials for tobacco smoke filters
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/068 Biodegradable or disintegrable
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/08 of organic materials as carrier or major constituent of ion exchange materials A24D3/12
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/10 of cellulose or cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/14 of organic materials as additive of ion exchange materials A24D3/12
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1225 Fibre length
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1258 Permeability
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1291 Other parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/18 the material being cellulose or derivatives thereof cork or peat B01D39/1646 ; making filter paper D21F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/12 Pulp from non-woody plants or crops, e.g. cotton, flax, straw, bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 13/08 from regenerated cellulose

Abstract

A biodegradable cigarette filter tow includes a mixture of at least two or more natural materials selected from the group consisting of hemp fiber, flax fiber, abaca fiber or pulp, sisal fiber or pulp, wood pulp, and cotton fiber or cotton flock. The mixture may also include regenerated cellulose fibers. The mixture may include a natural binder or may be hydroentangled.

Claims

1. A biodegradable cigarette filter tow, comprising:

at least two natural fibrous materials, the natural fibrous materials being selected from the group consisting of;

hemp, flax, abaca, sisal, wood pulp, and cotton; and

regenerated cellulose fiber.

2. The filter tow of claim 1, wherein the natural fibrous materials include at least one of abaca, sisal and wood pulp.

3. The filter tow of claim 1, further comprising a natural binder.

4. The filter tow of claim 1, comprising:

0-50% by weight of hemp fiber or hemp filler;

0-50% by weight of flax fiber or flax filler;

0-95% by weight of abaca fiber or abaca pulp;

0-95% by weight of sisal fibers or sisal pulp;

0-50% by weight of wood pulp;

0-50% by weight of cotton fibers or cotton flock;

0-50% by weight of regenerated cellulose fibers; and

0-30% by weight of a natural binder.

5. The filter tow of claim 4, wherein the natural binder is selected from the group consisting of natural latex, vegetable gum, starch based binder, cationic starch binder, carboxymethyl cellulose, and other biopolymer and bio based polymers.

6. The filter tow of claim 1, wherein the natural fibrous materials comprise at least one of hemp and flax material, at least one of abaca, sisal, and wood pulp material, and cotton fiber or cotton flock.

7. The filter tow of claim 6, further comprising a natural binder comprising a cationic starch.

8. The filter tow of claim 1, comprising:

1-50% by weight of hemp or flax fiber or filler;

1-95% by weight of abaca or sisal pulp or fiber or 1-50% by weight of wood pulp;

1-50% by weight of cotton fiber or cotton flock; and

1-50% by weight of regenerated cellulose fibers.

9. The filter tow of claim 8, comprising:

5-25% by weight of hemp or flax fiber or filler;

20-50% by weight of abaca or sisal pulp or fiber or wood pulp;

10-30% by weight of cotton flock; and

30-40% by weight of regenerated cellulose fibers.

10. The filter tow of claim 9, comprising 5-25% by weight of hemp.

11. The filter tow of claim 9, comprising no more than 20% by weight hemp or flax filler.

12. The filter tow of claim 9, comprising 30 to 45% by weight abaca, sisal or wood pulp.

13. The filter tow of claim 9, comprising 15 to 30% cotton flock.

14. The filter tow of claim 8, further comprising a natural binder.

15. The filter tow of claim 8, wherein the natural fibrous materials include at least one or more of hemp and flax cut to a mean fiber length of less than 3.5 mm and having a predetermined fiber diameter.

16. The filter tow of claim 15, wherein the fiber diameter is no greater than 500 μ

m.

17. The filter tow of claim 8, wherein the cotton fiber length is in the range of 250-1000 μ

m and the cotton fiber thickness is in the range from 10-50 μ

m.

18. The filter tow of claim 1, wherein the regenerated cellulose fibers have a fiber length in the range from 2 to 6 mm.

19. The filter tow of claim 1, wherein the fibrous materials are formed into a fibrous web having an open bulky structure with a volume density of no greater than 200 kg·

m<sup>−

3</sup> and the fibrous web has an air permeability of greater than 100 cm³·

cm<sup>−

2</sup>·

sec<sup>−

1</sup> at a differential pressure of 200 Pa.

20. The filter tow of claim 1, wherein the fibrous materials are formed into a fibrous web having an areal density in the range from 25 g·

m<sup>−

2</sup> to 65 g·

m<sup>−

2</sup>.

21. A biodegradable cigarette filter material comprising at least two or more natural fibrous materials, at least one of the natural fibrous materials being selected from the group consisting of wood pulp, abaca and sisal and at least one other natural fibrous material being selected from the group consisting of hemp, flax and cotton.

22. The biodegradable cigarette filter material of claim 21, comprising a non-woven fibrous web.

23. The biodegradable cigarette filter material of claim 21, further comprising a regenerated cellulose fiber.

24. The biodegradable cigarette filter material of claim 21, further comprising a natural binder.

25. The biodegradable cigarette filter material of claim 23, comprising a mixture of hemp, cotton, regenerated cellulose fiber, and one natural fibrous material selected from wood pulp, abaca and sisal.

26. The biodegradable cigarette filter material of claim 23, comprising a mixture of hemp, cotton, regenerated cellulose fiber, and wood pulp.

27. A method of making a biodegradable cigarette filter material, comprising:

dispersing a mixture of fibrous materials in water, the fibrous materials comprising at least two natural fibrous materials selected from the group consisting of hemp, flax, abaca, sisal, wood pulp and cotton in water;

forming the dispersed fiber mixture into a non-woven fibrous sheet in a wetlaid or papermaking machine;

removing excess water from the non-woven fibrous sheet using suction;

adding a natural binder to the fiber mixture prior to or during formation of the non-woven fibrous sheet;

drying the non-woven fibrous sheet; and

forming the non-woven fibrous sheet into cigarette filter tow.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the mixture of fibrous materials comprises

0-50% by weight of hemp fiber or hemp filler;

0-50% by weight of flax fiber or flax filler;

0-95% by weight of abaca fiber or abaca pulp;

0-95% by weight of sisal fibers or sisal pulp;

0-50% by weight of wood pulp;

0-50% by weight of cotton fibers or cotton flock; and

0-50% by weight of regenerated cellulose fibers.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the natural binder is selected from the group consisting of natural latex, vegetable gums, starch based binders, cationic starch binder and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the mixture of fibrous material comprises

5-25% by weight of hemp or flax fiber or filler;

20-50% by weight of abaca or sisal or wood pulp or fiber;

10-30% by weight of cotton flock; and

30-40% by weight of regenerated cellulose fibers.