Lyocell material for tobacco filter and method for preparing same

• US 10,517,325 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kolon Industries Incorporated, KT&G Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kolon Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Jeong, Jong Cheol, Kim, Woo Chul, Jin, Sang Woo, Yang, Burm Ho, Seo, Man Seok, Lee, Kyung Joon, Cho, Hyun Suk, Kim, Jong Yeol
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelson, Jamel M
• Application Number:
  US14/392,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,038 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/0204 Preliminary operations before the filter rod forming process, e.g. crimping, blooming A24D3/0275 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/068 Biodegradable or disintegrable
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/10 of cellulose or cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0019 combined with shaping by flattening, folding or bending
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/022 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/12 Cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/14 Filters optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7416 for cigars or cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/02 Preparation of spinning solutions
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 10/06 Washing or drying
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/06 Wet spinning methods D01D5/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 2/00 Monocomponent artificial filaments or the like of cellulose or cellulose derivatives; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 1/00 Producing crimped or curled fibres, filaments, yarns, or threads, giving them latent characteristics yarns per se D02G3/00; during formation of artificial filaments, threads, or the like D01D5/22; general aspects of chemical treatment D06M
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 1/12 using stuffer boxes
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/28 Cellulose esters or ethers, e.g. cellulose acetate
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2503/00 Domestic or personal

Abstract

This invention relates to a lyocell material for a cigarette filter and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein the lyocell material which is biodegradable and eco-friendly can be manufactured by crimping lyocell multifilaments to thus obtain a crimped tow.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a lyocell material for a cigarette filter, comprising:

(S1) spinning a lyocell spinning dope comprising a cellulose pulp and an N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) aqueous solution;

(S2) coagulating the lyocell spinning dope spun in the step (S1), thus obtaining lyocell multifilaments;

(S3) water-washing the lyocell multifilaments obtained in the step (S2);

(S4) oil-treating the lyocell multifilaments water-washed in the step (S3); and

(S5) crimping the lyocell multifilaments oil-treated in the step (S4) using a stuffer box, thus obtaining a crimped tow having 25-30 crimps per inch,

wherein coagulating in the step (S2) comprises a primary coagulation using air quenching (Q/A) including supplying cold air at a temperature of 4-15°

C. and a wind velocity of 5-50 m/s to the spinning dope and a secondary coagulation including immersing the primarily coagulated spinning dope in a coagulation solution,

wherein the cold air is supplied outwardly from an air cooling part positioned inside a donut-shaped spinneret, and

wherein the step (S5) is performed by the supplying steam having a pressure of 0.1-1.0 kgf/cm² to an interior of the stuffer box and pressing the lyocell multifilaments using a press roller at a pressure of 1.5-2.0 kgf/cm² to give the lyocell multifilaments having 25-30 crimps per inch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lyocell spinning dope in step (S1) comprises 6-16 wt % of the cellulose pulp and 84-94 wt % of the NMMO aqueous solution.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cellulose pulp comprises 85-97 wt % of alpha-cellulose, and has a degree of polymerization (DPw) of 600-1700.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the coagulation solution has a temperature of 30°

C. or less.