JPH05227939A - Tobacco filter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the subject filter, having micropores, constructed of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester compound, capable of preventing the natural environment from being polluted and attached to the tip of a cigarette. CONSTITUTION:The objective filter having micropores is obtained by using a biodegradable aliphatic polyester compound composed of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid), a poly3-hydroxyalkanoate-based polymer produced by microorganisms, a ring opening polymer, etc., of an aliphatic lactone compound, processing the polyester compound into a fibrous, hairy or feltlike form, etc., winding and bundling the resultant material into two bundles with a film and cutting the bundles to a suitable length.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a filter for a cigarette.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cigarettes used to be smoked without a filter attached, simply by cutting the cut tobacco leaf onto paper. Recently, filters are preferred because they prevent tobacco from sticking to the mouth and have the effect of removing dust and tar. Filter-
Cellulose triacetate and polypropylene are mainly known as materials for the.

As an improvement relating to the filter, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-106284 discloses a smoke purifying device using crushed plant fibers as a filter, or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-1.
In 71664, a study on a filter containing a processed product of fungi is reported. Further, studies have also been conducted on a cigarette filter containing a fragrance component or containing a substance useful for extinguishing fire such as water as disclosed in JP-A-61-195680.

[0004]

Since the tobacco filters currently used are not degradable, they become a pollution source when they are discarded into the environment. Especially in the park, the sea,
It is one of the causes of ruining the scenery due to the dumping of cigarettes in the natural environment such as mountains and rivers. There is also concern about the impact on the ecosystem in the future.

The above-mentioned problem is primarily to improve the morale of smokers, but it is considered that one of the measures required to make the discarded filter have degradability as an auxiliary method. As the filter having degradability, the plant fiber disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A-59-106284 is used.
For purifying smoke used as a device, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-17166
The filter and the like containing the processed product of fungus and dust disclosed in 4 can be applied. However, these patents are for the purpose of removing tar components, and use non-degradable plastic materials in addition to degradable materials, which is different from the object of the present invention.

[0006] Plant fibers and fungi are hydrophilic,
In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a filter composed only of these materials is deformed and does not serve due to moisture such as saliva adhering during smoking.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted various studies on a tobacco filter made of only a degradable material, and have found that an aliphatic polyester compound having biodegradability is selected. The method used has been reached. That is, the present invention provides (1) a filter made of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester compound having fine pores, which is attached to the tip of a cigarette, and (2) the biodegradable aliphatic compound described in (1). The polyester compound is poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid), a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid, 3-
Copolymer of hydroxybutyric acid and 4-hydroxybutyric acid, poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate-based polymer produced by microorganism, ring-opening polymer of aliphatic lactone compound or C2
A polyester comprising a C2-C12 aliphatic dibasic acid and a C2-C12 aliphatic diol, or a filter obtained by modifying these polyesters is provided.

Since the aliphatic polyester compound used in the present invention is hydrophobic and is subject to decomposition by microorganisms, it is an optimum material for solving the above problems. Also, regarding the removal of the tar component, it has a high affinity for the tar and has an effect comparable to the conventional product. In addition,
Striacitate is currently the most commonly used material, but it is flammable. On the other hand, the aliphatic polyester compound of the present invention is self-extinguishing.

Among the aliphatic polyester compounds used in the present invention, those produced by microorganisms are biodegradable in the fibrous state in soil, seawater, and fresh water within 2 to 4 months, and do not remain in the form. In addition, other chemically synthesized aliphatic polyester compounds undergo biodegradation and do not remain in the form within 3 to 10 months. Eventually, these are decomposed into carbon dioxide and water.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail. Examples of the aliphatic polyester compound used in the present invention include poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid), copolymers of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid, copolymers of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 4-hydroxybutyric acid, and microorganisms. Examples include poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate-based polymers to be produced.

The ring-opening polymer of an aliphatic lactone compound (polyester compound obtained by chemical synthesis) includes lactide,
Examples thereof include ring-opening polymers such as glycolide, β-propiolactone, γ-valerolactone, δ-valerolactone and ε-caprolactone, and copolymers.

Further, a C2-C12 aliphatic dibasic acid,
Examples of the C2-C12 aliphatic diol polyester (polyester compound by chemical synthesis) include adipic acid and 1.4-butanediol polyester, succinic acid and 1.4-butanediol polyester, A polyester made of succinic acid and 1.6-hexanediol, a polyester made of sebacic acid and 1.4-butanediol and the like can be used.

As the polyester compound obtained by chemical synthesis, a linear compound is preferable because of its good biodegradability. The aliphatic polyester compound having more than 12 carbon atoms has a slightly lowered biodegradability.

The above-mentioned aliphatic polyester compounds can also be modified by using two or more kinds as a copolymer. In addition, generally well-known methods (for example, Hoshino, Yoda; Experimental Polymer Synthesis Method (Tokyo Kagaku Dojinsha, date of issue: November 10, 1962)) chain length can be extended to increase molecular weight, and mechanical strength can be improved. Alternatively, in order to improve the performance as a fiber, it is possible to modify with a diisocyanate compound such as hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, tolylene diisocyanate or the like.

With respect to the molecular weight of the aliphatic polyester compound used in the present invention, the number average molecular weight based on polystyrene is 10,000 by the method of gel permeation chromatography.
It is preferable to use a material of about 2,000,000. The melting point is 50 ° C to 250 ° C, preferably about 60 ° C to 200 ° C.

The aliphatic polyester compound used in the present invention is processed into fibrous, fluffy, cotton-like, felt-like, sponge-like and non-cigarette tobacco having the same diameter. Fiber diameter is 0.5 ~
The thickness is preferably 500 μm, preferably about 1 to 100 μm. The length of the filter is not particularly limited and may be 3
The length may be the same as usual, about 30 mm. Activated carbon or the like may be added to increase the adsorption amount of the tar component. Also,
It is also possible to add a natural or artificial fragrance component such as menthol, peppermint, propylene glycol, etc., or a fungicide.

As an example of a method for manufacturing a filter, a fibrous, hairy, or cotton-like aliphatic polyester compound is wrapped with a biodegradable film such as paper or an aliphatic polyester compound and bundled. A filter having fine pores can be manufactured by forming a bundle and cutting it into an appropriate length. The air permeability at this time is inversely proportional to the density of the bundled filter, but there is no limitation as long as it does not interfere with smoking. This density is preferably about 0.1 to 0.3. The filter manufactured in this manner is fixed to the smoking mouth of the cigarette, and the cigarette with the biodegradable filter is completed.

[0018]

EXAMPLES Next, examples will be described. Example 1 Poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid) produced by microorganisms
A 1.2-dichloroethane solution in which a polystyrene-based number average molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography was 300,000 was extruded through a nozzle into n-hexane to prepare fibers. did. The fiber diameter was 5 to 50 μm. The fibers were bundled with thin paper to prepare a filter having an outer diameter of 7 mm and cut into a length of 10 mm. The filter had a weight of 0.062 g and a density of about 0.16. A thin paper was wrapped around the tip of a cigarette having the same diameter. This filter-tipped cigarette had no change in taste during smoking compared to the conventional cigarette. Moreover, when immersed in seawater for 3 months, almost no morphology was observed.

Example 2 Copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid produced by a microorganism (containing 22 mol% of 3-hydroxyvaleric acid component, number of polystyrene standard by gel permeation chromatography) Average molecular weight is 4500
No. 00) was melted at 160 ° C. and extruded through a nozzle into an air-cooled portion to prepare a fiber. This fiber is
The outer diameter is 10 to 100 μm, and these fibers are bundled with thin paper,
A filter having an outer diameter of 7 mm was produced and cut into a length of 10 mm. The filter had a weight of 0.070 g and a density of about 0.18. A thin paper was attached to the tip of a cigarette having the same diameter. Compared with the conventional cigarettes, this filter-tipped cigarette had no change in the taste during smoking. In addition, when it was buried in soil for 4 months, it had almost no morphology.

Example 3 Adipic acid 14.6 g, 1.4-butanediol 9.2
g, DL-malic acid 0.3 g in toluene 40 ml,
0.05 g of methanesulfonic acid was reacted as a catalyst to synthesize an aliphatic polyester. To this, 0.25 ml of hexamethylene diisocyanate was added and reacted to synthesize a modified polyester. This polyester has a polystyrene-based number average molecular weight of 34,000 and a weight average molecular weight of 79 by gel permeation chromatography.
It was 000. The melting point was 67 ° C. This was melt-spun in the same manner as in Example 2 to produce fibers having a diameter of 10 to 100 mm. Similarly, a filter having an outer diameter of 7 mm and a length of 10 mm was produced. The density was about 0.18. This was attached to the tip of a cigarette having the same diameter. The tobacco with filter did not differ in taste from the conventional one. When this filter was immersed in seawater for 7 months, no morphology was observed.

Example 4 Polycaprolactone (manufactured by Daicel; number average molecular weight: 70)
0000 (from catalog)) was melted at 100 ° C., and extruded fiber was produced through a nozzle into an air-cooled portion.
This fiber has an outer diameter of 10 to 100 μm, and a filter having an outer diameter of 7 mm and a length of 10 mm was prepared in the same manner as in Example 3. The density was about 0.17. This was attached to the tip of a cigarette having the same diameter. Tobacco with filter is
There was no difference in taste from the conventional one. When this filter was buried in soil for 10 months, some morphology remained, but most of it was decomposed and disappeared.

Example 5 A copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (the 4-hydroxybutyric acid component being 9.5
A filter having an outer diameter of 7 mm and a length of 10 mm was produced by using a polystyrene-based number average molecular weight of 320,000 according to gel permeation chromatography. The fibers that make up the filter are 10-100μ
It had an outer diameter of m and a filter density of about 0.17. The cigarette with a filter attached to the tip of the cigarette wrapped with a thin paper did not differ from the conventional one in terms of taste. When it was buried in the soil for 4 months, it remained almost in its original form.

[0023]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION A filter for a cigarette which decomposes in a natural environment and is free from environmental pollution is obtained.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A filter which is made of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester compound having fine pores and which is attached to the tip of a cigarette. 2. A biodegradable aliphatic polyester compound is poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid), a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid, or a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 4-hydroxybutyric acid. Polymers, polymers produced by microorganisms of poly-3-hydroxyalkanoate type, ring-opening polymers of aliphatic lactone compounds, or C2-C12 aliphatic dibasic acids and C2-C12 aliphatic diols The filter according to claim 1, which is a polyester or a modified product thereof.