A Cigarette filter is an element of a cigarette, as well as cigarette paper, capsules and adhesives. The filter could be made out of cellulose acetate fibre, paper or activated charcoal (either as a cavity filter or embedded in the cellulose acetate). Macroporous phenol-formaldehyde resins and asbestos are also used in cigarette filters The acetate and paper change the particulate smoke phase by particle retention (filtration), and finely divided carbon modifies the gaseous phase (adsorption). Filters can reduce “tar” and nicotine smoke yields as much as 50%, having a greater removal rate for other classes of compounds (e.g., phenols), however are ineffective in filtering toxins for example deadly carbon monoxide. Most factory-made cigarettes are equipped with a filter; people who roll their very own can buy them coming from a tobacconist.

Cellulose acetate is made by esterifying bleached cotton or wood pulp with acetic acid. From the three cellulose hydroxy groups designed for esterification, between two and three are esterified by managing the amount of acid (a higher level substitution (DS) 2.35-2.55). The ester is spun into fibers and formed into bundles called filter tow. Flavors (menthol), sweeteners, softeners (triacetin), flame retardants (sodium tungstate), breakable capsules releasing flavors when needed, and additives colouring the cigarettes could be put into cigarette filters. The 5 largest manufactures of filter tow are Hoechst-Celanese and Eastman Chemicals in america, Rhodia Acetow in Germany, Daicel in Japan, and Courtaulds in britain.

Starch glues or emulsion-based adhesives are used for gluing cigarette seams. Hot-melt and emulsion-based adhesives can be used filter seams. Emulsion-based adhesives can be used for bonding filters to the cigarettes.

Cellulose acetate is non-toxic, odorless, tasteless, and weakly flammable. It can be resistant to weak acids and it is largely stable to mineral and fatty oils and also petroleum. It can be biodegradable as well as the raw material is a renewable natural polymer anticipated to find application for other uses in the foreseeable future. Smoked cigarette butts contain 5-7 mg nicotine (about 25% in the total cigarette nicotine content), children ingesting >2 whole cigarettes, 6 cigarette butts or a total of 0.5 mg/kg of nicotine ought to be admitted to some hospital. Cellulose acetate is hydrophilic and retains the water-soluble smoke constituents, of which lots of people are irritating (acids, alkali, aldehydes, and phenols), while letting from the lipophilic aromatic compounds.
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