High efficiency cigarette filters having shaped micro cavity fibers impregnated with adsorbent or absorbent materials
This invention is a highly efficient filter containing fibers that contain small particle size adsorbents/absorbents such as carbon and/or silica to selectively reduce targeted components in mainstream cigarette smoke. The invention relates to a novel class of highly efficient cigarette smoke filters made from much smaller solid fine particles (preferably 1-50 micrometers in diameter) impregnated in shaped fibers that possess open or semi-opened micro-cavity. The invention further relates to a cigarette having a plug/space/plug or plug/space configuration and having the impregnated filters resided in the space in bonded non-woven or freely unbounded manner to allow controlled TPM delivery.
1. A cigarette filter comprising a fiber containing semi-opened micro-cavities said cavities being loaded with adsorbent/absorbent particles or liquids wherein said adsorbent/absorbent particles or liquids are APS silica gel and carbon.
2. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fiber is a trilobal fiber.
3. The filter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said fiber is impregnated with coconut carbon fiber having a loading factor of about 50%.
4. The filter as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said fiber is loaded with an APS silica gel and with coconut carbon fiber.
5. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fiber is a quadrilobal fiber.
6. The filter as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said fiber is loaded with APS silica gel and with coconut carbon fiber.
7. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said absorbent/adsorbent particles are in a ratio to fiber in an amount from about 1% to about 150% by weight.
8. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said carbon to fiber ratio is about 20-80% by weight.
9. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fiber has about a 3 denier per filament micro-cavity and said particles entrapped have a size of about 1 to 15 micrometers.
10. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said filter contains no binders or plasticizers or substantially no binders or plasticizers.
11. The filter as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fiber is loaded with an APS silica gel and with coconut carbon fiber.
12. A cigarette filter comprising a fiber containing opened micro-cavities said cavities being loaded with adsorbent/absorbent particles or liquids wherein said adsorbent/absorbent particles or liquids are APS silica gel and carbon.
13. The filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said fiber is a trilobal fiber.
14. The filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said fiber is a quadrilobal fiber.
15. The filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said absorbent/adsorbent particles are in a ratio to fiber in an amount from about 1% to about 150% by weight.
16. The filter as in claim 12 , wherein said carbon to fiber ratio is about 20-80% by weight.
17. The filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the fiber has about a 3 denier per filament micro-cavity and said particles entrapped have a size of about 1 to 15 micrometers.
18. The filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said filter contains no binders or plasticizers or substantially no binders or plasticizers.
19. The filter as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said fiber is loaded with an APS silica gel and with coconut carbon fiber.