Abstract: Fibrous structures composed of electrostatically prepared polysaccharide micro- and nanofibers are described which contain active agents such as drugs and/or flavorants encapsulated within the structures. When exposed to moisture, the structures are disrupted and the active agent rapidly released. The fibrous structures containing active agents such as flavorants can be incorporated into smoking articles which, when smoked, release the flavorants.

Abstract: A filter element incorporating an adsorbent material is provided. The filter element may comprise a first section of filter material and a second section of filter material spaced apart to form a compartment therebetween. The compartment may be filled with one or more adsorbents or the compartment may be divided into two regions, wherein one compartment region is filled with an adsorbent and the other compartment region is either filled with an ion-exchange resin or remains empty. The section of filter material adjacent to the tobacco rod may include one or more channels therethrough for passaging smoke directly from the tobacco rod into the adsorbent-filled compartment. The mouth end section of filter material may contain a breakable capsule, wherein the breakable capsule is filled with a flavoring agent capable of altering the taste characteristics of mainstream smoke.

Abstract: Disclosed are filter elements constructed of a filter support material coated with an acetoacetate-functional polymeric composition that reacts with and removes aldehydes, especially formaldehyde, present in gases such as air. Also disclosed are methods for the removal of aldehydes utilizing the coated filter support materials.

Abstract: A cigarette filter having a consolidated nonwoven fabric with an aqueous based polymer binder. The polymer binder comprises one or more polymer compositions and is stabilized by one or more high molecular weight protective colloids. While the binder may be utilized with unconsolidated nonwoven fabric webs made by a variety of methods, the binder is particularly useful for application to webs made via the latex bonded airlaid or multibonded airlaid methods.

Abstract: A degradable cigarette filter includes a filter element of a bloomed cellulose acetate tow, a plug wrap surrounding the filter element, and either a coating or a pill in contact with the tow. The coating and/or pill may be composed of a material adapted to catalyze hydrolysis of the cellulose acetate tow and a water-soluble matrix material. The material may be an acid, an acid salt, a base, and/or a bacterium adapted to generate an acid. The coating may be applied to the tow, the plug wrap, or both. The pill may be placed in the filter element. When water contacts the water-soluble matrix material, the material adapted to catalyze hydrolysis is released and catalyzes the hydrolysis, and subsequent degradation, of the cellulose acetate tow. The foregoing is also applicable to articles made of cellulose esters.

Abstract: The present invention provides a smoke filter material, a filter and cigarettes with the filter, as well as methods for their manufacture. The filter material substantially is of an organic material and comprises covalently bound active thiol groups substantially free of complexing agents.

Abstract: A cigarette is equipped with a filter incorporating nanofibers. The nanofibers can be used either alone or in conjunction with other filtering media such as larger fibers, paper, activated charcoal, etc. With a nanofiber filter, the filter need not be as dense as the molecules of the smoke become attracted to the nanofiber due to quantum mechanics instead of being sieved out. The efficacy of the filter is better than filters with larger diameter fibers.

Abstract: A method of forming a filter for a smoking article which includes exposing cellulose acetate fibers to an electron beam process, wherein electron beam process deacetylates the cellulose acetate fibers to render the cellulose acetate fibers water-permeable; and forming a cellulose acetate rod from a tow of the cellulose acetate fibers. Filter plugs of the cellulose acetate fibers are water-permeable and allow discarded filtered smoking articles to rapidly degrade and expose the components to the environment.

Abstract: A smoking filter contains a hydrotalcite compound exhibiting a lamellar structure in which a large number of octahedral layers of a metal hydroxide are laminated one upon the other. The smoking filter permits selectively removing formaldehyde contained in mainstream smoke.

Abstract: Fibers are produced from an acetone solution of cellulose acetate by pulling or extruding such material through a spinneret in a dry spinning process. A vacuum is applied to the thus formed fibers after a certain degree of drying. A dried outer skin is formed, and the vacuum causes the solvent inside the skin to explode or pop and exit the fiber along micro-porous paths thereby producing high surface area fibers with micro-porous cavities and internal void volume. Such micro-cavities are particularly useful for retaining solid and/or liquid reagents in a cigarette filter for selective filtration of various smoke components.

Abstract: The invention relates to a high performance cigarette filter on the basis of cellulose ester fibers or filaments which can be mechanically disintegrated. The inventive high-performance cigarette filter is characterized in that a) the fiber weight (or filament weight)/draw resistance ratio S based on the filament titer is greater than approximately 0.7, the S value being calculated according to the formula S=(mA/&Dgr;P7.8/dpf[10 m/daPA], wherein mA refers to the fiber weight, &Dgr;P refers to the draw resistance and dpf represents the filament titer and for the draw resistance the value calculated for a diameter of 7.8 mm is inserted, b) the residual crimping value of the filter material does not exceed the value 1.45, c) the fiber weight amounts to maximally 10 mg/mm of the filter length, and d) the hardness of the cigarette filter is higher than approximately 90% filtrona hardness.

Abstract: A cellulose acetate structure excellent in its biodegradability. At least a surface region of the structure includes a biodegradable cellulose acetate composition containing a biodegradation promoting agent contained in cellulose acetate. The agent includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of an oxygen acid of phosphorus, an ester of an oxygen acid of phosphorus or a salt thereof, carbonic acid and a salt thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an emulsion for use as a lubricant in the production of threads, containing:

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter synergist composition is provided comprised of antioxidants and minerals: the former are effective as free radical scavenger and the latter are capable of reducing the other harmful substances from tobacco smoke. In particular, minerals include the magnetized ferrite, which has great adsorbing capacity. The composition can be disposed within a one or more chambers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a ventilated filter cigarette with a wrapped one-part tobacco strand (11) and with a filter (20) having a ventilation means, said filter consisting of at least two filter parts (22,23). ventilation holes (14) are provided in the area of the mouth side filter part (22). Moreover, the mouth side filter part (22) is formed of a one-part filter segment, whereas the strand side filter part (23) is a filter segment (23) with a core (24) and a sleeve (26), and thus forms a so-called coaxial filter part or a coaxial filter.

Abstract: A fiber spinning device and process for manufacturing a web of fibers including a homogeneous mixture of fibers of different characteristics. Monocomponent fibers of different polymers can be extruded side-by-side from the same die system. Sheath/core bicomponent fibers can be alternated with monocomponent fibers formed of the same core polymer as used in the bicomponent fibers. Bicomponent fibers having a common core polymer and different sheath polymers can be extruded from alternate spinneret orifices in the same die plate. Multiple distribution plates are provided with surface grooves or depressions to direct polymer materials from independent sources to only selected spinneret openings in an array of spinneret openings while maintaining the polymers segregated from each other.

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter comprising a porous substrate comprising dry water and a porphyrin dispersed therein. The porous substrate can further comprise microcapsules. The microcapsules can comprise one or more substances selected from the group consisting of chlorophyllin, methylcellulose, sodium pyroglutamate and a vegetable oil. The porous substrate can further comprise sodium pyroglutamate.

Abstract: A smoking article including a wrapper surrounding a tobacco column and a selective filter element is disclosed. The selective filter element includes at least one carrier having a developed structure and a plurality of moieties capable of the nucleophilic attack of carbonyl-containing combustion products of the smoking article supported by the at least one carrier. The selective filter element may include at least one additional filter element such as cellulose acetate. The developed structure of the at least one carrier encourages the interaction of the carbonyl-containing combustion products and the plurality of moieties capable of the nucleophilic attack. Carries include polymers, which may have branch, such as partially oxidized cellulose and polyaniline. Carries may also be a zeolite or an inorganic oxide such as aluminum, of silicon, of aluminum and silicon, and combinations thereof. In yet another carrier is an activated carbon.

Abstract: A method for producing a tobacco filter material which is either (A) a coating process for coating the surface of a fibrous or particulate cellulose with a cellulose ester having an average substitution degree of about 2.0 to about 2.6 to give a coated cellulose, and wet webbing the coated cellulose into a sheet, or (B) a treating process for treating a naturally-occurring or regenerated cellulose fiber or particle with an organic acid and an organic acid anhydride or organic acid halide in a liquid phase to give a cellulose derivative.

Abstract: The invention relates to low delivery cigarettes, usually having a mainstream particulate matter delivery of about 9 mg or less. An embodiment has a rod of tobacco material and a filter element. The filter element is an alkali filter material section having a loading level of less than 12% by weight of the section. The characteristics of the cigarettes are arranged so that, when smoked, the alkaline filter material is exposed to an amount of smoke acceptable to achieve an increased perception of smoke impact.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a filter for use with tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes, which selectively absorbs toxic compounds and carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic compounds passing through it, but which permits most low molecular weight species, and in particular nicotine, to pass through. The filter is made from a middle-density polyurethane foam which is pre-treated to increase the number of binding sites for polynuclear aromatic compounds.

Abstract: A cigarette with a dual-structure filter includes a dual-structure filter having a first filter element and a second filter element arranged downstream of the first filter element, a tobacco rod arranged upstream of the filter, and a tip paper covering a downstream end portion of the tobacco rod and a circumferential surface of the filter. At least one row of a plurality of holes are formed in the tip paper in a circumferential direction of the filter. An air-permeation resistance per unit length of the second filter element is at least twice that of the first filter element. An air inflow rate from the tip paper is at least 20%.

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter containing a porous substrate having dry water and microcapsules dispersed therein. The microcapsules contain at least one compound selected from the group consisting of chlorophyllin, methylcellulose, sodium pyroglutamate and a vegetable oil. The tobacco smoke filter can also contain one or more substances such as a porphyrin, and sodium pyroglutamate.

Abstract: A description is given of a filter cigarette, whose filtera) contains fibrous filter material,b) contains an additive with an antimutagenic action on the cigarette smoke in a quantity of less than 15 wt. %, based on the fiber weight of the filter andc) on smoking a similar unventilated filter cigarette, but not containing additive, has a nicotine retention R.sub.N (in %) (determined according to CORESTA recommended method No. 9) satisfying the following formula:R.sub.N .gtoreq.100*(1-D)in which:D=exp(A*B+C),withA=21 mm-filter length (mm) for filter lengths.ltoreq.25 mm orA=-4 mm for filter lengths>25 mm,B=9.3*10.sup.-3 (1/mm) andC=-(d.sup.4 *.DELTA.p*K+L)with d=filter diameter (mm),.DELTA.p=draw resistance of filter (mm hydraulic pressure),K=1.0228*10.sup.-6 (1/(mm.sup.4 *mm hydraulic pressure)) andL=0.2334.

Abstract: There is provided a biodegradable filter tow or filter material from renewable raw materials for the use as a tobacco smoke filter element of cigarettes, cigars or pipes as well as a method for preparing it, wherein fibers, films or foams prepared in an extrusion method from biopolymers based on thermoplastic starch or its polymer compositions are processed to the filter tow or filter material according to the present invention.The advantages of this invention reside in the use of mainly renewable raw materials, a fast and complete biodegradability of the natural biopolymer filter material, a pollutant-reducing flavor-increasing filtering effect and an economically favorable preparation method.

Abstract: A tobacco filter with a circumferential length of 17 to 27 mm is prepared by creping or embossing, with a roller of a temperature not lower than 100.degree. C., a sheet-like material comprising not less than 20% by weight of a cellulose ester component and having a web structure with a basis weight of 20 to 35 g/m.sup.2 and a density of 0.25 to 0.45 g/cm.sup.3, and wrapping up the creped or embossed material into a rod form. The cellulose ester component includes e.g. a cellulose ester short staple, a fibrillated fiber, an esterified fiber and a fiber coated with a cellulose ester. This tobacco filter shows a pressure drop of 200 to 500 mm WG, a firmness of 88% or more and a cross-sectional porosity of 2% or less provided that it has a circumferential length of 24.5 mm and a length of 10 cm.

Abstract: This invention provides cellulose ester fibers having an intermediate degree of substitution per anhydroglucose unit (DS/AGU) along with pigments which act as photooxidation catalysts. The fibers are useful as filter materials for tobacco products. The filter materials thus provided are easily dispersible and biodegradable and do not persist in the environment.

Abstract: Using a slurry containing a particulate or fibrous cellulose ester and a wood pulp with a Canadian standard freeness of 100 to 800 ml in a ratio of 10/90 to 90/10 (weight %), a tobacco filter material in the form of a sheet having a nonwoven web structure is produced. The slurry may contain a microfibrillated cellulose in a proportion of 0.1 to 10 weight % on a nonvolatile matter basis. The cellulose ester may be a cellulose acetate with a combined acetic acid in the range of 30 to 62%. This tobacco filter material in a sheet form can be applied to a tobacco filter having a high dry strength and, yet, a high degree of wet disintegratability without adversely affecting the smoking quality of tobacco. Thus, the potential environmental pollution is mitigated by the tobacco filter.

Abstract: A filter rod is produced by adding a water-soluble polymer in the form of an aqueous solution or dispersion, or in a particulate form, to a tow of cellulose ester fiber, with the amount of any water used being controlled within 25 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the tow, and wrapping the treated tow in wrapping paper. The water contained in the filter rod is removed or the particulate water-soluble polymer is melted by heating to bond the fiber to provide a tobacco filter. The proportion of the water-soluble polymer is 0.5 to 30 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the tow. To reduce the amount of water relative to the tow, a hot-melt adhesive water-soluble polymer may be employed. As the amount of water added to the tow is thus decreased, the tow can be smoothly wrapped up even at a high speed so that filter productivity is improved. This tobacco filter is highly wet-disintegratable and, hence, contributes to mitigation of the environmental pollution.

Abstract: A bundle of cellulose acetate fibers is bonded together with a water-soluble fiber-to-fiber bonding agent. The water-soluble fiber-to-fiber bonding agent may include 60-99 wt. % of a water-soluble binder and 40-1 wt. % of a plasticizer. As to the specific components, the water-soluble fiber-to-fiber bonding agent may be a mixture of a water-soluble polymer and glycerol triacetate. The bonded fibers are wrapped in a paper having opposing ends secured together with a water-soluble plug wrap adhesive. A plurality of cuts are made to extend more than one half way through the bundle wrapped fibers. The plurality of cuts may extend more than one half way through the bundle without extending completely through the bundle and may extend from a plurality of different directions.

Abstract: A tobacco filter is produced by wrapping up a sheet-like filter material having a web structure and comprising a cellulose ester short staple into a rodform. As the cellulose ester short staple, a short staple that is non-crimped and/or has a modified cross section where a ratio D1/D2 of a diameter D1 of the circumscribed circle to a diameter D2 of the inscribed circle, each circle being of the cross section, of not less than 2 is used. The short staple includes e.g. a cellulose acetate fiber with an average fiber length of 1 to 10 mm and fineness of 1 to 10 deniers. The short staple may be incorporated with a beaten pulp with a Schopper-Riegler freeness of 20 to 90.degree. SR and/or a binder. The ratio of the short staple to the beaten pulp may for example be about 90/10 to 20/80 (by weight).

Abstract: A filter material comprises a cellulose acetate fiber tow containing 5-50% by weight of a water soluble material and/or a water dispersible material which are soluble in a solvent which dissolves cellulose acetate and which are not compatible with cellulose acetate. Due to the inclusion of the above-mentioned water soluble material and/or water dispersible material in the cellulose acetate fiber, in the presence of moisture, the fiber surface becomes porous by the elution of this water soluble material and/or water dispersible material from the fiber, and the surface area of the fiber is increased. Consequently, the shape of the cellulose acetate fiber tow is easily broken down, and the decomposability of the fiber by microorganisms and the like is increased. When a cigarette filter is made using this type of filter material, a cigarette filter is obtained which has easy decomposability in the natural environment and particularly in water, in atmospheres which contain large amounts of moisture, and the like.

Abstract: A cigarette filter comprises a humectant, preferably sodium pyroglutamate, and optionally a surfactant. The humectant absorbs moisture from the tobacco smoke for wet-filtration of the tobacco smoke.

Abstract: A tobacco filter material containing fibers which have a core and a surface layer which surrounds the core, wherein the core comprises a non-esterified cellulose and the surface layer comprises a cellulose ester. The fiber may be (A) a cellulose fiber coated with a cellulose ester or (B) a fibrous cellulose derivative with its surface layer esterified by an organic acid and having an average degree of substitution of not more than 1.5. Wood pulp can be used as the cellulose fiber and the amount of the cellulose ester in the coated cellulose (A) is 0.1% by weight or more. The cellulose derivative (B) has its surface layer esterified with an organic acid and retains a non-esterified core portion. This cellulose derivative may be obtained, for example, by the non-catalytic liquid phase treatment of a cellulose fiber with an organic acid and an organic acid anhydride or halide.

Abstract: A tobacco filter with a circumferential length of 17 to 27 mm is prepared by creping or embossing, with a roller of a temperature not lower than 100.degree. C., a sheet-like material comprising not less than 20% by weight of a cellulose ester component and having a web structure with a basis weight of 20 to 35 g/m.sup.2 and a density of 0.25 to 0.45 g/cm.sup.3, and wrapping up the creped or embossed material into a rod form. The cellulose ester component includes e.g. a cellulose ester short staple, a fibrillated fiber, an esterified fiber and a fiber coated with a cellulose ester. This tobacco filter shows a pressure drop of 200 to 500 mm WG, a firmness of 88% or more and a cross-sectional porosity of 2% or less provided that it has a circumferential length of 24.5 mm and a length of 10 cm.

Abstract: Cigarette filters which comprise hydroentangled lyocell staple fibers are disclosed. High filter efficiencies, good taste properties, good resistance to staining, good physical resilience and good air flow characteristics are observed when cigarettes containing such filters are smoked.

Abstract: A cigarette filter material is provided which is free from the occurrence of acetic acid odor, even after long-term storage in a hermetically sealed condition, which ensures excellent palatability. This cigarette filter material comprises a fiber assembly composed mainly of cellulose diacetate fibers and, contained therein, 80 to 10,000 ppm of a polyvalent metal salt of an acid selected from among organic and inorganic acids.

Abstract: The smoker's article comprises a filter, a tobacco rod and a wrapper. The tobacco rod contains a catalyst consisting of a hydrated zeolite or a zeolite-like molecular sieve, the said zeolite or zeolite-like material being defined by the following formula:M.sub.m' M'.sub.n' M".sub.p ?a'AlO.sub.2 .multidot.b'SiO.sub.2 .multidot.c'TO.sub.2 !q'Qwherein M is a monovalent cationM' is a divalent cationM" is a trivalent cationa', b', c', n', m', p and q' are numbers which reflect the stoichiometric proportions,m', n', p or c' can also be zero,Al and Si are tetrahedrally coordinated Al and Si atoms,T is a tetrahedrally coordinated atom being able to replace Al or Si andQ is a sorbate capable of passing the pore system of the zeolite,or of mixtures thereof. The said catalyst consisting of a zeolite or the zeolite-like material, enclosed in the tobacco rod is present optionally in the H form and has a thermally stable structure. The sorbate Q is mainly water.

Abstract: A filter rod is produced by adding a water-soluble polymer in the form of an aqueous solution or dispersion, or in a particulate form, to a tow of cellulose ester fiber, with the amount of any water used being controlled within 25 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the tow, and wrapping the treated tow in wrapping paper. The water contained in the filter rod is removed or the particulate water-soluble polymer is melted by heating to bond the fiber to provide a tobacco filter. The proportion of the water-soluble polymer is 0.5 to 30 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the tow. To reduce the amount of water relative to the tow, a hot-melt adhesive water-soluble polymer may be employed. As the amount of water added to the tow is thus decreased, the tow can be smoothly wrapped up even at a high speed so that filter productivity is improved. This tobacco filter is highly wet-disintegratable and, hence, contributes to mitigation of the environmental pollution.

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter material has a fibrillated cellulose ester fiber with an average fiber diameter of 15 to 250 .mu.m and a BET specific surface area of 0.5 to 4.5 m.sup.2 /g. The fibrous cellulose ester content of the material may for example be not less than 20 weight %. The cellulose ester fiber is provided by, for example, extruding a cellulose ester solution from a nozzle into a precipitating agent for the particular cellulose ester and subjecting the extrudate to a shear force. This filter material can be used in the form of, for example, a filament, web or sheet to provide a tobacco smoke filter which assures good smoking qualities and excellent wet disintegratability.

Abstract: A tobacco filter is obtained by shaping a sheet material having a web structure and comprising (1) cellulose acetate or other cellulose ester short staple, and (2) a binder fiber selected from polysaccharides or their derivatives and biodegradable polymers, and having a binding property with respect to the short staple into a rod-form. The fiber (2) includes (2a) an esterified cellulose fiber, (2b) a cellulose fiber coated with a cellulose ester, (2c) a fibrillated cellulose ester fiber having a BET specific surface area of 0.5 to 4.5 m.sup.2 /g, and (2d) a cellulose fiber at least a part of its surface has been water-solubilized. The sheet material may further comprise a wood pulp or other beaten pulps.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a man-made fiber comprising a cellulose ester and 0.05 to 5.0% by weight of a titanium dioxide having an average particle size of less than 100 nanometers.

Abstract: A concentric smoking filter in which the peripheral filter medium is a fibrous tow, such as fibrous cellulose acetate tow, and the core filter medium is a web material, such as paper, loaded with carbon particles, is provided. The filter improves the taste, particularly, of "ultra-light" cigarettes.

Abstract: A filter rod for filtering the smoke of a cigarette including an acetate tow having a high crimp modulus and the acetate tow is bloomed and wrapped by a paper to form the filter rod, wherein a degree of crimping of the acetate tow at a position just downstream of a delivery roller of a filter rod making machine used to form a filter rod is 1.4 or more, and is obtained by conditions satisfying the following equations by having the crimping operation performed under the conditions satisfying the following equations (1) and (2): ##EQU1## wherein: A stands for the weight percent of acetone of the acetate tow just after the tow is fed from a stuffing box type crimping apparatus; andT stands for a temperature of the acetate tow just after the tow is fed from the stuffing box type crimping machine.

Abstract: A filter for removing nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) from tobacco smoke comprises A) a poly(arylene thioether), B) if appropriate a conventional filter material and C) if appropriate at least one surface-active solid. By means of use of this filter, in particular, nitrogen dioxide is virtually completely removed from the smoke.

Abstract: Sheath-core bicomponent fibers comprising a core of a low-cost, high strength, thermoplastic material, preferably polypropylene, completely covered with a sheath formed preferably of plasticized cellulose acetate, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol or ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, are produced, preferably melt blown to an average diameter of 10 microns or less, and formed into tobacco smoke filters. The resultant filters retain the desirable taste properties and processing capabilities of conventional cellulose acetate filter elements, but are substantially less expensive. Because the core material is non-absorbent, less plasticizer or additive is required for comparable properties, and a web, roving or filter made of such materials has a longer shelf-life. The very fine fibers can be formed of various cross-sections, providing higher surface area and requiring less air in the melt blowing and manufacturing processes.

Abstract: A blend of cellulose acetate and starch acetate used to make fibers, filaments, yarns, fabrics, plastic materials and other uses is disclosed. Additionally, the invention relates to the process of making said blend; cigarette filters made from tow composed of said blend; cigarettes made with filters made from tow of said blend as well as acetate flake and other compositions containing said blend.

Abstract: Structures are formed from cellulose acetate in which an additive is present or on this surface the additive consisting of a nitrogenous organic compound which by degradation by microorganisms forms basic decomposition products, in particular ammonia, and/or--basic--compounds having an NH group or NH groups and/or an NH.sub.2 group or NH.sub.2 groups. The structures may have the form of filaments, staple fibers, films, foils, sheets or other objects. The structures in the form of filaments and/or staple fibers are used for the manufacture of filter tows. The filter tow of this kind is described. The filter tow is for the manufacture of a tobacco smoke filter element, and such a tobacco smoke filter element is described.

Abstract: A filter tow from cellulose acetate filaments and/or staple fibers is described on the surface of which an additive from cellulose chain-splitting enzymes is present, at least the surface of the filaments and staple fibers consisting of a cellulose acetate having an acetyl number of less than 53%, preferably less than 49%. The method for the production of such a filter tow comprises spinning cellulose acetate filaments from a solution in acetone, of cellulose acetate of an acetyl number of at least 53% if necessary, cutting the filaments to staple fibers, gathering the filaments and/or staple fibers to a filter tow and applying an additive, the filaments and staple fibers being hydrolyzed and as additive one of cellulose chain-splitting enzymes is used. There are described also a tobacco smoke filter element from such a filter tow and a method for its production.

Abstract: A method is described for processing waste materials in the form of filter rods, filter cigarettes and the like comprising filter material with inner hollow volumes accessible from the outside and at least one other material component, in particular paper and tobacco, wherein the following process steps are carried out: the waste material is distributed in a liquid in a pressure vessel. By increasing the pressure or decreasing the temperature an inert gas is dissolved in the liquid. Subsequently the temperature is increased or the pressure decreased so that fine gas bubbles develop within the filter material which permits the latter to float whereby a separation from the further material components to be separated is possible. With this method a separation of the waste material into its individual component parts is possible so that for example valuable filter material in the form of cellulose acetate is obtained in highly pure form and can be used again for the production of filter materials.