Disclosed are fibers comprising identification fibers which can be used for tracking and tracing fibers, yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles comprising the fibers through at least part of the supply chain. Each identification fiber exhibits at least one distinct feature. Each group of distinguishable identification fibers can exhibit a taggant cross-section shape, a taggant cross-section size, or combination of the same taggant cross-section shape and same taggant cross-section size. The distinct features and the number of fibers in each group of distinguishable identification fibers can represent at least one supply chain component of the fibers. The distinct features can be detectable in an article comprising the fibers.

The invention relates to a filter manufacturing apparatus (1) to form a hollow filter body, the filter manufacturing apparatus comprising: a feed path adapted to continuously feed a filter material along a longitudinal transport direction (30); a forming device (4) connected to a terminating end of the feed path and adapted to form the filter material into a hollow rod-shaped filter body and deliver the formed filter body, the forming device including: .square-solid. a tubular forming element (8) adapted to allow the filter material to pass therethrough, .square-solid. a pin (34) extending longitudinally within the tubular forming element, the pin having a pin diameter;a diameter changing device (40), adapted to vary the pin diameter of the pin, so as to obtain a filter body having a through hole of variable diameter.

A smoking article (10) incorporates a liquid release component (20), the liquid release component comprising an inner core of a sustained release liquid delivery material and a frangible outer shell encapsulating the inner core. The liquid delivery material comprises a closed matrix structure comprising a cross-linked polymer matrix defining a plurality of domains; and a liquid composition that is trapped within the domains and is releasable from the closed matrix structure upon compression of the material. The frangible outer coating comprises at least one film-forming polymer and at least one plasticiser.

There is provided a smoking article comprising an aerosol generating substrate and a mouthpiece attached to the aerosol generating substrate. The mouthpiece includes a segment comprising a filtration material comprising polylactic acid, and an additive for reducing phenols. The mouthpiece further comprises one or more wrappers circumscribing the segment, the one or more wrappers have a combined basis weight of at least about 50 grams per square metre (gm-.sup.2).

Disclosed are fibers which contain identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a one or more of chemical markers and one or more distinct features, or taggants, which may vary among the fibers or be incorporated throughout all of the fibers. The chemical markers and distinct features can be representative of specific supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying chemical markers and distinct features and correlating the chemical markers and distinct features to manufacturer-specific taggants to determine supply chain information.

Disclosed are fibers which contain identification fibers. The identification fibers can contain a one or more of chemical markers and one or more distinct features, or taggants, which may vary among the fibers or be incorporated throughout all of the fibers. The chemical markers and distinct features can be representative of specific supply chain information. The supply chain information can be used to track the fibers from manufacturing through intermediaries, conversion to final product, and/or the consumer. The disclosed embodiments also relate to the method for making and characterizing the fibers. Characterization of the fibers can include identifying chemical markers and distinct features and correlating the chemical markers and distinct features to manufacturer-specific taggants to determine supply chain information.

Disclosed are fibers comprising one or more branded fibers which exhibit surface markings in a repeated pattern along the length of the branded fibers. The branded fibers can be incorporated into yarns or fiber bands to represent supply chain information of the yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles made from the yards or fiber bands. In a specific example, branded fibers can be incorporated into an acetate tow band The branded fibers can be recovered from a cigarette filter, the repeated pattern decoded, and supply chain information associated with the acetate tow used to make the cigarette filter, such as manufacturer, customer, ship to location, and even the acetate tow bale, can be obtained.

Disclosed are fibers comprising one or more branded fibers which exhibit surface markings in a repeated pattern along the length of the branded fibers. The branded fibers can be incorporated into yarns or fiber bands to represent supply chain information of the yarns, fiber bands, and/or articles made from the yards or fiber bands. In a specific example, branded fibers can be incorporated into an acetate tow band The branded fibers can be recovered from a cigarette filter, the repeated pattern decoded, and supply chain information associated with the acetate tow used to make the cigarette filter, such as manufacturer, customer, ship to location, and even the acetate tow bale, can be obtained.

According to embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a tube filter production device including a tube filter exterior forming case into which one or more filter tows are introduced and from which a tubular rod formed from the one or more filter tows is discharged, a tube filter forming bar extending in an inner region of the tube filter exterior forming case in order to form a hollow of the tubular rod, and a steam chamber having at least one steam nozzle in communication with the inner region of the tube filter exterior forming case and configured to supply steam to the one or more filter tows through the steam nozzle, wherein the tube filter forming bar has a duct extending in a longitudinal direction of the tube filter forming bar and a flavoring nozzle formed in a downstream end region of the tube filter forming bar to deliver a flavoring liquid or a moisturizing liquid supplied through the duct to the hollow of the tubular rod.

A system for filtering vaporized medicinal compounds includes a vaporizer configured to release one or more volatilized medicinal compounds in gaseous form, together with solid or semi-solid particulate byproducts, and one or more removable filters for efficiently removing at least a portion of the particulate byproducts while allowing passage of medicinally active volatilized compounds. The vaporizer includes a mouthpiece through which one or more volatilized medicinal compounds may be drawn. The filter is made of a chemically inert material (e.g., polypropylene or other polyolefin) and may be configured to detachably interface with an exposed surface of a vaporizer mouthpiece. The filter acts to remove solid or semi-solid particulate matter passing through the mouthpiece with minimal chemical and/or physical interference with volatilized medicinal compounds, which pass through the filter. The removable filter can also prevent cross-contamination by multiple users of the vaporizer.