A smoking article includes a smokable material and a filter comprising filtration material that is downstream of the smokable material. The filtration material comprises a sheet of hydrophobic cellulosic material with hydrophobic groups covalently bonded to the cellulosic material.

Smoking articles including filter elements formed from two or more fibrous inputs with different physical properties are provided. A first plurality of cellulose acetate staple fibers and a second plurality of degradable polymeric staple fibers are blended to give a fiber mixture, wherein the staple fibers of the fiber mixture are randomly oriented. The degradable polymeric staple fibers can be treated to increase hydrophobicity. The staple fibers of the fiber mixture can then be bonded to form a fibrous bundle which can be incorporated into a filter element. Related methods and mixed fiber products are also provided by the disclosure.

Smoking articles including filter elements formed from two or more fibrous inputs with different physical properties are provided. A first plurality of cellulose acetate staple fibers and a second plurality of degradable polymeric staple fibers are blended to give a fiber mixture, wherein the staple fibers of the fiber mixture are randomly oriented. The degradable polymeric staple fibers can be treated to increase hydrophobicity. The staple fibers of the fiber mixture can then be bonded to form a fibrous bundle which can be incorporated into a filter element. Related methods and mixed fiber products are also provided by the disclosure.

A tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising a stiff outer wrapper engaged around a downstream thermoformed core of tobacco smoke filtering material and a further core longitudinally aligned therewith; the downstream thermoformed core having a profiled outer surface which defines with the stiff outer wrapper at least one longitudinally extending channel which extends the length of the downstream core.

A tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising a stiff outer wrapper engaged around a downstream thermoformed core of tobacco smoke filtering material and a further core longitudinally aligned therewith; the downstream thermoformed core having a profiled outer surface which defines with the stiff outer wrapper at least one longitudinally extending channel which extends the length of the downstream core.

A tow band for heated tobacco product tip is a tow band of cellulose acetate provided by uniting and crimping a plurality of filaments into a bundle, in which a total denier is set to a value in a range of 10000 to 40000 (inclusive) and a filament denier is set to a value in a range of 6.0 to 20.0 (inclusive), and where the total denier is denoted by TD and a breaking strength of the tow band is denoted by F, a ratio F/TD is set to a value of 0.0015 N/denier or more.

A tow band for heated tobacco product tip is a tow band of cellulose acetate provided by uniting and crimping a plurality of filaments into a bundle, in which a total denier is set to a value in a range of 10000 to 40000 (inclusive) and a filament denier is set to a value in a range of 6.0 to 20.0 (inclusive), and where the total denier is denoted by TD and a breaking strength of the tow band is denoted by F, a ratio F/TD is set to a value of 0.0015 N/denier or more.

Smoking articles including filter elements formed from two or more fibrous inputs with different physical properties are provided. The two or more fibrous inputs are provided in the form of staple fibers, which are at least partially entangled with each other to form a mixed fiber sliver. The mixed fiber sliver includes a first plurality of cellulose acetate staple fibers blended with a second plurality of staple fibers comprising a polymeric material different from the first plurality of staple fibers, such as staple fibers of a degradable polymeric material. The entangled fibers of the mixed fiber sliver may be sufficiently separated from one another such that blooming operations typically required in filter element production may not be necessary prior to incorporating the mixed fiber sliver into a filter element. Related methods, apparatuses and mixed fiber products are also provided by the disclosure.

Smoking articles including filter elements formed from two or more fibrous inputs with different physical properties are provided. The two or more fibrous inputs are provided in the form of staple fibers, which are at least partially entangled with each other to form a mixed fiber sliver. The mixed fiber sliver includes a first plurality of cellulose acetate staple fibers blended with a second plurality of staple fibers comprising a polymeric material different from the first plurality of staple fibers, such as staple fibers of a degradable polymeric material. The entangled fibers of the mixed fiber sliver may be sufficiently separated from one another such that blooming operations typically required in filter element production may not be necessary prior to incorporating the mixed fiber sliver into a filter element. Related methods, apparatuses and mixed fiber products are also provided by the disclosure.

The present invention relates to polymer compositions comprising at least one basic additive, and processes comprising at least one process step to obtain the polymer composition or articles comprising the polymer composition. The polymer composition generally displays an enhanced biodegradability.