The present disclosure provides filter materials adapted for use as a filter element in an aerosol delivery device and methods of forming such filter materials suitable for use as a filter element in such devices. The disclosure provides, in some embodiments, a filter material which includes a plurality of fibers selected from the group consisting of regenerated cellulose, hemp, sisal, esparto, kenaf, jute, flax, wood, reconstituted tobacco, and combinations thereof, wherein the filter material is in the form of a nonwoven sheet or a fibrous tow.

A method of manufacturing a variable crimped web material is provided, including feeding a substantially continuous web material; crimping a first region of the material at a first crimp value; and crimping a second region of the material, adjacent the first region, at a second crimp value, the crimping using a set of two rollers, each being corrugated across at least a portion of its width and corrugated around its circumference, and being configured so the corrugations across the width interleave with each other to crimp the material, so the troughs of the corrugations around the circumference crimp the material at the first crimp value, and so the peaks of the corrugations around the circumference crimp the material at the second crimp value. An apparatus for manufacturing a crimped web material, and a method of manufacturing air flow directing elements for smoking articles are also provided.

A cellulose acetate particle aggregate, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof, which relate to the field of harm reduction additives in cigarettes. The cellulose acetate particle aggregate includes 49-99.5 wt % of cellulose acetate particles, 0-50 wt % of a second kind of particles, and 0.5-20 wt % of a binder. The preparation method involves selecting cellulose acetate particles and a second kind of particles in a certain ratio, or cellulose acetate particles alone, preparing particle aggregates by using an air fluidized granulation method while adding a binder thereto, and sieving the particle aggregates to obtain a cellulose acetate particle aggregate having a required particle size. The cellulose acetate particle aggregate has a porous structure, an irregular shape, and a rough and uneven surface, which help to improve the efficiency of filtering out particulate matters or one or more harmful ingredients in cigarette smoke.

A filter for a smoking article has improved biodegradability and improved taste during smoking of the smoking article. The filter includes a segment having a filtration substrate including natural cellulose fibres, and a wrapper at least partly surrounding the segment. The filtration substrate contains a composition including an additive for reducing phenols.

A filter element suitable for use in smoking articles may include: cellulose acetate fibers bonded together using polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) surrounding the cellulose acetate fibers, bonded together using PHA on surfaces of the cellulose acetate fibers, and/or bonded together using PHA. A process for producing the filter element suitable for use in the smoking articles may include: embedding a bundle of the cellulose acetate fibers with an aqueous suspension of the PHA to obtain a wet bundle of the cellulose acetate fibers covered by the aqueous suspension; shaping the wet bundle into a continuous elongated element; heating the elongated element to temperature greater than or equal to 140 C. and less than or equal to 180 C. to melt the PHA and to evaporate water from the elongated element; cooling the heated elongated element to obtain crystallization of the PHA; and/or cutting the elongated element into segments.

The present invention relates to a method to form a rod for an aerosol generating article from a sheet of material (11), the method comprising the steps of: crimping the sheet of material (11); flattening the crimped sheet of material (11) by forcing it to contact a sliding edge, transversally arranged with respect to a feed direction of the sheet of material (11); giving a substantially tubular shape to the flattened sheet of material (11); and forming the rod with the so-shaped sheet of material (11). The present invention also relates to an apparatus to form a rod for an aerosol generating article from a sheet of material (11).

A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum section capable of receiving a predetermined number of segments per revolution of the drum from a procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed; a segment releasing drum section capable of releasing the predetermined number of segments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed; and a radial profile flight comprising a continuous arc segment extending across at least portions of the segment receiving drum section and the segment releasing drum section. Associated methods are also provided, including method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively with a radial profile flight.

The invention relates to a double-layered tube of the tobacco processing industry and a method for producing such a tube. When applying a positioning adhesive, it is provided to apply said adhesive with an application thickness of 10 m to 80 m.

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.

The present invention relates to a method to fold a sheet (11) of material into a rod for an aerosol generating article, the method comprising: providing a central element and plurality of spaced apart walls (14), the spaced apart walls radially extending outwardly from the central element (12) following one another in a circumferential direction, each spaced apart wall defining an end surface (15) separated from the end surfaces of the adjacent walls; transporting the sheet of material and putting it in contact with the end surfaces of the plurality of spaced apart walls so that the sheet of material can partly fold within spaces defined between the spaced apart walls; and inserting the sheet of material into a funnel (16) to form a rod. The present invention also relates to an apparatus (10) to fold a sheet of material into a rod for an aerosol generating article.