A filter rod comprises a core of cellulose acetate fibers surrounded by a lofty porous network of charge retaining polymer fibers. The charge retaining fibers can be charged to attract and hold particles from such sources as particulate matter from sorbents (preventing break-through), and smoke constituents while having a suitable pressure drop.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a lyocell material for a cigarette filter, including (S1) spinning a lyocell spinning dope composed of 8 to 13 wt % of a cellulose pulp and 87 to 92 wt % of an N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) aqueous solution; (S2) coagulating the lyocell spinning dope spun in (S1), thus obtaining a lyocell multifilament; (S3) water-washing the lyocell multifilament obtained in (S2); (S4) oiling the lyocell multifilament water-washed in (S3); and (S5) applying steam and pressure to the lyocell multifilament obtained in (S4), thus obtaining a crimped tow having 30 to 40 crimps per inch.

The invention relates to a filter material and/or filler material for mouthpieces for use with smoking products or HNB products, the filter material and/or filler material being based on cellulose acetate filaments, at least parts of which are in the form of hollow cellulose acetate filaments. The invention also relates to a mouthpiece for use with smoking products or HNB products, the mouthpiece comprising a filter material and/or filler material of the type according to the invention. The invention also relates to a cigarette filter comprising such a filter material and/or filler material, and to a corresponding method for manufacturing a filter material and/or filler material for mouthpieces for use with smoking products or HNB products.

A method is provided to crimp a sheet having, before crimping, a thickness, a moisture, a composition, and a width, the method including: obtaining one pre-crimping sheet characteristic among the thickness of the sheet, the moisture of the sheet, the composition of the sheet, and the width of the sheet; crimping the sheet to form a plurality of corrugations on the sheet, the crimping including providing a pair of crimping rollers defining a nip therebetween, the nip having a nip size, and inserting the sheet in the nip; evaluating a post-crimping characteristic of the sheet after crimping; and varying the nip size on the basis of the obtained one of the pre-crimping sheet characteristic, and on the basis of the evaluated post-crimping sheet characteristic. An apparatus to crimp a sheet is also provided.

The invention provides a material which comprises a paper substrate and a nonwoven substrate having a low density which can be used as filter for a smoking or vaping article.

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 0.0015N/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.

The object of the application is an apparatus for manufacturing a roll of crimped filling material for rod-like articles, comprising a unit (4) for feeding a continuous strand of the filling material and a crimping unit (5) for crimping the filling material. The apparatus is characterised in that between the unit (4) for feeding the continuous strand of the filling material and the crimping unit (5) there is a cutting unit (23) for cutting the continuous strand of the filling material (20) into sections (22), and in that the crimping unit (5) is adapted to crimp the cut-off section (22) of the filling material transversely to the direction of movement of the material section (22). The apparatus is further characterised in that the forming unit (16, 46, 51, 61) is adapted to form a roll (22X, 22Y) from the cut-off crimped section (22) of the filling material in the form of a substantially cylindrical rod. The object of the application is also a method for manufacturing a roll of crimped filling material for rod-like articles.

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 invention relates to an apparatus (10) for crimping a sheet (40) of material, the apparatus comprising a first and second facing crimping roller (11, 21) defining a first and second rotation axis, respectively, the first roller including: •a first plurality of circumferential ridges (16), each ridge defining a ridge amplitude; •wherein each of said first plurality of ridges is interrupted along its circumferential extension forming an interruption gap where for a given interruption angle an amplitude of the ridge differs from the ridge amplitude in the remaining circumferential extension of the ridge; •wherein said plurality of interruption gaps forms an interruption band defining a direction of extension, said direction of extension being angled with respect to a direction defined by the first rotation axis of an angle comprised between about 2° to about 25°. The invention also relates to a method for crimping a sheet of material as well as a crimped sheet of material and a rod made of a crimped sheet.