Cigarette tow is the core material for manufacturing cigarette filters, and its common terms and definitions are as follows:

1、 Basic terminology

Tow (tow)

Continuous bundle fiber material, usually made of synthetic fibers such as cellulose acetate and polypropylene, used for producing cigarette filters.

Denier per Filament (DPF)

A unit for measuring the fineness of a single fiber, expressed in grams of fiber weight per 9000 meters of length. The smaller the DPF value, the finer the fibers.

Total Denier

Refers to the total fineness of the entire bundle of fibers, which is the product of single denier and the number of fibers. Common range: 25000 to 50000 dan.

Cross Section Shape

The geometric shape of the fiber cross-section, such as "Y-shaped", "I-shaped", etc., affects the hardness, adsorption performance, and processing characteristics of the fiber bundle.

2、 Terminology for Process Performance

Crimp Frequency

The number of bends per unit length of fiber (usually measured as "per 25mm") affects the fluffiness and elasticity of the bundle.

Crimp Level

The index that describes the degree of fiber bending affects the hardness and breathability of the filter.

Oil content (Finish Content)

The proportion of lubricants or additives added to the surface of the fiber bundle is usually 0.1% -0.5%, used to improve processing performance.

Moisture Content

The moisture content in the filament bundle is usually within the standard range of 5% to 7%, which affects the flexibility and electrostatic control of the filament bundle.

3、 Quality control terminology

Whiteness

The whiteness of the fiber bundle affects the appearance of the filter.

Impurities

The content of non fibrous substances (such as gel particles and foreign matters) in the tow should be strictly controlled to ensure the safety of the filter tip.

Tensile Strength

The ability of fiber bundles to resist breakage affects the breakage rate during the production process.

Openness

The difficulty of separating the fiber bundle during the opening process affects the uniformity of filter forming.

4、 Application related terminology

Filter Rod

A cylindrical filter unit made by rolling fiber bundles through a molding machine.

Pressure Drop

The resistance generated by smoke passing through the filter, usually measured in millimeters of water column (mm H ₂ O), affects the smoking experience.

Hardness

The compressive strength of filter rods, usually expressed as a percentage, is related to the curling performance and processing technology of the fiber bundle.

Filtration Efficiency

The retention ability of filters for substances such as tar and nicotine in smoke is related to the structure of the fiber bundle and additives.

5、 Material type terminology

Cellulose Acetate Tow

The most common cigarette tow is made of cellulose acetate and has selective adsorption properties.

Polypropylene Tow

Low cost, but poor adsorption performance, commonly used in mid to low end cigarettes.

Composite Tow

Made by mixing various materials such as activated carbon and modified fibers, used for functional filters.

6、 Production and testing terminology

Tow Opening Rate

The uniformity of fiber bundle dispersion during processing affects the weight stability of filter rods.

Tow Band

The ribbon structure formed by the filament bundle before entering the forming machine must maintain a consistent width.

Acetone Adsorption Value

Technical indicators used to evaluate the quality of acetate fiber bundles, reflecting their porous structural characteristics.

summary

The term 'cigarette tow' encompasses material properties, process parameters, and quality standards, which collectively determine the physical properties, adsorption efficiency, and production efficiency of the filter. Different cigarette brands will choose bundles with specific parameters based on product positioning (such as low tar, high breathability, etc.).