Water soluble sheet material

Abstract

An improved circumscribing plug wrap and tipping material are provided. The plug wrap and tipping material are a cast sheet which includes 20 to 70 percent by weight water dispersible cellulose material, 20 to 70 percent by weight of a water soluble film forming material and 0 to 10 percent by weight of a humectant. A smoking article (e.g., cigarette) using such plug wrap or tipping material or both is also provided.

That which is claimed:  
     
         1 . An improved circumscribing plug wrap for a filter element of a smoking article, the plug wrap comprising a cast sheet of 20 to 70 percent by weight water dispersible cellulose material, 20 to 70 percent by weight of a water soluble film forming material and 0 to 10 percent by weight of a humectant.  
     
     
         2 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the plug wrap further comprises a coloring agent.  
     
     
         3 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 2 , wherein the coloring agent is finely ground tobacco.  
     
     
         4 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the water soluble film forming agent is a water soluble cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of carboxylmethyl cellulose and salts and derivatives thereof, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose and blends thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the film forming agent is a water soluble polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, sodium alginate, carrageenan gum and tamarind gum and blends thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the film forming agent is a combination of a water soluble cellulose material selected from the group consisting of carboxylmethyl cellulose and salts and derivatives thereof, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose and blends thereof and a water soluble polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, sodium alginate, carrageenan gum and tamarind gum and blends thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the humectant is selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1  further comprising 30 to 50 percent by weight calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         9 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 1 , wherein the water dispersible cellulose is wood pulp.  
     
     
         10 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 9 , wherein the cellulose is refined to a Canadian Standard freeness of between −30 and −650 CSF units.  
     
     
         11 . An improved cigarette tipping paper comprising a cast sheet of 20 to 70 percent by weight water dispersible cellulose material, 20 to 70 percent by weight of a water soluble film forming material and 0 to 10 percent by weight of a humectant wherein the cast sheet is printed with an ink pattern.  
     
     
         12 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11  further comprising a coloring agent.  
     
     
         13 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 12 , wherein the coloring agent is finely ground tobacco.  
     
     
         14 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11  further comprising a top coating of a lip release agent.  
     
     
         15 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 14 , wherein the lip release agent is ethyl cellulose.  
     
     
         16 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11 , wherein the water soluble film forming agent is a water soluble cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of carboxylmethyl cellulose and salts and derivatives thereof, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose and blends thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11 , wherein the film forming agent is a water soluble polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, sodium alginate carrageenan gum and tamarind gum and blends thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 11 , wherein the film forming agent is a combination of a water soluble cellulose material selected from the group consisting of carboxylmethyl cellulose and salts and derivatives thereof, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose and blends thereof and a water soluble polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, sodium alginate, carrageenan gum and tamarind gum and blends thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11 , wherein the humectant is selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11  further comprising 30 to 50 percent by weight calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         21 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 11 , wherein the water dispersible cellulose is wood pulp.  
     
     
         22 . The improved cigarette tipping paper of  claim 21 , wherein the cellulose is refined to a Canadian Standard freeness of between −30 and −650 CSF units.  
     
     
         23 . A cigarette having a charge of smokable material including tobacco cut filler wrapped in a circumscribing wrapping material to form a smokable rod and filter plug positioned adjacent to one end of the smokable rod, the filter plug comprising a filter element and a circumscribing filter plug wrap comprising a cast sheet wrap comprising a cast sheet of 20 to 70 percent by weight water dispersible cellulose material, 20 to 70 percent by weight of a water soluble film forming material and 0 to 10 percent by weight of a humectant.  
     
     
         24 . The cigarette of  claim 23  wherein the filter plug is attached to the smokable rod with circumscribing tipping material comprising a cast sheet wrap comprising a cast sheet of 20 to 70 percent by weight water dispersible cellulose material, 20 to 70 percent by weight of a water soluble film forming material and 0 to 10 percent by weight of a humectant.  
     
     
         25 . The cigarette of  claim 23 , wherein the plug wrap or tipping material or both further comprises a coloring agent.  
     
     
         26 . The cigarette of  claim 25 , wherein the coloring agent is finely ground tobacco.  
     
     
         27 . The cigarette of  claim 24 , wherein the tipping material further comprises a top coating of a lip release agent.  
     
     
         28 . The cigarette of  claim 27 , wherein the lip release agent is ethyl cellulose.  
     
     
         29 . The cigarette of  claim 23 , wherein the water soluble film forming agent is a water soluble cellulosic material selected from the group consisting of carboxylmethyl cellulose and salts and derivatives thereof, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose and blends thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The cigarette of  claim 23 , wherein the film forming agent is a water soluble polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, sodium alginate, carrageenan gum and tamarind gum and blends thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The improved plug wrap of  claim 23 , wherein the film forming agent is a combination of a water soluble cellulose material selected from the group consisting of carboxylmethyl cellulose and salts and derivatives thereof, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxylethyl cellulose and blends thereof and a water soluble polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gum arabic, sodium alginate, carrageenan gum and tamarind gum and blends thereof.  
     
     
         32 . The cigarette of  claim 23 , wherein the humectant is selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohols, aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         33 . The cigarette of  claim 24 , wherein the tipping material further comprises 30 to 50 percent by weight calcium carbonate.  
     
     
         34 . The cigarette of  claim 23 , wherein the water dispersible cellulose is wood pulp.  
     
     
         35 . The cigarette of  claim 34 , wherein the cellulose is refined to a Canadian Standard freeness of between −30 and −650 CSF units.