Filter containing a metal phthalocyanine and polycationic polymer

Abstract

A tobacco smoke filter comprising one or more than one metal phthalocyanine, such as a copper phthalocyanine or an iron phthalocyanine, and further comprising one or more than one polycationic polymer.

1 . A tobacco smoke filter comprising one or more than one metal phthalocyanine, and further comprising one or more than one polycationic polymer.  
   
   
       2 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine is a copper phthalocyanine.  
   
   
       3 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 2 , where the copper phthalocyanine is selected from the group consisting of C.I. Reactive Blue 21 dye and ORCO Turquoise Blue GGX dye.  
   
   
       4 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine is an iron phthalocyanine.  
   
   
       5 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 4 , where the iron phthalocyanine is an iron analog of C.I. Reactive Blue 21 dye.  
   
   
       6 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one polycationic polymer has a cationic moiety comprising one or more than one primary or secondary amino group.  
   
   
       7 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one polycationic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(propyleneimine), polyvinylamine, poly(2-ethylaziridine), poly(2,2-dimethylaziridine), and poly(2,2-dimethyl-3 -n-propylaziridine) and a combination of the preceding.  
   
   
       8 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one polycationic polymer is polyethyleneimine (PEI).  
   
   
       9 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one the polycationic polymer has a molecular weight greater than about 1000 Daltons.  
   
   
       10 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one the polycationic polymer has a molecular weight of between about 1000 and 100,000 Daltons.  
   
   
       11 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , further comprising cellulose that is substantially free of cellulose acetate.  
   
   
       12 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine is a copper phthalocyanine, and where the polycationic polymer is polyethyleneimine.  
   
   
       13 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine is an iron phthalocyanine, and where the polycationic polymer is polyethyleneimine.  
   
   
       14 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the filter additionally comprises one or more than one pH-modifying filter additive, other than the polycationic polymer.  
   
   
       15 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one pH-modifying filter additive is an inorganic salt.  
   
   
       16 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 15 , where the inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate and a cationic ion exchange resin.  
   
   
       17 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , further comprising chitin.  
   
   
       18 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine and the one or more than one polycationic polymer are dispersed throughout the filter in a substantially uniform manner.  
   
   
       19 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the tobacco smoke filter comprises a first segment and a second segment, where the first segment comprises the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine and the one or more than one polycationic polymer, and where the second segment is substantially free of both a metal phthalocyanine and a polycationic polymer.  
   
   
       20 . The tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 , where the tobacco smoke filter comprises a first segment, a second segment and a third segment, and where the first segment comprises the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine but is substantially free of a metal phthalocyanine, where the second segment comprises both the one or more than one metal phthalocyanine and the one or more than one polycationic polymer, and where the third segment comprises one or more than one polycationic polymer but is substantially free of a metal phthalocyanine.  
   
   
       21 . A smokable device comprising a tobacco smoke filter according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       22 . A method of filtering tobacco smoke comprising: 
 a) providing a smokable device according to  claim 21;     b) igniting the body of divided tobacco such that smoke passes through the body and into the filter; and    c) allowing the smoke to pass through the filter, thereby filtering the smoke.    
   
   
       23 . A method of making a smokable device comprising: 
 a) providing a tobacco smoke filter according  claim 1;  and    b) affixing the filter to a body of divided tobacco.    
   
   
       24 . The method of making a smokable device according to  claim 23 , further comprising spraying a solution of the one or more than one polycationic polymer onto material being made into the tobacco smoke filter, where the concentration of polycationic polymer in the solution is between about 0.5 and 50%.  
   
   
       25 . The method of making a smokable device according to  claim 23 , further comprising spraying a solution of the one or more than one polycationic polymer onto material being made into the tobacco smoke filter, where the concentration of polycationic polymer in the solution is between about 1 and 10%.  
   
   
       26 . The method of making a smokable device according to  claim 23 , where the tobacco smoke filter comprises paper made from pulp, and where the method further comprises adding the polycationic polymer to the pulp before the pulp is laid onto papermaking screens.