No abstract

Tobacco columns are extreme examples of heterogenous packed beds, which have various cut-filler shapes and a wide range of size distribution. The behavior of mechanical filtration through tobacco columns has been investigated by using polystyrene latex (PSL) standard particles to compare the actual filtration efficiency with the predicted filtration efficiency calculated by theoretical equations for spherical packed beds. The influence of cut-filler shape and the range of cut-filler size distribution on filtration efficiency have been examined. The effect of diffusion in tobacco columns was lower and the effect of interception and inertia were higher than in spherical packed beds. These results show that a partially faster flow could have occurred in tobacco columns. It means that it is difficult to utilize the theoretical equations for spherical packed beds to heterogenous packed beds as proposed. Filtration efficiency through tobacco columns had a relationship with the factor that shows cut-filler shape and size distribution (r D 0.894, p < 0.05) and the factor that shows cut-filler size distribution (r D 0.683, p < 0.15). The factor showing cut-filler shape and size distribution was expected to be an effective factor of filtration efficiency for heterogenous packed beds. From these experiments, empirical equations that can be applied to tobacco columns have been proposed, and the prediction accuracy during burning was validated. It has been found that the prediction accuracy was precise, revealing the importance of taking the influence of cut-filler shape and size distribution into account in the filtration equations.

The influence of volatilization from mainstream tobacco smoke particles in annular denuders on the gas-particle distribution was investigated by using multiple annular denuders coupled with a filter pack method (multiple-AD-FP method) under low flow volume conditions (1.05 and 1.65 L/min). Smoking experiments and model experiments using poly styrene latex (PSL) particles and generated gases were conducted to measure the particle loss ratio and gas collection efficiency in the denuders. In this research, we focused on the influence of XAD-4 slurry concentrations and particle volatility including tobacco smoke from a cigarette and vapor products on the volatilization from particles in the denuders, and have proposed a measurement method for considering volatilization. Our experimental results showed that volatilization depends on the particle volatility, targeted components, denuder length, particle concentration, and adsorbent amount, thereby suggesting the importance of selecting the proper measurement conditions and taking volatilization into account, so as to evaluate the appropriate gas-particle distribution. The gas-phase nicotine ratio obtained from calculating the volatilization rate in the multiple-AD-FP method agreed with previous research. This means that the calculation method was appropriate for the evaluation of gas-particle distribution. Furthermore, the gas-particle ratio determined through the multiple-AD-FP method was compared to that determined through a filter-impinger method that uses a glass fiber filter. The results revealed that most of the gases in the filter-impinger method were not collected in the impinger due to the condensation of gases on the surface of the filter fibers and collected particles.