Blocking and filtering effect of Bombyx mori silkworm silk fiber filter tips against mainstream smoke of cigarettes

The aim of this study is to investigate the adsorption filtration capacity of degummed Bombyx mori silkworm silk fibers (dSSFs) against mainstream smoke (MS) substances. For this aim, cigarettes with dSSF filter tips were prepared, and smoking was simulated with the method designed in the present paper. The blocking and filtering effect of dSSF filter tips against MS of cigarettes has been investigated with a relative quantitative method based on fluorometry method, and attenuated total reflectance/Infrared (ATR/IR) spectroscopy. Through the blocking and filtering of dSSF filter tip, the total content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs) of cigarette MS decreases greatly, compared with through cellulose diacetate (CDA) filter tip. When the filling mass is equal to, or larger than 50 mg per filter tip, the amount of MS substances adsorbed by dSSF filter tip is close to or greater than by commercial CDA filter tip with the filling mass of 130 mg. The filling mass and the filling density of dSSF filter tips have important influences on the adsorption and adsorption efficiency to MS, under the same filling density, filter tips with greater filling mass have higher adsorption efficiency. The research results can provide a guideline for designing or developing a new kind of cigarette filter tips or new adsorption filtration materials using silkworm silk fibers.