Performance of Sodium Lignosulfonate Composite Aerogel Filters for Cigarette Gas Purification

To explore alternative biomass materials for traditional acetic acid fiber filters and further purify harmful components in cigarette smoke to reduce the damage to human health from smoking, this study used sodium lignosulfonate and kappa carrageenan as raw materials. Different ratios of composite aerogels were prepared using sol-gel and freeze-drying methods. Additionally, acetic acid fiber + composite aerogel filters were produced. The purification performance of these filters for harmful gases in cigarette smoke was tested by a rotary smoking machine. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) surface morphology analysis show that the composite aerogel has a rich micro-porous structure and layered structure with rough surface. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the addition of carrageenan does not alter the functional groups of sodium lignosulfonate itself; carrageenan and sodium lignosulfonate are combined through physical interactions. Smoke testing and thermal stability analysis results demonstrate that the purification performance of harmful components in cigarette smoke improves with an increase in the content of sodium lignosulfonate. Moreover, its thermal decomposition temperature is higher than the temperature when cigarette smoke enters the middle part of filter, indicating that it would not undergo thermal decomposition during smoking. Therefore, it is considered as a potential material for ideal cigarette filter. © 2024 Sichuan University. All rights reserved.