In the first paper of this series. a set-up of the system for measuring the changes of cigarette paper properties under thermal decomposition process was reported. It was suggested there that the changes of cigarette paper properties were caused mainly by deformation of fiber network, the changes in the properties of single pulp fiber, increase in pores in paper structure, and interconnecting structure during thermal decomposition process.
Since the cigarette paper has a porous structure, its function for transporting substances is quite important.
With these results in mind, this work is intended to investigate the pore structural changes of cigarette paper under thermal decomposition process. For this purpose, the pore structure and the surface area of heated papers at different temperatures were measured, and the results were correlated with the change of cigarette paper properties.
The results associated with the pore structure of thermally treated cigarette papers are summarized as follows.
The total pore volume of heated papers increased with temperature over 250°C. The micro pore volume and the BET surface area of heated papers slightly increased at temperature region between 150 and 300°C and decreased over the temperature region between 300 and 320°C and increased again above 320°C. The change in the mercury penetration/retraction ratio of heated papers depends upon the beating degree of pulp.
The density of heated papers increased at temperature region between room temperature and 200°C and decreased over 200°C.
The average pore diameter of heated papers increased at temperature over 200°C.
It was also shown that at the pore size region between 15 and 20μm of the pore size distribution increased over 320°C.
These results suggest that the porous structure of cigarette paper changes by thermal treatment, and the pore structural change is remarkable at temperature region between 270°C and 350°C where thermal decomposition of cigarette paper proceeds significantly.
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