Reduction of tobacco smoke components yields by zeolites and synthesized Al-MCM-41

Three commercial zeolites (HUSY, Hβ and HZSM-5) and a synthesized Al-MCM-41 catalyst have been mixed with a commercial tobacco brand of cigarettes in order to study the modifications in the components of the tobacco smoke. Cigarettes with different tobacco-catalyst mixtures were prepared and smoked in a smoking machine, and the mainstream smoke was collected and analyzed. The mainstream smoke was divided in three fractions; the gaseous compounds, and the total particulate matter condensed in the filter tip (TPM-F), and in the traps (TPM-T). The same compounds were found in TPM-F and TPM-T but the distribution was different. The lowest molecular weight products were preferably retained in the filter of the cigarette, while the heaviest (and less polar) appeared in the trap in a higher concentration than in the filter. The results obtained show that the studied catalysts directly mixed with tobacco are capable of reducing the yields of most of the compounds which could be inhaled by active smokers, with Al-MCM-41 being the most efficient from this point of view. The CO yield and that of most of gaseous compounds generated are also reduced in the presence of catalysts. In the case of the condensable matter, the compounds were classified by their chemical nature and it was found that the yield of carbonyls and phenolics were markedly reduced by HZSM-5 and Al-MCM-41, and the last one shows a remarkable ability to reduce the yield of nitrogenated compounds. As an example, the Al-MCM-41 catalyst reduces the nicotine content in the traps by 41%.

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► Four catalysts were mixed with tobacco and cigarettes were smoked under ISO regime.
► The gases and particulate matter condensed in filter and traps were analyzed.
► Synthesized Al-MCM-41 reduce the yield of known toxic compounds in smoke.