BINARY ADSORPTION-ISOTHERMS OF WATER AND ETHYL-ACETATE VAPOR FOR MATERIALS CONTAINED IN A BOX OF A TOBACCO PRODUCT

An experimental study has been carried out on the characteristics of b inary adsorption isotherms of water and volatile flavor for typical ma terials used in a box of a tobacco product or cigarettes. Ethyl acetat e was chosen as a model for water-soluble volatile flavor. Binary adso rption isotherms for the tobacco, papers, filters, and activated carbo ns were measured with a now-type multi-component adsorption system und er the constant conditions of temperature at 303 K and vapor pressure of water at 2.5 kPa in the vapor pressure range of ethyl acetate from 0 to 4.2 kPa. A linear equation was applied to express the binary adso rption isotherms for the tobacco, papers and filters, while a Dubinin- Astakhov equation was applied for the activated carbons. The binary ad sorption was characterized into three groups, depending on the selecti vity as well as the mechanism of adsorption; i.e.(1) for tobacco and p apers, water was adsorbed much greater rather than ethyl acetate, (2) for filters, ethyl acetate was adsorbed on the surface as great as wat er, (3) for activated carbons, ethyl acetate was adsorbed much greater onto their micropores rather than water. The results showed that ethy l acetate migrates from the tobacco column to the filter tip, while sp ontaneously water moves backward.