Glycerin is needed in IQOS tobacco sticks to let aerosol evaporate from the tobacco. Without this, evaporation will be difficult, because the percentage of moisture in dried tobacco is very low. For example, if you heat dry tobacco in a pan, then something is unlikely to evaporate from it.
Therefore, glycerin is added to IQOS tobacco sticks.
What is the filter for IQOS tobacco sticks made?
The stick filter is not very similar to a cigarette. The task of the cigarette filter is to clear the smoke of at least large particles of combustion products – ash, soot, pieces of burned paper and tobacco. It is also assumed that it is able to filter the resin, but in fact – no, practically not capable.
IQOS doesn’t have much to filter. Tobacco does not burn here, and there are no combustion products in the aerosol. The objective of the filter is to cool the aerosol to a temperature that is comfortable for inspiration and remove excess moisture from it.
Two small rings are made of the same material as a cigarette filter. Their task is simply to fix the main part of the filter in place. The most important thing in the filter is the biopolymer film. It is made of polylactide. Polylactide is obtained from polylactic acid. And that, in turn, is from corn starch and sugar cane.
Through the use of natural materials, polylactide is biodegradable. When composting, it completely decomposes into carbon dioxide and water in 1 to 3 months. Polylactide is used for the production of biodegradable glassware and in medicine. For example, for the production of self-absorbable surgical sutures.
When a hot aerosol passes through a biopolymer filter, it absorbs excess moisture and thus cools the aerosol a little. If you disassemble the used stick, it will be seen that the biopolymer film that has absorbed the liquid from the aerosol has compacted and darkened. This is a natural response of polylactide to contact with hot moisture.
There is no plastic in the filters for IQOS tobacco sticks.
That is a great advantage to use the IQOS tobacco sticks namely.