Cigarette Filters, as the term suggests, serves the purpose of filtering the cigarette smoke just before it enters the smoker’s mouth. In other words, cigarette filter blocks out vapor containing many harmful chemical particles and even tobacco bits from entering the human lungs. Also, depending upon the composition and type of cigarette filter, it, in a big way, influences the taste and character of cigarette brands. So, next time, when you see two different flavors of a Marlboro cigarettes or Camel discount cigarette, assume, it is not the tobacco alone, but the filter at the end is responsible for its different taste and character.

The character of a cigarette filter depends on its design and making. That is, no two filters may be the same, even if in the brands of a same cigarette maker such as Winston. However, on a general scale, cheap cigarette filters have the following configuration.

The plug of acetate filter tow: More than 95% of cigarette filters are made up of the plastic called cellulose acetate, and the rest uses paper and rayon. The cellulose acetate tow is fibrous, thinner than cotton, and when packed compactly, it looks like cotton. For the blind eye, this is how a cigarette filter may appear or to touch. But cutting it lengthwise reveals that it is indeed a fibrous mass, bonded together with plasticizers such as glycerol triacetate (triacetin) and packed compactly into the cigarette paper. The paper encompassing the filter in fact is not normal paper, as you’ll see in the next paragraph.

The paper that wraps the filter or filter wrap is typically an ‘impervious to air type’ of paper. In some cases, for light flavors, it is pricked or ventilated or made porous so as to allow air to mix with the smoke before it reaches the smoker’s mouth. The more porous the filter wrap becomes, more air mixes with the smoke constituents passing through the cigarette, thereby diluting each puff inhaled. Making the wrap porous also plays an important role in ensuring that no smoke gases trap inside the filter. A polyvinyl acetate emulsion or glue is used to hold the filter plug in place inside the filter wrap.

This filter wrap is covered by an outer, cork colored tipping paper, which also attaches it to the column of tobacco inside the cigarette. It is specially designed not to stick to the lips of the smoker. The length of the filter, it varies with the cigarette maker/brand.

In certain filters, charcoal is also used alongside cellulose acetate as its absorption properties can reduce still some more gas components in the cigarette smoke. In such cigarettes, the filter will contain two sections – plain cellulose acetate near the mouth end – and a part sprinkled with charcoal between that and the tobacco.

Most discount cigarettes or cheap cigarettes online are filter fitted ones, but most of them don’t have any charcoal in it. Parliament is a cigarette brand that uses charcoal filters. Such cigarettes will be lighter in smoking experience and have a different taste.