How Teerless™ Cigarette Filter Works
Teerless™ is designed for smokers who want a cleaner smoke without switching brands. The name says it all: significantly less tar, cleaner smoke, same tobacco flavour. Here is the complete technical explanation of how it works.
The Problem: Standard Filters Are Outdated
The standard cigarette filter hasn't changed meaningfully since the 1950s. Cellulose acetate filters mechanically catch large particles but allow the vast majority of residue compounds – nicotine vapour, formaldehyde, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – to pass through unimpeded. Lab tests show standard filters reduce tar by only 12–18%.
Ventilation holes in "light" cigarettes create the illusion of lower tar delivery in machine tests. In reality, smokers block these holes with lips and fingers, completely eliminating the supposed benefit. The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) has documented this extensively.
Teerless™ 2-Stage Filtration Architecture
Stage 1: Precision Cellulose Pre-Filter
The first stage uses a high-density cellulose fibre matrix calibrated to 3–6 micron pore sizes – more than twice as fine as standard acetate filters (10+ microns). This stage captures:
- All tar particulates larger than 3 microns
- Coarse aerosol droplets produced during combustion
- Tobacco debris and carbon particles
- Over 80% of large aerosol components
Stage 2: Coconut-Shell Activated Carbon Core
The inner core is packed with pharmaceutical-grade coconut-shell activated carbon with a surface area of over 1,100 m² per gram. This enables chemical adsorption at the molecular level:
- PAHs (benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene) – primary carcinogens in tobacco smoke
- Aldehydes – formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein
- Volatile organic compounds – benzene, toluene, xylene
- VOC vapour phase – volatile organic compounds including benzene and formaldehyde
Performance Data
| Substance | Standard Filter | Teerless™ |
|---|---|---|
| Total tar (TPM) | 12–18% | 55–65% |
| Nicotine | 10–15% | 45–55% |
| Carbon monoxide | <5% | 22–28% |
| Formaldehyde | <5% | 35–42% |
| Benzene | <3% | 28–38% |
Flavour Preservation Technology
A frequent concern about add-on filters is flavour loss. Teerless™ addresses this through selective adsorption tuning: the activated carbon is calibrated to preferentially bind high-molecular-weight residue compounds while allowing low-molecular-weight aromatic compounds (which define tobacco flavour) to pass through largely intact. In a blind taste test with 180 German smokers, 79% rated the flavour as "the same" or "only slightly milder".
Compatibility and Usage Life
Teerless™ fits all cigarettes with standard 7.5–8.2 mm filter diameters. A slim version is available for 5.2–5.6 mm cigarettes. Each Teerless™ filter lasts 4–7 cigarettes before the activated carbon core is saturated (visible by darkening of the translucent housing).