1. Do all rolling papers burn the same? - Burning properties.
- The combustion of cigarette papers or tubes has a part that we could call fixed or natural and a variable part that is achieved by altering the natural combustion through the use of combustion additives, retardants or accelerators.
- The natural porosity of the paper is the most important characteristic when looking at its combustion properties. Depending on the air permeability of the paper, the rate of combustion varies. The more porous the paper is, the higher the combustion speed will be, due to the greater air supply.
- Another very important element that determines the fixed combustion of the paper is its calcium carbonate content.
- The vast majority of combustion additives that have an accelerating effect are trisodium and tripotassium salts contained in citric acid. The use of these accelerants increases the burning speed of both the paper and the cigarette and changes the appearance of the ash.
- Combustion retardants are basically composed of ammonium salts contained in phosphoric acid and their function is to slow down combustion.
2. How do the papers keep the shape of the cigarette? - Gumming.
- Before the use of manual or electric cigarette rolling machines became widespread, most handmade cigarettes were made with gummed rolling papers. The gumming is used so that when one of the edges of the rolling paper is moistened, it sticks to the paper to produce a cigarette that retains its cylindrical shape during smoking.
- Most gumming is done with gum arabic, a natural product made from 100% Senegalese acacia. This was clearly the most natural option for gluing cigarettes.
- A less natural option but also used is polyvinyl acetate, also known as vinyl adhesive.
3. Are all papers equally thick? - The grammage.
- The grammage is the number resulting from dividing the weight of the paper in grams by its size in square metres.
- The different grammages will primarily affect the opacity of the paper, but beyond its mere aesthetic effect, the grammage of the paper affects the combustion, the resistance and the taste of the cigarette.
- The higher the grammage, the greater the amount of cellulose and consequently the greater the flavour added to the original tobacco flavour.
- The types of paper range from the thinnest paper on the market (thinnest) starting at 10 g/m2 with a very slow burning to the thickest, fast burning paper with a grammage of up to 23 g/m2.
4. What is the paper in my tubes really made of? - The composition.
- Paper is made from a cellulose pulp. This pulp can be wood pulp or pulp made from flax, hemp, rice, esparto grass... or even a mixture of these different virgin pulps.
- Initially, wood pulp was more commonly used, but for environmental reasons as well as consumer preferences, the use of paper based on flax, rice and/or hemp pulp has become more widespread nowadays.
5. What sizes of paper and tubes are there? - Size and shape.
- Let's start with the different sizes used for cigarette papers:
- Regular (or small) is the smallest and measures 69x37 mm.
- Medium is slightly larger and measures 77x44 mm.
- The King Size is the ideal size for those who want a larger than usual cigarette with a size of 108x52 mm.
- There is a variant of the King Size known as King Size Slim which is only 44 mm wide (instead of 52 mm).
- We will continue with the different tube sizes. Today we will concentrate only on the length and width of the tube itself. In another blog article we will look in detail at the countless types of tubes available on the market. But as said, based on the size we will have:
- The standard size of tubes has a length of 69 millimetres (not counting the filter).
- The Extra size (or special size) has a slightly longer filter and the length of the filter is 60 mm, so we will need less tobacco to pipe a single cigarette.
- The total size of the tubes is identical and the duration of smoking a cigarette is the same.
6. Do you have your tubes? - Making cigarettes with an electric cigarette injector.
- The best way to enjoy your cigarettes today is to produce your own cigarettes, making you independent of the continuous price increases caused by taxes and industry.
- If you also use an electric cigarette injector to make your own cigarettes, the appearance and taste of your cigarettes will be practically like those of industrial cigarettes.
- Powerfiller offers you a wide repertoire of electric cigarette injectors so that you can find the one that perfectly suits your tastes and needs.
- At Powerfiller Smoking we have proposed to put at your disposal high quality automatic cigarette injection machines at the best price, so that you can enjoy your cigarettes with absolute control of your expenses.
Do you have a preference for the tubes you use to make your cigarettes? Thanks in advance for your comment or question! We will answer you shortly.
See you next week!
Your Powerfiller-Smoking Team