Effect of Chemical Constituents on the Formation Rate of Carbon Monoxide in Bright Tobacco

From cigarettes made of different bright tobaccos but with a constant fractional volume, the following results were obtained. The rate of formation of CO was a more influential factor determining the amount of CO in mainstream smoke than the weight loss of the cigarette during puffs. From a stepwise multiple regression analysis it was found that the rate of formation of CO was mainly dependent on the potassium content of the tobacco and could be estimated from the amounts of potassium, total carbon, and lignin. The rate of formation of CO increased with a rise in combustion temperature, which in turn rose as the potassium content of the tobacco decreased.