CN116685217A

CN116685217A - Article for a non-combustible sol providing system

Info

Publication number: CN116685217A
Application number: CN202180083667.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 娜丁·朱曼; 瓦莱里奥·塞博尔德; 尼古拉斯·沃波尔; 吉尔伯特·阿伊纳; 彼得·戴维斯; 赫德森·福德
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-23
Filing date: 2021-10-21
Publication date: 2023-09-01
Also published as: AR123875A1; KR20230093020A; IL302260A; WO2022084680A1; MX2023004706A; GB202103099D0; GB202016880D0; CA3196503A1; US20240065313A1; AU2021366379A1; JP2023546653A; EP4231855A1

Abstract

An article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol generating material prepared from one or more plant materials, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

Description

Article for a non-combustible sol providing system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to articles for use in non-combustible sol providing systems, and aerosol generating materials for use in such articles.

Background

Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars, and the like burn tobacco during use to produce tobacco smoke. Alternative smoking articles produce inhalable aerosols or vapors by releasing a compound from a substrate material without combustion. These articles may be referred to as non-combustible smoking articles or aerosol provision systems. Such articles typically comprise a portion comprising an aerosol-generating composition.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol generating material prepared from one or more plant materials, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol generating material comprising one or more plant materials, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol generating material comprising a first plant material prepared by a process comprising the steps of: the temperature of the second plant material is increased to cause at least some of the fluid to be released from the second plant material to form the first plant material.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for manufacturing an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, the method comprising combining two or more plant materials to form an aerosol generating material, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of at least about 6mL/g, and wrapping the aerosol generating material with a wrapper to form a rod of aerosol generating material.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for manufacturing an article for use with a non-flammable aerosol provision system, the method comprising: the temperature of the plant material is raised to cause at least some of the fluid to be released from the plant material to form an expanded plant material, and the aerosol-generating material comprising the expanded plant material is wrapped with a wrapper to form a rod of aerosol-generating material.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided an article for use with a non-flammable sol providing system prepared according to the method of the fourth or fifth aspect.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a non-combustible sol providing system comprising an article according to the first, second or sixth aspect and a non-combustible sol providing device.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an article for use with a non-flammable sol providing system.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an article for use with a non-flammable sol providing system.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of plant material prepared by an expansion process in an article for use with a non-flammable sol providing system.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram for manufacturing reconstituted tobacco;

FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram for manufacturing extruded tobacco;

FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram for manufacturing an article for use in a non-combustible sol providing system;

FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram of the process of making expanded tobacco;

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram of the process of making expanded stem tobacco;

FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram for making a burned tobacco;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an article formed by the method shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a non-combustible sol providing device for generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the article of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows the device of FIG. 8 with the cover removed and no article present;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 8, with the housing omitted;

FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the device of FIG. 8; and

fig. 12B is a close-up view of an area of the device of fig. 8.

Detailed Description

According to one aspect of the present invention, an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system is provided. The non-combustible aerosol provision system releases compounds from the aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material. They are commonly referred to as "electronic cigarettes", "tobacco heating products", and "hybrid systems", which use a combination of aerosol-generating materials to generate an aerosol.

According to the present invention, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision system is a system in which the constituent aerosol generating materials (or components thereof) of the aerosol provision system do not burn or combust in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible sol providing system, such as a powered non-combustible sol providing system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also referred to as a vaporisation device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol generating material is not a requirement.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible sol providing system is an aerosol generating material heating system, also referred to as a non-combustion thermal system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system that uses a combination of aerosol generating materials, one or more of which may be heated, to generate an aerosol. Each aerosol-generating material may be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the mixing system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, a tobacco or non-tobacco product.

In general, a non-combustible sol providing system may include a non-combustible sol providing device and an article for use with the non-combustible sol providing device.

In some embodiments, a non-combustible sol providing system, such as a non-combustible sol providing device thereof, may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, a power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate that can be energized to distribute power in the form of heat to the aerosol generating material or to a heat transfer material in the vicinity of the exothermic power source.

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to articles comprising aerosol generating materials and configured for use with non-combustible aerosol providing devices. These articles are sometimes referred to throughout the specification as consumables.

The articles disclosed herein may have lower total weights than conventional articles used in non-flammable sol providing systems, yet have acceptable hardness/firmness and organoleptic properties. It is desirable to reduce the total weight of the article for use in the non-combustible sol providing system. Reducing the total weight may provide a number of advantages, such as reduced transportation costs. In addition, reducing the weight of the article may also have a positive impact on the environment, as less energy may be required to transport the article. In addition, consumers may prefer to carry and use lighter weight articles.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may include a region for receiving a consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating region, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and/or an aerosol regulator.

The consumable comprises a substance to be delivered, at least one of which is an aerosol generating material. The consumable may also contain another substance to be delivered, such as a material that is not intended to be atomized. Any of the materials may comprise one or more active ingredients, one or more fragrances, one or more aerosol former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials, as appropriate.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance.

An active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropic agents, psychoactive substances. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active may comprise, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theophylline, vitamins (e.g., B6, B12 or C), melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more components, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, hemp or other plants.

In some embodiments, the active comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

An article for a non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises an aerosol generating material. The article may further comprise an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol regulator.

An aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating an aerosol, for example, when heated, irradiated, or energized in any other manner. The aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel, which may or may not contain an active substance and/or a flavour. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a xerogel. Amorphous solids are solid materials in which some fluid, such as a liquid, may be retained. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, from about 50wt%, 60wt%, or 70wt% amorphous solids to about 90wt%, 95wt%, or 100wt% amorphous solids.

The aerosol generating material may comprise one or more aerosol formers and may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavourants, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

The aerosol former may comprise one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1, 3-butanediol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillic acid, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixtures, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, glycerol tributyrate, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. Preferably, the aerosol former is glycerol or glycerol.

The aerosol generating material may comprise any suitable amount of aerosol former. In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former in an amount of from about 5% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. Preferably, the aerosol generating material comprises aerosol former material in an amount of from about 10% to about 20% by weight of the aerosol generating material. More preferably, the aerosol-generating material comprises the aerosol-former in an amount of from about 13% to about 18% by weight of the aerosol-generating material, or about 14%, about 15%, about 17% or about 18% of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is present in an amount of about 15% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

It has been found that when the aerosol-generating device is heated, the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former in an amount of between about 5% and 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material, the organoleptic properties of the aerosol-former material can be further enhanced. Advantageously, a loading of the aerosol-forming agent of between about 10% and about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material may result in a composition having sensory characteristics similar to those of conventional combustible smoking articles.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavoring" and "flavoring" refer to substances that can be used to produce a desired taste or aroma in an adult consumer's product, as permitted by local regulations. They may comprise extracts (e.g. licorice, hydrangea, japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, japanese mint, fennel, cinnamon, herbal, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, du Linbiao wine, borby wood, scotch whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cinnamon, caraway, beech wood, jasmine, vanilla, sage, fennel, sweet pepper, ginger, fennel, coriander, coffee or peppermint oil from any species of the genus boehmeria), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g. sucralose, potassium acetylsulfonate, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol or mannitol) and other additives, e.g. chlorophyll, charcoal, breath fresheners, or breath fresheners. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid or powder.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise the flavour in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. Preferably, the aerosol-generating material comprises a flavour in an amount of from about 0.5% to about 1.5%.

The aerosol-generating material is prepared from one or more plant materials. One or more plant materials are used to make aerosol generating materials. Thus, the aerosol-generating material may be used to prepare or consist of one or more plant materials thereof. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition consists of a composition comprising one or more plant materials.

The aerosol-generating material may be prepared from a composition comprising one plant material or from two or more plant materials, for example two, three, four, five or more plant materials. The aerosol-generating composition may be prepared by mixing two or more plant materials.

As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from a plant, including but not limited to extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, bark, hulls, and the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise a synthetically derived active compound naturally occurring in plants. The material may be in the form of a liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, chips, strips, flakes, or the like. Examples of botanical materials are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, citronella, peppermint, spearmint, pilocarpus, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazelnut, hibiscus, bay, licorice (licorice), green tea, yerba mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, bamboo, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, star anise (fennel), basil, bay leaf, cardamom, oregano, red pepper, rosemary, safflower, lavender, lemon peel, peppermint, juniper, elder, vetiver, vanilla, wintergreen, perilla, turmeric root powder, sandalwood, coriander leaf, myrtle, nutmeg, valerian, pepper, nutmeg, caraway, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theophylline, macadamia, oldenlandia, daruna, vannamei, chlorophyll, monkey, or any combination thereof. The mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: spearmint, peppermint c.v., egypt, peppermint, bergamot c.v., spearmint, madder, peppermint, pineapple, lipcalyx, spearmint c.v., and apple mint. In a preferred embodiment, the plant material is tobacco.

As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to a material derived from a plant of the nicotiana species. The choice of plants of the nicotiana species is not limited and the type of tobacco or tobaccos used can vary. The term "tobacco material" may comprise one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fibers, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, leaf tobacco, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, and/or tobacco extracts. As used herein, "leaf tobacco" means cut lamina tobacco.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material is selected from the group consisting of flue-cured or Virginia tobacco (Virginia), burley tobacco (Burley), sun-cured, maryland, dark-colored tobacco (dark-field), dark-air cured, light-colored air cured, indian air cured, red Russian tobacco (Red Russian) and yellow flowers tobacco (Russian), and mixtures thereof, as well as various other rare or specialty tobacco, green or cured tobacco. Tobacco materials produced by any other type of tobacco treatment that can alter the taste of tobacco (e.g., fermented tobacco or genetic modification or hybridization techniques) are also within the scope of the invention. For example, it is contemplated that the tobacco plant may be genetically engineered or crossed to increase or decrease the production of a component, feature, or attribute.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material is sun-cured tobacco selected from the group consisting of Kurnool (kurnol) and Oriental (Oriental) tobacco, including iznimi (Izmir), basma (Basma), samsun (Samsun), catalini (Katerini), prelip, komotini (Komotini), gram Sang Xi (Xanthi), and yankee (Yambol) tobacco. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is dark-colored cured tobacco selected from Passanda, copa (Cubano), jatin, and Bei Suji (Besuki) tobacco. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is light-colored cured tobacco selected from North Wisconsin (North Wisconsin) and Galpao tobacco.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material is selected from the group consisting of brazil tobacco (Brazilian tobaccos), comprising Ma Lafei (Mata Fina) tobacco and Bahia (Bahia) tobacco. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is selected from the group consisting of cremophor, copa Pi Luotuo (Piloto Cubano), olor (Olor), green River (Green River), isbela DAC (Isabela DAC), white Pata (White Pata), angstroms Lu Lu (Eluru), east java (jami), madura (Madura), cassii (Kasturi), connecticut Seed (Connecticut Seed), broadleaf tree (broadleaf Leaf), connecticut state (Connecticut), pennsylvanian (Pennsylvanian), italian air-dried smoking (Italian dry air cured), paraguay air-dried smoking (Paraguayan dry air cured), and single-smoke (One Sucker) tobacco.

To prepare a smoking/vaporising or smokeless tobacco product, the plants of the nicotiana species can be subjected to a curing treatment. Certain types of tobacco may be subjected to alternative types of curing processes, such as fire curing or sunlight curing. Preferably, but not necessarily, the cured harvested tobacco is cured. Tobacco may be harvested at different stages of growth, for example when the plant has reached maturity and the lower leaves are ready for harvesting and the upper leaves are developing.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the plant of the nicotiana species (e.g., at least a portion of the tobacco material) is employed in an immature form. That is, in some embodiments, the plant or at least a portion of the plant is harvested prior to reaching what is generally considered to be maturity or stage of maturity.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the plant of the nicotiana species (e.g., at least a portion of the tobacco material) is employed in a mature form. That is, in some embodiments, when the plant (or plant part) reaches a point traditionally considered mature, over-mature, or mature, the plant or at least a portion of the plant is harvested, which can be accomplished by using tobacco harvesting techniques conventionally used by farmers. Both Oriental tobacco and burley tobacco plants may be harvested. In addition, virginia tobacco leaves can be harvested or prepared (primed) according to their stem location.

The tobacco species may be selected according to the content of the various compounds present in the plant. For example, plants may be selected based on the plants producing relatively large amounts of one or more compounds desired to be isolated (i.e., volatile compounds of interest). In certain embodiments, plants of the nicotiana species are exclusively cultivated for their abundance of leaf surface compounds. The tobacco plants can be grown in a greenhouse, growth chamber, or in an outdoor field, or hydroponic growth.

Various parts or portions of plants of the nicotiana species can be utilized. In some embodiments, the whole plant or substantially the whole plant is harvested and used as such. As used herein, the term "substantially whole plant" means that at least 90% of the plant, such as at least 95% of the plant, such as at least 99% of the plant, is harvested. Alternatively, in some embodiments, various parts or pieces of the plant are harvested or isolated for further use after harvesting. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is selected from the group consisting of leaves, stems, peduncles, and various combinations of these parts of the plant. Thus, the tobacco material of the present invention may comprise the entire plant or any part of a plant of the nicotiana species.

The tobacco material may be paper reconstituted tobacco, extruded tobacco, shaped reconstituted tobacco, or a combination of tape reconstituted tobacco and another form of tobacco such as tobacco particles.

Paper reconstituted tobacco refers to tobacco material formed by a process in which a tobacco raw material is extracted with a solvent to provide an extract of solubles and a residue comprising fibrous material, and then the extract (typically after concentration, and optionally after further processing) is recombined with fibrous material from the residue (typically after refining the fibrous material, and optionally adding a portion of non-tobacco fibers) by depositing the extract onto the fibrous material. The recombination process is similar to the paper making process.

The paper reconstituted tobacco may be any type of paper reconstituted tobacco known in the art. In one embodiment, the paper reconstituted tobacco is made from a raw material comprising one or more of tobacco rod, tobacco stem and whole leaf tobacco. In another embodiment, the paper reconstituted tobacco is made from a raw material comprising tobacco rod and/or whole leaf tobacco and tobacco stem. However, in other embodiments, fines, and air separation may alternatively or additionally be used in the feedstock.

In some embodiments, the paper reconstituted tobacco is made from expanded tobacco. For example, paper reconstituted tobacco may be made from ground expanded tobacco. Examples of expanded tobacco are provided herein.

Paper reconstituted tobacco for use in the tobacco materials described herein may be prepared by methods known to those skilled in the art for preparing paper reconstituted tobacco.

Referring to fig. 1, tobacco ingredients such as leaves, rods, stems, scraps, fines, and/or coarse powder (in some embodiments, leaves, rods, and stems) are initially mixed with an aqueous solvent (e.g., water, and a water-miscible solvent such as ethanol). Distilled water, deionized water, or tap water may be used. The suspension of tobacco in solvent is agitated, for example by stirring or shaking, in order to increase the rate of extraction of the soluble fraction from the fibrous fraction of tobacco. Stirring is typically carried out for half an hour to 6 hours. Stirring may be achieved in a stirrer comprising a vessel and paddles to achieve stirring. The amount of solvent in the suspension may vary from about 75 to 99% by weight of the suspension, depending on the tobacco ingredients, the type of solvent and stirring device (especially the type of blade) and the temperature of the suspension. Typical range of suspension temperatures is from about 10 ℃ to about 100 ℃.

The soluble portion of the tobacco furnish is separated from the insoluble fibrous portion of the tobacco, for example by pressing with a pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical press, or by filtration. After separation, the fibrous portion of the tobacco is typically mechanically refined to produce a fibrous slurry. Suitable refiners may typically be disc refiners or conical refiners. The fibrous pulp is then formed into a base paper comprising tobacco fibrous pulp on a papermaking station, such as a fourdrinier machine. It is typically laid on a flat wire strip, with excess water removed by gravity drainage and suction drainage. Non-tobacco fibers, such as cellulose, wheat fibers or wood fibers, may be included at this stage with the tobacco-derived fiber fraction. The soluble portion of the tobacco material is concentrated using any known type of concentrator, such as a thin film evaporator or a vacuum evaporator. After concentration, ingredients such as aerosol former material (as defined herein), casing such as cocoa, licorice, and acids such as malic acid or flavoring (as defined herein) may be added and mixed with the concentrated tobacco solubles. The concentrated tobacco solubles, which may contain aerosol former material and/or shell and/or flavoring, are then recombined with the dried tobacco fibre sheet to form reconstituted tobacco. The concentrated solubles can be added back to the web by various methods, such as spraying, coating, saturation, sizing.

Finally, the reconstituted tobacco is dried. It may optionally be slit into strips or wound into rolls, and then slit into bobbins or slit into cut wipes.

The reconstituted tobacco may comprise one or more aerosol-formers, as described herein. In some embodiments, the reconstituted tobacco may comprise an aerosol-former in an amount of about 5% to about 40% based on the weight of the reconstituted tobacco.

The aerosol-generating material may be prepared from and/or comprise a composition comprising paper reconstituted tobacco in an amount of between about 0% to about 90% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition of paper reconstituted tobacco in an amount from 10% to 90%, 10% to 80%, or 20% to 70% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition comprising paper reconstituted tobacco in an amount of about 50% to about 90% by weight of the composition.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition comprising paper reconstituted tobacco in an amount of between about 10% and about 89%, about 20% and about 88%, about 30% and about 87%, about 40% and about 86%, about 50% and about 85%, about 60% and about 84%, about 70% and about 83% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition comprising reconstituted tobacco in an amount of between about 75% and about 85% by weight of the composition.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition comprising reconstituted tobacco in an amount of about 70%, about 71%, about 72%, about 73%, about 74%, about 75%, about 76%, about 77%, about 78%, about 79%, about 80%, about 81%, about 82%, about 83%, about 84%, or about 85% by weight of the composition.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition comprising tobacco leaf and paper reconstituted tobacco. The weight ratio of tobacco leaf to paper reconstituted tobacco material may be 10:90, 11:89, 12:88, 13:87, 14:86, 15:85, 16:84, 17:83, 18:82, 19:81, 20:80, 21:79, 22:78, 23:77, 24:76, 25:75, 26:74, 27:73, 28:72, 29:71, 30:70, 31:69, 32:68, 33:67, 34:66, 35:65, 36:64, 37:63, 38:62, 39:61, 40:60, 41:59, 42:58, 43:57, 44:56, 45:55, 46:54, 47:53, 48:52: 49:51, 50:50, 51:49, 52:48, 53:47, 54:46, 55:45, 56:44, 57:43, 58:42, 59:41, 60:40, 61:39, 62:38, 63:37, 64:36, 65:35, 66:34, 67:33, 68:32, 69:31, 70:30, 71:29, 72:28, 73:27, 74:26, 75:25, 76:24, 77:23, 78:22, 79:21, 80:20, 81:19, 82:18, 83:17, 84:16, 85:15, 86:14, 87:13, 88:12, 89:11, or 90:10 (weight of tobacco leaf): weight of paper reconstituted tobacco).

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from and/or comprises a composition comprising expanded plant material and a mixture of reconstituted tobacco and tobacco.

The composition may comprise about 10% by weight of the composition of the expanded plant material and about 90% of the blend of reconstituted tobacco and tobacco. The weight ratio of reconstituted tobacco to leaf tobacco may be 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, or 10:90.

The reconstituted tobacco material may have a density of less than about 700 milligrams per cubic centimeter (mg/cc).

Such tobacco materials have been found to be particularly effective in providing aerosol-generating materials that can be rapidly heated to release aerosols, as compared to denser materials. For example, various aerosol-generating materials such as tape cast reconstituted tobacco materials and paper reconstituted tobacco materials were tested for performance upon heating. It has been found that for each given aerosol-generating material there is a certain zero heat flow temperature below which the net heat flow is endothermic, in other words more heat enters the material than leaves the material, and above which the net heat flow is exothermic, in other words more heat leaves the material than enters the material, and heat is applied to the material. Materials with densities less than 700mg/cc have lower zero heat flow temperatures. Since most of the heat flow out of the material is through aerosol formation, having a low zero heat flow temperature has a beneficial effect on the time it takes for the aerosol to be first released from the aerosol generating material. For example, aerosol generating materials having a density of less than 700mg/cc were found to have a zero heat flux temperature of less than 164 ℃ as compared to materials having a density of more than 700mg/cc having a zero heat flux temperature of greater than 164 ℃.

The density of the plant material also has an effect on the rate of heat transfer through the material, with lower densities, for example densities below 700mg/cc, more slowly transferring heat through the material and thus enabling a more sustained release of the aerosol.

In some embodiments, the plant material is extruded tobacco. The aerosol-generating material may be prepared from or comprise extruded tobacco in an amount of from 10 to 30% by weight or from 10 to 20% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. Extruded tobacco useful in the tobacco compositions described herein can be prepared by methods known to those skilled in the art for preparing extruded tobacco. In some embodiments, the extruded tobacco can be prepared as follows. The tobacco ingredients may comprise virginia (flue-cured) tobacco, burley tobacco, and/or oriental tobacco. The tobacco ingredients may be stems, scraps, rods, fines or meal. The additional component may comprise non-tobacco fibers, such as straw fibers or wheat fibers; binders, for example cellulose or modified celluloses such as hydroxypropyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose; and enteric coatings, for example acids such as malic acid.

As shown in fig. 2, the tobacco ingredients and any additional components are mixed in a mixing silo and conveyed by metering and conveying screws to an extruder where they are mixed with water and at this stage aerosol former material may also be added. After extrusion, the extruded tobacco is cooled on a cooling belt.

Materials similar to those described in the preceding section can be used in the filler component of the tobacco composition, but made using only non-tobacco fibers such as wheat fibers or wood fibers.

As used herein, the term "fill value" is a measure of the ability of a material to occupy a particular volume at a given moisture content. A high fill value indicates that lower weight materials are required to produce a rod at acceptable hardness/hardness levels for a given circumference, volume and length than materials with lower fill values.

Many of the plant materials described above generally have a fill value of less than about 6 mL/g. For example, leaf tobacco, paper reconstituted tobacco, and extruded tobacco may typically have a fill value of less than 6 mL/g. These materials may have a fill value of about 3mL/g to about 5.9 mL/g. For example, paper reconstituted tobacco may typically have a fill value of about 2.5 to about 5.6 mL/g. Tobacco leaves, such as Virginia leaves, generally may have a fill value of about 4.5mL/g to about 5.6 mL/g.

At least one of the plant materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g. In some embodiments, at least one plant material has a fill value of at least about 7mL/g, at least about 8mL/g, or at least about 9mL/g up to about 10 mL/g. For example, the at least one plant material may have a fill value of from about 6mL/g up to about 10mL/g, from about 6.5mL/g up to about 9mL/g, or from about 7mL/g up to about 8mL/g.

Any plant material having a fill value of at least 6mL/g may be used in the present invention. In particular, the plant material may be formed from an expanded plant material having a fill value of at least about 6 mL/g.

As shown in fig. 3, the aerosol-generating material may be prepared by combining plant material having a fill value of at least 6mL/g with plant material having a fill value of less than 6 mL/g. Optionally, one or more flavourants or aerosol formers may be added. The aerosol generating material may then be incorporated into an article for use in a non-combustible sol providing system.

The composition may be formed by blending two or more different plant materials.

For example, a first plant material comprising tobacco leaf may be mixed with a second plant material comprising expanded tobacco material. The aerosol-generating material may be formed from a combination of the third plant material and the first and second plant materials. For example, in one embodiment, the aerosol-generating material may be formed by combining leaf tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, and expanded tobacco materials.

The aerosol-generating material may be formed entirely of plant material, such as expanded plant material, having a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g. For example, the aerosol-generating material may be formed from plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an amount of from 1% to 10%, or about 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

The use of a plant material with a relatively high filling value may result in a reduction in the weight of the aerosol-generating material and thus in a reduction in the weight of the product, as filling a given volume of product requires a lower mass of expanded plant material than a plant material with a relatively low filling value.

However, when the aerosol-generating material is used in an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol-providing system, the use of too much plant material (e.g., expanded tobacco) having a relatively high fill value (e.g., a fill value greater than about 6 mL/g) can adversely affect the organoleptic properties of the aerosol-generating material. In addition, the relatively low density of the plant material can reduce the hardness or firmness of the aerosol-generating portion of the article and adversely affect the pressure drop across the aerosol-generating portion of the article when incorporated in relatively high amounts. The hardness of the aerosol-generating portion of the article is important because the article is used in a non-flammable aerosol provision system. If the hardness of the aerosol-generating portion is too low, the article may have poor structural integrity. Articles with poor structural integrity may not be suitable for use with non-combustible sol providing systems.

The inventors have found that a balance can be struck between the beneficial weight savings provided by using plant material having a relatively high fill value and the negative effects observed when relatively high amounts of material are used.

In particular, the inventors have found that preparing an aerosol generating material from a composition comprising up to about 30wt%, preferably up to about 25% and more preferably up to about 20% of a plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g gives satisfactory sensory results and an article having acceptable hardness while achieving the desired weight reduction. The aerosol-generating material may be prepared from a composition comprising plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an amount of from about 1% to about 30%, about 25%, about 20% or about 15% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is prepared from a composition comprising plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an amount of about 2% to about 14%, about 3% to about 13%, about 4% to about 12%, or about 5% to about 11% by weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the composition comprises or is prepared from plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an amount of about 10% by weight of the composition.

The hardness of the aerosol-generating portion comprising the aerosol-generating material may be between about 55% and about 75% when incorporated into the article. Preferably, the hardness is as close to about 70% as possible. In some embodiments, the hardness is about 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, or 70%.

The plant material used to form the aerosol-generating material is preferably a mixture of two or more plant materials. The plant material may comprise the first plant material having a fill value of greater than 6mL/g in an amount from about 1% to about 30% or from about 1% to about 25% by weight of the plant material.

The remainder of the composition for forming the aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more other plant materials as described herein. Thus, the plant material may have different properties, such as different fill values. For example, the aerosol-generating material may be prepared from a composition comprising a first plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g and a second plant material having a lower fill value. The higher filling value of the first plant material may reduce the total mass of tobacco material required to fill the volume of the aerosol-generating portion of the article. Thus, the total weight of the article can be reduced by using a plant material with a relatively high filling value.

The aerosol-generating portion of the article may define a continuous volume comprising the aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material may substantially fill the volume. The aerosol-generating material may fill at least about 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% or 98% of the volume of the aerosol-generating portion. The aerosol-generating portion may consist of or consist essentially of an aerosol-generating material. The article may comprise a single continuous aerosol-generating portion defining a volume substantially filled with aerosol-generating material.

The aerosol-generating portion may comprise other components, such as a wrapper around the aerosol-generating material and/or a heater, such as a susceptor.

The aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating portion comprises plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g. The aerosol-generating material may comprise other plant material having a fill value of less than 6mL/g. Accordingly, the filling value of the aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating component may be greater than, equal to, or less than about 6mL/g. The aerosol generating material may have a fill value of from about 2mL/g to about 10mL/g, from 2mL/g to about 9mL/g, from 2mL/g to about 8mL/g, from 2mL/g to about 7mL/g, from 3mL/g to about 6mL/g, or from about 4mL/g to about 6mL/g. For example, the aerosol-generating material may have a fill value of about 5mL/g to about 6mL/g. The fill value of the aerosol-generating material may be controlled by varying the relative amounts of plant material having a fill value greater than 6mL/g and plant material having a fill value less than 6mL/g.

The fill value of the aerosol-generating material of the aerosol-generating portion may be determined by separating it from other components of the article (e.g., package, susceptor, filter, etc., if present) and then measuring the fill value according to the fill value measurement methods described herein.

Any plant material having a fill value greater than about 6mL/g may be used. A specific material that may be used is an expanded plant material.

The expanded plant material is a plant material that has undergone an expansion process. Expansion involves an increase in the area and spacing between the fibers of the plant material. After being subjected to the swelling process, the plant material has a higher filling value but a lower density than the plant material before the swelling process.

In general, the expansion process involves rapidly increasing the temperature and/or pressure of a solid material containing a fluid (e.g., water) such that the fluid is rapidly released from the material. This typically involves a phase change of the fluid (e.g., water from liquid to gas) and an increase in the volume of the fluid. The rapid release and expansion of the fluid causes it to be released from the solid material. At the same time, the solid material expands to occupy a larger volume. Although the fluid is typically naturally present in the solid material, additional fluid may be introduced by impregnating or absorbing the fluid into the solid material (optionally under pressure).

One such expansion process that may be used to prepare plant material is dry ice expansion.

Dry ice expansion involves infiltration of plant material with liquid carbon dioxide prior to heating. The carbon dioxide gas produced forces the plant material to expand. An additional method includes treating the plant material with a solid material that decomposes upon heating to produce a gas for expanding the plant material. Other methods include treating the plant material with a gas-containing liquid, such as carbon dioxide-containing water, under pressure to impregnate the plant material with the liquid. The impregnated plant material is then heated or reduced in pressure to cause release of the gas and expansion of the tobacco. Additional techniques for expanding plant material have been developed that involve treating plant material with a gas that reacts to form solid chemical reaction products within the plant material, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia to form ammonium carbonate. These solid reaction products may then be decomposed by heat to generate gases within the plant material, which causes the plant material to expand as it is released.

The plant material to be expanded may be in various forms, flakes or stems. For example, various types of heat treatment or microwave energy may be utilized to expand the tobacco stems. Lyophilization of plant material can also be used to increase volume (and thus fill value). Continuous drying techniques may also be used to expand the cut stems, such as air drying, fluid bed drying, and the like.

The plant material may be tobacco. In a preferred embodiment, the plant material is dry ice expanded tobacco material (DIET) or expanded tobacco stems.

The swelling process reduces the density of the plant material. The swelling process also provides plant material having a higher fill value than the plant material prior to the swelling process.

The expanded plant material may have a fill value of at least about 6mL/g, at least about 7mL/g, at least about 8mL/g, or at least about 9mL/g up to about 15mL/g, up to about 14mL/g, up to about 13mL/g, up to about 12mL/g, up to about 11mL/g, or up to about 10 mL/g.

Fig. 4 depicts a method of making dry ice expanded tobacco. The method can be applied to other plant materials. The bales of tobacco material are sliced and then conditioned with water and steam. The tobacco material may be any of the tobacco materials described herein. Tobacco leaves, in particular tobacco leaf of virginia, are particularly preferred. One reason for this is that it exhibits desirable organoleptic properties and relatively low levels of compounds compared to other tobacco varieties are considered undesirable. Another benefit of using virginia tobacco is that it readily expands during expansion. In some embodiments, stem tobacco may be used instead of, or even in addition to, lamina. After conditioning, the conditioned tobacco material is mixed with other conditioned tobacco materials or mixed prior to feeding into a cutter. Preferably, the cutter cuts the tobacco material at 25 to 28 Cuts Per Inch (CPI). A cut width of 25CPI is particularly preferred, although other cut widths may be used. Cutting the tobacco material increases its surface area and thus reduces the time taken to impregnate with liquid during the impregnation step. These cut widths can also increase the fill value of the final material.

After wetting the cut material and mixing the wet cut material, the material has a moisture content of about 26%. The material was then fed into an impregnation vessel and subsequently filled with carbon dioxide under pressure at a temperature of-20 ℃ for about 6 minutes. These conditions ensure that the carbon dioxide remains in liquid form and has sufficient time to permeate and absorb into the tobacco material. Thereafter, the impregnated tobacco material is fed into a sublimator where it is immediately heated in a gas stream at a temperature of 330 ℃. This results in rapid evaporation of moisture and carbon dioxide in the tobacco material, causing it to expand.

Other gas temperatures may be used. For example, the gas temperature may be between about 250 ℃ and about 400 ℃ or higher. The maximum temperature is preferably below the combustion temperature of the plant material. The high temperature can increase the expansion rate and thus the efficiency of the process. The filling value of the plant material can also be controlled by varying the temperature. Increasing the temperature may result in more moisture being driven out of the material and thus in a higher fill value of the final material. Conversely, using a lower temperature may reduce the fill value of the final material.

The high gas temperature may be achieved by any suitable means, for example by heating the air using a hot plate or burner. At the end of sublimation, the tobacco material is relatively dry and has a moisture content of about 6%. The water content is increased to about 12% -14% (target typically 13.6%) by hydration in a re-ordering cylinder to produce the final expanded tobacco material. The intumescent material may have a fill value of at least about 6 mL/g.

When referring to "moisture", it is important to understand that there are widely varying and conflicting definitions and terms in use. "moisture" or "moisture content" is generally used to refer to the moisture content of a material, but for certain industries, such as the tobacco industry, it is necessary to distinguish between "moisture" as the moisture content and "moisture" as the oven volatiles. The water content is defined as the percentage of water contained in the total mass of solid matter. Volatiles are defined as the percentage of volatile components contained in the total mass of the solid matter. This includes water and all other volatile compounds. The drying mass is the mass remaining after the volatile substance has been driven off by heating. Expressed as a percentage of the total mass. Oven Volatiles (OV) are the mass of volatile materials that are driven off.

The moisture content (oven volatiles) can be measured as the mass reduction when the sample is dried in a forced air oven at a temperature adjusted to 110 ℃ ± 1 ℃ for three hours ± 0.5 minutes. After drying, the sample was cooled to room temperature in a desiccator for about 30 minutes, and the sample was allowed to cool.

Unless otherwise indicated, the moisture content referred to herein refers to Oven Volatiles (OV).

The plant material may comprise expanded plant stems, such as expanded tobacco stems. The process of forming the expansion stems typically involves treating the stems with steam, which results in expansion of the material and an increase in its filling value.

Fig. 5 illustrates one such method for expanding tobacco stems. The method can be applied to other plant materials. Tobacco is loaded into the feeder. The tobacco stems may be derived from any of the tobacco varieties described herein. After the addition of water, the moisture content of the stems was about 34%. The mixture is then mixed and/or thoroughly mixed with stems from other batches, where the stems have a moisture content of about 30% to about 40%, preferably about 32% to about 36% and preferably about 36%. The material is then cut to ensure that the stem portions are of uniform size. Such cutting may help to further increase the fill value of the material. Water is then applied to the cut stems to increase their moisture content to about 35% to about 45%, preferably about 38% to about 40%. The relatively high moisture content obtained in this step helps to increase the expansion of the stems in the subsequent expansion step. Thereafter, the material is subjected to steam treatment (e.g., using steam or superheated steam) at a temperature in excess of 100 ℃. This results in an expansion of the stem and an increase in its filling value. Steam may be applied at a rate of at least 200kg/hr, preferably greater than 300kg/hr, more preferably greater than 350 kg/hr. In some embodiments, steam is applied at a rate of about 375kg/hr to about 500 kg/hr. Higher application rates may also be used. The productivity can be increased by using a higher steam application rate. After dust is removed using the cleaner, the expansion stem may be stored.

The plant material may comprise a cauterized plant material, such as tobacco, e.g., a cauterized stem tobacco.

The flow chart shown in fig. 6 outlines an exemplary method for manufacturing a cured tobacco material. The tobacco starting material may optionally have been subjected to a pretreatment, such as a conventional Primary Manufacturing (PMD) process, including, for example, one or more of the following: conditioning of the raw stems, subsequent rolling, cutting and expansion/drying and mixing. In some embodiments, pretreatment of the flakes may include slicing, conditioning, casing (optional), cutting, drying, cooling, and mixing.

For example, the moisture content of the tobacco starting material may be in the range of 14.5% ov. The starting material (e.g., stems) is fed into a treatment device where it is treated by intermittent contact with a heated surface. During the treatment, the tobacco material is agitated to produce intermittent contact with the heated surface. This treatment resulted in a reduction of the moisture content down to 0% ov. Once the treatment of the tobacco material by intermittent contact with the heated surface is completed, the treated tobacco material may optionally be conditioned. In the illustrated method, this includes adding water or steam to the treated tobacco material to increase its moisture content to within, for example, 14.5% ov and produce a burnt tobacco material.

The burned stem tobacco can have a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g. In some embodiments, the burned stem tobacco has a fill value of greater than about 7mL/g, greater than 8mL/g, or greater than 9 mL/g.

In some embodiments, the plant material having a fill value greater than about 6mL/g has a moisture content of Oven Volatiles (OV) between about 10% and about 20%. Typically, the moisture content of the plant material is between about 11% and about 16% oven volatiles. Preferably, the moisture content of the plant material is between about 11.5% and about 14.5% oven volatiles. Expanded plant material, such as expanded tobacco, typically has such a moisture content. In some embodiments, the plant material has a fill value of about 7.4mL/g and a moisture content of about 13.4% Oven Volatiles (OV). In some embodiments, the plant material has a fill value of about 7.4mL/g and a moisture content of about 12.5% Oven Volatiles (OV).

In some embodiments, the plant material has a fill value of about 6mL/g to about 10mL/g, 6mL/g to about 9mL/g, 6mL/g to about 8mL/g, or about 6mL/g to about 7mL/g, and a moisture content of about 10% to about 20%. In some embodiments, the plant material has a fill value of about 6mL/g to about 10mL/g, 6mL/g to about 9mL/g, 6mL/g to about 8mL/g, or about 6mL/g to about 7mL/g, and a moisture content of about 10% to about 15%.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises an amorphous solid, such as a xerogel.

The amorphous solid may comprise a gelling agent. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of alginates, pectins, starches (and derivatives), celluloses (and derivatives), gums, silica or siloxane compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohols, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginate, pectin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin, and polyvinyl alcohol. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginate and/or pectin, and may be combined with a coagulating agent (e.g., a calcium source) during the formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise calcium-crosslinked alginate and/or calcium-crosslinked pectin.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises an alginate and the alginate is present in the amorphous solid in an amount of 10-30wt%, 20-35wt%, or 25-30wt% (on a dry weight basis) of the slurry/amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the alginate is the only gelling agent present in the amorphous solid. In other embodiments, the gelling agent comprises an alginate and at least one other gelling agent, such as pectin.

The gelling agent may comprise one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of cellulose gelling agents, non-cellulose gelling agents, guar gum, gum arabic and mixtures thereof.

In some embodiments, the cellulose gelling agent is selected from: hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose Acetate (CA), cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB), cellulose Acetate Propionate (CAP), and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, or acacia.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including but not limited to agar, xanthan, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the non-cellulose based gelling agent is an alginate or agar.

The amorphous solid may be formed by forming a slurry, and then drying the slurry to form the amorphous solid. The inclusion of the gelling agent in the slurry results in the aerosol-generating material being formed from a xerogel. It has been found that by including a gel, flavour compound, such as menthol, in the aerosol generating material, is stable within the gel base, allowing for a higher flavour load to be achieved than in non-gel compositions. Flavoring agents (e.g., menthol) are stable at high concentrations and the product has good shelf life.

In some embodiments, the alginate is included in the gelling agent in an amount of about 5 to 40wt%, or 15 to 40wt% of the amorphous solid. That is, the amorphous solid comprises alginate in an amount of about 5 to 40wt%, or 15 to 40wt% of the dry weight of the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the amorphous solids comprise alginate in an amount of about 20 to 40wt%, or about 15 to 35wt% of the amorphous solids.

In some embodiments, pectin is included in the gelling agent in an amount of about 3 to 15wt% of the amorphous solid. That is, the amorphous solids comprise pectin in an amount of about 3 to 15wt% of the dry weight of the amorphous solids. In some embodiments, the amorphous solids comprise pectin in an amount of about 5 to 10wt% of the amorphous solids.

In some embodiments, guar gum is included in the gellant in an amount of about 3 to 40wt% of the amorphous solid. That is, the amorphous solids comprise about 3 to 40wt% guar based on the dry weight of the amorphous solids. In some embodiments, the amorphous solids comprise guar in an amount of about 5 to 10wt% of the amorphous solids. In some embodiments, the amorphous solids comprise guar gum in an amount of about 15 to 40wt%, or about 20 to 40wt%, or about 15 to 35wt% of the amorphous solids.

In embodiments, the alginate is present in an amount of at least about 50wt% of the gelling agent. In an embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises alginate and pectin, and the ratio of alginate to pectin is 1:1 to 10:1. the ratio of alginate to pectin is typically >1:1, i.e. alginate, is present in an amount greater than the amount of pectin. In an embodiment, the ratio of alginate to pectin is about 2:1 to 8:1, or about 3:1 to 6:1, or about 4:1.

the amorphous solid typically comprises an aerosol former (also referred to herein as an aerosol former material) in an amount of up to about 80wt% of the amorphous solid, for example about 0.1wt%, 0.5wt%, 1wt%, 3wt%, 5wt%, 7wt% or 10% to about 80wt%, 75wt%, 70wt%, 65wt%, 60wt%, 55wt%, 50wt%, 45wt%, 40wt%, 35wt%, 30wt% or 25wt% of the aerosol former material. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises an aerosol former in an amount of about 40 to 80wt%, 40 to 75wt%, 50 to 70wt%, or 55 to 65 wt%.

Aerosol former materials may be used as plasticizers. In some cases, the aerosol former material comprises one or more compounds selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, triacetin, sorbitol, and xylitol. In some cases, the aerosol former material comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of glycerin. It has been determined that if the plasticizer content is too high, the amorphous solids may absorb water, resulting in a material that does not produce a suitable consumption experience in use. It has been determined that if the plasticizer content is too low, the amorphous solids may be brittle and easily fracture. The plasticizer content specified herein provides amorphous solid flexibility that allows the sheet to be wound onto bobbins, which is useful in the manufacture of consumables or may allow the sheet to be transported prior to shredding.

The aerosol former material typically comprises one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1, 3-butanediol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillic acid, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixtures, benzyl benzoate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. In a specific embodiment, the aerosol former material comprises or consists of glycerin.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more polyols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1, 3-butanediol, and glycerol; esters of polyols, such as glycerol mono-, di-or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

The aerosol former may enhance the mouthfeel and overall organoleptic properties of the aerosol produced from the aerosol-generating material when heated and inhaled by a user, particularly where the amorphous solid comprises a relatively high amount (e.g., >40 wt%) of the aerosol former. The ability of the amorphous solid to retain a substantial amount of the aerosol-former may reduce the need for loading of a substantial amount of the aerosol-former with other components of the aerosol-generating material, such as the expanded plant material. This can improve manufacturing efficiency. The amorphous solid may comprise a flavoring agent. The inventors have found that using the component ratios described herein means that when the gel sets, the fragrance compound is stable within the gel base, allowing for higher fragrance loadings to be obtained than in non-gel compositions. Flavoring agents (e.g., menthol) are stable at high concentrations and the product has good shelf life.

The amorphous solid may comprise a filler. In some cases, the amorphous solid comprises 5-50wt%, 10-40wt%, or 15-30wt% filler. In some such cases, the amorphous solid comprises at least 1wt% filler, for example at least 5wt%, at least 10wt%, at least 20wt%, at least 30wt%, at least 40wt% or at least 50wt% filler. In an exemplary embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises 5 to 25wt% filler comprising fibers. Suitably, the filler consists of fibres, or is in the form of fibres.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises less than 60wt% filler, for example 1wt% to 60wt%, or 5wt% to 50wt%, or 5wt% to 30wt%, or 10wt% to 20wt%.

In other embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises less than 20wt%, suitably less than 10wt% or less than 5wt% filler.

The filler may comprise one or more organic filler materials such as wood pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives (e.g., methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)). Inorganic fillers such as calcium carbonate or chalk may be used. In certain cases, the amorphous solid does not contain calcium carbonate such as chalk.

Suitably, the filler is fibrous. For example, the filler may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood pulp, hemp, cellulose or cellulose derivatives (e.g., methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)). Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the inclusion of fibrous fillers in the amorphous solid may increase the tensile strength of the material. In addition, it has been found that the inclusion of fibrous fillers improves the handling of amorphous solids during the manufacturing process. In particular, the resulting amorphous solids have been found to be less "tacky" and therefore more prone to breakage during the manufacturing process. Thus, the inclusion of fibrous fillers increases production efficiency and reduces the likelihood of machine stalling during shredding. The inclusion of fibrous fillers in the amorphous solids also means that the amorphous solids are less likely to aggregate together (e.g., agglomerate) once shredded. When the shredded amorphous solid is contained in a consumable, the reduced caking optimizes the distribution of the shredded amorphous solid in the consumable. Thus, it is more likely that each consumer product will contain a similar amount of chopped amorphous solids, which may improve the uniformity of the fragrance load within a consumer product batch and/or within a given consumer product.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise up to about 80wt%, 70wt%, 60wt%, 55wt%, 50wt%, or 45wt% of the flavoring. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise at least about 0.1wt%, 1wt%, 10wt%, 20wt%, 30wt%, 35wt%, or 40wt% of the flavoring (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-80wt%, 10-80wt%, 20-70wt%, 30-60wt%, 35-55wt%, or 30-45wt% of the flavoring agent. In an exemplary embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises 35 to 50wt% of the flavoring agent. In some cases, the flavoring comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of menthol.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid alternatively or additionally comprises an active substance. For example, in some cases, the amorphous solid additionally comprises tobacco material and/or nicotine. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-60wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of tobacco material and/or nicotine. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1wt%, 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt%, 20wt%, or 25wt% to about 70wt%, 60wt%, 50wt%, 45wt%, 40wt%, 35wt%, or 30wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) active material. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1wt%, 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt%, 20wt%, or 25wt% to about 70wt%, 60wt%, 50wt%, 45wt%, 40wt%, 35wt%, or 30wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of the tobacco material. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 10-50wt%, 15-40wt% or 20-35wt% tobacco material. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise about 1wt%, 2wt%, 3wt%, or 4wt% to about 20wt%, 18wt%, 15wt%, or 12wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) nicotine. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-20wt%, 2-18wt%, or 3-12wt% nicotine.

In some cases, the amorphous solid comprises an active substance such as a tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise 5-60wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of the tobacco extract. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise about 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt%, 20wt%, or 25wt% to about 60wt%, 50wt%, 45wt%, 40wt%, 35wt%, or 30wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of the tobacco extract. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 10-50wt%, 15-40wt%, or 20-35wt% tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain a concentration of nicotine such that the amorphous solids comprise 1wt%, 1.5wt%, 2wt%, or 2.5wt% to about 6wt%, 5wt%, 4.5wt%, or 4wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) nicotine. In some cases, nicotine other than that produced by the tobacco extract may not be present in the amorphous solid.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid does not comprise tobacco material, but comprises nicotine. In some such cases, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1wt%, 2wt%, 3wt%, or 4wt% to about 20wt%, 18wt%, 15wt%, or 12wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) nicotine. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-20wt%, 2-18wt%, or 3-12wt% nicotine.

In some cases, the total content of active and/or flavorant may be at least about 0.1wt%, 1wt%, 5wt%, 10wt%, 20wt%, 25wt% or 30wt% of the amorphous solids. In some cases, the total content of active and/or fragrance may be less than about 90wt%, 80wt%, 70wt%, 60wt%, 50wt%, or 40wt% (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

The aerosol generating composition or amorphous solid may comprise an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monobasic acid, a dibasic acid, and a tribasic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may contain at least one carboxyl functionality. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.

In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propionic acid, and pyruvic acid.

A suitable acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.

In embodiments where the aerosol-generating composition or amorphous solid comprises nicotine, the inclusion of an acid is particularly preferred. In such embodiments, the presence of the acid may stabilize the dissolved species in the slurry forming the aerosol-generating composition or amorphous solid. The presence of the acid may reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing nicotine losses during manufacture.

In certain embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition or amorphous solid comprises a gelling agent, an active substance, and an acid, the gelling agent comprising a cellulosic gelling agent and/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent.

The amorphous solid may comprise a colorant. The addition of a colorant can alter the visual appearance of the amorphous solid. The presence of the colorant in the amorphous solid can enhance the visual appearance of the amorphous solid and the aerosol-generating composition. By adding a colorant to the amorphous solid, the amorphous solid can be color matched with other components of the aerosol-generating composition or with other components of the article comprising the amorphous solid.

Depending on the desired color of the amorphous solid, a variety of colorants can be used. The amorphous solid may be white, green, red, violet, blue, brown or black in color, for example. Other colors are also contemplated. Natural or synthetic colorants, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food grade colorants, and pharmaceutical grade colorants, may be used. In certain embodiments, the colorant is caramel, which can impart a brown appearance to the amorphous solid. In such embodiments, the color of the amorphous solid may be similar to the color of other components (e.g., tobacco material) in the aerosol-generating composition comprising the amorphous solid. In some embodiments, a colorant is added to the amorphous solid to make it visually indistinguishable from the other components in the aerosol-generating composition.

The colorant may be incorporated during formation of the amorphous solid (e.g., when forming a slurry comprising the amorphous solid-forming material), or it may be applied to the amorphous solid after the amorphous solid is formed (e.g., by spraying it onto the amorphous solid).

The amorphous solid may comprise from 1 to 60wt% of a gelling agent, from 0.1 to 70wt% of an aerosol former material, from 5 to 50% of a filler in fibrous form and from 0.1 to 80wt% of a flavour and/or active.

The amorphous solid may comprise 10 to 40wt% gellant, 10 to 70wt% aerosol former material, 20 to 40wt% filler, and optionally 10 to 50wt% flavour.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises alginate in an amount of 32.8wt%, glycerin in an amount of 19.2wt% and menthol in an amount of 48 wt%.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises alginate in an amount of 26.2wt%, glycerin in an amount of 15.4wt%, menthol in an amount of 38.4wt% and fiber (from wood pulp) in an amount of 20 wt%.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises alginate in an amount of 32wt%, pectin in an amount of 8wt% and glycerin in an amount of 60 wt%.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises alginate in an amount of 24wt%, pectin in an amount of 6wt%, cellulose fibers in an amount of 10wt%, and glycerin in an amount of 60 wt%.

In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in an amount of about 7wt%, cellulose fibers (from wood pulp) in an amount of about 43wt%, and glycerin in an amount of about 50 wt%.

Amorphous solids can be prepared by the steps of: (a) forming a slurry comprising components of an amorphous solid or precursor thereof, (b) forming a slurry layer, (c) setting the slurry to form a gel, and (d) drying to form an amorphous solid. Optionally, curing the slurry comprises applying a curing agent to the slurry. In some embodiments, the curing agent is sprayed onto the slurry, e.g., the top surface of the slurry.

In an embodiment, the solidifying agent comprises or consists of calcium acetate, calcium formate, calcium carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the curing agent comprises or consists of calcium formate and/or calcium lactate. In a specific embodiment, the curing agent comprises or consists of calcium formate. It has been determined that the use of calcium formate as a curing agent generally results in amorphous solids with greater tensile strength and greater resistance to elongation.

The total amount of solidifying agent such as calcium source may be 0.5-5wt% (calculated on dry weight). Suitably, the total amount may be from about 1wt%, 2.5wt% or 4wt% to about 4.8wt% or 4.5wt%. It has been found that adding too little curing agent may result in an amorphous solid that destabilizes the amorphous solid components and results in these components falling out of the amorphous solid. It has been found that the addition of too much curing agent results in a very viscous amorphous solid and thus has poor operability.

When the amorphous solid is free of tobacco, it may be desirable to apply a higher amount of curing agent. Thus, in some cases, the total amount of curing agent may be from 0.5 to 12wt%, for example from 5 to 10wt%, calculated on a dry weight basis. Suitably, the total amount may be from about 5wt%, 6wt% or 7wt% to about 12wt% or 10wt%. In this case, the amorphous solid is generally free of any tobacco.

Step (b) of forming the slurry layer typically comprises spraying, casting or extruding the slurry. In an embodiment, the slurry layer is formed by electrospray of the slurry. In an embodiment, the slurry layer is formed by casting a slurry.

In some embodiments, (b) and/or (c) and/or (d) occur at least partially simultaneously (e.g., during electrospray). In some embodiments, (b), (c) and (d) occur sequentially.

In some embodiments, the slurry is applied to the support. The layer may be formed on the support.

The amorphous solid may be provided as a shredded sheet. The shredded sheet may be formed by shredding the amorphous solid after it has dried. In particular embodiments, providing amorphous solids comprises shredding amorphous solid pieces to provide amorphous solids as shredded pieces.

Alternatively, the amorphous solid may be provided as an inner wrapper in an article for a non-combustible sol providing device. For example, the amorphous solid may be a continuous sheet of material surrounding a rod containing other components of the aerosol-generating material, such as expanded plant material. The inclusion of amorphous solids in the aerosol-generating material helps to enhance the organoleptic properties, such as mouthfeel and taste, of the aerosol generated when the aerosol-generating material is heated. The incorporation of the expanded plant material into the aerosol-generating material may result in a reduction in the organoleptic properties of the aerosol compared to a composition that does not comprise the expanded plant material. In addition to the intumescent material, the inclusion of an amorphous solid in the aerosol-generating material may help to counteract any reduction in organoleptic properties attributable to the inclusion of the intumescent plant material.

The amorphous solids may have a lower fill value than the expanded plant material, and thus the inclusion of amorphous solids in the aerosol-generating material may help to maintain the robustness and structural integrity of the rod of aerosol-generating material.

The aerosol generating material may be prepared by combining and blending chopped sheets of amorphous solids and expanded plant material.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise expanded plant material and amorphous solids. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises DIET and an amorphous solid; DIET, expanded/baked and amorphous solids; or an expanded/cauterized stem and amorphous solid.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises DIET, expanded and/or swollen stems, and an amorphous solid comprising alginate in an amount of 32.8wt%, glycerin in an amount of 19.2wt%, and menthol in an amount of 48 wt%.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating material comprises DIET, expanded and/or expanded stems, and an amorphous solid comprising 26.2wt% alginate, 15.4wt% glycerol, 38.4wt% menthol, and fiber (wood pulp) in an amount of 20 wt%.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises DIET, swollen and/or swollen stems, and an amorphous solid comprising alginate in an amount of 32%, pectin in an amount of 8%, and glycerin in an amount of 60%.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises DIET, swollen and/or swollen stems, and an amorphous solid comprising alginate in an amount of 24%, pectin in an amount of 6%, cellulose fibers in an amount of 10%, and glycerin in an amount of 60%.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises DIET, expanded and/or cauterized stems, and an amorphous solid comprising carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in an amount of about 7wt%, cellulose fibers (from wood pulp) in an amount of about 43wt%, and glycerin in an amount of about 50 wt%.

The amorphous solid may be included in the aerosol-generating material in any suitable amount in combination with the expanded plant material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may, for example, comprise amorphous solids in an amount of from about 1wt% to about 90wt%, from 1wt% to about 80wt%, from 1wt% to about 70wt%, from 1wt% to about 60wt%, from 1wt% to about 50wt%, from 1wt% to about 40wt%, from 1wt% to about 30wt%, from 1wt% to about 20wt%, or from 1wt% to about 10wt%, and the remainder may comprise or consist of the expanded plant material and the sheet and/or reconstituted tobacco material.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solids comprise from about 1% to about 50% amorphous solids and from about 1% to about 50% expanded plant material. The weight ratio of amorphous solids to expanded plant material may be 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8, or 1:9, or the weight ratio of expanded plant material to amorphous solids may be 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8, or 1:9.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises up to about 20wt% or up to about 30wt% amorphous solids. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises amorphous solids in an amount of about 10wt% to about 25 wt%.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises up to about 30wt% amorphous solids, about 1wt% to 30wt% expanded plant material, and flakes and/or reconstituted tobacco as a remainder. For example, the aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 10wt% to about 20wt% amorphous solids, from about 10wt% expanded plant material (e.g., DIET), and from about 70wt% to about 80wt% flakes and/or reconstituted tobacco.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises up to about 30wt% amorphous solids, about 1wt% to 30wt% expanded plant material, and as a remainder a mixture of flakes and reconstituted tobacco.

For example, the aerosol-generating material may comprise about 10wt% amorphous solids, about 10wt% expanded plant material comprising DIET, and a mixture comprising 80% flakes and reconstituted tobacco. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises about 10wt% amorphous solids, about 10wt% expanded plant material comprising DIET, and about 80wt% tobacco flakes.

The weight ratio of reconstituted tobacco to sheet may be, for example, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80 or 10:90. The use of higher amounts of flakes can improve the organoleptic properties of the aerosol-generating material and provide a more authentic flavor relative to reconstituted tobacco. The aerosol generating material may be compressed when incorporated into an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system.

In addition to the aerosol-generating material, the article may further comprise an aerosol-generating material storage region, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol-generating region, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol regulator.

In fig. 7, an article for use in a non-combustible sol providing system. The article 1 comprises a mouthpiece 2 and a cylindrical rod 3 of aerosol-generating material in an aerosol-generating portion of the article, the aerosol-generating material being connected to the mouthpiece 2.

The aerosol generating material comprises expanded tobacco (in this case DIET) in an amount of about 10% by weight of the aerosol generating material. The aerosol-generating portion of the article may have a pressure drop of about 35 to about 70mm Wg therethrough.

The aerosol-generating portion may define from about 100mm ³ 、200m ³ 、300mm ³ 、400mm ³ 、500mm ³ 、600mm ³ Or 700mm ³ Up to about 800mm ³ 、900mm ³ 、1000mm ³ 、1100mm ³ 、1200mm ³ 、1300mm ³ 、1400mm ³ Or 1500mm ³ Is a volume of (c). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating portion has a volume of about 800mm ³ To about 1300mm ³ 。

In the embodiment shown, the aerosol generating material 3 comprises at least one aerosol former. In this embodiment, the aerosol former is glycerin. In alternative embodiments, the aerosol former may be another material as described herein or a combination thereof. Aerosol formers have been found to improve the organoleptic properties of the article by helping to transfer compounds such as flavour compounds from the aerosol generating material to the consumer. However, a problem with adding such aerosol-forming agents to aerosol-generating materials within articles used in non-combustible aerosol-providing systems may be that when the aerosol-forming agent atomizes upon heating, it can increase the mass of aerosol delivered by the article, and this increased mass can maintain a higher temperature as it passes through the mouthpiece. As the aerosol passes through the mouthpiece, the aerosol transfers heat into the mouthpiece and this warms the outer surface of the mouthpiece, including the areas that contact the consumer's lips during use. The mouthpiece temperature may be significantly higher than the temperature to which the consumer may be accustomed when smoking, such as a conventional cigarette, and this may be an undesirable effect caused by the use of such aerosol formers.

The portion of the mouthpiece that contacts the consumer's lips is typically a paper tube that is hollow or cylindrical around the filter material.

As shown in fig. 7, the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1 comprises an upstream end 2a adjacent to the aerosol-generating substrate 3 and a downstream end 2b remote from the aerosol-generating substrate 3. At the downstream end 2b, the suction nozzle 2 has a hollow tubular element 4 formed of filament bundles. It has been advantageously found that this significantly reduces the temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 which is in contact with the mouth of the consumer at the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece when the article 1 is in use. Furthermore, it has been found that the use of the tubular element 4 significantly reduces the temperature of the outer surface of the suction nozzle 2, even upstream of the tubular element 4. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is assumed that this is due to the tubular element 4 guiding the aerosol closer to the center of the mouthpiece 2 and thus reducing the heat transfer from the aerosol to the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2.

In the present embodiment, the article 1 has an outer circumference of about 21mm (i.e., the article is in a semi-thin form). In other embodiments, the article may be provided in any of the forms described herein, for example having an outer circumference of between 15mm and 25 mm. Since the article is to be heated to release the aerosol, improved heating efficiency can be achieved using an article having a lower outer circumference (e.g., a circumference less than 23 mm) within this range. In order to obtain an improved aerosol by heating, while maintaining a suitable product length, it has also been found that an article circumference of more than 19mm is particularly effective. It has been found that articles having a circumference of between 19mm and 23mm, more preferably between 20mm and 22mm provide a good balance between providing efficient aerosol delivery and allowing efficient heating. The outer circumference of the mouthpiece 2 is substantially the same as the outer circumference of the rod 3 of aerosol-generating material so that there is a smooth transition between these components. In the present embodiment, the outer circumference of the suction nozzle 2 is about 20.8mm. The tipping paper 5 is wound over the entire length of the mouthpiece 2 and over a portion of the rod 3 of aerosol-generating material and has adhesive on its inner surface to connect the mouthpiece 2 and the rod 3. In the present embodiment, the tipping paper 5 extends 5mm over the rod 3 of aerosol-generating material, but it may alternatively extend between 3mm and 10mm, or more preferably between 4mm and 6mm over the rod 3, to provide a secure attachment between the mouthpiece 2 and the rod 3. The basis weight of the tipping paper 5 may be higher than the basis weight of the filter rod roll used in the article 1, for example a basis weight of 40gsm to 80gsm, more preferably 50gsm to 70gsm, in this example 58gsm. It has been found that these basis weight ranges result in a tipping paper having acceptable tensile strength while being sufficiently flexible to be wound around the article 1 and adhered to itself along the longitudinal lap seam on the paper. Once wound around the suction nozzle 2, the tipping paper 5 has an outer periphery of about 21mm.

The "wall thickness" of the hollow tubular element 4 corresponds to the wall thickness of the tube 4 in the radial direction. This may be measured, for example, using calipers. The wall thickness is advantageously greater than 0.9mm, more preferably 1.0mm or more. Preferably, the wall thickness is substantially constant around the entire wall of the hollow tubular element 4. However, in the case where the wall thickness is not substantially constant, the wall thickness at any point around the hollow tubular element 4 is preferably greater than 0.9mm, more preferably 1.0mm or more.

Preferably, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of less than about 20mm. More preferably, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of less than about 15mm. More preferably, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of less than about 10mm. In addition, or alternatively, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of at least about 5mm. Preferably, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of at least about 6mm. In some preferred embodiments, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of about 5mm to about 20mm, more preferably about 6mm to about 10mm, even more preferably about 6mm to about 8mm, most preferably about 6mm, 7mm or about 8mm. In the present example, the hollow tubular element 4 has a length of 6mm.

Preferably, the hollow tubular member 4 has a density of at least about 0.25 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc), more preferably at least about 0.3g/cc. Preferably, the hollow tubular member 4 has a density of less than about 0.75 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc), more preferably less than 0.6g/cc. In some embodiments, the hollow tubular element 4 has a density of between 0.25g/cc and 0.75g/cc, more preferably between 0.3g/cc and 0.6g/cc, and more preferably between 0.4g/cc and 0.6g/cc or about 0.5g/cc. These densities have been found to provide a good balance between the improved hardness provided by denser materials and the lower heat transfer properties of lower density materials. For the purposes of the present invention, the "density" of the hollow tubular element 4 refers to the density of the fiber bundles forming the element with any plasticizer added. The density may be determined by dividing the total weight of the hollow tubular element 4 by the total volume of the hollow tubular element 4, wherein the total volume may be calculated using suitable measurements of the hollow tubular element 4, for example using calipers. If necessary, a microscope may be used to measure the appropriate dimensions.

The total denier of the filament bundles forming the hollow tubular member 4 is preferably less than 45,000, more preferably less than 42,000. This total denier has been found to allow the formation of less dense tubular elements 4. Preferably, the total denier is at least 20,000, more preferably at least 25,000. In a preferred embodiment, the total denier of the fiber bundles forming the hollow tubular member 4 is between 25,000 and 45,000, more preferably between 35,000 and 45,000. Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the filaments of the tow is "Y" shaped, although other shapes, such as "x" shaped filaments, may be used in other embodiments.

The filament bundles forming the hollow tubular member 4 preferably have a denier per filament of greater than 3. It has been found that such denier per filament allows the formation of a less dense tubular element 4. Preferably, the denier per filament is at least 4, more preferably at least 5. In a preferred embodiment, the filament bundles forming the hollow tubular member 4 have a denier per filament of from 4 to 10, more preferably from 4 to 9. In one embodiment, the filament bundles forming the hollow tubular member 4 have 8Y40,000 bundles formed of cellulose acetate and comprising 18% plasticizer (e.g., triacetin).

The hollow tubular element 4 preferably has an inner diameter greater than 3.0 mm. A smaller diameter than this may result in a greater velocity of the aerosol through the mouthpiece 2 to the consumer's mouth than desired, so that the aerosol becomes too hot, for example to a temperature of more than 40 ℃ or more than 45 ℃. More preferably, the inner diameter of the hollow tubular element 4 is greater than 3.1mm, more preferably greater than 3.5mm or 3.6mm. In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the hollow tubular element 4 is about 3.9mm.

The hollow tubular element 4 preferably comprises 15% to 22% by weight of plasticizer. For cellulose acetate tow, the plasticizer is preferably triacetin, although other plasticizers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) may be used. More preferably, the tubular element 4 comprises 16% to 20% by weight of plasticizer, for example about 17%, about 18% or about 19% of plasticizer.

The pressure drop or pressure differential (also referred to as suction resistance) across the mouthpiece, e.g. the portion of the article 1 downstream of the aerosol-generating material 3, is preferably less than about 40mmH ₂ O. It has been found that this pressure drop allows sufficient aerosol (containing the desired compound, e.g. a flavour compound) to pass through the mouthpiece 2 to the consumer. More preferably, the pressure drop across the mouthpiece 2 is less than about 32mmH ₂ O. In some embodiments, a catalyst having less than 31mmH has been used ₂ O, exampleAbout 29mmH ₂ O, about 28mmH ₂ O or about 27.5mmH ₂ The suction nozzle 2 of the pressure drop of O achieves a particularly improved aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, the nozzle pressure drop may be at least 10mmH ₂ O, preferably at least 15mmH ₂ O, more preferably at least 20mmH ₂ O. In some embodiments, the nozzle pressure drop may be at about 15mmH ₂ O and 40mmH ₂ And O. These values cause the mouthpiece 2 to slow down the aerosol as it passes through the mouthpiece 2, so that the temperature of the aerosol has time to decrease before reaching the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2.

In the present example, the suction nozzle 2 comprises a body of material 6 upstream of the hollow tubular element 4, in the present example the body of material 6 being adjacent to and in abutting relationship with the hollow tubular element 4. The body of material 6 and the hollow tubular element 4 each define a substantially cylindrical overall external shape and share a common longitudinal axis. The body of material 6 is wrapped in a first plug wrap 7. Preferably, the basis weight of the first plug wrap 7 is less than 50gsm, more preferably between about 20 and 40 gsm. Preferably, the thickness of the first plug wrap 7 is between 30 μm and 60 μm, more preferably between 35 μm and 45 μm. Preferably, the first plug wrap 7 is a non-porous plug wrap, for example having a permeability of less than 100Coresta units, for example less than 50Coresta units. However, in other embodiments, the first plug wrap 7 may be a porous plug wrap, for example having a permeability of greater than 200Coresta units.

Preferably, the length of the body of material 6 is less than about 15mm. More preferably, the length of the body of material 6 is less than about 10mm. Additionally, or alternatively, the length of the body of material 6 is at least about 5mm.

Preferably, the length of the body of material 6 is at least about 6mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the body of material 6 is from about 5mm to about 15mm, more preferably from about 6mm to about 12mm, even more preferably from about 6mm to about 12mm, most preferably about 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm or 10mm. In this example, the length of the material body 6 is 10mm. In this example, the material body 6 is formed from filament bundles. In this embodiment, the tow used in the material body 6 has a denier per filament (d.p.f.) of 8.4 and a total denier of 21,000. Alternatively, the tow may have, for example, a denier per filament (d.p.f.) of 9.5 and a total denier of 12,000. In this embodiment, the tow comprises plasticized cellulose acetate tow. The plasticizer for the tow is about 7% by weight of the tow. In this embodiment, the plasticizer is triacetin. In other examples, different materials may be used to form the material body 6. For example, the body 6 may be formed of paper instead of tow, for example in a manner similar to paper filters known for cigarettes.

Alternatively, the body 6 may be formed of tows other than cellulose acetate, such as polylactic acid (PLA), other materials described herein for fiber tows, or the like. The tow is preferably formed from cellulose acetate. The tow, whether formed of cellulose acetate or other material, preferably has a d.p.f. of at least 5, more preferably at least 6, and still more preferably at least 7. These denier per filament values provide tows with thicker, thicker fibers that result in a lower pressure drop across the mouthpiece 2 than tows with lower d.p.f. Preferably, in order to obtain a sufficiently homogeneous material body 6, the filament denier of the filament bundle does not exceed 12d.p.f., preferably does not exceed 11d.p.f., and still more preferably does not exceed 10d.p.f.

The total denier of the filament bundles forming the material body 6 is preferably at most 30,000, more preferably at most 28,000, still more preferably at most 25,000. These total denier values provide a tow that occupies a reduced proportion of the cross-sectional area of the suction nozzle 2, which results in a lower pressure drop across the suction nozzle 2 than a tow having a higher total denier value. In order to give the material body 6 a suitable stiffness, the total denier of the filament bundle is preferably at least 8000, more preferably at least 10000. Preferably, each filament has a denier of 5 to 12 and a total denier of 10,000 to 25,000. More preferably, each filament has a denier of 6 to 10 and a total denier of 11,000 to 22,000. Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the tow filaments is "Y" shaped, although other shapes, such as "X" shaped filaments, having the same d.p.f. and total denier values as provided herein, may be used in other embodiments.

In the present example, the hollow tubular element 4 is a first hollow tubular element 4, and the nozzle comprises a second hollow tubular element 8, also called cooling element, located upstream of the first hollow tubular element 4. In this example, the second hollow tubular element 8 is located upstream of the material body 6, adjacent to and in abutting relationship with the material body 6. The body of material 6 and the second hollow tubular element 8 each define a substantially cylindrical overall external shape and share a common longitudinal axis. The second hollow tubular element 8 is formed from a plurality of layers of paper wound in parallel with butt seams to form the tubular element 8. In this example, the first and second paper layers are disposed in a double pipe, but in other examples 3, 4 or more paper layers may be used to form 3, 4 or more laminated pipes. Other structures may be used, such as spiral wound layers of paper, cardboard tubes, tubes formed using a paper mat process, molded or extruded plastic tubes, or the like. The second hollow tubular element 8 may also be formed using hard plug wrap and/or tipping paper as the second plug wrap 9 and/or tipping paper 5 described herein, which means that a separate tubular element is not required. The rigid plug wrap and/or tipping paper is manufactured to have a stiffness sufficient to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may be generated during manufacture and when the article 1 is in use. For example, the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper can have a basis weight of between 70gsm and 120gsm, more preferably between 80gsm and 110 gsm. Additionally or alternatively, the hard plug wrap and/or tipping paper can have a thickness of 80 μm to 200 μm, more preferably 100 μm to 160 μm, or 120 μm to 150 μm. It is desirable that the second plug wrap 9 and tipping paper 5 have values in these ranges to achieve an acceptable overall level of rigidity of the second hollow tubular element 8.

The second hollow tubular element 8 preferably has a wall thickness of at least about 100 μm and at most about 1.5mm, preferably between 100 μm and 1mm and more preferably between 150 μm and 500 μm or about 300 μm, which can be measured in the same way as the first hollow tubular element 4. In the present example, the second hollow tubular element 8 has a wall thickness of about 290 μm.

Preferably, the second hollow tubular element 8 has a length of less than about 50mm. More preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is less than about 40mm. More preferably, the second hollow tubular element 8 has a length of less than about 30mm. In addition, or alternatively, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is preferably at least about 10mm. Preferably, the second hollow tubular element 8 has a length of at least about 15mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is from about 20mm to about 30mm, more preferably from about 22mm to about 28mm, even more preferably from about 24mm to about 26mm, most preferably about 25mm. In this example, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is 25mm.

A second hollow tubular element 8 is located around the suction nozzle 2 and defines an air gap inside the suction nozzle 2 that serves as a cooling section. The air gap provides a chamber through which the heated volatile components generated by the aerosol-generating material 3 flow. The second hollow tubular element 8 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation, the second hollow tubular element 8 also being sufficiently rigid to withstand axial compression forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacture and when the article 1 is used. The second hollow tubular element 8 provides a physical displacement between the aerosol-generating material 3 and the material body 6. The physical displacement provided by the second hollow tubular element 8 will provide a thermal gradient over the length of the second hollow tubular element 8.

Preferably, the suction nozzle 2 comprises an internal volume greater than 450mm ³ Is provided. It has been found that providing a chamber of at least this volume enables an improved aerosol to be formed. Such chamber dimensions provide sufficient space within the mouthpiece 2 to allow the heated volatile components to cool, thus allowing the aerosol-generating material 3 to be exposed to higher temperatures than would otherwise be possible, as they may cause the aerosol to be too hot. In the present embodiment, the chamber is formed by the second hollow tubular element 8, but in alternative arrangements it may be formed in a different part of the suction nozzle 2. More preferably, the suction nozzle 2 comprises a cavity, for example formed in the second hollow tubular element 8, having a length greater than 500mm ³ And still more preferably greater than 550mm ³ Allowing further improvements in aerosols. In some embodiments, the internal chamber is included at about 550mm ³ And about 750mm ³ Between, for example, about 600mm ³ Or 700mm ³ Is of the body of (2)And (3) accumulation.

The second hollow tubular element 8 may be configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 40 degrees celsius between the heated volatile component entering the first upstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8 and the heated volatile component exiting the second downstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8. The second hollow tubular element 8 is preferably configured to provide a temperature difference between the heated volatile component entering the first upstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8 and the heated volatile component exiting the second downstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8 of at least 60 degrees celsius, preferably at least 80 degrees celsius and more preferably at least 100 degrees celsius. This temperature difference across the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 protects the body 6 of temperature sensitive material from the high temperature of the aerosol generating material 3 when it is heated.

In an alternative article, the second hollow tubular element 8 may be replaced by an alternative cooling element, for example an element formed by a body of material allowing the longitudinal passage of the aerosol, and which also performs the function of cooling the aerosol.

In the present example, the first hollow tubular element 4, the material body 6 and the second hollow tubular element 8 are combined using a second plug wrap 9 wrapped around all three sections. Preferably, the basis weight of the second plug wrap 9 is less than 50gsm, more preferably between about 20 and 45 gsm.

Preferably, the thickness of the second plug wrap 9 is between 30 μm and 60 μm, more preferably between 35 μm and 45 μm. The second plug wrap 9 is preferably a non-porous plug wrap having a permeability of less than 100Coresta units, for example less than 50Coresta units. However, in alternative embodiments, the second plug wrap 9 may be a porous plug wrap, for example having a permeability of greater than 200Coresta units.

In the present embodiment, the aerosol-generating material 3 is wrapped in a wrapper 10. The wrapper 10 may be, for example, a paper or paper-lined foil wrapper. In this embodiment, the package 10 is substantially air impermeable. In alternative embodiments, the package 10 preferably has a permeability of less than 100Coresta units, more preferably less than 60Coresta units. It has been found that a low permeability package, e.g. having a permeability of less than 100Coresta units, more preferably less than 60Coresta units, results in an improved aerosol formation in the aerosol generating material 3. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesized that this is due to the reduced loss of aerosol compounds through the package 10. The breathability of the wrapper 10 may be measured according to ISO 2965:2009, which ISO 2965:2009 relates to determining the breathability of materials used as cigarette papers, filter wrapper papers and filter tipping papers.

In this embodiment, the package 10 comprises aluminum foil. Aluminum foil has been found to be particularly effective in enhancing aerosol formation within the aerosol-generating material 3. In this embodiment, the aluminum foil has a metal layer with a thickness of about 6 μm. In this embodiment, the aluminum foil has a paper backing. However, in alternative arrangements, the aluminum foil may be of other thickness, such as a thickness between 4 μm and 16 μm. The aluminum foil also need not have a paper backing, but may have a backing formed of other materials, for example to help provide the foil with proper tensile strength, or it may have no backing material. A metal layer or foil other than aluminum may be used. The total thickness of the package is preferably between 20 μm and 60 μm, more preferably between 30 μm and 50 μm, which may provide the package with suitable structural integrity and heat transfer characteristics. The tension that may be applied to the package before the package breaks may be greater than 3,000 grams force, for example between 3,000 and 10,000 grams force or between 3,000 and 4,500 grams force.

The article may have a ventilation level of about 75% of the aerosol inhaled through the article. In alternative embodiments, the article may have a ventilation level of 50% -80%, for example 65% -75%, of the aerosol inhaled through the article. Ventilation at these levels helps to slow the flow of aerosol drawn through the mouthpiece 2, thereby allowing the aerosol to cool sufficiently before reaching the downstream end 2b of the mouthpiece 2. Ventilation is provided directly into the suction nozzle 2 of the product 1. In the present example, ventilation is provided into the second hollow tubular element 8, which ventilation has been found to be particularly beneficial in assisting the aerosol generation process. Ventilation is provided by first and second parallel rows of perforations 12, in this case perforations 12 formed as laser perforations, located 17.925mm and 18.625mm, respectively, downstream from the mouth end 2b of the mouthpiece 2. These perforations pass through the tipping paper 5, the second plug wrap 9 and the second hollow tubular element 8. In alternative embodiments, ventilation means may be provided in other locations into the interface, for example into the material body 6 or the first tubular element 4.

In the present embodiment, the aerosol-forming agent added to the aerosol-generating substrate 3 accounts for 15% of the weight of the aerosol-generating substrate 3. Preferably, the aerosol former comprises at least 5%, more preferably at least 10% by weight of the aerosol-generating substrate. Preferably, the aerosol former comprises less than 25%, more preferably less than 20%, for example 10% to 20%, 12% to 18% or 13% to 16% by weight of the aerosol generating substrate.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating material 3 is provided as a cylindrical rod of aerosol-generating material. Regardless of the form of the aerosol-generating material, it preferably has a length of about 10mm to 100 mm. In some embodiments, the length of the aerosol-generating material is preferably in the range of about 25mm to 50mm, more preferably in the range of about 30mm to 45mm, and still more preferably in the range of about 30mm to 40 mm.

The volume of aerosol-generating material 3 provided may be from about 200mm ³ To about 4300mm ³ Preferably from about 500mm ³ Up to 1500mm ³ More preferably from about 1000mm ³ To about 1300mm ³ And (3) a change. Providing these volumes of aerosol-generating material, e.g. about 1000mm ³ To about 1300mm ³ It has been advantageously shown to obtain excellent aerosols, with greater visibility and organoleptic properties compared with aerosols obtained with a volume selected from the lower end of the range.

The mass of aerosol-generating material 3 provided may be greater than 200mg, for example from about 200mg to 400mg, preferably from about 230mg to 360mg, more preferably from about 250mg to 360mg. It has been advantageously found that providing a higher quality aerosol-generating material results in improved organoleptic properties compared to aerosols generated from lower quality tobacco materials.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating material is formed from a tobacco material as described herein, comprising a tobacco component.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is a sheet or shredded sheet comprising a first plant material and a second plant material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises an intimate mixture of the first plant material and the second plant material.

Inclusion of plant material having a fill value greater than about 6mL/g into the stick increases the tendency of aerosol-generating material to fall or spill from the stick. Without wishing to be bound by theory, this may be due to the relatively small particle size of the expanded plant material and the lower total weight of the aerosol-generating material. To limit the amount of aerosol-generating material that falls from the rod, the bulk density of the aerosol-generating material may be higher at the distal end of the rod.

Thus, the packing density of the aerosol-generating material 3 may vary throughout the rod. In particular, the density of the aerosol-generating material 3 may be greater at the distal end of the rod of aerosol-generating material than at the proximal end. By applying pressure to the tobacco material in this region of the rod during manufacture, the packing density of the aerosol-generating material at the distal end of the rod can be increased.

The non-combustible aerosol provision device is for heating an aerosol generating material of an article as described herein. The non-combustible sol providing means preferably comprises a coil, as this has been found to improve heat transfer to the article compared to other arrangements.

In some examples, the coil is configured to cause heating of the at least one conductive heating element in use such that thermal energy may be conducted from the at least one conductive heating element to the aerosol-generating material, thereby causing heating of the aerosol-generating material.

In some examples, the coil is configured to generate, in use, a varying magnetic field for penetrating the at least one heating element, thereby causing inductive heating and/or hysteresis heating of the at least one heating element. In such an arrangement, the or each heating element may be referred to as a "susceptor" as defined herein. A coil configured to generate, in use, a varying magnetic field for penetrating at least one conductive heating element, thereby causing inductive heating of the at least one conductive heating element may be referred to as an "induction coil" or "inductor coil".

The device may comprise a heating element, for example an electrically conductive heating element, and the heating element may be suitably positioned or located relative to the coil so as to enable such heating of the heating element. The heating element may be in a fixed position relative to the coil. Alternatively, the at least one heating element (e.g. at least one electrically conductive heating element) may be included in the article for insertion into a heating zone of the device, wherein the article further comprises aerosol generating material 3 and is removable from the heating zone after use. Alternatively, both the device and the article may comprise at least one respective heating element, such as at least one electrically conductive heating element, and the coil may cause heating of the heating elements of each of the device and the article when the article is in the heating zone.

In some examples, the coil is helical. In some examples, the coil surrounds at least a portion of a heating region of the device configured to receive aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the coil is a helical coil surrounding at least a portion of the heating zone.

In some examples, the apparatus includes a conductive heating element at least partially surrounding the heating zone, and the coil is a helical coil surrounding at least a portion of the conductive heating element. In some examples, the conductive heating element is tubular. In some examples, the coil is an inductor coil.

In some embodiments, the use of a coil allows the non-combustible aerosol provision device to reach operating temperature faster than a non-coil aerosol provision device. For example, a non-combustible sol providing device comprising a coil as described above may reach an operating temperature such that the first puff may be provided in less than 30 seconds, more preferably in less than 25 seconds, from the start of the device heating procedure. In some embodiments, the device may reach the operating temperature within about 20 seconds from the start of the device heating procedure.

It has been found that using a coil as described herein in a device to heat an aerosol generating material enhances the aerosol generated. For example, consumers have reported that aerosols produced by devices comprising coils as described herein are perceptively closer to aerosols produced in factory-manufactured cigarette (FMC) products than aerosols produced by other non-combustible aerosol provision systems. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is assumed that this is a result of the fact that the time to reach the required heating temperature is reduced when using the coil, the higher heating temperature achievable when using the coil and/or the fact that the coil enables such a system to heat relatively large volumes of aerosol generating material simultaneously, resulting in an aerosol temperature similar to the FMC aerosol temperature. In FMC products, the burning coal produces a hot aerosol that heats tobacco in tobacco rods behind the coal as the aerosol is drawn through the rods. Such a hot aerosol is understood to be the release of flavour compounds from tobacco in a rod after combustion of coal. Devices comprising a coil as described herein are believed to also be capable of heating aerosol-generating materials, such as tobacco materials described herein, to release flavour compounds, thereby producing aerosols that are reportedly more similar to FMC aerosols.

Using an aerosol provision system comprising a coil as described herein, for example an induction coil heating at least some of the aerosol generating material to at least 200 ℃, more preferably at least 220 ℃, may enable aerosol to be generated from the aerosol generating material having particular characteristics that are believed to be more similar to those of FMC products. For example, when an aerosol-generating material comprising nicotine is heated to at least 250 ℃ using an induction heater for a period of two seconds, during which period one or more of the following features have been observed at a gas flow of at least 1.50L/m:

aerosolizing at least 10 μg of nicotine from the aerosol generating material;

in the aerosol produced, the weight ratio of aerosol former material to nicotine is at least about 2.5:1, suitably at least 8.5:1;

at least 100 μg of the aerosol former material being aerosolizable from the aerosol generating material;

the average particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol is less than about 1000nm; and

the aerosol density is at least 0.1 μg/cc.

In some cases, at least 10 μg of nicotine, suitably at least 30 μg or 40 μg of nicotine, is aerosolized from the aerosol generating material under an air flow of at least 1.50L/m during this period of time. In some cases, less than about 200 μg, suitably less than about 150 μg or less than about 125 μg of nicotine aerosolizes from the aerosol generating material under an air flow of at least 1.50L/m during this period of time.

In some cases, the aerosol contains at least 100 μg of aerosol former material, suitably at least 200 μg, 500 μg or 1mg of aerosol former material, and during this period is aerosolized from the aerosol generating material under an air flow of at least 1.50L/m. Suitably, the aerosol former material may comprise or consist of glycerol.

As defined herein, the term "average particle or droplet size" refers to the average size of the solid or liquid component (i.e., the component suspended in a gas) of an aerosol. When the aerosol contains suspended droplets and suspended solid particles, the term refers to the average size of all components together.

In some cases, the average particle or droplet size in the generated aerosol may be less than about 900nm, 800nm, 700nm, 600nm, 500nm, 450nm, or 400nm. In some cases, the average particle or droplet size may be greater than about 25nm, 50nm, or 100nm.

In some cases, the aerosol density produced during the period is at least 0.1 μg/cc. In some cases, the aerosol density is at least 0.2 μg/cc, 0.3 μg/cc, or 0.4 μg/cc. In some cases, the aerosol density is less than about 2.5 μg/cc, 2.0 μg/cc, 1.5 μg/cc, or 1.0 μg/cc.

The non-combustible sol providing means is preferably arranged to heat the aerosol-generating material 3 of the article 1 to a maximum temperature of at least 160 ℃.

Preferably, the non-combustible sol providing means is arranged to heat the aerosol former material 3 of the article 1 to a maximum temperature of at least about 200 ℃, or at least about 220 ℃, or at least about 240 ℃, more preferably at least about 270 ℃ at least once during a heating process following the non-combustible sol providing means.

Using an aerosol provision system comprising a coil as described herein, e.g. an induction coil heating at least some of the aerosol-generating material to at least 200 ℃, more preferably at least 220 ℃, may enable aerosol generation from the aerosol-generating material in the article 1 as described herein, the article 1 having a higher temperature than previous devices when the aerosol leaves the mouth end of the mouthpiece 2, helping to generate an aerosol that is considered to be closer to the FMC product. For example, the maximum aerosol temperature measured at the mouth end of the article 1 may preferably be greater than 50 ℃, more preferably greater than 55 ℃ and still more preferably greater than 56 ℃ or 57 ℃. Additionally or alternatively, the maximum aerosol temperature measured at the mouth end of the article 1 may be less than 62 ℃, more preferably less than 60 ℃ and more preferably less than 59 ℃. In some embodiments, the maximum aerosol temperature measured at the mouth end of the article 1 may preferably be between 50 ℃ and 62 ℃, more preferably between 56 ℃ and 60 ℃.

Fig. 8 shows an example of a non-combustible sol providing device 100 for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating medium/material, such as the aerosol generating material 3 of the article 1 described herein. In general terms, the device 100 may be used to heat a replaceable article 110 containing an aerosol-generating medium, such as the article 1 described herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium that is inhaled by a user of the device 100. The device 100 and the replaceable article 110 together form a system.

The device 100 includes a housing 102 (in the form of a casing) that surrounds and contains the various components of the device 100. The device 100 has an opening 104 at one end through which a device 110 may be inserted for heating by a heating assembly. In use, the article 110 may be fully or partially inserted into a heating assembly where it may be heated by one or more components of the heater assembly. The heater assembly includes a heater configured to provide heat to the article and volatilize at least a portion of the aerosol-generating material.

The heater may comprise one or more resistive heaters including, for example, one or more nichrome resistive heaters and/or one or more ceramic heaters. The one or more heaters may comprise one or more induction heaters comprising an arrangement comprising one or more susceptors which may form a chamber into which, in use, an article comprising an nebulizable material is inserted or otherwise positioned. Alternatively or additionally, one or more susceptors may be provided in the aerosolizable material. Other heating arrangements may also be used.

The device 100 of this example includes a first end member 106, the first end member 106 including a cover 108, the cover 108 being movable relative to the first end member 10b to close the opening 104 when no article 110 is in place. In fig. 8, the lid 108 is shown in an open configuration, however the lid 108 may be moved to a closed configuration. For example, the user may slide the cover 108 in the direction of arrow "B".

The device 100 may also include a user operable control element 112, such as a button or switch, that when pressed operates the device 100. For example, the user may turn on the device 100 by operating the switch 112.

The device 100 may also include electrical components, such as a socket/port 114, which may receive a cable to charge the battery of the device 100. For example, the receptacle 114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.

Fig. 9 depicts the device 100 of fig. 8 with the cover 102 removed and no article 110 present. The device 100 defines a longitudinal axis 134. As shown in fig. 9, a first end member 10b is disposed at one end of the device 100 and a second end member 116 is disposed at an opposite end of the device 100. The first and second end members 106, 116 together at least partially define an end surface of the device 100. For example, the bottom surface of the second end member 116 at least partially defines the bottom surface of the device 100. The edges of the housing 102 may also define a portion of the end surface. In this example, the cover 108 also defines a portion of the top surface of the device 100.

The end of the device closest to the opening 104 may be referred to as the proximal (or mouth end) of the device 100, as in use it is closest to the mouth of the user. In use, a user inserts the article 110 into the opening 104, operates the user control 112 to begin heating the aerosol-generating material and aspirating the aerosol generated in the device. This causes the aerosol to flow through the device 100 along a flow path toward the proximal end of the device 100.

The other end of the device furthest from the opening 104 may be referred to as the distal end of the device 100, as in use it is the end furthest from the user's mouth. As the user aspirates the aerosol generated in the device, the aerosol flows away from the distal end of the device 100.

The apparatus 100 also includes a power supply 118. The power source 118 may be, for example, a battery, such as a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium batteries (e.g., lithium ion batteries), nickel batteries (e.g., nickel cadmium batteries), and alkaline batteries. The battery is electrically connected to the heating assembly to provide electrical energy when required and to heat the aerosol generating material under the control of a controller (not shown). In this example, the battery is connected to a central support 120 that holds the battery 118 in place.

The apparatus further comprises at least one electronic module 122. The electronic module 122 may include, for example, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The PCB 122 may support at least one controller (e.g., a processor) and memory. PCB 122 may also include one or more electrical traces to electrically connect the various electronic components of device 100 together. For example, battery terminals may be electrically connected to PCB 122 so that power may be distributed throughout device 100. The receptacle 114 may also be electrically connected to the battery by electrical traces.

In the exemplary device 100, the heating assembly is an induction heating assembly and includes various components that heat the aerosol-generating material of the article 110 through an induction heating process. Induction heating is a process of heating an electrically conductive object (e.g., susceptor) by electromagnetic induction. The induction heating assembly may comprise an inductive element, such as one or more inductor coils, and means for passing a varying current (e.g. alternating current) through the inductive element. The varying current in the inductive element generates a varying magnetic field. The varying magnetic field penetrates the susceptor, which is suitably positioned with respect to the inductive element, and eddy currents are generated in the susceptor. The susceptor has an electrical resistance to the eddy currents, so that the flow of the eddy currents to the electrical resistance causes the susceptor to be joule heated. In the case of susceptors comprising ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel or cobalt, hysteresis losses due to hysteresis losses in the susceptors result, i.e. the varying orientation of the magnetic dipoles in the magnetic material due to their alignment with the varying magnetic field. In induction heating, heat is generated inside the susceptor, allowing for rapid heating, as compared to heating by conduction, for example. Furthermore, no physical contact is required between the induction heater and the susceptor, thereby increasing the freedom of construction and application.

The induction heating component of the exemplary apparatus 100 includes a susceptor arrangement 132 (referred to herein as a "susceptor"), a first inductor coil 124, and a second inductor coil 126. The first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are made of an electrically conductive material. In this example, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are made of litz wire/cable that is wound in a spiral fashion to provide spiral inductor coils 124, 126. The litz wire comprises a plurality of individual wires which are individually insulated and twisted together to form a single wire. The litz wire is designed to reduce skin effect losses in the conductor. In the exemplary device 100, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are made of copper litz wire having a rectangular cross section. In other embodiments, the litz wire may have a cross section of other shapes, such as circular.

The first inductor coil 124 is configured to generate a first varying magnetic field to heat a first portion of the susceptor 132 and the second inductor coil 126 is configured to generate a second varying magnetic field to heat a second portion of the susceptor 132. In this example, the first inductor coil 124 is adjacent to the second inductor coil 126 in a direction along the longitudinal axis 134 of the device 100 (i.e., the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 do not overlap). The susceptor structure 132 may include a single susceptor, or two or more individual susceptors. The ends 130 of the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 may be connected to the PCB 122.

It should be appreciated that in some examples, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 may have at least one characteristic that is different from one another. For example, the first inductor coil 124 may have at least one characteristic different from the second inductor coil 126. More specifically, in one example, the first inductor coil 124 may have a different inductance value than the second inductor coil 126. In fig. 9, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 have different lengths such that the first inductor coil 124 is wound on a smaller portion of the susceptor 132 than the second inductor coil 126. Thus, the first inductor coil 124 may include a different number of turns than the second inductor coil 126 (assuming that the spacing between the turns is substantially the same). In yet another example, the first inductor coil 124 may be made of a different material than the second inductor coil 126. In some examples, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 may be substantially identical.

In this example, the first inductor coil 124 and the second inductor coil 126 are wound in opposite directions. This is useful when the inductor coils are activated at different times. For example, initially, the first inductor coil 124 may be operated to heat a first portion/section of the article 110, and at a later time, the second inductor coil 126 may be operated to heat a second portion/section of the article 110. Winding the coil in the opposite direction helps reduce the current induced in the inactive coil when used in conjunction with a particular type of control circuit. In the apparatus 100 of fig. 9, the first inductor coil 124 is a right-handed helix and the second inductor coil 126 is a left-handed helix. However, in another embodiment, the inductor coils 124, 126 may be wound in the same direction, or the first inductor coil 124 may be a left-handed spiral and the second inductor coil 126 may be a right-handed spiral.

The susceptor 132 of this embodiment is hollow, thus defining a container that receives aerosol-generating material. For example, the article 110 may be inserted into the susceptor 132. In this example, susceptor 120 is tubular with a circular cross-section.

The susceptor 132 may be made of one or more materials. Preferably, the susceptor 132 comprises carbon steel with a nickel or cobalt coating.

In some examples, susceptor 132 may comprise at least two materials that are capable of being heated at two different frequencies for selective aerosolization of the at least two materials. For example, a first portion of susceptor 132 (which is heated by first inductor coil 124) may comprise a first material, while a second portion of susceptor 132 (which is heated by second inductor coil 126) may comprise a second, different material. In another example, the first portion may comprise first and second materials, wherein the first and second materials may be heated differently based on operation of the first inductor coil 124. The first and second materials may be adjacent along an axis defined by the susceptor 132, or may form different layers within the susceptor 132. Similarly, the second portion may comprise third and fourth materials, wherein the third and fourth materials may be heated differently based on operation of the second inductor coil 126. The third and fourth materials may be adjacent along an axis defined by the susceptor 132, or may form different layers within the susceptor 132. For example, the third material may be the same as the first material and the fourth material may be the same as the second material. Alternatively, each material may be different. The susceptor may comprise carbon steel or aluminum, for example.

The device 100 of fig. 9 also includes an insulating member 128, which may be generally tubular and at least partially surrounds the susceptor 132. The insulating member 128 may be constructed of any insulating material, such as plastic. In this particular example, the insulating member is composed of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The insulating member 128 may help insulate the various components of the device 100 from heat generated in the susceptor 132.

The insulating member 128 may also fully or partially support the first and second inductor coils 124, 126. For example, as shown in fig. 9, the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are positioned around the insulating member 128 and are in contact with the radially outward surface of the insulating member 128. In some examples, the insulating member 128 does not abut the first and second inductor coils 124, 126. For example, a small gap may exist between the outer surface of the insulating member 128 and the inner surfaces of the first and second inductor coils 124, 126.

In a particular example, the susceptor 132, the insulating member 128, and the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 are coaxial about a central longitudinal axis of the susceptor 132.

Fig. 10 shows a partial cross-sectional side view of the device 100. In this example there is a housing 102. The rectangular cross-sectional shape of the first and second inductor coils 124, 126 is more clearly visible.

The apparatus 100 also includes a support 136 that engages one end of the susceptor 132 to hold the susceptor 132 in place. The support 136 is connected to the second end member 116.

The apparatus may also include a second printed circuit board 138 associated with the control element 112.

The device 100 further comprises a second cover/cap 140 and a spring 142 arranged towards the distal end of the device 100. The spring 142 allows the second cover 140 to open to provide access to the susceptor 132. The user may open the second cover 140 to clean the susceptor 132 and/or the support 136. The device 100 also includes an expansion chamber 144 that extends away from the proximal end of the susceptor 132 toward the opening 104 of the device. The retaining clip 146 is at least partially positioned within the expansion chamber 144 to abut and retain the article 110 when the article 110 is received within the device 100. An expansion chamber 144 is connected to the end member 106.

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the device 100 of fig. 8, with the housing 102 omitted.

Fig. 12A depicts a cross-section of a portion of the device 100 of fig. 8. Fig. 12B depicts a close-up of the area of fig. 12A. Fig. 12A and 12B show the article 110 contained within a susceptor 132, wherein the article 110 is sized such that an outer surface of the article 110 abuts an inner surface of the susceptor 132. This ensures that the heating is most efficient. The article 110 of the present example includes an aerosol-generating material 110a. The aerosol generating material 110a is located within the susceptor 132. The article 110 may also include other components, such as filters, packaging materials, and/or cooling structures.

Fig. 12B shows that the outer surface of the susceptor 132 is spaced from the inner surfaces of the inductor coils 124, 126 by a distance 150 measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. In a particular embodiment, the distance 150 is about 3mm to 4mm, about 3-3.5mm or about 3.25mm.

Fig. 12B also shows that the outer surface of the insulating member 128 is spaced apart from the inner surfaces of the inductor coils 124, 126 by a distance 152, the distance 152 being measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 158 of the susceptor 132. In one particular example, distance 152 is approximately 0.05mm. In another example, the distance 152 is substantially 0mm such that the inductor coils 124, 126 abut and contact the insulating member 128.

In one example, susceptor 132 has a wall thickness 154 of about 0.025mm to 1mm or about 0.05mm.

In one example, susceptor 132 has a length of about 40mm to 60mm, about 40mm to 45mm, or about 44.5 mm.

In one example, the insulating member 128 has a wall thickness 156 of about 0.25mm to 2mm, 0.25mm to 1mm, or about 0.5 mm.

In use, the article 11 described herein may be inserted into a non-combustible aerosol provision device, such as the device 100 described with reference to fig. 8 to 12. At least a portion of the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1 protrudes from the non-combustible sol providing device 100 and can be placed in the mouth of a user. The aerosol is generated by heating the aerosol generating material 3 using the apparatus 100. The aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating material 3 passes through the mouthpiece 2 to the mouth of the user.

The article 1 described herein has particular advantages, for example when used with a non-combustible sol providing device such as the device 100 described with reference to fig. 8-12. In particular, it has surprisingly been found that the first tubular element 4 formed by the filament bundles has a significant influence on the temperature of the outer surface of the suction nozzle 2 of the article 1. For example, in the case where the hollow tubular element 4 formed of filament bundles is wrapped in an outer wrapper (e.g. tipping paper 5), it is found that the outer surface of the outer wrapper reaches a maximum temperature of less than 42 ℃, suitably less than 40 ℃ and more suitably less than 38 ℃ or less than 36 ℃ during use.

Examples

Test method A

In the following examples, the filling value of plant material was measured according to the following methods.

15g of plant material samples were deposited into a 60mm diameter cylinder of a densitometer and then compressed with a 1kg piston for 30 seconds. The height of the piston in the densitometer and the moisture content of the sample were measured. The filling value of the sample was calculated according to the following formula.

The volume occupied by plant material when compressed was determined using equation 1:

equation 1

r=cylinder radius (cm)

h=measured height

The filling value is then determined using the volume and mass of plant material measured according to equation 2:

Equation 2

The fill value was corrected using equation 3 to account for its moisture content:

equation 3

FV _O Water content M _O % filling value at

FV = fill value (cm) measured at moisture content M% ³ /10g)

M _O =13.5% (target moisture content)

M=actual moisture content of plant material (%)

0.8 Constant =constant

Moisture content (oven volatiles) was measured as the mass reduction when the samples were dried in a forced air oven for three hours + 0.5 minutes at a temperature adjusted to 110 ℃ ±1 ℃. After drying, the sample was cooled to room temperature in a desiccator for about 30 minutes, and the sample was allowed to cool.

Example 1

The selection of materials to produce the aerosols, these are shown in table 1. Each material contained glycerin in an amount of 15% by weight of the material and 2% by weight of the material of a flavoring agent. The swelling material (DIET) had a fill value of 7.3mL/g at 12.5% moisture.

TABLE 1

^* In all cases, the ratio of leaf tobacco to reconstituted tobacco was 80:20 (leaf to reconstituted tobacco).

Selection of articles for use in non-combustible sol providing systems were prepared using the aerosol generating materials listed in table 1. The properties of these articles are shown in table 2. Hardness was measured using a Sodimat apparatus.

TABLE 2

^* Ds=demi-slide (75 mm long, 21mm circumference) ksss=extra-large ultrafine (83 mm long, 16.96 circumference)

Table 2 shows that aerosol-generating materials comprising expanded tobacco material can be incorporated into articles at lower weights than aerosol-generating materials without expanded tobacco material, but without significantly adversely affecting the hardness of the aerosol-generating portion of the article. Furthermore, when aerosolized, the inclusion of relatively high levels of the expanded tobacco material does not adversely affect the organoleptic (e.g., sensory) properties of the aerosol-generating material.

Example 2

Two amorphous solids, amorphous solid a and amorphous solid B, were prepared by forming a slurry of the components in water, setting the slurry, drying the slurry to form a sheet, and then shredding the sheet.

Amorphous solid a comprises: alginate/pectin mixture (26.2%), glycerol (15.4%), cellulose fibres (20%) and menthol (38.4%). The slurry is set by spraying calcium lactate onto its surface.

Amorphous solid B comprises: alginate (24%), pectin (6%), cellulose fibres (10%) and glycerol (60%).

An option for an article for a non-combustible aerosol provision system may be prepared that comprises an aerosol generating material comprising amorphous solid a or amorphous solid B and DIET, such as those shown in table 3.

TABLE 3 Table 3

/>

Amorphous solids a and B would be expected to enhance the organoleptic properties of the aerosol produced from the aerosol generating material when heated in a non-combustible aerosol providing device, as compared to the comparative article. Furthermore, the articles are expected to exhibit acceptable hardness.

To solve the various problems and to promote the development in the art, the present disclosure shows, by way of example, various embodiments in which the claimed invention may be practiced and to provide excellent methods, apparatuses, and treated tobacco materials and extracts thereof. The advantages and features of the present invention are merely representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are only used to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. It is to be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and/or other aspects of the invention are not to be considered limitations on the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the invention. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, and the like. Furthermore, the invention includes other inventions not presently claimed but which may be claimed.

Claims

1. An article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol generating material prepared from one or more plant materials, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating material is prepared from a composition comprising the one or more plant materials, wherein the one or more plant materials having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g are present in an amount of about 1% to about 30% or about 5% to about 25% by weight of the composition.

3. The article of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of the plant materials is an expanded plant material.

4. An article according to claim 3, wherein the expanded plant material is expanded leaf and/or expanded stem tobacco.

5. The article of any one of claims 1-4, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of less than about 6 mL/g.

6. The article of any one of claims 1-5, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of between about 4mL/g and 6 mL/g.

7. The article of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the plant materials is paper regenerated plant material.

8. The article of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the plant materials is lamina tobacco.

9. The article of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former in an amount of at least about 10% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

10. The article of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aerosol-generating material consists of a composition comprising the one or more plant materials.

11. The article of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the article comprises an aerosol-generating portion comprising the aerosol-generating material.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the aerosol-generating portion comprises a wrapper around the aerosol-generating material.

13. The article of claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the aerosol-generating portion has a hardness of between about 50% and 80%.

14. The article of any of claims 11-13, wherein the aerosol-generating portion has a pressure drop of about 35 to 70mm Wg.

15. The article of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the plant materials is prepared by a process comprising increasing the temperature of a first plant material to cause at least some fluid to be released from the first plant material to form a second plant material.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the second plant material is the plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

17. An article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol generating material comprising one or more plant materials, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the plant material having a fill value greater than about 6mL/g is present in the aerosol-generating material in an amount of from about 1% to about 30% or from about 5% to about 25% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

19. The article of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the article comprises about 200mg to 400mg of the aerosol-generating material.

20. The article of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the aerosol generating material has a fill value of about 2mL/g to about 10 mL/g.

21. An article according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the article comprises an aerosol-generating portion defining a continuous volume, wherein the volume is substantially filled with the aerosol-generating material.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the volume is about 100mm ³ Up to about 1500mm ³ 。

23. An article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision system, wherein the article comprises an aerosol-generating material comprising a first plant material prepared by a method comprising increasing the temperature of a second plant material to cause release of at least some fluid from the second plant material to form the first plant material.

24. The article of claim 23, wherein the method is an expansion method.

25. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol generating material comprises an amorphous solid.

26. The article of claim 25, wherein the aerosol generating material comprises the amorphous solid in an amount of about 5wt% to about 30 wt%.

27. The article of claim 25 or claim 26, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises the amorphous solid in an amount of about 5wt% to about 30wt%, the plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an amount of about 1wt% to about 30wt%, and the tobacco material comprising lamina tobacco and/or reconstituted tobacco in an amount of up to about 70 wt%.

28. The article of any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the amorphous solid comprises:

1 to 60wt% of a gelling agent; and

0.1 to 80wt% of an aerosol former.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein the amorphous solid comprises:

0.1 to 80% of a fragrance and/or active.

30. The article of claim 28 or claim 29, wherein the amorphous solid comprises:

0 to 50wt% of a filler.

31. The article of any one of claims 1-30, wherein the moisture content of the plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g is between about 8% and about 15%.

32. The article of any one of claims 1 to 31, wherein the fill value is measured according to test method a.

33. A method for manufacturing an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, the method comprising:

Combining two or more plant materials to form an aerosol-generating material, wherein at least one of the plant materials has a fill value of at least about 6 mL/g; and

the aerosol-generating material is wrapped with a wrapper to form a rod of aerosol-generating material.

34. A method for manufacturing an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system, the method comprising:

increasing the temperature of the plant material to cause at least some fluid to be released from the plant material to form an expanded plant material; and

wrapping an aerosol-generating material comprising the expanded plant material with a wrapper to form a rod of aerosol-generating material.

35. The method of claim 34, the method comprising:

impregnating the plant material with a fluid to form an impregnated plant material;

the temperature of the impregnated plant material is increased to cause at least some fluid to be released from the plant material to form the expanded plant material.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of impregnating the plant material is performed at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

37. A method according to any one of claims 34 to 36, wherein the expanded plant material has a higher fill value than the plant material prior to the treatment method.

38. A method according to any one of claims 35 to 37, wherein the step of impregnating the plant material is carried out at a temperature of less than 0 ℃.

39. The method of any one of claims 35 to 38, wherein the temperature of the impregnated plant material is raised to a temperature of about 250 ℃ to about 400 ℃, about 290 ℃ to about 350 ℃, or about 200 ℃ to about 240 ℃.

40. The method of any one of claims 35 to 39, wherein the fluid is a liquid.

41. A method according to any one of claims 34 to 40, wherein the expanded plant material is combined with at least one other plant material to form the aerosol generating material.

42. A method according to any one of claims 33 to 41, wherein the method comprises adding an aerosol former to the plant material.

43. The method of any one of claims 33 to 42, wherein the article is the article of any one of claims 1 to 24.

44. The method of any one of claims 33 to 43, wherein the aerosol generating material comprises an amorphous solid according to any one of claims 25 to 28.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the amorphous solid is a shredded sheet.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the chopped sheets of amorphous solids are blended with the plant material.

47. A method according to claim 46, wherein the amorphous solid is in the form of a sheet and the method comprises surrounding at least a portion of the plant material with the sheet of amorphous solid.

48. An article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system prepared according to the method of any one of claims 33 to 47.

49. A non-combustible sol providing system comprising an article according to any one of claims 1 to 30 or claim 48 and a non-combustible sol providing device.

50. Use of plant material having a fill value of greater than about 6mL/g in an article for use with a non-flammable sol providing system.

51. Use of a plant material prepared by an expansion process in an article for use with a non-combustible sol providing system.

52. The use according to claim 50 or claim 41, wherein the article is a stick, and wherein the plant material is surrounded by a wrapper.

53. The use according to claim 50 or claim 52, wherein the article is an electrically heated article.

54. The use of claim 53, wherein the electrically heated article is heated in an electrically operated aerosol generating device comprising an aerosol generator.

55. The use of claim 54, wherein the aerosol generator provides heat to the aerosol generating material and volatilizes at least a portion of the aerosol generating material.

56. Use according to any one of claims 50 to 55, comprising inserting the article into an electrically heated aerosol generating system and removing the article from the electrically heated aerosol generating system.