EP3629779A1

EP3629779A1 - Tobacco-containing consumable for aerosol generating devices

Info

Publication number: EP3629779A1
Application number: EP18728718.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Mclaughlin; Jason HOPPS
Original assignee: Elucid8 Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Elucid8 Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2017-05-24
Filing date: 2018-05-24
Publication date: 2020-04-08
Also published as: RU2019137577A; CN110891434A; GB2562764A; WO2018215781A1; GB201708331D0; JP2023055920A; US20200113227A1; CA3064084A1; RU2769811C2; KR20200031079A; JP2020520678A; RU2019137577A3; CN110891434B; JP7224343B2; RU2022108774A

Abstract

A non-combustible tobacco article for use in conjunction with a heat source to produce an inhalable aerosol; comprising at least one tobacco derived portion, at least one distal filter portion and at least one mouth-end filter portion held together in an overwrap; the complete article having acompressibility factor in the longitudinal axis of <10%.

Description

TOBACCO-CONTAINING CONSUMABLE FOR AEROSOL GENERATING

DEVICES

Many alternatives to traditional combustible tobacco products have been launched in recent years.

Electronic Cigarettes use battery power to heat a nicotine-containing aerosol- generating liquid to form an inhalable nicotine-containing aerosol. Such products tend not to contain tobacco.

Heated Tobacco Products use various energy sources and means to heat a tobacco-containing consumable to generate an inhalable aerosol that contains some components derived from tobacco, including flavour and nicotine. There are also various "hybrid" products which can combine technology from both electronic cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products in order to generate an inhalable nicotine-containing aerosol wherein flavour and nicotine can originate from either the aerosol-generating liquid or the tobacco portions. Specific examples of existing technologies include:

WO9639880 and WO2013190036 describe a cigarette-like cylindrical consumable article, with a distal end containing tobacco-derived material, typically crimped reconstituted tobacco sheet, a mouth-end filter typically containing multiple segments, and an overwrap made from paper. Said article is intended to be electrically heated in order to produce an inhalable nicotine- containing aerosol.

WO2016207407 also describes a tobacco consumable intended for consumption by heating, namely a distal tobacco-derived portion, a mouth-end filter and a paper overwrap. US2009151717 describes a small metallic capsule ("pod") with a foil lid that is pierced prior to use. Inside the pod, the tobacco-derived material typically comprises finely ground tobacco particles, humectants and flavourings. WO2016159013 describes a device in which an aerosol is generated by heating a liquid which is then passed through a separate tobacco portion; the tobacco portion imparts flavour and/or nicotine to the final aerosol. The tobacco portion can be held within a moulded plastic capsule with a mesh at the distal end and a small filter at the mouth-end.

WO2016135342 describes a product which operates in a similar manner to that described in WO2016159013, however the tobacco portion and the liquid heating unit are comprised as one unit. The tobacco portion is held within a moulded plastic structure with a filter at the mouth-end.

With regards to the consumable units for these products, there are some recognised limitations.

For example, with consumables manufactured using cigarette-rod-making technology the user can mistakenly ignite the consumable and potentially inhale unintended and or undesirable combustion products. Also, consumables utilising plastic or metal capsules require bespoke manufacturing machinery, have limited environmental recyclability, and have high material & manufacturing costs.

The current invention describes a tobacco-containing consumable article for use in aerosol-generating devices comprising at least a tobacco-derived portion, a distal filter portion and a mouth-end filter portion held together in a continuous overwrap, with a compressibility factor less than 10%.

The article may have a total pressure drop < 120mm water column along its longitudinal axis. The pressure drop is preferably in the range of 5 to 40 mm water column and more preferably is in the range 10 to 30 mm water column. Such a consumable may be manufactured using conventional cavity-filter- making technology, well known within the tobacco industry and shown in US6537186 for example. In such prior art arrangements, a filter is manufactured with a distal filter portion, a cavity to receive typically a solid granular material such as activated carbon, and a mouth-end filter portion all held together by a paper overwrap. Products have also existed which utilised tobacco-derived material within said cavity to impart or attenuate flavour to the smoke as it passes through the filter. The current invention therefore allows production of consumables via readily- available high- speed production machinery, using proven manufacturing technology, with low material and production costs, material & design flexibility, and can be compatible with a variety of aerosol-generating systems. In some examples, the article may modify one or more other organoleptic properties of the aerosol (e.g. modifying the feel or smell or look of the aerosol to the user).

In some examples, the article may comprise a substance that modifies the PH of the aerosol by either lowering or raising the PH (e.g. modifying the acidity or the basicity of the aerosol).

In some examples, the article may modify (e.g. reduce) the amount of aldehydes in the aerosol.

As described herein, a non-combustible tobacco article means an article containing a tobacco-derived portion that is not intended to be combusted as a whole or in part during use, and no part of said article is intended to be lit during use. Furthermore the construction of said article resists ignition through the use of filter materials such as cellulose acetate at both the distal and mouth ends.

The term aerosol shall be interpreted to include gas, vapour, droplets, condensates, particulates and combinations thereof. An inhalable aerosol shall mean an aerosol with an average particle size as measured by laser dispersion ranging from 0.1 to 10 pm, more preferably 0.1 to 1.5 pm.

Examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side schematic view of an article according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a side schematic view of an article according to the invention showing the longitudinal axis;

Figure 3 is a side perspective view of an example filter portion and overwrap for use in the invention employing multiple layers in its overwrap;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are side schematic views of example articles according to the invention with different overwrap configurations;

Figures 7 and 8 are schematic views of a device employed in combination with the article of the invention;

Figure 9 shows an example filter portion that can be employed in the article of the invention; and

Figure 10 is a schematic view of an alternative method of employing the article of the invention to generate vapour. Figure 1 depicts the basic construction of the article of the invention. The mouth end 3 is the end of the article intended as the exit of the aerosol towards the user. The distal end 1 is the opposite end of the article, typically intended as the inlet for air and other materials into the article. A tobacco portion sits there between. By way of example, the length of the tobacco portion 2 is in the range 7mm to 17mm and preferably in the range 10mm to 13mm, the length of each of the filter portions 1 ,3 is in the range 3mm to 15mm and preferably in the range 4mm to 6mm and the diameter of the flavour container is in the range 5mm to 8.5mm. The dimensions depend upon a combination of the need to provide sufficient material within the tobacco portion 2 to provide a desired flavour effect whilst ensuring a balance between the three sections overall to provide an appropriate pressure drop whilst retaining overall product strength and compressibility. In the example of Figure 1 part 2 is a tobacco-derived portion, which can include single-grade tobacco, blended tobacco grades, leaf, stem, dust, reconstituted tobacco, washed tobacco, extracted tobacco, treated tobacco, tobacco extracts and mixtures thereof. The tobacco-derived portion 2 can be produced from tobacco plants by methods including harvesting, drying, cutting, shredding, grinding, extraction, reconstitution, extrusion and combinations thereof. The tobacco-derived portion 2 can be present in the physical form of leaf, stem, dust, reconstituted sheet, crimped, folded, shaped, beaded, granulated and mixtures thereof. In most examples the tobacco portion 2 comprises tobacco although other botanicals or flavour agents may also be used. In variations of the examples shown, the tobacco portion 2 may be occupied by a cut tobacco rod or fully or partially by ground tobacco. Selection of the material for the tobacco portion 2 is dependent upon a number of factors such as desired level of flavour delivery and the requirements to meet an appropriate pressure drop.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the tobacco derived portion 2 is obtained by carefully selecting a mix of cured tobacco grades based upon desirable taste attributes and low levels of undesirable chemicals; reducing the particle size of the plant material by cutting or grinding to a size suitable for further processing; treating the tobacco material to further reduce undesirable components via a suitable combination of processes including liquid extraction, heat treatment, pressure treatment and chemical treatment; adding ingredients including humectants to produce aerosol and flavourants; reconstituting the tobacco into a sheet format; drying to produce a stable material which is added to the tobacco article either intact as crimped sheet or as fragments of cut or shredded sheet. The above steps can be interchanged, although size reduction is best formed at an early stage in the process and extraction is preferable before addition of flavours to minimise losses of the added flavours. Drying is normally the final stage, although flavour/humectants can be added at the end.

In some examples a tobacco cut rag is used in the tobacco portion 2 in which case the density of the tobacco cut rag may be in the range of 150- 500 mg per cm3, preferably in the range 180- 280 mg per cm3, and most preferably in the range 200-250 mg per cm3. Control of this size ensures provision of the maximum possible tobacco quantity within the volume of the tobacco portion 2 so that there is maximum transfer into the aerosol.

In a some examples, the tobacco portion 2 comprises a flavour material that has been ground or otherwise treated or formed so that it is in the form of particles, for example, powder, granules, grains, fibres, beads, pellets or the like so as, for example, to increase the active surface area or amount of the flavour material in order to maximise the amount of flavour imparted to a vapour and/or aerosol stream flowing through the article.

As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" may refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers. They may include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, piment, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, oil, liquid, solid, or powder. For example, a liquid, oil, or other such fluid flavourant may be impregnated in a porous solid material so as to impart flavour and/or other properties to that porous solid material. As such, the liquid or oil is a constituent of the material in which it is impregnated.

To prevent excessive pressure drop it is preferable to have the major axis of the tobacco derived sheet running parallel to the longitudinal axis 6 of the article of the invention to form pathways for air to pass (see figure 2, part 2). In an alternate preferred embodiment of this invention, the tobacco derived material is prepared as above except that the tobacco derived material is reconstituted into a granular or particulate format which can then be added to the invention. Preferably the granular or particulate tobacco derived material is produced by extrusion, because this ensures consistency of particle size and shape as well as ensuring uniform distribution of any added flavourant or humectant.

In the specific case of the material of the tobacco portion 2 comprising a continuous fibre ground tobacco the tobacco weight is preferably in the range of 2 mg to 6 mg per mm of the tobacco portion.

In the specific case of the material of the tobacco portion 2 comprising short cut fibres ground tobacco the tobacco weight is preferably in the range of 6 mg to 15 mg per mm of the tobacco portion 2.

Figure 2 shows the longitudinal axis 6 of the article of the invention, taken as the major axis of the article and running from the mouth end 3 to the distal end 1. Other axes are taken as perpendicular to this longitudinal axis. Definition of such axes is important in the measurement of key physical parameters that control the integrity of the product during storage & use, and of the sensory experience that the user receives.

"Pressure drop" or "draw resistance" is measured using the Coresta

Recommended Method 41.

(https://www.coresta.org/sites/default/files/technical_documents/main/CRM_41 - update2_0.pdf) and expressed as millimetres water-column equivalent. This design feature determines how the user can extract a volume of aerosol from the consumable/device with reasonable effort.

"Compressibility" is measured in the longitudinal axis 6 by application of a fixed force of 10 Newtons at points 5 (see figure 2), and measuring the deflection distance as a percentage of the total product length. Such measurement can be performed using equipment such as Instron's electromechanical rig 3300. In Figure 1 part 4 shows an "overwrap": one or more sheets of material that provide the outer surface of the article, act to hold the separate elements (distal end filter 1 , tobacco derived portion 2 and mouth-end filter 3) in sequence relative to each other and provides structural strength to the article sufficient for required manipulation by the user, in particular during insertion and removal from an associated device. An overwrap 4 typically comprises paper, plastic, foil, laminates or combinations thereof. An overwrap 4 can comprise a single layer over the entirety of the article or can have multiple layers at different points as shown in Figure 3, parts 8 and 9, as may be required depending on the underlying construction of the article, for example multi-segment filter portions are typically held together with an outer wrapper to assist manufacturing processes. Overwraps of particular relevance to this invention preferably have grammage in the range of 20-100 grams per square meter (gsm). A preferred embodiment utilises a rigid non-porous overwrap in the range of 40 - 200 g/m² composed of transparent cellulose-based paper without chalk overprinted with metallic inks. The lower limit of the grammage is usually determined by the need for opacity and physical strength for the end consumable. The upper limit of the grammage range is set by the operability of the machinery, which can perform if the overwrap material is too thick. In terms of the preferred embodiment, an employment of a rigid non-porous overwrap without chalk, this had advantages in that printing can be performed on specific areas to provide shaped windows, logos etc. In some examples, the overwrap 4 is configured so that its acts as a liquid resistant barrier that prevents liquid, for example, condensation that forms around the article when it is in use, from getting into the interior of the article and making the tobacco portion 2 soggy. In one example, a liquid resistance wrapper layer is used in the overwrap 4 comprises paper impregnated with a barrier material or Natureflex or other suitable thin polymer film.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the overwrap 4 is supplied as a continuous roll of material which is bent in the cross-direction, shaped into a continuous cylinder and affixed to itself using glue. Concurrent with the formation of this continuous cylinder of overwrap the internal elements, namely filter portions 1 ,3 and tobacco derived portions 2, are supplied and affixed to the overwrap 4 as appropriate. This continuous cylinder is then cut into the discreet tobacco articles. This process can be carried out in a continuous manner using a machine for producing cavity filters as known in the art. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the continuous roll of overwrap is formed into a helix and affixed to itself to form the continuous cylindrical shape with a resultant spiral seam (as seen in Figure 4). A helical arrangement has the further advantage that the seam can provide further structural rigidity to the complete article by preventing compression in the cross-direction.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show exemplary embodiments wherein regions 1 1 are transparent, and regions 12 are opaque. Transparent overwrap is defined by the ability to allow the user to visually perceive the contents inside the article. Suitable properties can be found with transparent, semi-opaque and translucent materials. Accordingly regions of transparency can be created within an overwrap 4 by altering the composition of the overwrap 4 in that region by means including reducing the amount of print, reducing the amount of an opaque layer, removal of a foil layer or combinations thereof. A preferred embodiment utilises a transparent cellulose- based paper opacified with metallic inks to give a foil-like appearance overall, and has regions with no metallic ink that serve as transparent windows 1 1 to view the contents inside the article. Most preferably these transparent windows 1 1 are aligned with the tobacco derived portion 2. During storage and use the physical properties of the overwrap 4 can be affected by absorption of volatile, liquid and aerosol components. For example, paper based overwraps can absorb moisture and other liquids which soften the overwrap reducing its structural integrity; this can be undesirable as it can affect the user's ability to remove the article from the associated device. It can also have a detrimental effect upon the visual aesthetics of the overwrap, for example causing staining. Hence it is desirable to provide overwraps that resist the absorption and therefore retain desirable structural properties and appearance. To resist absorption overwraps can be composed of plastics and foils; have a plastic or foil inner layer; have an inner surface coated with varnish or lacquer; be composed of paper with low propensity to absorb liquids and combinations thereof. These may include trilaminate foils with a PE:AI:PET type construction. In a preferred embodiment, the overwrap is transparent cellulose-based paper without chalk which exhibits a low absorption propensity. An alternate preferred embodiment the overwrap 4 is a transparent film of plastic. An alternate preferred embodiment the overwrap 4 is a paper based material coated with a layer of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) on the inner surface.

Filter portions (Figure 1 , parts 1 and 3) act as a physical barrier to contain the tobacco-derived portion 2 and maintain the overall structural integrity of the tobacco article predominantly in the minor axis whilst allowing the desired air and aerosol to pass through. In some examples, the material of the filteris moisture resistant so that the filter portions 1 ,3 maintain their shape in use. The mouth-end filter portion 3 can in addition act to prevent undesirable fine dust particles from the tobacco derived portion 2 reaching the user and removes aerosol particles larger than those of an inhalable aerosol.

The filter portions 1 , 3 can each be provided by a filter portion 21. To enhance airflow through the invention, the pressure drop of the filter portions 21 (shown in Figure 9), can be reduced by the introduction of one or more airflow channels 22 in the longitudinal axis. Airflow channels 22 can pass the entire length of the filter portion. Preferably airflow channels 22 pass through up to 95% of the filter portion length, leaving at least 5% of the filter portion intact to retain tobacco particles. Airflow channels 22 can be introduced once the filter portion 21 is formed by using lasers to burn through the filter material or by use of a mechanical pin to punch the channel 22. Preferably airflow channels 22 are formed by introducing a mandrel or pin into the filter material during the formation process to shape the channel. In some examples, the pressure difference across either of the portions 1 ,3 is in the range 0.1 mm to 2mm water column per mm length of the section.

Filter portions 21 typically are composed of cellulose acetate, paper, plastics, polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polylactic acid and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the filter portion 21 is composed of cellulose acetate fibres plasticised with up to 15% triacetin. Filter portions 21 may be homogenous or composed of multiple contiguous segments. Filter portions 21 , and more preferably the mouth-end filter portion 3, can contain attenuants, flavourants and aesthetic elements.

A different additional flavour component may be placed in each of the end filter portions 1 ,3 (e.g. a flavour capsule in distal portion 1 and a flavoured thread or line in the mouth portion 1 ).

In some examples, the filter portions 1 ,3 comprise a fibrous material and may be, for example, a fibrous material that is typically used as a filter material in traditional cigarette, examples including cellulose acetate fibres, polypropylene fibres, polyster fibres and paper, including crimped paper. Other materials may be used for example, nylon and the like.

In another example, the material of the tobacco portion 2 and the material in the two filter portions 1 ,3 comprises a multiplicity of short cut CA fibres (for example fibres cut using a so called Turmalin apparatus) randomly orientated. Short cut CA fibres with for example ground tobacco in tobacco portion 2, may use just enough of the fibres to hold the ground tobacco in a rod form. Benefits of this arrangement allow for a lower pressure drop of vapour and/or aerosol flow and additionally there is reduced or no need for a plasticiser, for example, triacetine to hold the rod form as is required for a continuous fibre CA. Furthermore, use of short cut CA fibres enables the use of less CA and more tobacco than in the case of using a long continuous CA fibre.

In some examples, the percentage weight of first flavour component (and any other components e.g. charcoal, plasticiser) in the filter portions 1 ,3 to the weight of the material of the tobacco portion 2 is in the range 10% to 90% and preferably in the range 70% to 90%.

In the specific case of the article comprising a continuous fibre and the tobacco portion 2 comprising ground tobacco the tobacco weight to the fibre weight is preferably in the range of 40% to 60% and most preferably in the range of 45% to 55%. The fibre weight is preferably in the range of 75% to 95% and most preferably in the range of 80% to 90%. Attenuants remove undesirable chemicals from the aerosol and include solid particles of carbon, activated charcoal, carbonaceous resin derived by pyrolysis, silica, chemically activated derivatives of carbon and silica, metal based catalysts and mixtures thereof. Flavourants add desirable sensory properties to the aerosol and can be present in the tobacco-derived portion, the filter portions and combinations thereof. Common flavourants include menthol, mint, peppermint, vanilla, liquorice, fruit extracts, esters, acetals, fructals and combinations thereof. Flavourants can be present within the filter matrix, the tobacco-derived material, in a flavour thread, in beads, breakable capsules, non-breakable capsules, encapsulated within a protective matrix, encapsulated within a molecule including cyclodextrin and combinations thereof.

Aesthetic elements include colourants dispersed within the filter matrix or localised within a specific region and filters shaped to form a distinct pattern, logo, or are recessed or fluted or is combination thereof. This is represented in Figure 3 which shows an example filter component providing a mouthend with a recessed portion 10. In conjunction with the component 7 can provide a mouth filter portion 3 with the recess 10 in it for use in the article. This structure provides an aesthetically pleasing construction that can contribute to product strength by employment of the layered overwrap 4. It also allows the possibility of provision of a shorter filter component 7 which can reduce total pressure drop. With such an example the filter portion 7 will generally be 6 mm in length or longer to ensure it retains material in the tobacco portion 2 that still provides appropriate structural integrity whilst controlling pressure drop and compressibility for the overall article.

Figures 7 and 8 depict usage of the current invention with an electronic cigarette as the aerosol-generating device. The device utilises a battery power source 14 to heat a resistive wire 17 in order to volatilise an e-liquid from reservoir 16, the liquid is typically nicotine-free. The article of the invention 19 is inserted into the electronic- cigarette device at point 18. The first aerosol produced by resistive wire 17 passes through article 19 and is modified to produce the inhalable aerosol 20. The modification to the first aerosol includes the addition of nicotine and other flavourants from the present invention. The modification can also include the removal of undesirable chemical components via attenuants and the removal of undesirable aerosol and other particles from the aerosol. In an alternative embodiment, the first aerosol additionally contains chemicals to assist the incorporation of desirable chemicals from the tobacco derived portion 2 into the aerosol. Preferably the first aerosol contains volatile acids which act to incorporate freebase nicotine from the tobacco derived portion 2 and thereby enhance the amount of nicotine in the inhaled aerosol. Suitable volatile acids include ascorbic, pyruvic acid and levulinic acid.

Figure 10 shows an alternative use of the current invention, whereby the current invention is inserted into a device with power source 14 which uses a heat- source 23 to directly heat the tobacco portion 2. The action of the heat from the associated device releases volatile components from the invention which form the inhalable aerosol. Heat source 23 includes one of electrically driven or chemical reaction driven heating means. Electrically driven options include metallic heating elements, resistive wire, thin film heaters, ceramics heaters and combinations thereof in conjunction with a battery or cell. Alternatively, an electrically driven heat-source 23 can rely upon induction, where an alternating electromagnetic field is produced which in turn generates heat in a suitably placed susceptor element 24. The efficiency of induction is improved when the susceptor element 24 is in close proximity to the material to be heated, therefore the susceptor element 24 is best placed within the tobacco derived material or as part of the overwrap in contact with the tobacco derived portion. In the case of induction heating the power source and circuitry may be configured to operate at a high frequency. Preferably, the power source and circuitry may be configured to operate at a frequency of between approximately 80 kHz and 500 kHz, preferably approximately 150 kHz and 250 kHz, more preferably approximately 200 kHz, and the assembly may be arranged to operate in use with a fluctuating electromagnetic field having a magnetic flux density of between approximately 0.5 Tesla (T) and approximately 2.0 T at the point of highest concentration. Whilst the induction coil may comprise any suitable material, typically the induction coil may comprise a Litz wire or a Litz cable. The susceptor may comprise one or more, but not limited, of aluminium, iron, nickel, stainless steel and alloys thereof, e.g. nickel chromium. With the application of an electromagnetic field in its vicinity, the susceptor may generate heat due to eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis losses resulting in a conversion of energy from electromagnetic to heat.

Chemical reaction driven heat sources include combustion, oxidation, redox and other exothermic reactions. Humectants are additives that act to retain water within a matrix and include polyols such as propylene glycol, glycerol, PEGs of various molecular weights, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and combinations thereof. Within the present invention volatilised humectants also function to produce aerosol droplets. Preferably the humectant is a mixture of propylene glycol and glycerol. pH modifying agents include acids, bases and buffers which can be used to alter the ionisation state of chemicals within the tobacco derived portion thereby modifying their volatility. Notably free base nicotine which predominates at alkaline pH is significantly more volatile than nicotine salts which predominate at acidic pH. In a preferred embodiment sufficient basic agents are added to the tobacco derived portion to achieve an overall pH>7 rendering more nicotine available to be volatilised into the inhalable aerosol. More preferably the overall pH is >8. Suitable basic agents include metal carbonates, metal hydrogen carbonates, metal hydroxides and ammonium salts.

In one embodiment of the present invention the tobacco derived portion 2 is generated by providing a blend of tobacco grades comprising flue cured and air- cured tobaccos with a chemical composition in accordance to Gothiatek® Standard, namely tobacco-specific nitrosamine (NNN + NNK) content of <1 mg/kg and benzo[a]pyrene content of <1.25ug/kg. Once blended, the tobacco is reduced in size by first shredding and then grinding to pass through a No.18 Mesh giving a particle size of =<1 mm. To the ground tobacco is added 50% equivalent mass of deionised water; 2% equivalent mass of flavourant - a 50:50 mix of menthol and mint oils; 0.375% equivalent mass pH modifying agent - sodium hydroxide. The resultant tobacco paste is passed through a Coperion extruder with barrel temperature 250oC and pressure 4atm linked to a pelletizer to produce a shaped material of particle size approximately 1.5mm diameter. The tobacco derived particles are then dried under vacuum to <10% moisture. The dried tobacco particles are then sieved to produce a fraction in the range 0.2mm ~ 1.25mm. The mouth end and distal end filter portions 1 ,3 are manufactured using a Hauni filter rod making machine. Filter portions 1 ,3 are made from cellulose acetate tow 6Y17 using 10.1 mg of tow per mm of filter length; plasticised with 12% weight/weight triacetin; 26gsm, 2000CU plugwrap affixed with PVA glue. Final filter portion dimensions are 8mm diameter and 6mm length. The assembly of the non-combustible tobacco article is carried out on a Molins cavity filter machine using a paper overwrap PPW 35 by SWM with a 0.1 % coating of AKD on the inner surface. The construction of the article is 6mm filter portion, 17mm cavity with 250mg tobacco-derived material, 6mm filter portion affixed with PVA glue. This generates a final article with a total pressure drop of 40~65mm water column and compressibility factor of -3% in the longitudinal axis.

With the present invention, by controlling the compressibility of the article it is possible to provide a device which is easy for a user to handle and remove from a vapour generating device without deformation or damage even though the generation of vapour during use will potentially deteriorate the mechanical properties of the article. By optionally controlling draw pressure it is possible to ensure a pressure drop that a user is comfortable in creating the draw pressure when receiving vapour. In addition, the invention ensures that an article to hold an appropriate of vapour generating material can be provided in an article which is aesthetically pleasing and simple and straightforward to manufacture.

Claims

1. A non-combustible tobacco article for use in conjunction with a heat source to produce an inhalable aerosol; comprising at least one tobacco derived portion, at least one distal filter portion and at least one mouth-end filter portion held together in an overwrap; the complete article having a compressibility factor in the longitudinal axis of <10%.

2. A tobacco article according to claim 1 arranged to have a total pressure drop <120mm water column across it in the longitudinal direction.

3. A tobacco article according to claim 1 or 2 arranged such that in use it modifies a first aerosol produced by the heat source to produce the inhalable aerosol.

4. A tobacco article according to claim 1 or 2 arranged such that in use it provides volatile components to the inhalable aerosol upon action of the heat source.

5. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim further comprising induction elements dispersed within the tobacco-derived portion such that, in use, electromagnetic energy can be applied to the induction elements to generate heat.

6. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the tobacco derived portion contains at least one from the group of flavourant, humectant and pH modifying agent.

7. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the tobacco derived portion contains a flavourant, a humectant and a pH modifying agent.

8. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the overwrap includes at least one transparent region.

9. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the overwrap is arranged to resist absorbing volatile and aerosol components in the tobacco derived portion such that the total weight gain by absorption after use is <10% of the original overwrap weight.

10. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the overwrap is wound in a helical direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the article.

1 1. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the mouth-end filter portion comprises at least two distinct regions abutted together.

12. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the mouth-end and distal end filter portions separately or combined contain at least one from the group of aesthetic element, flavourant and attenuant.

13. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the mouth-end and distal end filter portions separately or combined contain a flavourant and an aesthetic element.

14. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where the mouth-end and distal end filter portions separately or combined contain an attenuant, a flavourant and an aesthetic element.

15. A tobacco article according to any preceding claim where at least one of the filter portions contains at least one airflow channel in the longitudinal axis.

16. A process of manufacturing a tobacco article according to any preceding claim, the method comprising the steps of: first forming the filter portions, arranging said filter portions within an overwrap in such a manner to form a cavity between said filter portions; filling the cavity with the tobacco derived material and closing the overwrap material to form an integral unit.