EP4418885A1

EP4418885A1 - Article with combustion retarding properties and uses thereof

Info

Publication number: EP4418885A1
Application number: EP22797822.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Walid Abi Aoun; Jose HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ; Matthew Hodgson
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2021-10-20
Filing date: 2022-10-19
Publication date: 2024-08-28
Also published as: MX2024004706A; IL312008A; CN118042944A; AU2022369096A1; CA3233301A1; GB202115008D0; US20240373906A1; JP2024538937A; KR20240090456A; WO2023067332A1

Abstract

Article with combustion retarding properties and uses thereof The present invention relates to an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article including a wrapper with a coating including a combustion retarding salt. The invention further relates to methods for manufacturing and uses of said articles.

Description

Article with combustion retarding properties and uses thereof

Field

The present invention relates to an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article including a wrapper with a coating comprising a combustion retarding salt. The invention further relates to methods for manufacturing and use of said articles.

Background Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these articles by creating products that release compounds without combusting. Examples of such products are so-called “heat not burn” products or tobacco heating devices or products, which release compounds by heating, but not burning, smokeable material.

Summary

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an article for use in a noncombustible aerosol provision system, the article comprising: a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material being at least partially wrapped in a wrapper, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said wrapper comprises a coating comprising a combustion retarding salt.

In some embodiments, the coating comprising from about 3 wt% to about 70 wt% of at least one combustion retarding salt (dry weight basis).

In some embodiments, the coating comprises a binder. In some embodiments, the binder is selected from one or more of the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin, gums, acacia gum, starches, polysaccharides, pectins, alginates, wood pulp, celluloses, and cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose.

In some embodiments, the coating comprises from about 30 wt% to about 97 wt% of at least one binder.

In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is a metal halide salt, optionally selected from the group consisting of: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium bromide and combinations thereof. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a non-combustible aerosol provision system comprising an article according to the first aspect. According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method for manufacturing the article according to the first aspect, wherein the coating is formed by applying to the wrapper a precursor material comprising a binder and the combustion retarding salt. In some embodiments, the mixture further comprises a solvent in which at least some of the mixture is soluble. In some embodiments, the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, distilled water, benzyl alcohol, ethanol, methanol, triacetin, glycerol, propylene glycol and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the coating is applied to the wrapper prior to assembly of the article.

In some embodiments, the coating is applied to the wrapper of the assembled article. In some embodiments, the coating is applied to the wrapper using one or more process selected from the group consisting of: spraying, painting or printing.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided use of a wrapper comprising a coating comprising a combustion-retarding salt for retarding combustion of a consumable.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side-on cross sectional view of a first embodiment of an article comprising a coating comprising combustion retarding salt with combustion retarding properties; and

Figure 2 is a perspective illustration of a non-combustible aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating material of the articles of Figure i.

Detailed Description The present invention seeks to provide an article with combustion retarding properties for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system. According to the invention, an article is provided comprising a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material being at least partially wrapped in a wrapper, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said wrapper comprises a coating comprising a combustion retarding salt.

The inventors have found that combustion retarding properties are afforded by adding at least one combustion retarding salt to the coating which is provided on a surface of the wrapper. The presence of the coating comprising a combustion retarding salt makes it much harder to light the article and hinders combustion of the article.

The invention enjoys the advantage that the article is capable of withstanding higher temperatures without burning, which in turn can allow for the release of more volatiles. This is desirable for the end user of the non-combustible aerosol provision system. In addition, this invention has the additional advantage that this is safer if the consumer attempts to ignite the article as the invention reduces the combustion of the article.

In addition, this wrapper provides an environmentally friendly alternative to other wrappers known to perform a combustion-retarding role. For example, it is common to use aluminium as a wrapper to retard combustion in aerosol-generating articles. As aluminium is energy-intensive to produce and challenging to recycle after use, the wrapper described herein is a more sustainable alternative. As described herein, the combustion retarding properties maybe achieved with a salt such as NaCl, a sustainable and accessible resource. In addition, the wrapper may comprise paper or a paper-like material as described herein. These materials may be sustainably sourced, and are biodegradable. The biodegradability of the wrapper is environmentally friendly and an attractive feature to consumers. In some embodiments, the coating on the wrapper comprises one or more combustion retarding salts in a total amount of at least about 3 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4 wt%, about 4.5 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 5.5 wt% about, about 6 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 60 wt%, about 70 wt%, and/or in an amount of no more than about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 60 wt%, about 55 wt%, or about 50 wt% of the coating on the wrapper (all calculated on a dry weight basis). The quantity of combustion retarding salt is selected to provide the desired combustion retarding effect.

For the avoidance of doubt, the reference to the amount of salt in the coating is a reference to the amount of added salt, and does not include any salt that may be present in the coating without the addition of the combustion retarding salt as described herein.

The combustion retarding salt The combustion-retarding salt used herein is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of cation and anions. The salts used herein are those whose anion and/ or whose cation may be effective in retarding combustion. In some embodiments, the salt is an inorganic salt. In some embodiments, the salt is a halide salt, i.e. has a halide anion. In some embodiments, the salt is a chloride salt or a bromide salt. The presence of high concentrations of chloride or bromide has been shown to retard combustion, as discussed further below. In some embodiments, the salt maybe an alkali metal salt, i.e. has an alkali metal cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an alkaline earth metal cation. In some embodiments, the salt has a zinc cation or an iron cation, such as a ferric or ferrous cation. In some embodiments, the salt has an ammonium cation or a phosphonium cation.

In some embodiments, the salt may be an alkali metal halide, such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. The salt may be an alkaline earth metal halide, such as magnesium chloride, calcium chloride. The salt may be another metal halide, such as zinc chloride or sodium bromide.

In some embodiments, the salt has a carboxylate anion. For example, the salt may be an alkali metal carboxylate, such as potassium citrate, potassium succinate, potassium malate, potassium acetate, potassium tartrate, potassium oxalate, sodium citrate, sodium succinate, sodium acetate, or sodium malate. In other embodiments, the salt has an anion selected from: borate, carbonate, phosphate, sulphate or sulphamate.

Factors that may influence the selection of salt will include, for example, melting point, which will preferably be at least 45O°C. In some embodiments, the salt is soluble in water. In some embodiments, the salt is selected to provide a desired pH to the material it is added to. In some embodiments, the salt will not significantly change the pH of the material. In some embodiments, sodium chloride (NaCl) is the salt used. It has been demonstrated that wrapper with a high chloride content is difficult to combust. Further, sodium chloride is neutral, highly soluble and does not affect pH of the wrapper. The combustion retarding salt may be one salt or a combination of any number of salts disclosed herein or known in the art, and is referred to as “combustion retarding salt” herein. The combustion retarding salt(s) may be advantageously selected to give the combustion retarding material desired characteristics. In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bromide and/or potassium bromide.

Depending on the combustion retarding or other physical properties desired, the components of the salt may be in free base form, salt form, or as a complex, or as a solvate. The combustion retarding salt may be of any density and any crystalline structure.

Binder In some embodiments, the coating comprising a combustion retarding salt further comprises a binder.

The binder may be a film-forming material, which forms the basis of the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt. The combustion retarding salt may be located in or on the film formed from the binder. In some embodiments, the salt is mixed with the binder and applied to the wrapper, as discussed in greater detail below. The binder may adhere the combustion retarding salt to the wrapper. It may also be used to adhere the wrapper to itself and to other components of the article. Suitable binders include, for example, film-forming agents such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin, gums such as acacia gum, starches and derivatives thereof, polysaccharides, pectins, alginates, wood pulp, celluloses, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose, silica or silicones compounds, clays, and combinations thereof. Suitable binders also include, for example, gelling agents such as one or more of alginates, pectins, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the binder may include alginate and/ or pectin, and the precursor material may further comprise a setting agent (such as a calcium source) which may aid formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases, the binder may include a calcium-crosslinked alginate and/ or a calcium-crosslinked pectin.

In some embodiments, the coating comprises at least about o.i wt%, about i wt%, about io wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 45 wt% or at least about 50 wt% of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the coating comprises no more than about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 60 wt%, about 55 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 45 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 35 wt%, or about 30 wt % of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight basis The precursor material

In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is incorporated into or added to the precursor material which is used to form the coating on the wrapper.

In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is suspended in the precursor material. In some embodiments, the combustion retarding salt is dissolved in the precursor material, optionally in the presence of a solvent. The solvent may be an aqueous or organic liquid, and may be polar or non-polar depending on the materials that are to be dissolved and the extent to which they are to be dissolved. The precursor material may comprise from about 3 wt%, about 3.5 wt%, about 4 wt%, about 4.5 wt%, about 5 wt%, about 5.5 wt%, about 6 wt%, about 6.5 wt%, about 7 wt%, about 7.5 wt%, about 8 wt%, about 9 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 40 wt%, or about 50 wt% of the combustion retarding salt (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, a precursor material comprising the combustion retarding salt is applied to the surface of the wrapper. This deposits the combustion retarding salt on the surface of the wrapper and provides a coating on the surface of the wrapper.

In some embodiments, the wrapper is contacted with the precursor material such as a solution or a suspension comprising the combustion retarding salt. This technique may be used to form a coating comprising the combustion retarding salt on the surface or a portion of the surface of the wrapper. In some embodiments, precursor material may be sprayed, printed, painted or otherwise locally applied onto the wrapper. This is advantageous because it can result in the formation of a coating of the combustion retarding salt evenly distributed over the wrapper. Some methods of application, such as spraying, printing and painting, maybe more precise, providing a localised coating or capable of applying a higher concentration of combustion retarding salt onto the wrapper. The wrapper may be contacted with the precursor material comprising the combustion retarding salt multiple times to form one or more layers comprising the combustion retarding salt. In some embodiments, one layer may be allowed to dry before the next layer is applied. In some embodiments, the composition of the layers may be different, for example comprising different combustion retarding salts and/or other components such as binders. This may provide a specific combustion-retarding profile or make use of different adhesive properties of the binder. This process may also be repeated to provide a desired thickness of the layer of combustion retarding salt, and/ or a desired amount or concentration of combustion retarding salt, which is a further advantage. The additional thickness where the coating has been added to the wrapper may contribute to improved structural rigidity of the wrapper or increase its tensile strength.

In some embodiments, the precursor material and/or subsequent coating is in the form of an amorphous solid which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the precursor material or coating may be in the form of a dried gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. The precursor material or coating in the form of an amorphous solid may comprise a binder consisting of at least one gelling agent as described herein. A precursor material or coating which comprises an amorphous solid enjoys the advantage of providing increased tensile strength and rigidity to the wrapper.

In some embodiments, the precursor material used to form one layer may be in the form of a liquid in one layer and the precursor material used to form another layer may be in the form of a solid or an amorphous solid. In an exemplary embodiment, a precursor material in the form of a liquid and comprising a binder such as PVA may provide a first layer. A precursor material in the form of an amorphous solid may provide a second layer. The second layer may be in the form of the sheet. Such an embodiment provides a wrapper to which an amorphous solid sheet is adhered via the first layer. The layer(s) maybe located on a specific portion of the wrapper and thus provide the advantages of the form of an amorphous solid locally. The amorphous solid may comprise additional components as described herein and advantageously provide the additional components locally to a portion of the wrapper.

The layers may comprise the same salt or different salts. Additionally, the proportion of the combustion retarding salt in the precursor material may be altered to provide the layer(s) on wrapper with desired properties.

In some embodiments, the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt is applied to a portion of the wrapper, for example a patch or section of the wrapper. The coating may be applied to the inner and/ or outer surface of the wrapper.

In some embodiments, the coating is on the external surface of the article.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned wrapper circumscribes a consumable. As described herein, the consumable may comprise a rod of aerosol-generating material with a first end and a second end. In use, the article has a downstream end, usually connected to or comprising a mouthpiece and/or filter, and an upstream end, also referred to as a distal end. The coating comprising a combustion retarding salt may be applied to the wrapper at or towards the distal end of the consumable, and spans an area of up to about i mm, about 2 mm, about 3mm, about 4 mm, about 5 mm, about 7 mm, about 10 mm from the distal end. In some embodiments, it may be preferred that the coating spans the area from between about 5 to 7 mm from the distal end.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the precursor material is sprayed on to a distal portion of the wrapper. This has the advantage that the combustion retarding salt is only provided where it is necessary, thus reducing wastage and unnecessary use of the combustion retarding salt, the precursor material, and the ingredients comprised therein. The precursor material suitable for forming this coating may be in the form of a liquid, a solution or a suspension, and may further comprise an amorphous solid material, as described herein.

In another embodiment of the invention, the precursor material may be applied in the form of a printed patch. In this embodiment, the precursor material may have properties that are tailored to this method of application, for example, the precursor material may have a suitable viscosity or may comprise a higher concentration of the combustion retarding salt. The advantage of this method of application is that the print patch maybe of a precise size, shape and location on the wrapper and the method provides a more controlled application of the salt onto the wrapper. The print patch maybe located on a portion or all of the wrapper. When the patch is located at the distal end of the wrapper, this provides the advantage of preventing the aerosolgenerating material combusting if an attempt is made to light the consumable like a cigarette.

Components of the precursor material

In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises a binder and the combustion retarding salt. In some cases, the precursor material comprises at least about 0.1 wt%, about 1 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 35 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 45 wt% or at least about 50 wt% of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the precursor material comprises no more than about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 60 wt%, about 55 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 45 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 35 wt%, or about 30 wt % of a binder (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises from about 20 to about 25 wt% binder. The precursor material may comprise the appropriate amount of binder in order to provide an advantageous viscosity. For example, the precursor material must be viscous enough to form a film and provide a coating having the desired thickness or other physical characteristics. However, if the viscosity of the precursor material is too great, the material may be difficult to apply to the wrapper.

In some embodiments, the precursor material comprising a binder provides an adhesive quality to the precursor material. The precursor material maybe a viscous composition with adhesive or “glue-like” qualities. In some embodiments, the precursor material, and the subsequent coating, may advantageously be used to secure the wrapper in place, or to hold the wrapper closed around the rod or aerosolgenerating material. In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises one or more solvents. The solvent maybe included to dissolve one or more components of the precursor material. Additionally or alternatively, the solvent maybe included to control the properties of the precursor material, such as its viscosity or its drying behaviour under certain conditions. The viscosity of the precursor material can be reduced, for example, to facilitate its application to a wrapper, whilst maintaining the desired binder and salt content.

The solvent may comprise one or more liquid, including aqueous liquid and nonaqueous liquid. For example, the solvent maybe selected from the group consisting of: water (such as distilled water), benzyl alcohol, ethanol, methanol, triacetin, glycerol, propylene glycol, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the solvent is distilled water.

The solvent may be advantageously selected to be readily removed following application of the precursor material onto the wrapper to form a (dry) coating comprising the combustion retarding salt on the surface of the wrapper. In some embodiments, the solvent may be removed as a result of a treatment step, as discussed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the liquid carrier is a volatile solvent, which maybe advantageously be removed by evaporation. In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises at least about 5 wt%, about 10 wt%, about 20 wt%, about 30 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 60 wt% or at least about 70 wt% of a combustion-retarding salt (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the precursor material comprises no more than about 80 wt%, about 75 wt%, about 70 wt%, about 65 wt%, about 60 wt%, about 55 wt%, about 50 wt%, about 45 wt%, about 40 wt%, about 35 wt%, or about 30 wt % of a combustion-retarding salt (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises from about 50 wt% combustion-retarding salt, optionally with 20 to about 25 wt% binder.

Treating the precursor material

The precursor material, once applied to the surface of a wrapper, may optionally be treated to provide the coating. The treatment may include a step comprising drying, curing, cross-linking of alginates or polymers, heating or any other suitable treatment. This provides the advantage that the coating may have different properties to the precursor material. For example, the precursor material may be a liquid but may hardened on the wrapper during a treatment step, providing a coating with a suitable rigidity. In a further example, the precursor material maybe “sticky” prior to treatment, and may not be sticky after treatment in order to prevent the wrapper adhering to surfaces unintentionally.

The precursor material may be treated differently in different locations of the wrapper. This provides the advantage that the combustion retarding salt and properties may be provided in distinct sections of the wrapper.

In some embodiments, some components of the precursor material are removed, for example via evaporation, to leave the combustion retarding salt (and other non-volatile components) deposited on the wrapper in the coating. In some embodiments, the precursor material or components of the precursor material may remain in the coating formed on the wrapper, and may provide the coating with additional combustion retardant, taste, flavour and/or physical characteristics.

In some embodiments the precursor material is not treated, and forms the coating without further processing. The coating

In some embodiments, the coating may have a thickness of from about 0.2 |um to about 10 |um. The coating may have a thickness of about 1 |um, about 2 |um, about 3 pm, about 4 Jim, or about 5 pm.

The combustion retarding salt coating may comprise more than one layer, and the coating thickness described herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those layers. The coating may also contain other additives in addition to the combustion retarding salt(s) as disclosed herein. The coating may also be very thin, and inconsistent across the surface of the wrapper. The thickness of the coating may be selected to provide desirable combustion retarding characteristics, and to provide the wrapper with satisfactory rigidity and structural integrity.

The thickness of the coating of combustion retarding salt may be measured using a microscope such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM), as known to those skilled in the art, or any other suitable technique known to those skilled in the art.

In some cases, the coating thickness may vary by no more than about 25%, about 20%, about 15%, about 10%, about 5% or about 1% across its area. This has the advantage that the rod may have a wrapper with a consistent thickness so that the rod may fit more easily into the non-combustible aerosol provision system.

In some embodiments of the invention, only a portion of the total area of a surface of the wrapper comprises the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt. In other embodiments, all of a surface of the wrapper comprises the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt.

In an article comprising the coating described herein, a portion of the wrapper towards or at the distal end of the consumable may comprise the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt. This embodiment enjoys the advantage of preventing the wrapper combusting if an attempt is made to light the consumable like a cigarette.

The portion of the wrapper with the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt maybe from about 3 to about 15%, or from about 3 to about 8%, or from about 8 to about 12%, of the total surface area of the wrapper. The portion of the wrapper comprising the coating combustion retarding salt may be from about 1 to about 10 mm, from about 3 to about 8 mm, or from about 4 to about 6 mm of the length of the consumable from the distal end. Alternatively, the portion of the wrapper comprising the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt may be located at most about 1 mm, about 3 mm, about 5 mm or about 7 mm from the distal end of the wrapper. The portion of the wrapper comprising the coating comprising the combustion retarding salt may be located at least about 1 mm, about 3 mm, about 5 mm or about 7 mm from the distal end of the wrapper.

The wrapper The wrapper may comprise or consist substantially of paper or a paper-like material. Said paper or paper-like material may be between about 20 gsm and about 90 gsm, between about 25 gsm and about 35 gsm, or between about 55 gsm and 65 gsm. The inventors have found that thicker papers perform better in this invention and additionally thicker paper provides adequate structural integrity to the rod.

In some embodiments the wrapper may have a plurality of vents and/or perforations. This increases the ventilation in the article, can enhance the user’s experience of the flavour properties of the aerosol generating material and provide the appropriate pressure drop for ease of use. The location of these vents and/ or perforations may be from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, from about 1 mm to about 4 mm or from about 4mm to about 8 mm from the distal end of the rod. The vents and/or perforations may be of any suitable size and/or number. The size, number and location on the wrapper of the vents and/ or perforations may be selected to provide the appropriate flow through of air. For example, more numerous and larger vents and/or perforations may introduce more air into the rod, increase the flow-through of air and thus provide the appropriate pressure drop.

As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user, and includes non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials. In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system. According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping 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 aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn 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 to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non- combustible aerosol provision device.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

An aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. 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 flavourants. 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 dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol- generating material may for example comprise from about 50 wt%, about 60 wt% or about 70 wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt%, 95 wt% or too wt% of amorphous solid.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non- combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/ or an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/ or an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some embodiments, the article, wrapper, carrier, amorphous solid, aerosolgenerating material or any component of the article may further comprise one or more of aerosol-former material(s), functional material(s), flavour(s), botanical(s), active substance(s) or aerosol-modifying agent.

The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants. The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, maybe used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang- ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), 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 maybe imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint.

In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour.

The 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, nootropics, and psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical. In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12. As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint maybe chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v., Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel. An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol- modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent

The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent maybe in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material. In some embodiments, the article comprises a substrate. The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises a consumable. A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosolgenerating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises a susceptor. A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system comprises an aerosol generator. An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator maybe configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

Figure i is a side-on cross sectional view of a consumable or article i for use in an aerosol delivery system. The article i comprises a mouthpiece segment 2, and an aerosol generating segment 3.

The aerosol generating segment 3 is in the form of a cylindrical rod and comprises an aerosol-generating material 4 comprising, in this example, cut rag reconstituted tobacco. The aerosol-generating material can be any suitable material.

The mouthpiece segment 2, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a body of material 5 such as a fibrous or filamentary tow. The rod-shaped consumable 1 further comprises a wrapper 6 circumscribing the mouthpiece segment 2 and aerosol generating segment 3, such as a paper wrapper. The wrapper 6 includes coating 7 at the distal end.

Figure 2 shows an example of a non-combustible aerosol provision device too for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating medium/material such as the aerosolgenerating material of a consumable 110, as described herein. In broad outline, the device 100 maybe used to heat a replaceable article no comprising the aerosolgenerating medium, for instance an article i as illustrated in Figure i or as described elsewhere herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium which is inhaled by a user of the device 100. The device 100 and replaceable article no together form a system.

The device loo comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) which surrounds and houses various components of the device 100. The device 100 has an opening 104 in one end, through which the article no maybe inserted for heating by a heating assembly. In use, the article 110 may be fully or partially inserted into the heating assembly where it may be heated by one or more components of the heater assembly.

The device 100 of this example comprises a first end member 106 which comprises a lid 108 which is moveable relative to the first end member 106 to close the opening 104 when no article 110 is in place. In Figure 2, the lid 108 is shown in an open configuration, however the lid 108 may move into a closed configuration. For example, a user may cause the lid 108 to slide in the direction of arrow “B”. The device too may also include a user-operable control element 112, such as a button or switch, which operates the device too when pressed. For example, a user may turn on the device too by operating the switch 112.

The device too may also comprise an electrical component, such as a socket/port 114, which can receive a cable to charge a battery of the device too. For example, the socket 114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.

Examples

Articles comprising cut rag aerosol-generating material were prepared, using a variety of different wrappers.

For testing, the articles were lit in the manner of a combustible cigarette and attempts were made to smoke them by puffing. The greater the combustion resistance of the wrapper materials, the less of the article was combusted.

Example 1 In a first example, various coatings on the wrappers surrounding a rod of aerosolgenerating material were prepared by applying two layers of precursor material. The different tests used different concentrations of combustion retarding salt and binder, as shown in Table 1. The combustion retarding salt was NaCl, and the binder was PVA glue. All the articles did not ignite upon attempted combustion and performed similarly to the known combustion retardant foil.

Table i Example 2

In another series of tests, the coating according to the invention was combined with an additional sheet of an amorphous solid comprising combustion retarding salt.

The wrappers comprised coatings containing various amounts of combustion retarding salt and binder. The sheet of amorphous solid circumscribed the article at the distal end, covering the distal 5 mm of the paper wrapper.

The tests showed that the combination of the amorphous solid material comprising sodium chloride and the coating comprising binder and combustion retarding salt resisted combustion well and performed similarly to the known combustion retardant foil.

Table 2 The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

- 24 - Claims

1. An article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article comprising: a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material being at least partially wrapped in a wrapper, wherein at least a portion of a surface of said wrapper comprises a coating comprising a combustion retarding salt.

2. The article as claimed in claim 1, the coating comprising from about 3 wt% to about 70 wt% of at least one combustion retarding salt (dry weight basis).

3. The article as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coating comprises a binder.

4. The article as claimed in claim 3, wherein the binder is selected from one or more of the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), gelatin, gums, acacia gum, starches, polysaccharides, pectins, alginates, wood pulp, celluloses, and cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose.

5. The article as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the coating comprises from about 30 wt% to about 97 wt% of at least one binder.

6. The article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the combustion retarding salt is a metal halide salt, optionally selected from the group consisting of: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium bromide, potassium bromide and combinations thereof.

7. A non-combustible aerosol provision system comprising an article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method for manufacturing the article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the coating is formed by applying to the wrapper a precursor material comprising a binder and the combustion retarding salt.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mixture further comprises a solvent in which at least some of the mixture is soluble.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, distilled water, benzyl alcohol, ethanol, methanol, triacetin, glycerol, propylene glycol and combinations thereof.

11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the coating is applied to the wrapper prior to assembly of the article.

12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the coating is applied to the wrapper of the assembled article.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the coating is applied to the wrapper using one or more process selected from the group consisting of: spraying, painting or printing.

14. Use of a wrapper comprising a coating comprising a combustion-retarding salt for retarding combustion of a consumable.