JP2013511289A - Gum base, chewing gum based on this gum base, and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

  The gum base includes microparticles containing at least one cross-linked polymer. Such gum bases have been found to exhibit desirable chewing characteristics similar to conventional gum bases. The remaining bite of the gum produced by chewing a gum base containing crosslinked polymer particulates can be easily removed from environmental surfaces such as concrete, textiles and flooring.

Description

(Inventor) XIAOHU XIA, KEN LIN, PHIL SHEPHERD, MICHAEL HAAS, TAWFIK SHARKASI
(Mutual reference with related applications)

This patent application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/263462, filed on November 23, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a gum base and chewing gum. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved chewing gum base and a highly removable chewing gum and a method for producing the gum base.

  Precursors for today's chewing gum compositions were developed in the 19th century. Today's type of chewing gum is tasted daily by millions of people around the world.

  When chewing gum is chewed, water-soluble components such as sugars and sugar alcohols are released in the mouth at varying rates while leaving a water-insoluble chewing gum chew. After a certain amount of time, typically after the majority of the water-soluble component has been released from the chewing gum base, the user can discard the remaining bite. Typically, there is no problem when properly discarded, for example when wrapped in a support such as the original package, or when discarded in a suitable receptacle, but the chewing gum remains unoccupied. Proper rejection can result in the attachment of leftovers to environmental surfaces such as sidewalks, walls, floors, clothing and furniture.

  Conventional elastomers and gum bases used in commercial chewing gum products behave as viscous liquids that provide flow and elastic properties that contribute to the desired chewing characteristics of the chewing gum. However, when the remaining bite portion after chewing formed from such a conventional chewing gum product is undesirably attached to a rough environmental surface such as concrete over time, the elastic component Will flow into such surface holes, cracks and gaps. This process can be further exacerbated by exposure to pressure (e.g., by walking transport) and temperature cycles. If not properly removed, the left-over portion of the glued gum can be very difficult to remove from these environmental surfaces.

  Accordingly, a gum base and a chewing gum comprising the same that exhibits the desired characteristics of consumer acceptability, while also creating a chewable portion that can be easily removed from a surface that may adhere. There is a demand for development.

The gum base of the present invention contains fine particles comprising at least one crosslinked polymer. Such gum bases have been found to exhibit the desired chewing characteristics similar to conventional gum bases. The remaining bite portion generated by chewing a gum base containing fine particles of a crosslinked polymer is easily removed from environmental surfaces such as concrete, woven fabric and flooring.
The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, each attached drawing is as follows.

FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of storage shear modulus at 37 ° C. for a chewing gum part made from a comparative chewing gum formulation and a chewing gum part made from a gum base of the present invention, and FIG. 2 graphically represents the loss shear modulus at 37 ° C. for a chewing gum formulation made from one embodiment of a chewing gum formulation and a chewing gum formulation made from a gum base of the present invention described herein. FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing polymer composite fine particles of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing a method for producing hollow shell fine particles according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a photomicrograph of hollow shell microparticles of the type claimed in some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of a core-shell type fine particle according to the present invention.

  The present invention relates to a gum base integrated with crosslinked polymer microparticles of the type previously known and used to produce pressure sensitive adhesives utilized in various applications. It has now surprisingly been found that such crosslinked polymer microparticles can be used to produce gum bases with various desired properties.

  In some embodiments, the crosslinked polymer microparticles can be heterogeneous. The term “heterogeneous” means that the microparticles have a structure other than chemically and physically uniform particles. In some embodiments, the heterogeneous cross-linked polymer microparticles can be in the form of a polymer composite that includes two or more different cross-linked polymer microparticle components that are covalently bonded together at the contact surface. The particulate component is itself a particulate, wherein the term “particulate component” is used to distinguish these from the particulate in their final shape for use in other aspects of the invention. The The term “different” refers to different microparticles in which the microparticle components differ in several properties such as average particle size, polymer composition, degree of crosslinking, or one or more other physical or chemical properties. It is from a population, meaning that if they are used separately as a result, they will impart different properties to the chewing gum products produced from them. Texture and chewing properties are used to produce a product with the above desired properties by covalently binding two or more different particle components together and blending the resulting polymer composite into a chewing gum product. Can be carefully adjusted.

  In some embodiments, the heterogeneous microparticles are in a hollow shell shape. The term “hollow shell” means that the substantially spherical microparticles are shells that substantially or completely enclose the internal voids. Such voids can occupy a range of 25-75% of the volume of the hollow shell particles. Such hollow shell microparticles will have a variety of texture properties, such as a softer texture and higher elasticity compared to solid microparticles having the same size and the same polymer composition.

  In some embodiments, the heterogeneous particulate is in a core-shell shape or a filled shell shape. Such an embodiment is identical to the hollow shell embodiment except that the shell substantially or completely surrounds the solid or liquid core instead of the void. The core can be a liquid such as water, vegetable oil, glycerin, hydrogel or aqueous flavoring emulsion or combinations thereof. Alternatively, the core may be a solid such as granules or particles of sugar or sugar alcohol, wax, solid fat, polymer having a different polymer composition than the shell.

The crosslinked polymer can have a glass transition temperature of less than about 30 ° C, or less than about 10 ° C, or even less than about 0 ° C. In these and / or other embodiments, the crosslinked polymer can have a complex modulus (G ^* ) at 25 ° C. of less than about 10 ⁹ dyn / cm ² , or less than about 10 ⁷ dyn / cm ^2. . In yet another embodiment, the crosslinked polymer can have a complex modulus (G ^* ) desirably greater than about 10 ⁴ dyn / cm ² , or greater than about 10 ⁵ dyn / cm ² .

  The microparticles can have a maximum dimension of at least 0.01 μm or at least 0.1 μm or at least 0.5 μm or at least 10 μm. The microparticles can have a maximum dimension of less than about 1,000 μm, or less than about 500 μm, or less than about 100 μm.

  In some embodiments, the microparticles can include a food grade polymer and can be plasticized or unplasticized. In these and other embodiments, the polymer can include polyacrylates, polyurethanes, or copolymers thereof. When polyacrylate is desired, the polyacrylate is isooctyl acrylate, 4-methyl-2-pentyl acrylate, 2-methylbutyl acrylate, isoamyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, isodecyl It can be made from at least one acrylate monomer, including methacrylate, isononyl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate, or combinations thereof (ie, copolymers). In some embodiments, if it is desirable to use a polyacrylate, the polyacrylate can be made from isooctyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, or a copolymer thereof.

  The microparticles can constitute the entire gum base, or range from about 0.1% to about 99% by weight, or about 1% to about 70% by weight, or about, based on the total weight of the gum base. The amount can range from 5% to about 40% by weight.

  While the gum base of the present invention is expected to exhibit high removability in some embodiments, the gum base may further comprise at least one removability enhancing component. The removability enhancing component can comprise an amphiphilic polymer, a low tack polymer, a polymer containing hydrolyzable units, an ester or ether of a polymer containing hydrolyzable units, a block copolymer, or combinations thereof. .

  The gum base of the present invention can further comprise at least one elastomer, elastomer solvent, softener, plastic resin, filler, emulsifier, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the gum base further comprises a filler, such as calcium carbonate, talc, amorphous silica, or combinations thereof, in an amount ranging from about 0% to about 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the gum base. Including.

  In another aspect, the chewing gum is provided as comprising a first gum base comprising a plurality of microparticles containing at least one cross-linked polymer. The first gum base may range from about 1% to about 98% by weight of the chewing gum, or from about 10% to about 50% by weight of the chewing gum, or from the chewing gum, based on the total weight of the gum Of about 20% to about 35% by weight.

  The chewing gum can include the first gum base as the only gum base component, or in other embodiments, the chewing gum can include a second, conventional gum base. In such embodiments, the first gum base comprises an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of the chewing gum, based on the total weight of the gum.

  In addition to its optional amount in the gum base, the chewing gum can include at least one removability enhancing component. In some embodiments, the removability enhancing component included in the chewing gum can include an emulsifier, which can be encapsulated or spray dried if desired.

  In another aspect, the use of cross-linked polymer microspheres as a gum base is provided.

  In yet another aspect, a method for producing a gum base is further provided, the method comprising adding a slurry of crosslinked polymer particulates to a mixer, at least one elastomer, elastomer solvent, softener, resin, filler and / or Or adding an emulsifier to the mixer, mixing the ingredients at an elevated temperature for a time sufficient to evaporate at least a majority of the water, and discharging the mixture from the mixer. .

  Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. As used herein, terms such as “first”, “second”, etc. do not represent any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. . Also, the articles "one (a)" and "one (an)" do not represent a limitation of quantity, but rather mean the presence of at least one of the items mentioned, and the terms "anterior", Unless stated otherwise, “rear”, “bottom”, and / or “top” are merely used for convenience of explanation, and the matter being described can be placed in any one position or space. It is not intended to limit the arrangement.

  Occasionally, reference will be made to the microparticles with the largest dimensions described herein. Advantageous or desirable for these measurements, specific ranges are indicated, that specific shapes of the microparticles may be desirable, these ranges / shapes are from about 1 to about May be based on the measurement or observation of 10 particulates, and as a result, generally the majority of the particulates will exhibit the observed shape or may be within a given maximum dimension It can be assumed that the range is 100%, or 90%, or 80%, 70%, or even 50% of the total population, where the microparticles exhibit a shape or have the largest dimension within this range. It should be understood that it does not mean that it needs to be held, nor does it indicate such a thing. All that is required is that a sufficient number of the microparticles exhibit dimensions within the predetermined range and / or have the predetermined shape so that at least some of the predetermined properties of the microparticles are And as a result, the gum base and chewing gum are provided.

  When ranges are stated, all range endpoints for the same component or characteristic are included within the range and can be independently combined (eg, up to about 25% by weight or more specifically). The range from about 5% to about 20% by weight includes the end point and includes all intermediate values such as the range from about 5% to about 25% by weight. The modifier `` about '' used in the context of a quantity is intended to encompass the stated value and have the meaning indicated by the context (e.g., error range for a particular quantity measurement). including). Further, unless stated otherwise, the percentages described herein are percentages by weight (% by weight) and optionally values based on the total weight of the gum base or chewing gum.

  The present invention provides a gum base, a chewing gum, and a method for producing the gum base. More specifically, the gum base provided in the present invention further contains microparticles comprising one or more cross-linked polymers. The polymer microparticles can include a gum base that can more easily remove the left-gum portion of the gum from the potentially sticking surface of the gum, including the conventional gum base. Advantageously, the gum base of the present invention also has chewing properties that are consistent with those of conventional gum bases. That is, the gum base containing the polymer microparticles is elastic and deformable, more cohesive than adhesive, and easily rebonds upon tearing. As a result, chewing gum containing the gum base is expected to have high consumer-acceptability.

  Polymer microparticles suitable for use in the chewing gum base described herein should be sufficiently soft and provide good chewing properties at typical mouth temperatures (eg, 35-40 ° C.) It is. Furthermore, the polymer microparticles are desirably tasteless in nature and have the ability to incorporate flavorings that provide a consumer-acceptable flavor sensation. Typically, the microparticles have sufficient cohesiveness so that the chewing gum containing them remains cohesive during the chewing process and forms a loose chewing part of the loose gum.

  The polymer to be used is desirably crosslinked before, during or after molding into fine particles. As used herein, the term “cross-linking” means that the polymer chains are joined together to make the polymer as a network structure stronger and more resistant to dissolution. means. In at least some embodiments, all or most of the polymer in the microparticles (ie, greater than 50% of the polymer, based on the total number of microparticles) will be crosslinked. In other embodiments, the crosslinks can be incorporated, wherein a minority portion of the polymer in the microparticle (ie, less than 50% of the polymer, based on the total number of the polymer) is crosslinked. . However, as long as the crosslinking is sufficient to provide the gum base and / or the chewing gum with at least some of the properties described herein, the amount of the crosslinking is at least some aspects of the invention. Will be sufficient to use.

  Generally speaking, the polymer used in the microparticles avoids permanent deformation of the microparticles when exposed to pressure, temperature and shear forces experienced during manufacture, consumption and disposal, or It is desirable to be crosslinked to a degree sufficient to reduce that degree. Conversely, the polymer should not be cross-linked to the extent that the microparticles are brittle and / or cannot be temporarily deformed (even if plasticized). Insufficient polymer cross-linking can make it excessively difficult to remove the remaining gum bite containing the polymer particulates from the environmental surface. On the other hand, excessive polymer cross-linking may have insufficient adhesion between the microparticles and / or provide an excessively hard gum base for optimal chewing enjoyment by the consumer.

  One skilled in the art can readily determine the level of crosslinking within these practical limits. For those that require further guidance, ASTM method D2765, a standard test method for determining the gel content and swelling ratio of cross-linked ethylene plastics (Standard Test Methods for Determination of Get Content and Swell Ratio of Crosslinked Ethylene Plastics). In general, polymers tested by this method and having a gel content of at least 25%, or at least 50%, or at least 75% are considered to have a suitable degree of crosslinking for use in the microparticles of the present invention. It is done. In some embodiments, a polymer with a gel content in the range of about 80% to 100%, as measured by ASTM D-2675, is suitable for use in the microparticles described herein. It is a thing.

  The use of a crosslinked polymer with a suitable complex modulus is expected to help at least obtain a gum base of the present invention with suitable and / or acceptable chewing properties.

More specifically, less than about 10 ⁹ dyn / cm ² (10 ⁸ Pa), less than about 10 ⁸ dyn / cm ² (10 ⁷ Pa), less than about 10 ⁷ dyn / cm ² (10 ⁶ Pa), or some In embodiments, a cross-linked polymer having a complex elastic modulus G ^* at 25 ° C. of less than about 10 ⁶ dyn / cm ² (10 ⁵ Pa) is useful in providing chewing gum bases and chewing gums with the desired chewing properties. there is a possibility. In the case of a crosslinked polymer having a complex elastic modulus G ^* at 25 ° C. of more than about 10 ⁷ or 10 ⁸ dyn / cm ² (10 ⁶ or 10 ⁷ Pa) or even more, the polymer may be combined with a plasticizer It may be desirable to reduce the effective complex modulus G ^* to ensure proper mastication characteristics. In some embodiments, the polymer desirably exceeds about 10 ⁴ dyn / cm ² (10 ³ Pa), or exceeds about 10 ⁵ dyn / cm ² (10 ⁴ Pa), or even about 10 ⁶ dyn. It has a complex elastic modulus G ^* at 25 ° C. exceeding / cm ² (10 ⁵ Pa), which can give a firm texture during mastication.

  The use of a cross-linked polymer with a suitable glass transition temperature can also help in providing a gum base with suitable and / or acceptable chewing properties. A cross-linked polymer having a glass transition temperature of less than about 30 ° C., or less than about 10 ° C., or even less than about 0 ° C., at least provides a gum base with good chewing properties similar to or better than conventional gum bases Expected to be useful above.

  Desirably, the crosslinked polymer is safe for use in chewing gum and possibly ingestion. In some embodiments, the polymer used is of food grade. As used herein, the term “food grade” means that the polymer meets all legal requirements for use in food on the intended market. While food grade requirements vary from country to country, food grade polymers intended for use as chewing substances (i.e. gum bases) are typically i) suitable regional food regulatory agencies for this purpose. Ii) Manufactured under “Good Manufacturing Practices” (GMPs), which can be defined by local regulatory agencies, where such practices are related to the cleanliness and Ensures a sufficient level of safety; iii) Manufactured using food grade materials (including reagents, catalysts, solvents and antioxidants) or materials that meet at least quality and purity standards; iv) Existence Meets the minimum standards for the quality and concentration and characteristics of any impurities it performs; v) has a well documented manufacturing history to ensure that appropriate standards are being followed; Beauty / or vi) by receiving the inspection by government regulatory agencies within the facility must be made. All of these criteria are not applicable in all jurisdictions and all that is required in these embodiments where the polymer is desirably food grade is that the polymer is required by a particular jurisdiction. To meet the standards.

  For example, in the United States, components are approved for use in food products by Food and Drug Administration. To obtain approval for a new food or color additive, the manufacturer or other responsible person must apply to the FDA for approval. This application is not required for previously approved substances or components that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS), and these are specifically as used herein. Included within the meaning of the term “food grade”. Information on this regulatory law regarding food additives and colorants in the United States can be found at http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucm094211.htm, the entire contents for any and all purposes On the other hand, it shall be incorporated here as a reference.

  In Europe, an example of a government agency is the European Commission, Enterprise and Industry. Information on the enforcement of the European Commission of the food industry in Europe can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/food/index_en.htm, the entire contents for any and all purposes On the other hand, it shall be incorporated here as a reference.

  Any polymer capable of exhibiting at least some of the predetermined properties can be suitable for use in the microparticles described herein and consequently in the gum base. Polymers that can exhibit the desired properties when sufficiently plasticized are also suitable for use. Examples of such polymers include, but are not limited to, grafted acrylic polymers, polyurethanes, and grafted polyolefins having side groups greater than 4 carbon atoms. These grafts or block copolymers are also suitable.

  Examples of polymers that are expected to exhibit the desired properties for producing the microparticles without the use of substantial amounts of plasticizers include polyacrylates, polyurethanes, and grafts or block copolymers thereof. Including, but not limited to. Other cross-linked polymers that may exceed the desired Tg and / or modulus are such that the cross-linked polymer is appropriately plasticized to reduce the Tg and / or modulus values to within the desired range. Can be used. Any combination of these is also suitable. The desired polymer can typically be made from one or more monomers. Suitable monomers depend on the polymer produced if desired.

  In a preferred embodiment, the polymer comprises at least one cross-linked polyacrylate, which in a more preferred embodiment can be made from one or more acrylate monomers. Suitable acrylate monomers include monofunctional unsaturated acrylate and / or methacrylate esters of non-tertiary alkyl alcohols, and multifunctional crosslinkers, wherein the alkyl group has from about 4 to about 14 carbon atoms. including.

  Thus, examples of monofunctional acrylate monomers suitable for use in the preparation of the polyacrylate include isooctyl acrylate, 4-methyl-2-pentyl acrylate, 2-methylbutyl acrylate, isoamyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, Including but not limited to n-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, isodecyl methacrylate, isononyl acrylate, isodecyl acrylate and mixtures thereof. As these monomers, in particular isooctyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate or combinations thereof are used as preferred in some embodiments of the gum base.

  At least one crosslinking agent can be used to produce the crosslinked polymer. The selected cross-linking agent and its effective amount will depend on the optionally cross-linked polymer, and those skilled in the art can easily select and optimize them. In those embodiments where the desired polymer comprises a polyacrylate, suitable crosslinking agents are multifunctional acrylates such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA); epoxy group-containing compounds; alkylene imines; organoalkoxysilanes; Including a combination of

  The cross-linked polymer is desirably provided as microparticles, ie, particles having a maximum dimension of at least about 0.1 μm or at least about 0.5 μm or at least about 10 μm. The microparticles can have a maximum dimension of less than about 1,000 μm, or less than about 500 μm, or less than about 100 μm. While not intending to be bound by any theory, providing the crosslinked polymer in such a shape can help increase the removability of the gum base and chewing gum. This is because, for example, the microparticles have a size that does not allow entry into many environmental surface structures while preserving the chewability of the gum base and chewing gum.

  The shape of the microparticle is not critical, and the microparticle may have an irregular shape or any shape, for example, the particle may be a rod, cylinder, sphere, cube, oval Etc. In some embodiments, the microparticles can be generally spherical. In such embodiments, the generally spherical microparticles can have a diameter in the range of about 0.1 μm to about 1,000 μm, or in the range of about 0.5 μm to about 500 μm, or even in the range of about 10 μm to about 100 μm. It may be desirable.

  The desired polymer can be formed into microparticles by any of a number of techniques known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, the desired polymer can be purchased in particulate form from any of a number of commercial sources. For example, polyacrylate microparticles are commercially available from Avery Dennison [Pasadena, California] under the trade name Ultra-Removable Adhesive.

  When prepared as desired, the polymer can be obtained in the particulate state by a suspension polymerization method in which one or more monofunctional monomers are at least one multifunctional. It is subjected to a reaction with a crosslinking agent. These reaction reagents are preferably present as suspended droplets by mechanical dispersion of the reagents in a suitable continuous layer. The particle size of the microparticles can be controlled by adjusting the ratio of these phases to a significantly unbalanced ratio that tends to give smaller microparticles. The particle size can also be controlled by the use of surfactants and by adjusting the amount or through changes in the temperature of the reaction. Increasing the intensity of agitation also tends to produce smaller particles.

  Alternatively, if the microparticles are provided as an aqueous dispersion, they are mechanically removed from the dispersion medium prior to blending with other gum base or chewing gum ingredients by mechanical means such as centrifugation, precipitation or filtration. Can be separated.

  One exemplary method for obtaining the desired polymer in particulate form is described in US Pat. No. 3,691,140. The entire contents of the US patent are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they do not conflict with the teachings provided herein.

  Non-uniform fine particles in the form of a polymer composite can be produced as follows. First, two batches of cross-linked polymer microparticles with different chemical or physical properties (e.g. size) are inert (i.e. containing oxygen) to avoid stopping the polymerization reaction as previously described. No) Manufacture under atmosphere. After substantially producing the microparticles, the surfaces of the microparticles in both batches remain active for further growth. The batches are then merged while maintaining an inert atmosphere. This allows the microparticles to react with each other on their surface and bind covalently and / or ionicly to form the polymer complex. Finally, the reaction is stopped by introducing oxygen into the reaction atmosphere. A fine particle in the form of a polymer composite comprising a fine particle component (1) having a large particle size and several fine particle components (2) having a small particle size and covalently bonded to the surface of the component (1) is attached. This is shown in FIG.

  The non-uniform fine particles in the hollow shell shape can be produced as follows. Template particles, such as silicon dioxide particles, are introduced into the monomer emulsion or suspension. Polymerization is performed in this state to form a polymer film on the template particles. After completion of the polymerization, the coated particles are collected and etched using a reagent such as a hydrofluoric acid solution that can dissolve the template particles but not the polymer coating. After the reagent dissolves the template particles, the resulting hollow polymer particles are collected and washed to remove the reagent. This method is shown in FIG. Methods for producing hollow shell microparticles of the type described here are described in the papers listed below: Template Synthesis of Hydrogel Composite Hollow Spheres Against Polymeric Hollow Latex , Wei Wei et al., Colloid & Polymer Science, 286, 881-888; Template Synthesis of Composite Hollow Spheres Using Sulfonated Polystyrene Hollow Spheres, Shu-Jiang Ding et al. , Polymer, 47, 25, 8360-8366; and Direct Synthesis of Polymer Nanocapsules: Self-assembly of polymer hollow spheres through the formation of irreversible covalent bonds. Spheres Through Irreversible Covalent Bond Formation), Kim D. et al., JACS 2010 132 (28), 9908-19. These are incorporated herein by reference: A photomicrograph of a hollow shell particulate of the type described herein is shown in FIG.

  The heterogeneous fine particles in a core-shell shape can be produced by a surface-initiating atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. Such methods are described in the papers listed below. These are incorporated herein by reference: PLGA-Lecithin-PEG Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery, Robert Langer et al., Biomaterials, 30 (2009) , 1627-1634; Preparation of Core-Shell Type Polymer Microspheres from Anionic Block Copolymers, Koji Ishizu, Fumihiro Naruse & Reiko Saito, Polymer, 34, 18, 1993, 3929-3933); Synthesis of Core-Shell Polymer Microspheres by Two-Stage Distillation-Precipitation Polymerization, Donglai Qi, Feng Bai, Xinlin Yang & Wenqiang Huang, European Polymer Journal, 41, 10, 2005, 2320-2328; and Inorganic-Polymer Core Shell Hybrid Microspheres, Longyu Li, Dianbin Qin, Xinlin Yang & Guangyu Liu, C olloid & Polymer Science, 288, 199-206. Core-shell microparticles comprising a crosslinked polymer shell (3) and a solid or liquid core (4) are shown in FIG.

  Microparticles in the form of nanoparticles can be produced by changing the conditions used to produce larger crosslinked polymer microparticles. Such changes can include using higher emulsifier concentrations to increase critical micelle concentration (CMC), stirring the emulsion more vigorously, or a combination of these methods.

  The above methods for producing the crosslinked polymer microparticles of the present invention are merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to these described methods. Although generally known or not, the use of other methods is clearly intended for use in the present invention. Any method for producing the crosslinked polymer microbeads can be used. The gum base described herein includes at least one group of the microparticles described herein, but the gum base can include any number of such populations. In such embodiments, each population can contain the same polymer, but can be variously processed, or can contain different additional components, resulting in different characteristics of each population. Yes. Alternatively, each of the populations can contain the same polymer, but a group of microparticles can have different particle size distributions or average maximum dimensions. For example, a group of nanoparticles can be combined with a group of microparticles having a larger average maximum dimension. Of course, each of the populations can also contain other polymers or combinations of polymers. Furthermore, the particulate populations in the form of polymer composite particulates, hollow shell particulates and core-shell particulates can be combined with each other, or in any desired combination with a solid particulate population comprising a single polymer or copolymer. Can be combined. Mixing the various particulate populations gives greater control and flexibility beyond the texture and mastication properties of the final product.

  The microparticles can be the only component of the gum base described herein, or the gum base can include additional components if desired. For example, the microparticles can range from about 0.1% to about 99%, or from about 1% to about 70%, or from about 5% to about 40% by weight, based on the total weight of the gum base. Can account for a range of quantities.

  In order to further enhance the removability of the remaining bite formed from the chewing gum comprising the gum base described herein, it is desirable to incorporate other known removability-enhancing ingredients into the gum base and / or chewing gum. it can.

For example, several additives can be added, such as emulsifiers and amphiphilic polymers. Another additive that may prove useful is a polymer described in WO 06-016179 having a linear or branched carbon-carbon polymer backbone and a number of side chains attached to the backbone. It is. The entire contents of this patent are hereby incorporated by reference for any and all purposes to the extent that they do not conflict with the teachings provided herein. Still other additives that can enhance removability are polymers containing hydrolyzable units or esters and / or ethers of such polymers. One polymer containing such hydrolyzable units is a copolymer marketed under the trade name Gantrez ^™ . The addition of such polymers at a concentration ranging from about 1% to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the chewing gum base, can reduce the adhesion of the left gum chew. .

  Another method for enhancing the removability of the present invention is to make the gum base less than 5% (ie 0-5%) calcium carbonate and / or talc filler and / or an amount in the range of 5-40% amorphous. Including formulating to include a silica filler. Formulating the gum base to include high molecular weight polyisobutylene in an amount ranging from 5 to 15% (e.g., polyisobutylene having a weight average or number average molecular weight of at least 200,000 daltons) is also effective in enhancing removability Is.

  In these embodiments of the invention, where the gum base includes other ingredients or components in addition to the microparticles, any component typically found in a gum base can be included. For example, the microparticles can be combined with one or more elastomers, elastomer solvents, softeners, resins, fillers, colorants, antioxidants, emulsifiers or mixtures thereof and other known gum base ingredients.

  In some embodiments, the microparticles can be used as the sole elastomer, while in other embodiments, the microparticles are combined with other base elastomers and elastomer solvents suitable for use in gum bases. Can.

  In some embodiments, these conventional elastomers and elastomer solvents are not incorporated in significant amounts (greater than 1% by weight) in the gum base of the present invention. That is, the gum base of the present invention can include the elastomer component of the gum base described herein in an amount up to about 100% by weight of the microparticles described herein.

  In other embodiments, a mixture of the microparticles and any of the elastomers described below can be used in the gum base of the present invention. For example, the gum base of the present invention, in combination with any other desired elastomer, is at least about 10% by weight, or at least about 30% by weight, or at least about 50% by weight, based on the total elastomer content on a weight basis. Alternatively, or even at least about 70% by weight of the particulate can be included.

  The typical elastomeric component of the gum base described herein comprises particulates ranging from 10% to 100% by weight, and preferably from 50% to 100% by weight. Also useful are gum bases comprising elastomeric components containing microparticles in an amount ranging from about 75% to about 90%, or from about 90% to about 100% by weight.

  Where suitable other elastomers are used, this includes synthetic elastomers including polyisobutylene, isobutylene-isoprene copolymers (butyl rubber), styrene-butadiene copolymers, polyisoprene and combinations thereof. Natural elastomers that can be used include natural rubber such as chicle, gelton, lechi caspi, perillo, sorva, massalanduba balata, massalanduba chocolate, nispero (nispero), rosindinha, chicle, gutta hang kang, and combinations thereof. Additionally, biopolymers such as those based on denatured or undenatured proteins and hydrocarbons can also be used as elastomers. The use of such a biopolymer makes it possible to have the advantage of increasing its biodegradability after discarding the remaining chewing part of the gum.

  Elastomer solvents commonly used in the synthesis of elastomers are optionally used in the present invention, and the solvents are natural rosin esters often referred to as ester gums, such as glycerol esters of partially hydrogenated rosins, glycerol esters of polymerized rosins, Partially or fully dimerized glycerol ester of rosin, glycerol ester of rosin, pentaerythritol ester of partially hydrogenated rosin, methyl rosin and partially hydrogenated methyl ester, pentaerythritol ester of rosin, glycerol ester of wood rosin, Glycerol esters of gum rosin; including but not limited to terpene resins from synthetic solvents such as α-pinene, β-pinene, and / or d-limonene; and any suitable combination thereof. Preferred elastomer solvents will also vary depending on the particular application and type of elastomer used.

  Softeners (including emulsifiers) can be added to the gum base in order to optimize the chewability and mouthfeel of the chewing gum based on the gum base. Typically used softeners / emulsifiers are beef tallow, hydrogenated beef tallow, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, cocoa butter, mono- and di-glycerides such as glycerol monostearate, glycerol triacetate, lecithin, paraffin wax, Includes microcrystalline wax, natural wax and combinations thereof. Lecithin and mono- and di-glycerides also function as emulsifiers to improve compatibility between the various gum base components. Further, typical gum bases are based on the total weight of the gum base, at least about 5%, or at least about 10% softener, or up to about 30% and more typically about 40% by weight. Up to softener can be included.

  The gum base of the present invention can optionally include a plastic resin. These plastic resins include polyvinyl acetate, vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymers having a vinyl laurate content ranging from about 5 to about 50% by weight of the copolymer, and combinations thereof. Preferred weight average molecular weights (according to GPC) for polyvinyl acetate are in the range of 2,000 to 90,000 or 10,000 to 65,000 (where higher molecular weight polyvinyl acetate is typically used in bubble gum bases). In connection with the vinyl acetate-vinyl laurate copolymer, a vinyl laurate content corresponding to a range of from about 10% to about 45% by weight of the copolymer is preferred. When a plastic resin is used, the resin can occupy a proportion in the range of 5 to 35% by weight of the gum base composition.

  Fillers / organizing agents are typically inorganic water-insoluble powders such as magnesium carbonate and calcium, ground limestone, silicate type such as magnesium and aluminum silicate, clay, alumina, talc, titanium oxide, monophosphate, Di- and tricalcium and calcium sulfate. Insoluble organic fillers containing cellulose polymers such as wood as well as combinations thereof can also be used. If a filler is used, the filler can be included in the gum base in an amount typically ranging from about 4% to about 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the gum base. However, in some embodiments, the use of conventional inorganic fillers is preferably limited to a minimum amount as a means of further reducing the adhesion of the chewed leftover portion, for example, less than 5% by weight and preferably It is preferable to limit its use to less than 3% by mass, or even 0% by mass.

  Colorants and white extender pigments can include FD & C-type dyes and lakes, fruit and plant extracts, titanium dioxide, and combinations thereof. Use antioxidants, such as BHA, BHT, tocopherol, propyl gallate, and other food acceptable antioxidants to prevent oxidation of fats, oils and elastomers in the gum base Can do.

  The gum base described herein can include a wax or can be free of wax. An example of a gum base without wax is described in US Pat. No. 5,286,500. The disclosure of the US patent is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that it does not conflict with the teachings provided herein. The gum base of the present invention preferably contains no paraffin wax.

  A typical gum base useful in the present invention comprises from about 0.1% to about 98% by weight particulates, from about 0% to about 20% by weight synthetic elastomer, from about 0% to about 20% by weight. A range of natural elastomers, a range of about 0% to about 40% by weight of elastomer solvent, a range of about 0% to about 50% by weight filler / organizing agent, a range of about 0% to about 40% by weight Contains softener / emulsifier, about 5% to about 35% by weight plastic resin, and about 2% or less, or less than about 1% by weight of other ingredients such as colorants, antioxidants, etc. be able to.

  The microparticles can be processed into the gum base according to any known method for processing it. The microparticles can be used as manufactured or purchased, typically in the form of an aqueous suspension. In embodiments where the microparticles are prepared or purchased as a suspension, the microparticle suspension may be dehydrated prior to incorporation into the gum base or prior to use as the gum base. Can do.

  When the microparticles are used as an aqueous suspension, an example of a gum base manufacturing method containing the polymer microparticles is to add the microparticle suspension to a mixer and then continue with at least one elastomer, elastomer solvent, filler / organizing agent. Adding a softener / emulsifier, a plastic resin, a colorant and / or an antioxidant to the mixer. These desired ingredients are mixed for a period of time sufficient to evaporate at least a majority of the contained liquid at elevated temperatures, for example, temperatures ranging from about 100 ° C to about 120 ° C. The method further includes the step of removing the produced gum base from the mixer. Any desired additional ingredients can be added by known batch mixing methods or continuous mixing methods. The processing temperature is generally in the range of about 120 ° C. to about 180 ° C. for batch processes.

  If it is preferred to combine the polymer particulates with a known elastomer, the known elastomer is preferably formulated into a known gum base prior to combining with the particulate gum base.

  To produce a known gum base, typically the elastomer is first ground or chopped with at least a portion of any desired filler. The ground elastomer is then transferred to a batch mixer for compounding. Any standard commercially available mixer (eg, a Sigma blade mixer) may be used for this purpose. This formulation typically involves combining the milled elastomer with filler and elastomer solvent and mixing typically for about 30 to about 70 minutes until a homogeneous mixture is produced. Including.

  Thereafter, any desired additional fillers and elastomer plasticizers are added, followed by softeners, while mixing after addition of each component until uniform. Minor components, such as antioxidants and colorants, can be added at any point in the process. The known gum base is then mixed with the microparticle-containing gum base in the desired ratio.

  When the microparticles are combined with conventional elastomers and / or other gum base components, the intended gum base is extruded or cast into any desired shape (e.g., ball, pellet, sheet or slab shape). Can also be cooled and solidified. In some cases, an underwater pellet manufacturing process can preferably be utilized for this purpose.

  Alternatively, the gum base can be blended with known elastomers and particulates, or any desired known elastomer and polymer particulates can be added separately, along with other chewing gum ingredients, during the gum base mixing operation. .

  A continuous process using a mixing extruder, generally known in the art, can also be used to produce the gum base. In a typical continuous mixing process, the initial components (including crushed elastomers, if used) are at various positions along the length of the extruder, corresponding to the batch processing sequence. It is continuously weighed into the extruder opening. When the fine particles are blended into the gum base, a metering extruder or special means therefor can be used for metering and charging the fine particles into the compounding extruder.

  After the initial ingredients are uniformly mixed and thoroughly blended, the gum base ingredients are weighed through openings or injected at various points along the length of the extruder. Typically, all remaining portions of the elastomer component or other components are added after the end of the initial compounding step. The composition is then further processed to produce a uniform mass and then discharged from the exit of the extruder. Typically, the extruder transit time will be less than 1 hour.

  Exemplary extrusion methods that may optionally be utilized in the present invention include those listed below, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as long as they do not conflict with the teachings of the present invention: 6,238,710, which describes the preparation of a continuous chewing gum base and involves the blending of all ingredients in a single extruder; (ii) US Pat. No. 6,086,925, which is a rigid elastomer, filler, and Discloses the production of a chewing gum base by adding a lubricant to a continuous mixer; (iii) US Pat. No. 5,419,919, which uses a paddle mixer to select various ingredients for the mixer at various locations (Iv) and US Pat. No. 5,397,580, which describes the production of a continuous gum base, wherein: Places the continuous mixer 2 groups in series, also a blend of from said first continuous mixer is continuously added to said second extruder.

Typical gum bases containing microparticles as described herein are desirably in the range of about 1 kPa (10,000 dyn / cm ² ) to about 600 kPa (6 × 10 ⁶ dyn / cm ² ) at 40 ° C. Can have shear modulus (this is a measure of resistance to deformation) (dynamic temperature step: 0-100 ° C at 3 ° C / min; parallel plate; 0.5% strain; at 10 rad / s , Measured with Rheometric Dynamic Analyzer). Preferred gum bases according to some embodiments of the present invention range from about 5 kPa (50,000 dyn / cm ² ) to about 300 kPa (3 × 10 ⁶ dyn / cm ² ), or even about 10 kPa (1 × 10 ⁵ dyn / cm ² ). cm ² ) to about 70 kPa (7 × 10 ⁵ dyn / cm ² ).

  Various chewing gum formulations containing the gum bases described herein can be made and / or manufactured in accordance with the present invention. Since the above-mentioned fine polymer particles are blended with the gum base and chewing gum of the present invention, the remaining bite portion produced from the chewing gum adheres compared to the remaining bite portion of the gum produced from the chewing gum containing the conventional gum base. It is more easily removed from potential surfaces.

  The gum base described herein may occupy a proportion ranging from about 0.1% to about 98% by weight of the chewing gum. More typically, the gum base of the present invention may comprise a proportion of the chewing gum ranging from about 10% to about 50% by weight, and in various preferred embodiments from about 20% to about 35%. It can occupy a ratio in the range of mass%.

  In some embodiments, the gum base described herein can be used in place of conventional gum bases in chewing gum formulations. In such embodiments, the gum base can account for a proportion ranging from about 15% to about 50% by weight of the chewing gum.

  Alternatively, the gum base described herein can be used in combination with a conventional gum base in any amount or ratio. In a preferred embodiment, the gum base described herein comprises a proportion ranging from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of the chewing gum.

  Any of the above-described removability enhancing ingredients discussed herein can be added to the chewing gum in any amount instead of or in combination with the gum base. For example, adding a polymer containing hydrolyzable units or an ester or ether of such polymer to the chewing gum in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 7% by weight, based on the total weight of the chewing gum. Can do.

  Further, in some embodiments, a high concentration of an emulsifier, such as powdered lecithin, ranges from 3 to 7% by weight of the chewing gum for the purpose of enhancing the removability of the chewing gum produced from the chewing gum. Can be added to the chewing gum. In such embodiments, it may be advantageous to spray dry or encapsulate the emulsifier to delay the release of the emulsifier.

  Any combination of any number of the above methods can be used to achieve substantially improved removability. Moreover, as noted above, the described removability enhancing component or any other component known to those skilled in the art to be useful for this purpose can be incorporated into the gum base and / or chewing gum.

  In one specific embodiment, the removability of the chewing gum portion produced from the chewing gum containing the gum base described herein is further about at least one, about 0% by weight, based on the total weight of the gum base. Calcium carbonate or talc filler in the range of about 5% by mass, amorphous silica filler in the range of about 5% by mass to about 40% by mass, high molecular weight polyisobutylene in the range of about 5% by mass to about 15% by mass, about 1% by mass Polymers having a linear or branched carbon-carbon polymer backbone ranging from% to about 20% by weight and a number of side chains attached to the backbone can be enhanced by incorporation into the gum base. The gum base according to this embodiment can then be further shaped into a chewing gum containing 3-7% of an emulsifier such as lecithin, where the emulsifier is preferably encapsulated by methods such as spray drying. .

  In addition to the gum base, chewing gum typically includes a body portion that is a bulking agent, a high intensity sweetener, one or more flavoring agents, a water soluble softener, a binder, an emulsifier, a colorant. , Acidulants, antioxidants, and other ingredients that provide attributes desired by the chewing gum consumer. Any or all of these can be included in the chewing gum of the present invention.

  In some embodiments, one or more bulking agents or large amounts of sweeteners can be provided to the chewing gums described herein to impart sweetness, bulk and texture to the chewing gum. The bulking agent can also be selected such that market demands can be utilized in connection with the chewing gum. That is, if it is desired to reduce the calorie of the chewing gum, a low calorie bulking agent such as polydextrose can be used, or if it is desired that the chewing gum contains natural ingredients. Natural extenders such as isomaltulose, inulin, agave syrup or powder, erythritol, starch, and some dextrins can be used. Any combination of the above bulking agents can also be used in the present invention.

  Typical bulking agents include sugars, sugar alcohols, and combinations thereof. Sugar bulking agents generally include saccharide-containing ingredients commonly known in the chewing gum art, which are sucrose, dextrose, maltose, dextrin, dry invert sugar, fructose, levulose, galactose, corn syrup solids Minutes etc. are included alone or in combination, but are not limited thereto. In sugarless gum, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol, isomalt, mannitol, xylitol, and combinations thereof replace sugar extenders.

  The bulking agent typically occupies a range of about 5% to about 95% by weight, more typically about 20% to about 80% by weight, and more typically, based on the total weight of the chewing gum. More typically, it occupies a range of about 30% to about 70% by weight relative to the total weight of the chewing gum.

If desired, the bulking agent can be reduced or eliminated to obtain a low calorie or non-calorie chewing gum. In such embodiments, the microparticle / gum base can account for up to about 98% by weight of the chewing gum. Alternatively, a low calorie bulking agent can be used. Examples of low calorie bulking agents are: polydextrose; Raftilose; Raftilin; fructooligosaccharides [NutraFlora ^™ ]; palatinose oligosaccharides; guar gum hydrolysate (Sun Fiber ^™ ) Or dextrins that are difficult to digest [Fibersol ^™ ], but are not limited thereto. The caloric content of chewing gum can also be reduced by increasing the relative concentration of gum base in the product while reducing the concentration of high calorie sweeteners. This can be done with or without a mass loss of the chewing gum pieces.

  For example, in these and other embodiments, high intensity artificial sweeteners can be used alone or in combination with the bulk sweetener. Preferred sweeteners are sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame salt, aritem, neotame, saccharin and its salts, cyclamic acid and its salts, glycyrrhizin, stevia and stevia derivatives such as levodoside A, dihydrochalcone, lo han guo ), Thaumatin, monelin, etc., or a combination thereof. In order to achieve long lasting sweetness and flavor perception, it is desirable to encapsulate the artificial sweetener, or alternatively to control the release of at least a portion of the sweetener. Desired release characteristics can be achieved using techniques such as wet granulation, wax granulation, spray drying, spray cooling, fluid bed coating, coacervation, and fiber extrusion.

  The level of use of the artificial sweetener will vary widely and will depend on factors such as sweetener capacity, release rate, desired sweetness of the product, the concentration and type of flavoring used, and cost considerations. Let's go. Generally speaking, the level of suitable artificial sweeteners can thus vary from about 0.02% to about 8% by weight. When including a carrier used for encapsulation, the usage level of the encapsulated sweetener will be proportionally higher.

  Various natural or artificial sweeteners can be used in any number or combination as desired. Flavorings can include essential oils, natural extracts, synthetic sweeteners or mixtures thereof, and more specifically oils derived from plants and fruits, such as citrus oil, fruit essence, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, other Including but not limited to mint oil, clove oil, winter green oil, anise and the like.

  It is also possible to use artificial sweeteners and ingredients. It is also possible to include sensory components that, when chewed, give a perceived tingling or warming response, such as a cooling or warming effect. Such components include, in particular, cyclic and acyclic carboxamides, menthol and menthol derivatives, such as menthyl esters of food acceptable acids, and capsaicin. For the purpose of imparting sourness, a sourness imparting agent can be included.

  The desired flavoring agent can be used in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 15%, and preferably from about 0.2% to about 5% by weight of the gum.

  Water-soluble softeners, which may also be known as water-soluble plasticizers, plasticizers, binders or binders, generally account for a proportion ranging from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of the chewing gum. . The water soluble softener can include glycerin, propylene glycol, and combinations thereof.

  It is also possible to use syrups or high-solids solutions of sugar or sugar alcohol, such as sorbitol solution, hydrogenated starch hydrolyzate (HSH), corn syrup and combinations thereof. In the case of sugar gum, corn syrup and other dextrose syrups, which contain dextrose and a significant amount of higher saccharides, are most commonly used. These include various DE level syrups, including high-maltose syrup and high-fructose syrup. In some cases, low moisture syrups can replace some or all of the typically used bulking agents, in which case the usage level of the syrup is determined by the gum composition. It can be up to 50% by weight or more of the whole object. For sugarless products, solutions of sugar alcohols, including sorbitol solution and hydrogenated starch hydrolyzate syrup are commonly used.

  Also useful are syrups such as those described in US Pat. No. 5,651,936 and US 2004-234648. These documents are incorporated herein by reference. Such syrups function to make the initial chewability of the chewing gum product flexible, reduce brittleness and brittleness, and increase flexibility in stick and tab-type products. They can also adjust the amount of water gained or lost and can provide a degree of sweetness that depends on the particular syrup used.

  In some embodiments, active agents such as drugs, dental health ingredients or food supplements can be used in combination with the gums and gum bases of the present invention. In such cases, the active agent can be incorporated into the gum base, the chewing gum, or the associated non-gum portion of the final product, such as a coating layer or candy layer. In some cases, the active ingredient can be encapsulated to control its release or to protect the ingredient from other ingredients of the product or environmental factors.

  The chewing gum formulation provided herein can also include one or more other ingredients known in the art, such as gum emulsifiers, colorants, sour agents, fillers, antioxidants. Agents. Such ingredients are used in the chewing gum formulations of the invention in amounts well known in the chewing gum manufacturing art and according to procedures well known in the art.

  Chewing gum is generally produced by sequentially adding the various chewing gum ingredients, including the gum base, to commercially available mixers known in the art. After thoroughly mixing the raw materials, the entire chewing gum is removed from the mixer and molded into the desired shape, which can be rolled, for example, into sheets and chopped into sticks, tabs or pellets, Or it is performed by extruding and chopping into chunks.

  In some embodiments, the chewing gum can be manufactured according to a batch process. In such a method, the raw materials are mixed by first melting the gum base and placing it in an operating mixer. The gum base can be melted alternately in the mixer. Coloring and emulsifying agents can be added at this point.

  Next, a chewing gum softener such as glycerin can be added along with a portion of the bulking agent. A further portion of the bulking agent can then be charged to the mixer. A flavoring agent is typically added with the last part of the bulking agent. These total mixing steps typically require periods ranging from about 5 to about 15 minutes, but longer mixing times are often required.

  In other embodiments, the gum base and chewing gum can be produced in a single high-efficiency extruder, as described in US Pat. No. 5,543,160. The chewing gum of the present invention can be produced by a continuous process comprising the following steps: a) adding a gum base raw material to a high efficiency continuous mixer; b) mixing the raw materials to produce a uniform gum base C) adding at least one sweetener and at least one flavorant to the continuous mixer, and mixing the sweetener and flavorant with the remaining ingredients to produce a chewing gum product; d) removing the mixed chewing gum mass from the single high efficiency continuous mixer. In yet another embodiment, the finished gum base can be weighed into a continuous extruder with other gum ingredients to produce a continuous chewing gum composition.

  These resulting chewing gums can be formed into sticks, tabs, chunks, tapes, coated or uncoated pellets or balls, or any other desired shape. In some embodiments, the chewing gum formulation includes one or more of a layered confectionery as a component of a larger confectionery product, for example, as the center of a hard candy such as a lollipop, or also including a confectionery layer other than a gum. It can also be used as a layer.

  Of course, many modifications can be made to the basic gum base and chewing gum mixing process.

  The following examples and comparative examples of the present invention illustrate some aspects and embodiments of the present invention, but are not intended to limit in any way the invention described and claimed herein. Absent. The amounts shown below are, in some cases, expressed in mass% units, based on the total mass of the gum base or chewing gum.

Examples 1-6

Polyacrylate microparticles : The polyacrylate microparticles used (Ultra-Removable Adhesive) were obtained from Avery Dennison.

Gum bases : Three types of gum bases were produced. The prescription is given in Table 1 below. Briefly, gum base A was used as a control and was based on a commercial formulation known to adhere strongly to concrete. Gum base B was formulated to have low adhesion to environmental surfaces. Gum base C contained polyacrylate microparticles as described herein.

  Gum base A was produced at 120 ° C. in a Sigma blade mixer. For a 3,000 g batch, Gum Base A was made according to the sequence shown in Table 2 below.

  Gum base B was produced at 120 ° C. in a Sigma blade mixer. For a 3,000 g batch, Gum Base B was made according to the sequence shown in Table 3 below.

Chewing gum : Six chewing gum formulations were prepared, two comparative formulations and four inventive formulations. The formulation of Example 1, i.e. one comparative example, was produced using gum base A, which is known to have strong adhesion to concrete. The formulation of Example 2 was made with Gum Base B and was therefore suitable for use as a low adhesion control / comparative example. Examples 3-6 were prepared using a combination of gum base B (low adhesion control) and gum base C of the present invention.

Chewing gum 1-6 was produced in a 1,000 g batch sigma blade mixer. The gum base and a large amount of sweetener (sorbitol) were preheated at 70 ° C. for 30 minutes. The gum base and sorbitol blend was then added to the running mixer (front blade speed: 32 rpm) and other ingredients (excluding flavors) were quickly added and mixed for 4-5 minutes. The flavor was then added and mixed for an additional 4-5 minutes until a homogeneous appearance was obtained.
The formulations of Examples 1-6 are shown in Table 4 below.

The formulations of both Examples 3 and 4 were extremely elastic and exhibited good shape memory. The formulations of Examples 5 and 6 were similar to conventional gums and could be formed into sheets and chopped.
Removability : The removability of the chewing gum produced in Example 1-6 was tested as follows.
Preparation of left chewing gum part : These gum samples were fixed on a metal sieve, soaked in circulating water at 30 ° C. for 16 hours, and then kneaded with fingers in water at 30 ° C. for 2 minutes.

Placement of gum chewing residue on pavement material: The concrete pavement material was washed with tap water and air-dried overnight. The paving material was placed on the ground with its flat surface on top. A new gum bite was placed in the center of the paving material. The left bite was covered with a silicone pad and another paving material was placed on it. A person with a weight of about 90.8 kg (200 lb) wearing a shoe with a flat heel was stepped on the paving material for 2 seconds.
Time-dependent change of the gum biting portion : 24 hours at 45 ° C./60 RH, and subsequently changed over time under ambient conditions overnight.

Removability test : Using a pressure washer (Power Wash) [about 10.7 MPa (1550 psi)]. The nozzle angle was set to 60 degrees with respect to the ground, and the spray pattern was set to a fan shape that covered the ground with a width of 3 cm when the nozzle was maintained at a position 40 cm from the remaining bite portion. . The remaining bite was washed over a period of up to 1 minute. Pictures were taken before and after this removal test. Here, 1 cent coin was used as a reference mark for photo analysis. The percentage of residue left after pressure washing was evaluated from that after photography. When the remaining bite portion was completely removed during the pressure washing, the removal time was recorded.
The results of this removability test are summarized in Table 5 below.

  As described above, each of the chewing gums of the present invention (gum according to Example 3-6) not only exhibits excellent removability compared to the adhesive chewing gum formulation, but also has a low adhesive control. Compared with, it showed excellent removability.

Rheological property test : Gum chewed portions were prepared from the chewing gum formulation of Example 2 (low adhesion control) and the chewing gum formulation of Example 6 (invention) according to the gum chewed portion preparation procedure. The shear rheology of these two types of left chewing gum was measured with a TARDA III rheometer at 37 ° C. to determine the effect of the polyacrylate microparticles on the chewing gum texture. The results shown in the attached FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the microparticles are more intimidating the chewing gum portion of the chewing gum formulation of the present invention than the chewing gum portion of the low adhesion control chewing gum formulation. It shows that it should be flexible and have higher elasticity.

Example 7 :
Chewing gum : As a complete replacement for gum base, chewing gum according to the present invention containing polyacrylate microparticles was prepared according to the formulation shown in Table 6 below.

  The polyacrylate microparticles were prepared as a 45% aqueous suspension to which sorbitol, calcium carbonate and glycerin were added. This composition was mixed for 10 minutes to give a homogeneous white suspension. The mixture was then heated with continuous stirring to obtain a thick but fluid suspension. A flavoring agent was added thereto, and the resulting mixture was dried in an oven at 50 ° C. overnight.

Removability : Samples of commercially available gums [Doublemint ^™ and Orbit ^™ ] were obtained for use as controls for adhesion testing. All gum products were preheated as follows: A small ball of each gum product was placed on a wire mesh sample holder and placed in an ultrasonic cleaning device filled with water. The sample was kneaded for 3 minutes and allowed to stand in an ultrasonic cleaner to extract water-soluble components for 9 minutes as a whole, thereby obtaining a chewing gum remaining portion. The surface water of the gum chewing residue was removed by drying before the following removability test.

Concrete removability test :

  Each gum chew was applied to a piece of concrete that was covered with silicone-coated paper and then stepped on it for 2 seconds. The adhered sample was placed in an oven at 50 ° C. for 24 hours. Next, the concrete was taken out of the oven, cooled to room temperature, and then, the finger was tried to remove the adhered left bite. The left bite portion derived from the double mint gum left a large amount of residue that was extremely difficult to remove. When pulled with a finger, the remaining bite portion derived from the orbit gum gave a long string and left a large amount of residue. The remaining chewing portion derived from the gum of Example 7 was removed cleanly without leaving any residue.

Textile removability test :

  The remaining chewing portion derived from the gum of Example 7 was placed on a piece of cloth made of 100% cotton fabric derived from a sports shirt and pressed firmly with the thumb. This was removed cleanly from the cotton fabric using only fingers.

  The entire contents of all patents, patent applications, provisional patent applications, and publications mentioned or cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference as long as they do not conflict with the clear teachings of this specification. Moreover, while only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of this invention.

Claims (17)

  A chewing gum base characterized in that it contains microparticles comprising at least one crosslinked polymer.   The chewing gum base of claim 1, wherein the crosslinked polymer has a glass transition temperature of less than about 10 ° C. The chewing gum base of claim 1 or 2, wherein the crosslinked polymer has a complex modulus G ^* at 25 ° C of greater than about 10 ⁴ dyn / cm ² .   4. The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the microparticles have a maximum dimension of about 1,000 [mu] m or less.   The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the microparticles have a maximum dimension of about 10 µm or more.   6. A chewing gum base according to claim 5, wherein the microparticles have a maximum dimension of about 100 μm or more.   The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the fine particles include a plasticized polymer.   The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the microparticles comprise a food grade polymer.   9. Chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the microparticles comprise polyacrylates, polyurethanes or acrylate / urethane copolymers.   The fine particles are isooctyl acrylate, 4-methyl-2-pentyl acrylate, 2-methylbutyl acrylate, isoamyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, isodecyl methacrylate, isononyl acrylate, iso 10. A chewing gum base according to claim 9 made from a polyacrylate of at least one acrylate monomer comprising decyl acrylate or a mixture thereof.   11. The chewing gum base of claim 10, wherein the at least one acrylate monomer comprises isooctyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, or a mixture thereof.   12. The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the microparticles account for an amount ranging from about 1% to about 70% by weight of the total weight of the gum base.   13. The chewing gum base of claim 12, wherein the particulates comprise an amount ranging from about 5% to about 40% by weight of the total weight of the gum base.   The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising at least one elastomer, elastomer solvent, softener, plastic resin, filler, colorant, antioxidant emulsifier, or combinations thereof.   The chewing gum base according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the fine particles include non-uniform fine particles.   16. The chewing gum base of claim 15, wherein the microparticles comprise polymer composite microparticles, hollow shell microparticles, core-shell microparticles, or mixtures thereof.   Adding an aqueous slurry of crosslinked polymer particulates to the mixer; adding at least one elastomer, elastomer solvent, softener, plastic resin, filler and / or emulsifier to the mixer; Mixing a period of time sufficient to evaporate at least a majority of the liquid; and discharging the mixture from the mixer.

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