JP7408547B2 - Aerosol-generating substrates containing oil additives - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to heated aerosol generating articles and homogenized plant materials for use in such articles. In particular, the present invention relates to homogenized tobacco materials suitable for use in heated aerosol generating articles, such as smoking articles of the "burnless heat" type.

Aerosol-generating articles in which an aerosol-generating substrate, such as a tobacco-containing substrate, is heated rather than combusted are well known in the art. Typically, in such heated smoking articles, an aerosol is generated by transferring heat from a heat source to a physically separated aerosol-generating substrate or material that is in contact with the heat source; or may be located within, around, or downstream of the heat source. During use of the aerosol-generating article, volatile compounds are released from the aerosol-generating substrate by heat transfer from the heat source and become entrained in the air drawn through the aerosol-generating article. As the released compounds cool, they condense to form an aerosol.

Numerous prior art documents disclose aerosol generating devices for consuming or smoking heated aerosol generating articles. Such devices include, for example, electrically heated aerosol generating devices in which the aerosol is generated by heat transfer from one or more electric heater elements of the aerosol generating device to an aerosol generating substrate of a heated aerosol generating article. One advantage of such electrically heated aerosol generators is that they significantly reduce sidestream smoke.

Homogenized tobacco materials are often used in the manufacture of tobacco products, including substrates for aerosol-generating articles. This homogenized tobacco material is typically produced from parts of the tobacco plant (eg, tobacco stalks or tobacco dust) that are less suitable for the production of cut fillers.

The most commonly used forms of homogenized tobacco material are reconstituted tobacco sheets and cast leaves. The process of forming a homogenized sheet of tobacco material generally involves mixing tobacco dust and a binder to form a slurry. The slurry is then used to create a tobacco web. For example, tobacco webs may be formed by casting a viscous slurry onto a moving metal belt to produce so-called cast leaves. Alternatively, a slurry with low viscosity and high moisture content can be used to create reconstituted tobacco in a process similar to papermaking.

The term "cast leaf" refers to the casting of a slurry containing tobacco particles (alone or in a mixture with other plant particles) and a binder (such as guar gum) onto a supporting surface (such as a conveyor belt). refers specifically to the form of homogenized tobacco material formed by a casting process based on drying a slurry and removing the dried sheet from a supporting surface. Examples of cast or cast leaf processes are described, for example, in US-A-5,724,998 for making cast leaf tobacco. In the cast leaf process, particulate plant material is produced by pulverizing, crushing, or comminuting plant parts. Particles produced from one or more plant matter are mixed with a liquid component, typically water, to form a slurry. Other ingredients in the slurry may include additional fibers, binders and aerosol formers. Particulate plant material can be agglomerated in the presence of a binder. The slurry is cast onto a support surface and dried into a sheet of homogenized tobacco material.

The tobacco particles may be in the form of tobacco dust with particles having an average particle size of 30-80 micrometers or 100-250 micrometers, depending on the desired sheet thickness and casting gap. Additional fibers may include particles of tobacco stem material, stems, or other tobacco plant material, and other cellulosic fibers, such as wood fibers with low lignin content. The type and size of the fiber particles can be selected with a view to controlling the tensile strength of the cast leaf. Additionally, alternative fibers such as vegetable fibers including herbal and bamboo may be used in conjunction with or in place of the above-mentioned fibers.

A suitable process for forming reconstituted tobacco sheets is the so-called papermaking process. In the first step of such a process, tobacco material (alone or in a mixture with other plant materials) is mixed with water to form a dilute suspension containing primarily discrete cellulose fibers. This first step may involve soaking and application of heat. Suspensions have lower viscosity and higher water content than slurries produced by casting processes. The suspension can then be separated into an insoluble portion containing the solid fiber component and a liquid or aqueous portion containing the soluble tobacco material. Water remaining within the insoluble fibrous portion may be drained through a screen that acts as a sieve, and a randomly woven web of fibers may be placed. Water can be further removed from this web by pressing with rollers, optionally assisted by suction or vacuum. Once most of the water is removed, a generally flat, uniform sheet of tobacco fiber is achieved. The soluble tobacco material removed from the sheet may be concentrated and the concentrated tobacco material added back to the sheet to yield a homogenized sheet of tobacco material. This process has been used in tobacco to make reconstituted tobacco products, also known as tobacco paper, as described in US 3,860,012.

Other known processes that can be applied for the production of homogenized sheets of tobacco material are, for example, soft mass reconstitution processes of the type described in US-A-3,894,544, as well as for example GB-A-983. , 928. Generally, the density of homogenized tobacco material produced by extrusion and soft mass reconstitution processes is greater than the density of homogenized tobacco material produced by casting processes.

In heated aerosol generating articles, the aerosol generating substrate is heated to a relatively low temperature (eg, about 350 degrees Celsius) to form an inhalable aerosol. In order for an aerosol to be formed, the homogenized tobacco material preferably contains a high proportion of aerosol formers and humectants (such as glycerin or propylene glycol). The homogenized tobacco material also contains nicotine. A rod formed from homogenized tobacco material suitable for use as an aerosol-generating substrate in a heated aerosol-generating article is disclosed in WO 2012/164009.

To create an aerosol, an aerosol former must be released from the homogenized tobacco material. These aerosol formers must move from within the body of homogenized tobacco material to the surface of the homogenized tobacco material in order to be released. Other volatile compounds, such as nicotine, must also be transferred from within the homogenized body of tobacco material in order to be incorporated into the aerosol. It may be desirable to improve the efficiency and rate at which aerosol formers are released from homogenized tobacco material upon heating.

The movement of aerosol formers and other volatile compounds within the homogenized tobacco material is limited by diffusion. One way to improve the efficiency and rate at which aerosol formers are released may be to increase the temperature to which the homogenized tobacco material is heated, thereby improving diffusion. However, this may be undesirable, as increased temperature may lead to the release of undesirable compounds. Increased temperature can also adversely affect the physical properties of the aerosol formed, such as, for example, aerosol temperature and aerosol droplet size.

Another way to improve the efficiency and rate at which aerosol formers and other volatile compounds are released upon heating may be to increase the surface area per unit volume of homogenized tobacco material. This may require the use of thin sheets of homogenized tobacco material. However, the homogenized tobacco material lacks strength due to its high concentration of aerosol formers. Thin sheets of homogenized tobacco material are very difficult to handle and process.

It would be desirable to provide homogenized plant materials for aerosol-generating articles that provide improved delivery of volatile compounds such as nicotine. It would be particularly desirable to provide a homogenized plant material that provides improved delivery of volatile compounds even when operating temperatures are reduced. It would further be desirable to provide a homogenized plant material that can be efficiently manufactured without requiring significant changes to existing manufacturing processes and equipment.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a heated aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalable aerosol, the heated aerosol-generating article comprising a rod of an aerosol-generating substrate, wherein the aerosol-generating article The substrate rod is formed of one or more sheets of homogenized tobacco material selected from reconstituted tobacco sheets and cast leaves, the homogenized tobacco material comprising at least 1 weight percent medium chain triglycerides on a dry mass basis. Contains oil. Medium chain triglyceride oil comprises one or more triglycerides having a melting point below 18 degrees Celsius and having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a homogenized tobacco material for use as an aerosol-generating substrate in a heated aerosol-generating article according to the first aspect of the invention, the homogenized tobacco material comprising: Contains at least 1 weight percent medium chain triglyceride oil on a dry weight basis. Medium chain triglyceride oil comprises one or more triglycerides having a melting point below 18 degrees Celsius and having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the invention comprises an aerosol generating device including a heating element, and an aerosol generating article for use in the aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating article including a rod of an aerosol generating substrate, wherein the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate is formed of a sheet of at least one homogenized tobacco material selected from reconstituted tobacco sheets and cast leaves, wherein the homogenized tobacco material contains at least 1 weight percent on a dry mass basis. An aerosol generation system is provided that includes a medium chain triglyceride oil. Medium chain triglyceride oil comprises one or more triglycerides having a melting point below 18 degrees Celsius and having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making homogenized plant material according to the second aspect of the invention, the method comprising: tobacco material, water and having a melting point below 18 degrees Celsius. forming a slurry comprising one or more triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains having a chain length of from 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and casting and drying the slurry to form a homogenized tobacco material. This method is carried out without external heating of the slurry.

Any references below to preferred features or embodiments of the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article according to the invention are considered applicable to all embodiments of the invention.

As used herein, the term "heated aerosol-generating article" includes an aerosol-generating substrate that is intended to be heated rather than combusted to release volatile compounds capable of forming an aerosol. , means an aerosol-generating article for aerosol generation.

As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating substrate" refers to a substrate that has the ability to release volatile compounds upon heating that can form an aerosol. Aerosols generated from the aerosol-generating substrates of the aerosol-generating articles described herein can be visible or invisible, and can also be vapors (e.g., gaseous forms of substances that are normally liquid or solid at room temperature). (particulate matter) as well as droplets of gas and condensed vapor liquid.

The term "rod" as used herein refers to a generally cylindrical element of substantially polygonal cross-section, and preferably circular, oval or elliptical. The term "sheet" as used herein refers to a layered element having a width and length substantially greater than its thickness.

As used herein, the term "homogenized tobacco material" encompasses any tobacco material formed by agglomeration of particles of tobacco material, alone or in a mixture with other plant materials. For example, a sheet or web of homogenized tobacco material is produced by agglomerating particulate tobacco material obtained by grinding or otherwise pulverizing tobacco leaf lamina and/or tobacco leaf stem. It is formed by Additionally, the homogenized tobacco material may include one or more of small amounts of tobacco dust, tobacco fines, and other particulate tobacco by-products formed during tobacco processing, handling, and shipping.

Homogenized tobacco material may be produced by casting, extrusion, papermaking processes as described above, or any other suitable process known in the art.

As used herein, the term "medium chain triglyceride oil" includes one or more triglycerides, each triglyceride having a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms. Used to define oils with fatty acid chains. Thus, the fatty acid chain may include one or more of caproic acid (C6), caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10) and lauric acid (C12). These may be present in the medium chain triglyceride oil in any combination and in any relative amount provided that the desired properties of the medium chain triglyceride oil are obtained. For each triglyceride in a medium chain triglyceride oil, the three fatty acid chains may have the same length as each other, if at least two of the fatty acid chains have a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms; They may have different lengths. For each triglyceride, the three fatty acid chains may be the same, or two or more fatty acid chains may be different from each other. Triglycerides may be individually saturated or unsaturated.

Certain natural oils, such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil, contain suitable medium chain triglycerides, and the medium chain triglyceride oils used in the present invention may be part of the natural oils in some cases.

Any reference to medium chain triglyceride oil with respect to the homogenized plant material of any of the embodiments of the invention, unless specified, refers to medium chain triglycerides having the melting point and fatty acid chain length as defined above. shall be.

As used herein, the term "melting point" refers to the clearing point, or complete melting point, of a medium chain triglyceride oil. This corresponds to the temperature (in degrees Celsius) at which the oil is completely liquid and completely transparent, without leaving any solid particles behind. The clearing point, melting point of an oil can be determined using a number of methods known in the art, such as the capillary method or a Stuart SMP50 melting point instrument.

As mentioned above, the aerosol-generating articles of the present invention incorporate an aerosol-generating substrate formed from a sheet of one or more homogenized tobacco materials selected from reconstituted tobacco sheets and cast leaves, the homogenized tobacco materials comprising: , contains oil additives in the form of medium chain triglyceride oils with melting points below 18 degrees Celsius. The melting point of medium chain triglyceride oils is such that the oil is always in completely liquid form at room temperature (about 22 degrees Celsius). Thus, homogenized tobacco material comprises oil in liquid form dispersed within a solid matrix of tobacco material.

The diffusivity of volatile components such as aerosol formers and nicotine is greater in the liquid phase than in the solid phase. Thus, the liquid medium chain triglyceride oil may act to promote the transfer of volatile components from within the homogenized tobacco material to its surface. Therefore, the transfer of these volatile components from the homogenized tobacco material to the aerosol may be enhanced compared to a homogenized tobacco material that does not contain liquid medium chain triglyceride oil. Preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil is evenly distributed throughout the homogenized tobacco material, meaning that there are no distinct areas of oil or vegetable material at room temperature. Rather, the oil and particles are completely homogenized.

Homogenized tobacco material is one of the most expensive components of heated aerosol generating articles. As described herein, the use of a homogenized tobacco material having medium chain triglyceride oils incorporated therein, as compared to the use of a homogenized tobacco material without medium chain triglyceride oils, as defined. Thus, fewer cigarettes may be used while providing the same amount of nicotine or aerosol production. This may save costs and still provide the consumer with a comparable experience.

Additionally, the use of a homogenized tobacco material that has medium chain triglyceride oils incorporated therein results in a greater , increased nicotine or aerosol production may be provided.

As described herein, the use of homogenized tobacco materials having medium chain triglyceride oils incorporated therein, as compared to the use of homogenized tobacco materials without medium chain triglyceride oils, as defined. , comparable nicotine or aerosol production at lower temperatures may be possible. Indeed, surprisingly, the use of homogenized tobacco materials having medium chain triglycerides as defined herein allows higher nicotine or lower aerosol production than would be provided by the same materials at higher temperatures. It has been found that it can be provided at any temperature.

The potential use of lower operating temperatures may offer many advantages. For example, lower operating temperatures may allow longer periods of use without the need for battery recharging. As a further example, lower operating temperatures may enable the use of smaller batteries. As a further example, lower operating temperatures may reduce the release of undesirable aerosol components from homogenized tobacco material.

It has also been found that improved nicotine and aerosol delivery can advantageously provide a relatively low proportion of medium chain triglyceride oils in the homogenized tobacco material, as detailed further below. . Accordingly, medium chain triglyceride oils can be incorporated into the homogenized tobacco material without significantly affecting the amount of tobacco and other components such as aerosol formers within the homogenized tobacco material.

The use of medium chain triglyceride oils with melting points below 18 degrees Celsius, such that the oils are liquid at room temperature, also provides advantages in the production of homogenized tobacco materials. In particular, the homogenized tobacco material does not need to be heated to melt it, and the slurry it forms from it to retain the oil in liquid form. The incorporation of medium chain triglyceride oils is facilitated. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be carried out without the need for external heating. This minimizes the energy costs of the manufacturing process and also makes the process easier to run and control. Furthermore, the lack of external heating during the process of producing homogenized tobacco material makes it possible to ensure that the loss of volatile components from the tobacco material is minimized.

It has also been found that the use of defined medium chain triglycerides reduces the stickiness of homogenized tobacco materials. Typically, sheets of homogenized tobacco material can be relatively sticky. This can be a major problem with storage of homogenized tobacco material, as the stickiness makes the material difficult to handle. In particular, after storage of the homogenized tobacco material wound onto the bobbin, the material tends to stick to itself and the bobbin, so the stickiness of the material makes it difficult to unwind the homogenized tobacco material from the bobbin. becomes difficult. This can damage the sheet of homogenized tobacco material and also means that a significant proportion of the sheet cannot be used and may be discarded as waste. This problem usually worsens as the storage period increases.

In contrast, it has surprisingly been found that when a defined medium chain triglyceride oil is included in the homogenized tobacco material, the tackiness is significantly reduced, resulting in easier handling of the sheet. It has therefore been found that the proportion of material that is wasted is significantly lower when medium chain triglyceride oils are incorporated, as in the present invention.

Preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil included in the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention has an iodine number of less than about 20, more preferably an iodine number of less than about 15, and more preferably an iodine number of less than about 10. more preferably have an iodine number of less than about 5, and most preferably have an iodine number of less than about 2.

As used herein, the term "iodine number" characterizes the degree of saturation in medium chain triglyceride oils. Iodine number, also known as iodine number or iodine index, is determined by any iodine titration technique known in the art, such as treatment with Wijs solution, reaction with potassium chloride, followed by titration with sodium thiosulfate. Corresponds to the mass of iodine (in grams) consumed by 100 grams of medium-chain triglyceride oil, as measured. For example, Firestone D (May-Jun 1994) “Determination of the iodine value of oils and fats: summary of collaborative study” J AOAC Int. 77(3):674-6. The lower the iodine number, the fewer carbon double bonds are present in the medium chain triglyceride oil and therefore the higher the saturation.

The low iodine number of the medium chain triglyceride oil in a preferred embodiment of the invention indicates that the oil has a very high degree of saturation. Preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil is substantially completely saturated. It has been found that the use of medium chain triglyceride oils with very high saturation advantageously minimizes off-flavors produced when the oil is heated during use of the aerosol generating article. Therefore, the presence of medium chain triglyceride oils within the aerosol-generating substrate has no deleterious effect on the flavor of the aerosol delivered from the substrate to the consumer. In contrast, oils that have a lower degree of saturation and are therefore more unsaturated and have a higher degree of carbon double bonds can, upon heating, develop off-flavors that are unacceptable to the consumer.

The aerosol-generating article according to the invention is suitable for use in an aerosol-generating system comprising an electrically heated aerosol-generating device having an internal heating element for heating an aerosol-generating substrate. For example, aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention have particular application in aerosol-generating systems that include electrically heated aerosol-generating devices having internal heater blades that are adapted to be inserted into rods of an aerosol-generating substrate. Aerosol-generating articles of this type are described in the prior art, for example in European Patent No. EP-A-0 822 670.

As used herein, the term "aerosol generating device" refers to a device that includes a heater element that interacts with an aerosol generating substrate of an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol.

Alternatively, an aerosol-generating article according to the invention may include a combustible carbon heat source to heat the aerosol-generating substrate during use. Aerosol-generating articles of this type are described in the prior art, for example in International Patent Application No. WO-A-2009/022232.

As mentioned above, the aerosol-generating articles of the present invention include an aerosol-generating substrate comprising homogenized plant material modified to incorporate medium chain triglyceride oils having specific properties. The medium chain triglycerides have a melting point of less than about 18 degrees Celsius, preferably less than about 17 degrees Celsius, more preferably a melting point of less than about 16 degrees Celsius, and more preferably a melting point of less than about 15 degrees Celsius. more preferably have a melting point of less than about 14 degrees Celsius, more preferably have a melting point of less than about 13 degrees Celsius, more preferably have a melting point of less than about 12 degrees Celsius. More preferably, it has a melting point of less than about 11 degrees Celsius, and even more preferably less than about 10 degrees Celsius. In certain embodiments, the medium chain triglyceride oil may have a melting point of less than 5 degrees Celsius. In other embodiments, the medium chain triglyceride oil may have a melting point below 0 degrees Celsius. Thus, in all embodiments, the medium chain triglyceride oil is liquid at room temperature, which provides the benefits detailed above.

Medium chain triglyceride oils include one or more medium chain triglycerides selected to achieve a desired melting point, as defined above. The one or more medium chain triglycerides have at least two fatty acid chains having a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, more preferably 6 to 10 carbon atoms, most preferably 8 to 10 carbon atoms. has. The one or more triglycerides have all three chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, more preferably 6 to 10 carbon atoms, most preferably 8 to 10 carbon atoms. It is preferable.

Preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil contains at least 80 weight percent triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 8 to 10 carbon atoms. More preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil comprises at least 90 weight percent triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains having a chain length of 8 to 10 carbon atoms. Most preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil comprises about 100 weight percent triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains having a chain length of 8 to 10 carbon atoms.

In medium chain triglyceride oils, the ratio of fatty acid chains with a chain length of 8 carbon atoms (C8) to fatty acid chains with a chain length of 10 carbon atoms (C10) is approximately 1:1. It is preferable that there be. When the medium chain triglyceride oil additionally contains a fatty acid chain having a chain length of 12 carbon atoms (C12), the ratio of C8:C10:C12 is from about 1:1:6 to about 1:1:16. It is.

Suitable medium chain triglyceride oils for use in the present invention are commercially available. For example, a suitable medium chain triglyceride oil is Grindsted® MCT 60 X from Danisco. Grindsted® MCT 60 It has a melting point significantly lower than 18°C and an iodine number of less than 0.5. Grindsted® MCT 60 X has a C8:C10:C12 ratio of approximately 1:1:16.

The total content of medium chain triglyceride oils in the homogenized tobacco material is at least about 1 weight percent, and preferably at least about 2 weight percent, based on dry mass. Alternatively or additionally, the total content of medium chain triglyceride oils in the homogenized tobacco material is preferably less than about 10 weight percent and less than about 5 weight percent on a dry mass basis. is more preferable. For example, the total content of medium chain triglyceride oils in the homogenized tobacco material may be from about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent, and from about 1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent, on a dry mass basis. It is more preferable.

The total content of medium-chain triglyceride oils in homogenized tobacco material was determined by first grinding the homogenized tobacco material and then extracting it into a liquid solvent and analyzing it using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. can be quantitatively determined using test methods to determine the nature of triglycerides present in the extract. A detailed example of such a test method is provided in the Examples below.

Homogenized tobacco materials according to any embodiment of the invention preferably include one or more aerosol formers. Functionally, the aerosol former is a component that can volatilize and carry the nicotine and/or flavoring agent in the aerosol when the homogenized tobacco material is heated above the particular volatilization temperature of the aerosol former. It is. The aerosol former may be any suitable compound or mixture of compounds that, in use, promotes the formation of a dense and stable aerosol and is substantially resistant to thermal decomposition at the operating temperature of the heated aerosol generating article. . Different aerosol formers vaporize at different temperatures. Therefore, an aerosol former may be selected based on its ability to remain stable at or near room temperature but volatilize at higher temperatures, such as 40 to 450 degrees Celsius.

The aerosol former may also have humectant-type properties that help maintain desirable levels of moisture in the homogenized tobacco material. In particular, some aerosol formers are hygroscopic materials that function as wetting agents.

Aerosol formers suitable for inclusion in homogenized plant materials such as homogenized tobacco materials are known in the art and include, for example, monohydric alcohols (such as menthol), polyhydric alcohols (such as triethylene esters of polyhydric alcohols (such as glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, or glycerol triacetate), and aliphatic esters of monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic, or polycarboxylic acids. (Dimethyl dodecanedioate, dimethyl tetradecanedioate, erythritol, 1,3-butylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, triethyl citrate, propylene carbonate, ethyl laurate, Triactin, meso-erythritol, diacetin mixture, diethyl suberate , triethyl citrate, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, ethyl vanillate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene glycol).

As discussed in more detail below, in the case of homogenized tobacco materials intended for use in electrically operated aerosol generation systems having heating elements, the aerosol former may be glycerol (glycerin or glycerine). ) or propylene glycol.

Preferably, the total content of aerosol formers in the homogenized tobacco material is from about 5 to about 30 weight percent on a dry weight basis, more preferably from about 5 to about 20 weight percent on a dry weight basis. .

Preferably, the homogenized tobacco material comprises at least about 70 weight percent tobacco material on a dry weight basis, and more preferably from about 70 weight percent to about 80 weight percent tobacco material. Preferably, the tobacco material is in the form of ground tobacco powder. For example, tobacco material may be ground to form a powder with a particular particle size. The homogenized tobacco material may include tobacco powder with an average powder particle size of about 0.03 mm to about 0.12 mm, such as about 0.05 mm to about 0.10 mm.

Preferably, the homogenized tobacco material comprises tobacco material in the form of ground tobacco powder. As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "tobacco material" refers to tobacco leaves, tobacco ribs, tobacco stalks, tobacco stems, tobacco dust, puffed tobacco, reconstituted tobacco materials, and homogenized tobacco materials. Describes any material containing tobacco, including but not limited to. Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized tobacco material may include non-tobacco plant materials such as, for example, tea or medicinal herbs such as peppermint.

Homogenized tobacco material according to any embodiment may further include one or more binders. Preferably, the total binder content in the homogenized tobacco material is from about 1 to about 5 weight percent on a dry weight basis. In the case of homogenized tobacco, at least there is a practical limit to the amount of binder that can be present in a tobacco slurry and therefore in the homogenized tobacco material formed by casting the slurry. This is due to the tendency of the binder to gel when in contact with water. Gelation strongly influences the viscosity of the tobacco slurry, which becomes an important parameter of the slurry for subsequent web manufacturing processes (e.g., processes such as casting). Therefore, it is preferable to have a relatively small amount of binder in the homogenized tobacco material.

The binder can help ensure that the tobacco material (eg, tobacco powder) remains substantially dispersed throughout the homogenized tobacco material.

Although any binder may be employed, preferred binders include natural pectin (such as fruit pectin, citrus pectin, or tobacco pectin), guar gum (such as hydroxyethyl guar, hydroxypropyl guar), locust bean gum (such as hydroxyethyl guar, locust bean gum, hydroxypropyl locust bean gum, etc.), alginates, starches (such as modified or derivitized starches), cellulose (such as methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, ethylhydroxymethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose), tamarind gum, dextran, pralon (pullalon), konjac flour, xanthan gum, and the like. A particularly preferred binder is guar.

In certain cases, homogenized tobacco materials containing the above-described components may lack the necessary strength to handle and process to form an aerosol-generating substrate for a heated aerosol-generating article. . This may be the case in particular if the homogenized tobacco material contains a high proportion of aerosol formers or if the tobacco is in the form of a finely ground powder. To achieve higher strength, the homogenized tobacco material may contain one or more additional components such as binders and reinforcing agents.

Homogenized tobacco materials according to any embodiment of the invention may further include reinforcing fibers. The fiber length of the reinforcing fibers can be on average 0.2 mm to 4.0 mm. The reinforcing fibers may be cellulose fibers. In some embodiments, the homogenized tobacco material may include from 1 weight percent to 15 weight percent reinforcing fibers on a dry weight basis, such as from 1.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent reinforcing fibers on a dry weight basis.

The inclusion of fibers, such as cellulose fibers, in the homogenized tobacco material increases the tensile strength of the material. Thus, the addition of reinforcing fibers can increase the resiliency of the homogenized web of tobacco material. This aids in the smooth manufacturing process and subsequent handling of the homogenized tobacco material during the manufacture of aerosol generating articles. On the one hand, this can lead to increased manufacturing efficiency, cost effectiveness, reproducibility, and production speed in manufacturing aerosol-generating articles and other smoking articles.

Cellulose fibers for inclusion in the homogenized tobacco material are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, soft wood fibers, hard wood fibers, jute fibers, flax fibers, tobacco fibers, and combinations thereof. In addition to pulping, the cellulose fibers may be subjected to suitable processing such as refining, mechanical pulping, chemical pulping, bleaching, sulfate pulping, and combinations thereof.

The fiber particles may include tobacco stem material, petiole, or other tobacco plant material. Cellulose-based fibers such as wood fibers preferably have a low lignin content. Alternatively, fibers such as plant fibers may be used in conjunction with or in place of the above-mentioned fibers, including hemp and bamboo.

One relevant factor to consider for reinforcing fibers is the length of the fibers. If the fibers are too short, they will not efficiently contribute to the tensile strength of the resulting homogenized tobacco material. If the fibers are too long, they can affect the uniformity of the homogenized tobacco material. The size of the fibers in a homogenized tobacco material comprising tobacco powder having an average size of about 0.03 mm to about 0.12 mm and an amount of binder of about 1 percent to about 3 percent of the dry mass of the slurry. is advantageously from about 0.2 mm to about 4 mm. Preferably, the average size of the fibers is from about 1 millimeter to about 3 millimeters. Preferably, this further reduction is obtained by a purification step.

As used herein, "size" of a fiber means fiber length, ie, fiber length is the major dimension of the fiber. Further, in accordance with the present invention, the amount of fiber is preferably from about 1 percent to about 3 percent on a dry weight basis of the total weight of the homogenized tobacco material. In the case of homogenized tobacco material, when the homogenized tobacco material is used as the aerosol-generating substrate of an aerosol-generating article, fibers having an average size of about 0.2 mm to about 4 mm are obtained from finely ground tobacco powder. Does not significantly inhibit the release of other substances. The reinforcing fibers may be introduced as loose fibers into the tobacco slurry and thus into the homogenized tobacco material.

A homogenized tobacco material according to either embodiment may include reinforcement in the form of a continuous reinforcement incorporated into the homogenized tobacco material. The continuous reinforcement may be incorporated into the slurry of tobacco material during the formation of the homogenized tobacco material. Preferably, the continuous reinforcement is a porous reinforcement sheet.

The reinforcing sheet should be sufficiently porous to allow the tobacco material slurry to permeate into the porous reinforcing sheet before the slurry dries, thereby incorporating the reinforcing sheet into the homogenized tobacco material. It is. Preferably, the porous reinforcing sheet is encapsulated within a dry homogenized slurry to form a homogenized tobacco material. A porous reinforcement sheet may alternatively be referred to as a porous reinforcement matrix. The porous reinforcing sheet may be a porous cellulose sheet or paper sheet, or a porous fibrous sheet or matrix, such as a porous woven fabric.

Porous reinforcing sheets formed from cellulose may be a preferred continuous reinforcing material. However, other materials may be used. For example, the porous reinforcing sheet may be a sheet that can be described as a porous fibrous sheet or a porous fibrous matrix. The fibers of the sheet may be formed from other polymeric materials such as polyethylene, polyester, polyphenylene sulfide, or polyolefins. The fibers may be natural materials such as cotton.

Homogenized tobacco material according to any embodiment may include water. Homogenized tobacco material according to either embodiment may include flavoring agents such as menthol.

As mentioned above, the inclusion of a defined medium chain triglyceride oil in the homogenized tobacco material to form the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article reduces the aerosol and It has been found that significant improvements in nicotine delivery are provided.

The medium chain triglyceride oil has at least a It is preferred to provide a 10 weight percent nicotine increase. More preferably, the medium chain triglyceride oil provides at least a 15 weight percent increase in nicotine during heating of the aerosol generating substrate compared to an equivalent aerosol generating substrate that does not include the medium chain triglyceride oil. For purposes of such comparison, aerosol-generating articles comprising aerosol-generating substrates with and without medium chain triglyceride oils are heated in a heating test defined below.

In a heating test, an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device that includes a heating element to heat the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article. To simulate normal use of the aerosol-generating article, the heating element is programmed to heat the aerosol-generating substrate at about 350 degrees Celsius for 360 seconds. The aerosol-generating article is placed in a sealed glass vial during heating so that the gas phase components released from the aerosol-generating article are collected. A sample of the gas phase components collected in the vial is then removed and the concentration of various triglycerides determined using the test method described above. A suitable aerosol generator for heating testing is the commercially available iQOS® heated non-combustion device from Philip Morris International.

Furthermore, the effect of the inclusion of defined medium chain triglyceride oils into the homogenized tobacco material was found to be even more significant at reduced operating temperatures. For example, in a heating test equivalent to that described above, but in which the heating element is programmed to heat the aerosol-generating substrate at 300 degrees Celsius for 360 seconds, medium chain triglyceride oil is It is preferred to provide an increase in nicotine of at least 20 weight percent during heating of the aerosol-generating substrate as compared to the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention.

The homogenized tobacco material can take any suitable form within the aerosol-generating substrate. In certain preferred embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate includes a rod containing a collection of sheets of homogenized tobacco material.

The term "rod" as used herein in connection with the present invention refers to a generally cylindrical element of substantially circular, oval or elliptical cross section.

The term "sheet" as used herein in connection with the present invention describes a laminar element having a width and length significantly greater than its thickness.

As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "aggregate" refers to an aerosol-generating article that is rolled, folded, or otherwise compressed substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article. Describe a sheet that has been shrunk or shrunk.

Advantageously, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises a collection of textured sheets of homogenized tobacco material. As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "textured sheet" means a sheet that has been crimped, embossed, debossed, perforated, or otherwise modified. Explain the sheet.

The use of textured sheets of homogenized tobacco material may advantageously facilitate assembly of the sheets of homogenized tobacco material to form an aerosol-generating substrate.

The aerosol-generating substrate may include a collection of textured sheets of homogenized tobacco material including a plurality of spaced apart indentations, protrusions, perforations, or any combination thereof.

In certain preferred embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises a collection of crimped sheets of homogenized tobacco material. The term "crimped sheet" as used herein in connection with the present invention describes a sheet having a plurality of substantially parallel ridges or corrugations. Advantageously, the substantially parallel ridges or corrugations extend along or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article when the aerosol-generating article is assembled. This facilitates assembly of crimped sheets of homogenized tobacco material to form an aerosol-generating substrate.

However, a crimped sheet of homogenized tobacco material for inclusion in the aerosol-generating substrate of an aerosol-generating article according to the invention may alternatively or additionally be used to form a crimped sheet of homogenized tobacco material when the aerosol-generating article is assembled. It is recognized that it may have a plurality of substantially parallel ridges or corrugations disposed at acute or obtuse angles to the longitudinal axis.

Preferably, the sheet of homogenized tobacco material for inclusion in the aerosol-generating substrate of an aerosol-generating article according to the invention has a thickness of from about 100 micrometers to about 400 micrometers, and from about 125 micrometers to about 350 micrometers. more preferably from about 150 micrometers to about 300 micrometers, more preferably from about 175 micrometers to about 275 micrometers, and more preferably from about 200 micrometers to about 200 micrometers. More preferably, it has a thickness of from about micrometers to about 250 micrometers, and most preferably about 215 micrometers.

Preferably, the sheet of homogenized tobacco material has a basis weight of from about 150 grams per square meter (gsm) to about 250 grams per square meter (gsm), more preferably from about 170 gsm to about 220 gsm. , more preferably have a basis weight of about 180 gsm to about 210 gsm, more preferably have a basis weight of about 195 gsm to about 205 gsm, and even more preferably have a basis weight of about 200 gsm.

The thickness of the sheet of homogenized tobacco material can be measured using any suitable method, such as a high-precision micrometer for soft materials, such as L&W-250-F (2 kPa measuring pressure, 0 range) or equivalent. can be measured using a device. Thickness may be measured using a stack of multiple sheets, and the measured value is then divided by the number of sheets, for example a stack of three sheets may be measured. To measure the basis weight of a sheet of homogenized tobacco material, the weight of a defined size of the sheet is weighed using any suitable balance, such as a precision balance, such as a Mettler Toledo XP205 (0.1 mg accuracy) or equivalent. can be measured using standard equipment. The dimensions of the sheet can be measured using a precision ruler, such as a Hirlinger 1/10 mm or equivalent. The basis weight can then be calculated in a conventional manner.

As mentioned above, as an alternative to using a mass of sheets of homogenized tobacco material, the aerosol-generating substrate can be formed of a plurality of strips or pieces of sheets of homogenized tobacco material. For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may be formed of multiple pieces of homogenized tobacco material that are longitudinally aligned and wrapped together to form a rod of the aerosol-generating substrate.

Preferably, the pieces of homogenized tobacco material have a length of about 10 mm to about 20 mm, more preferably about 12 mm to about 18 mm, and more preferably about 14 mm to about 16 mm. More preferably, it has a length of about 15 millimeters. Alternatively or additionally, it is preferred that the pieces of homogenized tobacco material have a width of about 0.4 millimeters to about 0.8 millimeters.

Preferably, the density of the homogenized sheet of tobacco material from which the pieces are formed is from about 500 to about 1500 milligrams per cubic centimeter, more preferably from about 800 to about 1200 milligrams per cubic centimeter, and more preferably from about 900 to about 1100 milligrams per cubic centimeter. More preferably, it is milligrams per cubic centimeter, and most preferably from about 900 to about 970 milligrams per cubic centimeter.

Preferably, the bulk density of the homogenized tobacco material fragments within the aerosol-generating substrate is from about 0.4 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.8 grams per cubic centimeter, and from about 0.5 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.7 grams per cubic centimeter. Grams per cubic centimeter is preferred, and from about 0.65 grams per cubic centimeter to about 0.67 grams per cubic centimeter is most preferred.

As mentioned above, homogenized tobacco material may be formed by casting a slurry. Alternatively, the homogenized tobacco material may be formed by another suitable method, such as, for example, an extrusion method.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises a rod of homogenized tobacco material surrounded by a wrapper, wherein the wrapper is provided around and in contact with the homogenized tobacco material. The wrapper may be formed from any suitable sheet material capable of being wrapped around homogenized tobacco material to form an aerosol-generating substrate. The wrapper may be porous or non-porous. Preferably, the wrapper is a paper wrapper, but alternatively the wrapper may be other than paper.

Preferably, the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate has an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article.

Preferably, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has an outer diameter of at least 5 millimeters. The rod of the aerosol generating substrate can have an outer diameter of about 5 mm to about 12 mm, such as about 5 mm to about 10 mm, or about 6 mm to about 8 mm. In one preferred embodiment, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has an outer diameter of 7.2 millimeters ± 10 percent.

The rod of the aerosol generating substrate can have a length of about 7 mm to about 15 mm. In one embodiment, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate may have a length of about 10 millimeters. In one preferred embodiment, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has a length of about 12 millimeters.

Preferably, the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate has a substantially uniform cross-section along the length of the rod. It is particularly preferred that the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate has a substantially circular cross-section.

Aerosol generating articles according to the invention preferably include one or more elements in addition to the rod of the aerosol generating substrate, the rod and the one or more elements assembled within the substrate wrapper. For example, an aerosol generating article according to the invention may further include at least one of a mouthpiece, an aerosol cooling element, and a support element such as a hollow acetate tube. For example, in one preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating article is in a linear, continuous arrangement, including a rod of aerosol-generating substrate as described above, a support element located immediately downstream of the aerosol-forming substrate, and a rod of an aerosol-generating substrate as described above; and an outer wrapper surrounding the rod, the support element and the aerosol cooling element.

An aerosol-generating system according to the present invention includes an aerosol-generating article in combination with an aerosol-generating device adapted to receive an upstream end of the aerosol-generating article during smoking, as described in detail above. The aerosol generating device includes a heating element adapted to heat an aerosol generating substrate to generate an aerosol during use. Preferably, the heating element is adapted to penetrate the aerosol-generating substrate when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device.

Preferably, the aerosol generating device additionally comprises a housing, a power supply connected to the heating element, and a control element configured to control the supply of power from the power supply to the heating element.

A suitable aerosol generation device for use in the aerosol generation system of the present invention is described in International Patent Publication No. 2013/098405.

The homogenized tobacco material for forming the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article according to the invention, as described in detail above, is manufactured using the method according to the fourth aspect of the invention, as defined above. sell. In the first step of the method according to the invention, a homogenized slurry is formed comprising tobacco material, medium chain triglyceride oil and water. Medium chain triglyceride oil comprises one or more triglycerides having a melting point below 18 degrees Celsius and having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 atoms. Medium chain triglyceride oils have an iodine value of less than 2. In the second step, the homogenized slurry is cast onto a moving belt. In the third step, the cast homogenized slurry is dried to form a sheet of homogenized tobacco material. Casting and drying steps can be performed using conventional procedures.

According to the invention, all steps of the method are carried out without external heating of the homogenized slurry. As explained in more detail above, this is possible because medium chain triglyceride oils are in liquid form at room temperature and thus can be easily incorporated into slurries without the need to heat the oil. be.

Other components to form a homogenized tobacco material may optionally be incorporated into the slurry prior to casting the slurry. For example, the homogenized slurry may further include one or more of an aerosol former, a binder, and reinforcing fibers.

After drying the homogenized sheet of tobacco material, the sheet can be wound onto a bobbin for storage so that it can be used later to form a rod of aerosol-generating substrate. As mentioned above, when a sheet of homogenized tobacco material is later unwound from a bobbin to form a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, a certain percentage of the homogenized tobacco material is wasted due to damage to the sheet. The rate of disposal of homogenized tobacco material according to the invention incorporating medium chain triglyceride oils is higher than that of equivalent homogenized tobacco material without medium chain triglyceride oils after 40 days of storage of the homogenized tobacco material. is preferably at least about 10 percent lower, more preferably at least about 20 percent lower, and most preferably at least about 30 percent lower.

As mentioned above, this reduced waste level is believed to be a beneficial effect of the reduced stickiness of the homogenized tobacco material when defined medium chain triglycerides are incorporated.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the following accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation system including an aerosol generation device and an aerosol generation article according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrically heated aerosol generator of FIG. 2.

The aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes four elements arranged in coaxial alignment: an aerosol generating substrate 20, a support element 30, an aerosol cooling element 40, and a mouthpiece 50. Each of the four elements is surrounded by a corresponding plug wrap (not shown). These four elements are arranged in series and surrounded by an outer wrapper 60 to form the aerosol generating article 10. The aerosol generating article 10 has a proximal or oral end 70 that a user inserts into his or her mouth during use, and a distal end located at the opposite end of the aerosol generating article 10 with respect to the oral end 70. and an end 80.

In use, air is drawn through the aerosol-generating article from the distal end 80 to the buccal end 70 by a user. The distal end 80 of the aerosol-generating article may also be described as the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article 10 and the mouth end 70 of the aerosol-generating article 10 may also be described as the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article 10. . Elements of aerosol generating article 10 that are located between oral end 70 and distal end 80 can be described as being upstream of oral end 70, or alternatively, downstream of distal end 80. It can be stated that there is.

Aerosol generating substrate 20 is located at the farthest distal or upstream end of aerosol generating article 10 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating substrate 20 includes a collection of crimped, homogenized sheets of tobacco material surrounded by a wrapper. The crimped sheet of homogenized tobacco material contains glycerin as an aerosol former. Aerosol generating substrate 20 also includes at least 1 weight percent medium chain triglyceride oil, based on the total dry mass of aerosol generating substrate 20. Suitable formulations for homogenized tobacco materials are provided in Table 1 below.

Support element 30 is located immediately downstream of and abuts aerosol-generating substrate 20 . In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the support element is a hollow cellulose acetate tube. The support element 30 positions the aerosol-generating substrate 20 at the farthest distal end 80 of the aerosol-generating article 10 so that it can be penetrated by the heating element of the aerosol-generating device. As described further below, the support element 30 allows the aerosol-generating substrate 20 to move toward the aerosol cooling element 40 within the aerosol-generating article 10 when the heating element of the aerosol-generating device is inserted into the aerosol-generating substrate 20. This acts to prevent the water from being pushed downstream. The support element 30 also acts as a spacer for spacing the aerosol cooling element 40 of the aerosol generating article 10 from the aerosol generating substrate 20.

Aerosol cooling element 40 is located immediately downstream of and adjacent to support element 30 . In use, volatile substances emitted from the aerosol-generating substrate 20 pass along the aerosol cooling element 40 toward the mouth end 70 of the aerosol-generating article 10 . The volatile substances may be cooled within the aerosol cooling element 40 to form an aerosol for inhalation by the user. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the aerosol cooling element includes a collection of crimped sheets of polylactic acid surrounded by a wrapper 90. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. The collection of crimped sheets of polylactic acid defines a plurality of longitudinal paths extending along the length of the aerosol cooling element 40.

Mouthpiece 50 is located immediately downstream of and adjacent to aerosol cooling element 40 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, mouthpiece 50 includes a conventional cellulose acetate tow filter with low filtration efficiency.

To assemble the aerosol generating article 10, the four elements described above are aligned and tightly rolled within the outer wrapper 60. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, outer wrapper 60 is conventional cigarette paper. As shown in FIG. 1, an optional row of perforations is provided in the area of the outer wrapper 60 surrounding the support element 30 of the aerosol generating article 10. The distal end portion of the outer wrapper 60 of the aerosol generating article 10 is surrounded by a band of tipping paper (not shown).

The aerosol generating article 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is designed to engage an aerosol generating device that includes a heating element for consumption by a user. In use, the heating element of the aerosol generating device heats the aerosol generating substrate 20 of the aerosol generating article 10 to a temperature sufficient to form an aerosol, which is drawn downstream through the aerosol generating article 10 and ready for use. inhaled by someone.

During heating of the aerosol-generating substrate, medium chain triglycerides within the aerosol-generating substrate serve to improve the nicotine released from the tobacco within the aerosol-generating substrate, as shown in the Examples below.

FIG. 2 illustrates portions of an aerosol generation system 100 including an aerosol generation device 110 and an aerosol generation article 10 according to the embodiment described above and illustrated in FIG.

Aerosol generator 110 includes a heating element 120 . As shown in FIG. 2, the heating element 120 is installed in the aerosol generating article receiving chamber of the aerosol generating device 110. In use, the user inserts the aerosol-generating article into the aerosol-generating article receiving chamber of the aerosol-generating device 110 such that the heating element 120 is inserted directly into the aerosol-generating substrate 20 of the aerosol-generating article 10 as shown in FIG. Insert article 10. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the heating element 120 of the aerosol generator 110 is a heater blade.

Aerosol generating device 110 includes a power source and electronics that allow activation of heating element 120 (shown in FIG. 3). Such activation may be performed manually or may occur automatically in response to a user's inhalation of the aerosol-generating article 10 inserted into the aerosol-generating article receiving chamber of the aerosol-generating device 110. A plurality of openings are provided in the aerosol generating device to allow air to flow into the aerosol generating article 10 (the direction of airflow is illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 2).

Support element 40 of aerosol-generating article 10 resists penetration forces experienced by aerosol-generating article 10 during insertion of heating element 120 of aerosol-generating device 110 into aerosol-generating substrate 20 . The support element 40 of the aerosol-generating article 10 thereby prevents downstream movement of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 within the aerosol-generating article 10 during insertion of the heating element 120 of the aerosol-generating device 110 into the aerosol-generating substrate 20. resist.

When internal heating element 120 is inserted into aerosol-generating substrate 20 of aerosol-generating article 10 and heating element 120 is activated, aerosol-generating substrate 20 of aerosol-generating article 10 is approximately heated by heating element 120 of aerosol-generating device 110. It is heated to a temperature of 350 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, volatile compounds are generated from the aerosol-generating substrate 20 of the aerosol-generating article 10. As the user inhales at the mouth end 70 of the aerosol-generating article 10, the volatile compounds generated from the aerosol-generating substrate 20 are drawn downstream through the aerosol-generating article 10 and condense, causing the mouth of the aerosol-generating article 10 to condense. An aerosol is formed which is drawn through the piece 50 and into the user's mouth.

As the aerosol passes downstream through the aerosol cooling element 40, the temperature of the aerosol decreases due to the transfer of thermal energy from the aerosol to the aerosol cooling element 40. When the aerosol enters the aerosol cooling element 40, its temperature is approximately 60 degrees Celsius. Due to the cooling within the aerosol cooling element 40, the temperature of the aerosol when it exits the aerosol cooling element is approximately 40 degrees Celsius.

In FIG. 3, the components of the aerosol generator 110 are shown in a simplified manner. In particular, the components of aerosol generator 110 are not drawn to scale in FIG. FIG. 3 has been simplified by omitting components that are not relevant to understanding the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, aerosol generator 110 includes a housing 130. As shown in FIG. Heating element 120 is mounted within an aerosol generating article receiving chamber within housing 130. The aerosol-generating article 10 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3) is mounted within the housing 130 of the aerosol-generating device 110 such that the heating element 120 is inserted directly into the aerosol-generating substrate 20 of the aerosol-generating article 10. inserted into the chamber.

Within housing 130 is an electrical energy source 140, such as a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Controller 150 is connected to heating element 120, electrical energy source 140, and user interface 160 (eg, buttons or display). Controller 150 controls the power supplied to heating element 120 to regulate its temperature.

Using the method described above, homogenized tobacco sheets were formed based on each of Compositions AD shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1
The MCT oil used for Sheets B, C, and D is Grindsted® MCT 60 X from Danisco. For each tobacco sheet, the tobacco sheet was formed onto an aerosol-generating substrate using conventional techniques. The aerosol generating article described above with reference to FIG. 1 was then assembled. Aerosol generating articles incorporating Sheets B, C and D are according to the present invention and include medium chain triglyceride oils in homogenized tobacco sheets. The aerosol generating article incorporating Sheet A without medium chain triglyceride oil is a control sample for comparison purposes.

Each aerosol generating article was subjected to a heating test as defined above at both 350 degrees Celsius and 300 degrees Celsius. Nicotine levels in the aerosol delivered from each aerosol generating article were measured and the results are shown in Table 2 below.

As can be seen from Table 2, increased nicotine delivery from the aerosol-generating substrate was observed for the majority of aerosol-generating articles incorporating medium chain triglycerides in the homogenized tobacco material relative to the control samples. For aerosol generating articles incorporating Sheet D containing 5 weight percent medium chain triglyceride oil, an increase in nicotine delivery of more than 10 percent was observed relative to the control sample. This nicotine increase over the control sample reached 25 percent when the temperature decreased to 300 degrees Celsius.

Table 2
Homogenized tobacco sheets formed according to the above examples, or any other homogenized tobacco material, were tested for medium chain triglyceride content using the exemplary test method described below. Can be analyzed.

Exemplary Test Method for Determining Medium Chain Triglyceride Content In the first step, the homogenized tobacco material is ground to size using cryogenic grinding with liquid nitrogen.

In the second step, the homogenized tobacco material is extracted into methanol. In this step, 100 mg of ground tobacco material was mixed with internal standards isophorone-d8 (10.62 micrograms/millimeter) and decanoic acid-d19 (20.52 micrograms/millimeter), both available from CDN Isotopes Inc. Dilute with 5 ml of LC-MS grade methanol. The liquid extract is then stirred for 5 minutes and the liquid extract is centrifuged at 10 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes to separate the immobilized particles from the liquid extract. The remaining 200 microliters of liquid extract is diluted with 800 microliters of methanol and mixed for 5 minutes at 5 degrees Celsius and 2000 rpm, for example in a ThermoMixer™.

In a third step, the resulting sample is subjected to chromatographic analysis using reverse phase separation. A suitable apparatus for performing chromatographic analysis is a UHPLC guard filter cartridge (10 x 2.1 mm, 0 .2 micrometers, available from ThermoScientific, Waltham, MA, USA). .

In a fourth step, the separated components from the chromatography column are analyzed using a mass spectrometer, e.g., heated electrospray ionization (HESI) in positive and negative modes, in a full-scan and data-dependent manner. Transfer to a Thermo QExactive™ mass spectrometer operating in both ^MS2 modes.

In the final step, the data from the mass spectrometry detection is analyzed to identify the compounds present. Compound identification is performed using a semi-automated step-by-step method that compares detected components to reference compounds in the experimental ^MS2 fragmentation database and to in silico predicted chemical fragmentation from public databases. All putative hits are scored using the Progenesis QI™ algorithm. Semi-quantification of compounds can be performed using peak volume abundance.

Claims (13)

A heated aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalable aerosol, the heated aerosol-generating article comprising a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the rod of aerosol-generating substrate containing one or more homogenized cigarettes. formed of a sheet of material, said homogenized tobacco material formed by agglomeration of particles of tobacco material and comprising from 1 weight percent to 10 weight percent medium chain triglyceride oil on a dry weight basis, said medium chain triglyceride oil , one or more triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains having a melting point of less than 18 degrees Celsius and having a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, said medium chain triglyceride oil being less than 20 It has an iodine value of
A heated aerosol generating article, wherein the one or more sheets of homogenized tobacco material are selected from reconstituted tobacco sheets and cast leaves. The heated aerosol generating article of claim 1, wherein the medium chain triglyceride oil has an iodine number of less than 2. 3. The heated aerosol generating article of claim 1 or 2, wherein the medium chain triglyceride oil has a melting point of less than 15 degrees Celsius. The medium chain triglyceride oil comprises at least 80 weight percent medium chain triglycerides, based on the weight of the medium chain triglyceride oil, having at least two fatty acid chains having a chain length of 8 to 10 carbon atoms. The heated aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The heated aerosol generating article according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the total content of the medium chain triglyceride oil in the homogenized tobacco material is from 1 weight percent to 5 weight percent on a dry mass basis. A heated aerosol generating article according to any preceding claim, wherein the homogenized tobacco material comprises at least 70 weight percent tobacco on a dry mass basis. A heated aerosol generating article according to any preceding claim, wherein the homogenized tobacco material further comprises one or more aerosol formers. The heated aerosol generating article of claim 7, wherein the total content of aerosol formers in the homogenized tobacco material is from 5 weight percent to 20 weight percent on a dry mass basis. The heated aerosol generating article of any preceding claim, wherein the homogenized tobacco material further comprises at least about 1 weight percent reinforcing fibers on a dry weight basis. A heated aerosol-generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate is a rod formed from a collection of sheets of the homogenized tobacco material. The homogenized tobacco material comprises from 1 weight percent to 10 weight percent medium chain triglyceride oil on a dry weight basis, wherein the medium chain triglyceride oil has a melting point of less than 18 degrees Celsius and contains 6 to 12 11. A medium-chain triglyceride oil according to any of claims 1 to 10, comprising one or more triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of carbon atoms, said medium-chain triglyceride oil having an iodine value of less than 20. A rod of aerosol-generating substrate for use in a heated aerosol-generating article. An aerosol generation system,
an aerosol generator including a heating element;
an aerosol-generating article for use in the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating article comprising a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the rod of aerosol-generating substrate comprising one or more homogenized tobacco materials. formed into a sheet, the homogenized tobacco material comprising from 1 weight percent to 10 weight percent medium chain triglyceride oil on a dry weight basis, the medium chain triglyceride oil having a melting point of less than 18 degrees Celsius, and comprising one or more triglycerides having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, said medium chain triglyceride oil having an iodine value of less than 20;
An aerosol generation system, wherein the one or more sheets of homogenized tobacco material are selected from reconstituted tobacco sheets and cast leaves. A method of producing a homogenized tobacco material for use in an aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, the method comprising:
medium-chain triglyceride oil comprising tobacco material, water, and one or more triglycerides having a melting point below 18 degrees Celsius and having at least two fatty acid chains with a chain length of 6 to 12 carbon atoms; forming a homogenized slurry, the medium chain triglyceride oil having an iodine value of less than 20;
casting the homogenized slurry onto a moving belt;
drying the bulk slurry to form a sheet of homogenized tobacco material;
The method, wherein the method is carried out without external heating of the slurry.

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