RU2769811C2 - Consumable product containing tobacco for aerosol-forming devices - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a non-combustible tobacco product for use in combination with a heat source to produce an inhaled aerosol. Article contains at least one part made from tobacco, at least one distal filtering part and at least one filtering part of the mouthpiece, which are held together in the wrapper. Finished product has coefficient of compressibility along longitudinal axis <10 %. Compressibility factor is measured along the longitudinal axis by applying force of 10 N at the ends of the article and measuring the deviation distance as a percentage of the total length.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to create a device which will allow the user to easily process the product and remove it from the steam generating device without deformation or damage, even if steam generation during use potentially deteriorates mechanical properties of the article.

13 cl, 10 dwg

Description

In recent years, a large number of alternative products to traditional combustible tobacco products have been released.

Electronic cigarettes use battery power to heat a nicotine-containing aerosol-forming liquid to form an inhaled nicotine-containing aerosol. Such products usually do not contain tobacco.

Heated tobacco products use a variety of energy sources and devices to heat disposable tobacco-containing products to create an inhalable aerosol that contains several tobacco-derived components, including flavor and nicotine.

There are also various "hybrid" products that can combine e-cigarette and heated tobacco product technologies to produce an inhaled nicotine-containing aerosol in which flavor and nicotine can come from either the aerosol-forming liquid or tobacco-containing product elements (parts).

Specific examples of existing technologies include:

WO 9639880 and WO 2013190036, which describe a cylindrical cigarette-shaped consumable with a distal end containing a tobacco-derived material, typically a corrugated sheet of reconstituted tobacco, a mouthpiece filter, typically containing several segments, and a paper wrapper. The specified product is equipped with an electric heating designed to produce an inhaled nicotine-containing aerosol.

WO 2016207407 also describes a consumable tobacco product intended to be consumed by heating, namely a tobacco-derived distal portion, a filter mouthpiece, and a paper wrapper.

US 2009151717 describes a small metal capsule ("bob") with a foil cap that is pierced prior to use. Inside the bean, tobacco-derived material typically contains finely ground tobacco particles, humectants, and flavors.

WO 2016159013 describes a device in which an aerosol is formed by heating a liquid, which is then passed through a separate tobacco-containing part of the product; in the tobacco-containing portion, the resulting aerosol is flavored and/or nicotine is added. The tobacco-containing portion may be housed in a molded plastic capsule with a mesh at the distal end and a small filter on the side of the mouthpiece.

WO 2016135342 describes an article that operates similarly to that described in WO 2016159013, however, the tobacco-containing part and the liquid heating unit are combined into one. The tobacco portion is housed in a molded plastic construction with a filter on the side of the mouthpiece.

With regard to the consumable elements of these products, there are some generally recognized limitations.

For example, in the case of consumables made using cigarette rod technology, a user may mistakenly ignite the consumable and potentially inhale—unintentionally and/or undesirably—the products of combustion. In addition, the production of consumable products using plastic or metal capsules requires special equipment, their recycling is difficult, and they are characterized by high material and production costs.

The present invention describes a tobacco-containing consumable for use in aerosol generating devices, comprising at least a tobacco-derived portion, a distal filter portion, and a mouthpiece filter portion held together in a continuous wrapper with a compressibility ratio of less than 10%.

The product along its longitudinal axis can be characterized by a total pressure drop of <120 mm of water column. The pressure drop preferably ranges from 5 to 40 mm of water column, and more preferably from 10 to 30 mm

water column.

Such a consumable article can be manufactured using conventional hollow filter technology well known in the tobacco industry and shown in, for example, US 6,537,186. , such as activated charcoal, and the filter part of the mouthpiece, all of which are held together by a paper wrapper. There are also articles in which a tobacco-derived material is used in said cavity to impart or reduce the flavor of the smoke as it passes through the filter.

Thus, the present invention makes it possible to manufacture consumable articles with readily available high-speed production equipment using a proven manufacturing technology, with low material and manufacturing costs, material and design flexibility, and can be compatible with various aerosol generating systems.

In some examples, the product may modify one or more other organoleptic properties of the aerosol (eg, changing the feel or smell or appearance of the aerosol to the user).

In some examples, the article may contain a substance that changes the pH of the aerosol by lowering or raising the pH (eg, changing the acidity or basicity of the aerosol).

In some examples, the product can change (eg, reduce) the amount of aldehydes in the aerosol.

As described herein, a non-flammable tobacco product means an article containing a tobacco-derived portion that is not intended to be burned in whole or in part during use, and no part of said article is intended to be ignited during use. In addition, the design of said article prevents ignition by using filter materials such as cellulose acetate at both the distal end and the mouthpiece side.

The term aerosol as used herein includes gas, vapor, droplets, condensates, particles, and combinations thereof. Respirable aerosol in this context means an aerosol with an average particle size measured by laser scattering in the range of 0.1 to 10 µm, more preferably 0.1 to 1.5 µm.

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

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

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

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

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are schematic side views of examples of products in accordance with the invention with various wrapper configurations;

Figures 7 and 8 are schematic views of the device used in conjunction with the product of the present invention;

Figure 9 shows an example of a filter part that can be used in the product of the present invention; and

Figure 10 is a schematic view of an alternative way to use the product of the present invention to produce steam.

Figure 1 shows the basic design of the product of this invention. Mouthpiece 3 is the end of the product designed to exit the aerosol towards the user. The distal end 1 is the opposite end of the article, generally intended to allow air and other materials to enter the article. The tobacco-containing part is between them. For example, the length of the tobacco-containing part 2 varies from 7 mm to 17 mm, preferably from 10 mm to 13 mm, the length of each of the filter parts 1,3 varies from 3 mm to 15 mm, and preferably from 4 mm to 6 mm, and The diameter of the fragrance container varies from 5 mm to 8.5 mm. The dimensions depend on the combination of the need to provide enough material within the tobacco containing portion 2 to provide the desired flavor effect while maintaining a balance between the three sections as a whole to provide an appropriate pressure drop while maintaining the overall strength and compressibility of the article.

In the example of Figure 1, part 2 is a tobacco-derived part that may include single grade tobacco, mixed grade tobacco, leaf, stem, dust, reconstituted tobacco, washed tobacco, extracted tobacco, processed tobacco, tobacco extracts, and mixtures thereof. Tobacco-derived Part 2 can be obtained from tobacco plants by methods including harvesting, drying, cutting, grinding, shredding, extraction, reduction, extrusion, and combinations of these methods. The physical form of the tobacco-derived part 2 may be leaf, stalk, dust, reconstituted leaf, corrugated, folded, molded, spherical, granular, and mixtures thereof. In most examples, the tobacco-containing part 2 contains tobacco, although other herbal or flavoring agents may also be used. In the embodiments of the examples shown, the tobacco-containing portion 2 may be filled with cut tobacco rod or wholly or partly ground tobacco. The choice of material for the tobacco-containing part 2 depends on a number of factors such as the level of flavor delivery desired and the need to achieve an appropriate pressure drop.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, tobacco-derived serving 2 is obtained by carefully selecting a blend of cured tobacco varieties based on desirable palatability and low levels of undesirable chemicals; reduce the particle size of the plant material by cutting or grinding to a size suitable for further processing; treating the tobacco material to further reduce unwanted components through a suitable combination of processes including liquid extraction, heat treatment, pressure treatment and chemical treatment; adding ingredients, including humectants, to produce aerosols and fragrances; restore tobacco, giving the form of a leaf; dried to form a stable material that is added to the tobacco product either whole as a corrugated sheet or as fragments of a cut or shredded sheet. The above steps can be used interchangeably, although size reduction is best done early in the process and extraction is preferably done before adding flavors to minimize wastage of added flavors. Drying is usually the final step, although fragrances/moisturizers may be added at the end.

In some examples, cut tobacco fiber is used in tobacco-containing part 2, in which case the density of cut tobacco fiber is 150-500 mg/cm ³ , preferably 180-280 mg/cm ³ , and most preferably 200-250 mg/cm ³ . Providing this size allows you to get the maximum possible amount of tobacco in the volume of the tobacco-containing part 2, so that maximum transfer to the aerosol occurs.

In some examples, the tobacco-containing part 2 contains an aromatic material that has been ground or otherwise processed or shaped so that it is in the form of particles, for example, powder, granules, grains, fibers, beads, tablets, or the like, so that, for example, increase the active surface area or the amount of flavor material to maximize the amount of flavor entering the vapor and/or aerosol stream flowing through the article.

As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavoring agent” may refer to materials that, in accordance with local regulations, can be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers. They may include extracts (for example, licorice, hydrangea, magnolia obovate, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, Japanese mint, anise, cinnamon, aromatic herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, Spearmint, Peppermint, Lavender, Cardamom, Celery, Cascarilla, Nutmeg, Sandalwood, Bergamot, Geranium, Honey Essence, Rose Oil, Vanilla, Lemon Oil, Orange Oil, Cassia, Cumin, Cognac, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Sage , fennel, pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars, and/or sugar substitutes (eg, sucralose, acesulfame potassium , aspartame, saccharin, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol) and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, herbal remedies, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or mixtures thereof. They may be in any suitable form, such as an oil, liquid, solid or powder. For example, a liquid, oil, or other such liquid flavor may be impregnated into the porous solid material to impart flavor and/or other properties to the porous solid material. Essentially, the liquid or oil is an integral part of the material that is impregnated with them.

In order to prevent excessive pressure drop, it is preferable that the main axis of the tobacco-derived sheet run parallel to the longitudinal axis 6 of the article of the present invention, forming paths for the passage of air (see Figure 2, part 2). In an alternative preferred embodiment of this invention, the tobacco-derived material is prepared as above, except that the tobacco-derived material is reconstituted into granules or particles, which can then be used for the present invention. Preferably, the tobacco-derived granular or particulate material is obtained by extrusion, as this ensures consistency in particle size and shape, as well as uniform distribution of any flavor or humectant added.

In a specific case, the material of the tobacco-containing part 2 comprises ground tobacco in the form of a continuous fiber, the weight of the tobacco is preferably 2 to 6 mg per mm of the tobacco-containing part.

In a particular case, the material of the tobacco-containing part 2 comprises ground tobacco in the form of cut short fibers, the weight of the tobacco is preferably 6 to 15 mg per mm of the tobacco-containing part 2.

Figure 2 shows the longitudinal axis 6 of the product of this invention, taken as the main axis of the product and extending from the mouthpiece 3 to the distal end 1. The other axes are considered to be perpendicular to this longitudinal axis. The definition of such axes is important in measuring the key physical parameters that control the integrity of the product during storage and use, as well as the sensory experience that the user receives.

"Pressure drop" or "pull resistance" is measured using the recommended method 41 Coresta

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

"Compressibility" is measured along the longitudinal axis 6 by applying a fixed

force of 10 newtons at 5 points (see Figure 2) and deflection measurements

as distances as a percentage of the total length of the product. Such a measurement can

performed using equipment such as the Instron 3300 electromechanical unit.

In Figure 1, part 4 shows the "wrap": one or more sheets of material that provide the outer surface of the product, serve to hold the individual elements (the distal end filter 1, the tobacco-made part 2, and the mouthpiece filter 3) in sequence relative to each other and provides the structural strength of the product sufficient for the required manipulation by the user, in particular during insertion and removal from the respective device. Wrapper 4 typically contains paper, plastic, foil, laminates, or combinations thereof. Wrap 4 may be single layered along the entire product or may have multiple layers at different points as shown in Figure 3 parts 8 and 9 as may be required depending on the underlying product design, e.g. filter parts of multiple segments are usually held together. outer wrap to facilitate manufacturing processes. Wrappers of particular relevance to this invention preferably have a grammage in the range of 20-100 grams per square meter (g/m ² ). In a preferred embodiment, a rigid, non-porous wrapper in the range of 40-200 g/m ² is used, consisting of chalk-free, transparent cellulose-based paper printed with metallic ink. The lower grammage limit is usually determined by the opacity and physical strength requirements of the final consumable. The upper grammage limit is determined by the operating parameters of the equipment at which it can still operate when using the thickest wrapping material. In terms of the preferred embodiment, the use of a chalk-free, rigid, non-porous wrapper has the advantage that printing can be done in certain areas to produce shaped windows, logos, etc.

In some examples, the wrap 4 is configured to act as a water resistant barrier that prevents liquid, such as condensation that forms around the product when it is in use, from entering the product and wetting the tobacco-containing portion 2. In one example, the wrap layer, resistant the liquid used in the wrap 4 contains paper impregnated with a barrier material, or Natureflex, or other suitable thin polymer film.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wrapper 4 is provided as a continuous web material which is laterally folded, formed into a continuous cylinder and attached to itself with adhesive. Simultaneously with the formation of this continuous cylinder of the wrapper, the internal elements, namely the filter parts 1,3 and the tobacco-derived parts 2, are supplied and attached to the wrapper 4 in a suitable manner. This continuous cylinder is then cut into individual tobacco products. This process can be carried out continuously using a hollow filter machine as is known in the art. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the continuous roll of wrap is formed into a spiral and attached to itself to form a continuous cylindrical shape with a spiral seam (as seen in Figure 4). The helical arrangement has the additional advantage that the seam can provide additional structural rigidity to the entire product, preventing lateral compression.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show exemplary embodiments in which regions 11 are transparent and regions 12 are opaque. A transparent shell is a shell capable of allowing the user to visually perceive the contents within the product. Suitable properties can be found in transparent, partially transparent and translucent materials. Accordingly, transparent areas can be created in the wrapper 4 by changing the composition of the wrapper 4 in this area by reducing the amount of printing, reducing the part of the opaque layer, removing the foil layer, or a combination of both. In a preferred embodiment, a transparent cellulose-based paper printed with metallic ink to give the general appearance of the foil is used, which has areas without metallic ink, which serve as transparent windows 11 to view the contents within the product. Most preferably, these transparent windows 11 are aligned with the tobacco-derived part 2.

During storage and use, the physical properties of the wrapper 4 can be affected by the absorption of volatile, liquid and aerosol components. For example, paper-based wrappers can absorb moisture and other liquids that make the wrap soft, reducing its structural integrity; this may be undesirable as it may affect the user's ability to remove the product from the associated device. It can also adversely affect the visual aesthetics of the wrapper, such as causing staining. Therefore, it is desirable to provide wrappers that are resistant to absorption and therefore retain the desired structural properties and appearance. To impart absorption resistance, wrappers may be composed of plastic and foil; have an inner layer of plastic or foil; have an inner surface coated with wax or varnish; consist of paper with a low ability to absorb liquids and their combinations. They may include a three-layer laminated foil with a PE:A1:PET type construction. In a preferred embodiment, the wrapper is a chalk-free, clear, cellulose-based paper that exhibits low absorbency. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the sheath 4 is a transparent plastic film. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the casing 4 is a paper-based material coated on the inner surface with a layer of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD).

The filter portions (Figure 1, portions 1 and 3) act as a physical barrier to contain the tobacco derived portion 2 and maintain the overall structural integrity of the tobacco product predominantly along the minor axis while allowing the desired air and aerosol to pass through. In some examples, the filter material is moisture resistant so that the filter portions 1,3 retain their shape in use. The filter portion 3 of the mouthpiece can further prevent unwanted fine dust particles from the tobacco-derived portion 2 from entering the wearer and remove aerosol particles that are larger than inhalable aerosol particles.

The filter parts 1, 3 can be provided as a filter part 21. In order to enhance the air flow through the invention, the pressure drop created by the filter parts 21 (shown in Figure 9) can be reduced by introducing one or more airflow channels 22 along the longitudinal axis. The airflow channels 22 may extend along the entire length of the filter portion. Preferably, the airflow channels 22 extend up to 95% of the length of the filter portion, leaving at least 5% of the filter portion intact to retain tobacco particles. The airflow channels 22 may be inserted after the formation of the filter body 21 with lasers to burn through the filter material, or with a mechanical pin that punches through the channel 22. It is preferable to form the airflow channels 22 by inserting a mandrel or pin into the filter material during its formation. to shape the channel.

In some examples, the pressure drop across any of the sections 1,3 ranges from 0.1 mm to 2 mm of water column per mm of section length.

The filter parts 21 typically consist of cellulose acetate, paper, plastics, polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polylactic acid, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filter portion 21 consists of cellulose acetate fibers plasticized with up to 15% triacetin. The filter parts 21 may be homogeneous or consist of several adjacent segments. The filter parts 21, and more preferably the filter part 3 of the mouthpiece, may contain auxiliaries, flavors and aesthetic elements.

Another additional flavor component may be placed at each end of the filter portions 1,3 (eg a flavor capsule in the distal portion 1 and a flavored thread or line in the mouthpiece portion 1).

In some examples, the filter portions 1, 3 comprise a fibrous material and may be, for example, a fibrous material that is commonly used as a filter material in a conventional cigarette, such as cellulose acetate fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyester fibers, and paper, including corrugated paper. Other materials such as nylon and the like can also be used.

In another example, the material of the tobacco portion 2 and the material in the two filter portions 1, 3 comprise a plurality of short, randomly oriented cellulose acetate (CA) fibers (eg, fibers cut using a so-called Turmalin device). Short cut CA fibers, for example with ground tobacco in the tobacco-containing portion 2, can provide enough fibers to hold the ground tobacco in the form of a rod. The advantages of such an arrangement are to reduce the pressure drop of the vapor and/or aerosol stream and further reduce or eliminate the need for a plasticizer such as triacetin to hold the rod shape as required for continuous CA fiber. In addition, the use of short CA fibers allows the use of less CA and more tobacco than long continuous CA fibers.

In some examples, the weight percentage in percent of the first flavor component (and any other components, such as charcoal, plasticizer) in the filter parts 1,3 by weight of the tobacco containing part 2 material is in the range from 10% to 90% and preferably in the range from 70% to 90%.

In the specific case of a product containing continuous fiber and tobacco-containing ground tobacco portion 2, the weight of tobacco relative to the weight of fiber is preferably in the range of 40% to 60%, and most preferably in the range of 45% to 55%. The fiber weight is preferably in the range of 75% to 95% and most preferably in the range of 80% to 90%.

Auxiliaries remove unwanted chemicals from the aerosol and include particulate carbon, activated carbon, pyrolyzed carbon tar, silica, chemically activated derivatives of carbon and silica, metal-based catalysts, and mixtures thereof.

Flavorants add desirable sensory properties to the aerosol and may be present in the tobacco-derived portion, filter portions, and combinations thereof. Common flavors include menthol, mint, peppermint, vanilla, licorice, fruit extracts, esters, acetals, fructals, and combinations thereof. Flavorants can be present in the filter matrix, tobacco-derived material, flavor thread, granules, breakable capsules, non-breakable capsules, encapsulated in a protective matrix, encapsulated in a molecule, including cyclodextrin, and combinations thereof.

Aesthetic elements include dyes dispersed in the filter matrix or localized in a certain area, and filters formed with a certain pattern, logo, or indented or grooved, or a combination of both. This is shown in Figure 3 showing an exemplary filter component providing a mouthpiece with a recess 10. A mouthpiece filter portion 3 with a recess 10 therein may be provided for use in an article in combination with component 7. This structure provides an aesthetically pleasing design that can strengthen the product through the use of a multilayer wrap 4. It also allows for a shorter filter component 7 that can reduce the overall pressure drop. In such an example, the filter portion 7 is typically 6 mm or more in length to securely hold the material in the tobacco containing portion 2, which still provides adequate structural integrity while controlling the pressure drop and compressibility of the entire article.

Figures 7 and 8 show the use of the present invention with an electronic cigarette as an aerosol generating device. The device uses a battery power supply 14 to heat the resistance wire 17 to vaporize the e-liquid from the tank 16, the liquid usually does not contain nicotine. The article 19 of the invention is inserted into the electronic cigarette device at point 18. The first aerosol produced by the resistance wire 17 passes through the article 19 and is modified to form an inhalable aerosol 20. The modification of the first aerosol includes the addition of nicotine and other flavors of the present invention. Modification may also include the removal of undesirable chemical components with the help of excipients and the removal of undesirable aerosol and other particles from the aerosol.

In an alternative embodiment, the first aerosol further comprises chemicals to help incorporate the desired chemicals from the tobacco-derived portion 2 into the aerosol. Preferably, the first aerosol contains volatile acids, by which the free base form of nicotine is extracted from the tobacco-derived part 2, thereby increasing the amount of nicotine in the inhaled aerosol. Suitable volatile acids include ascorbic, pyruvic and levulinic acids.

Figure 10 shows an alternative use of the present invention, in which the present invention is inserted into a device with an energy source 14, which uses a heat source 23 to directly heat the tobacco-containing part 2. When exposed to heat, the volatile components of the invention are released from the corresponding device, which form an inhalable aerosol . The heat source 23 includes one of the heating devices being heated by power supply or chemical reaction. Power options include metal heating elements, resistance wires, thin film heaters, ceramic heaters, and combinations of these in combination with a battery or electrolytic cell. Alternatively, the electrically powered heat source 23 may be based on induction, where an alternating electromagnetic field is generated, which in turn generates heat in a suitably located receiver element 24 . The efficiency of the induction is enhanced if the receiver element 24 is in close proximity to the material to be heated, so the receiver element 24 is best placed in the tobacco derived material or in the portion of the casing in contact with the tobacco derived portion. In the case of induction heating, the power supply and circuitry can be designed to operate at high frequency. Preferably, the power supply and circuitry are configured to operate at a frequency of from about 80 kHz to 500 kHz, preferably from about 150 kHz to 250 kHz, more preferably from about 200 kHz, and the node can be configured to operate when used with a changing electromagnetic field having a magnetic flux density from about 0.5 Tesla (T) to about 2.0 T at the point of greatest concentration. Although the induction coil may comprise any suitable material, the induction coil typically comprises a Lietz wire or a Lietz cable. The current collector may be composed of one or more of the following, but not limited to, aluminum, iron, nickel, stainless steel and their alloys, such as nichrome. When using an electromagnetic field near a current collector, the latter can generate heat due to eddy currents and magnetic hysteresis, which leads to the conversion of electromagnetic energy into heat.

Heat sources based on chemical reactions include combustion, oxidation, redox, and other exothermic reactions.

Humectants are additives that act to retain water in the matrix and include polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, glycerin, various molecular weight PEGs, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, and combinations thereof. In the context of the present invention, aerosol droplets are formed by the action of volatile humectants. The humectant is preferably a mixture of propylene glycol and glycerin.

pH-altering agents include acids, bases, and buffers that can be used to change the ionization state of chemicals in the tobacco-derived portion, thereby changing their volatility. In particular, free base nicotine, which predominates at alkaline pH values, is significantly more volatile than nicotine salts, which predominate at acidic pH values. In a preferred embodiment, sufficient alkaline agents are added to the tobacco-derived portion to achieve an overall pH > 7, which increases the evaporation of nicotine into the inhaled aerosol. More preferably, the total pH was >8. Suitable alkaline agents include metal carbonates, metal hydrogen carbonates, metal hydroxides and ammonium salts.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the tobacco-derived part 2 is obtained from a mixture of tobacco varieties, including flue-cured and air-cured tobaccos, with a chemical composition in accordance with the Gothiatek® standard, namely, with a content of tobacco-specific nitrosamine (NNN + NNK) < 1 mg/kg and benzo[a]pyrene <1.25 µg/kg. After blending, the tobacco is reduced in size by first cutting and then shredding to pass through a No. 18 mesh giving particle size = <1 mm. To ground tobacco add 50% equivalent weight of deionized water; 2% equivalent weight of flavor - a mixture of menthol and mint oil in a ratio of 50:50; 0.375% equivalent weight of pH modifier sodium hydroxide. The resulting tobacco paste is passed through a Coperion extruder with a barrel temperature of 250° C. and a pressure of 4 atm connected to a granulator to obtain a shaped material with a particle size of about 1.5 mm in diameter. The tobacco-derived particles are then dried under vacuum to a moisture content of <10%. The dried tobacco particles are then sieved to obtain a fraction c with a size of 0.2-1.25 mm. The filter parts 1.3 of the mouthpiece and distal end are made using a Hauni filter rod making machine. The filter parts 1,3 are made from cellulose acetate tow 6Y17 using 10.1 mg of tow per mm of filter length; plasticized with 12% w/w triacetin; 26 g/m ² , 2000CU ficell glued with PVA glue. The final dimensions of the filtering part are 8 mm in diameter and 6 mm in length. Assembly of the non-flammable tobacco product is done on a Molins filter cavity machine using SWM's PPW 35 paper wrap with 0.1% AKD coating on the inner surface. The design of the product is a 6mm filter part, a 17mm cavity with 250mg of tobacco-derived material, a 6mm filter part bonded with PVA glue. The result is a final product with a total pressure drop of 40~65mmH2O and a compressibility factor of ~3% in the longitudinal axis.

In the present invention, by controlling the compressibility of the product, it is possible to provide a device that is easy for the user to handle and remove from the steam generating device without deformation or damage, even if the generation of steam during use potentially degrades the mechanical properties of the product. By optionally controlling the puff pressure, a pressure differential can be provided that is comfortable for the user to generate puff pressure while inhaling vapor. In addition, the invention ensures that an article containing an appropriate steam generating material can be made into a product that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to use and easy to manufacture.

Claims (13)

1. A non-flammable tobacco product for use in combination with a heat source to produce an inhalable aerosol, comprising at least one tobacco-derived portion, at least one distal filter portion, and at least one mouthpiece filter portion held together in a wrapper; a finished article having a axial compressibility <10%, the compressibility being measured along the longitudinal axis by applying a force of 10 N at the ends of the article and measuring deflection distances as a percentage of the total length. 2. A tobacco product according to claim 1, designed to provide a total pressure drop in the longitudinal direction of <120 mm of water column. 3. Tobacco product according to claim 1 or 2, configured to modify the first aerosol produced by the heat source during use to produce an inhalable aerosol. 4. Tobacco product according to claim 1 or 2, designed in such a way that during use, produce volatile components under the action of a heat source, entering the inhaled aerosol. 5. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising induction elements disposed in the tobacco-derived portion so that, in use, electromagnetic energy can be applied to the induction elements to generate heat. 6. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tobacco-derived portion contains at least one of the group consisting of flavor, humectant, and pH modifier. 7. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tobacco-derived portion contains a flavoring agent, a humectant and a pH modifier. 8. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapper includes at least one transparent portion. 9. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapper is resistant to uptake of volatile and aerosol components from the tobacco derived portion such that the overall weight gain due to uptake after use is <10% of the wrapper's original weight. 10. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wrapper is wound in a helical direction about the longitudinal axis of the product. 11. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mouthpiece filter portion comprises at least two distinct portions adjacent to each other. 12. A tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the filter portions along the longitudinal axis comprises at least one airflow channel. 13. A method for manufacturing a tobacco product according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises the steps of first forming the filter parts, placing said filter parts inside the wrapper so as to form a cavity between said filter parts, filling the cavities with tobacco-derived material, and close the wrapping material to form a single whole.

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