US20250212937A1 - A composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder and uses thereof - Google Patents

A composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder and uses thereof Download PDF

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US20250212937A1
US20250212937A1 US18/852,347 US202318852347A US2025212937A1 US 20250212937 A1 US20250212937 A1 US 20250212937A1 US 202318852347 A US202318852347 A US 202318852347A US 2025212937 A1 US2025212937 A1 US 2025212937A1
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Prior art keywords
aerosol
composition
generating material
generating
binder
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US18/852,347
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English (en)
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Walid Abi Aoun
Barry Dimmick
Stuart Martin
Klaus Mathie
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Nicoventures Trading Ltd
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Nicoventures Trading Ltd
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Assigned to Nicoventures Trading Limited reassignment Nicoventures Trading Limited ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MATHIE, Klaus, MARTIN, STUART, DIMMICK, Barry, AOUN, WALID ABI, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED
Publication of US20250212937A1 publication Critical patent/US20250212937A1/en
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B15/00—Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form
    • A24B15/10—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes
    • A24B15/16—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes of tobacco substitutes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B15/00—Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form
    • A24B15/10—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes
    • A24B15/16—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes of tobacco substitutes
    • A24B15/167—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes of tobacco substitutes in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B15/00—Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form
    • A24B15/10—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes
    • A24B15/12—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes of reconstituted tobacco
    • A24B15/14—Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes of reconstituted tobacco made of tobacco and a binding agent not derived from tobacco
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B15/00—Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form
    • A24B15/18—Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes
    • A24B15/28—Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes by chemical substances
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B15/00—Chemical features or treatment of tobacco; Tobacco substitutes, e.g. in liquid form
    • A24B15/18—Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes
    • A24B15/28—Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes by chemical substances
    • A24B15/281—Treatment of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes by chemical substances the action of the chemical substances being delayed
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24D—CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES
    • A24D1/00—Cigars; Cigarettes
    • A24D1/20—Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices

Definitions

  • Aerosol-generating materials for use in a combustible or a non-combustible aerosol provision system may include a variety of different active substances and/or flavours. Factors such as the concentration of volatile active and/or flavour components in the aerosol generating materials and the stability of the aerosol-generating materials will influence the properties of the aerosol generated.
  • a composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder in a ratio of from about 1:10 to about 2:1 by weight, the aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material.
  • the binder is selected from the group consisting of: thermoreversible gelling agents; starches; polysaccharides; polysaccharide derivatives; celluloses; cellulose derivatives; gums; protein materials; polyol matrix materials; waxes; wax esters; and other polymers.
  • the composition has adhesive properties.
  • the aerosol-generating material is suspended or at least partially dissolved in the binder.
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former material.
  • the precursor material comprises from about 10 to about 95% by weight extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material.
  • the precursor material comprises from about 1 to about 36 wt % aerosol-former material.
  • the precursor material comprises from 0 to about 40% by weight of an excipient.
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises from 45 to about 100% by weight dried extract from the flavour- or active-containing plant material.
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises from about 1 to about 34% by weight aerosol-former material.
  • the plant material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
  • the extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous extract.
  • the extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous tobacco extract.
  • the aerosol-generating material has a water content of no more than about 5% (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the composition further comprises an additional flavour or active.
  • the support comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of: paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, activated carbon, glass, a sintered material, a composite material, a plant-derived material, a fabric or fleece, a fibrous tow a metal, or a metal alloy.
  • the composition is dried or cured.
  • the support comprises a heating material.
  • an article comprising a composition according to the first aspect or a substrate according to the second aspect.
  • a non-combustible aerosol-provision system comprising a composition according to the first aspect, or a substrate according to the second aspect.
  • a method of providing a composition according to the first aspect comprising: drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material to form an aerosol-generating material; and combining the aerosol-generating material with a binder.
  • the method further comprises adjusting the particle size of the aerosol-generating material.
  • the aerosol-generating material is suspended or at least partially dissolved in the binder.
  • a method of providing a substrate according to the second aspect comprising: drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material to form an aerosol-generating material; combining the aerosol-generating material with a binder; and applying the composition to a support.
  • the composition is dried or cured in contact with the support.
  • the precursor material is dried by spray-drying or freeze-drying.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a substrate comprising a composition as described herein.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of another substrate comprising a composition as described herein.
  • FIG. 3 is a side-on cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a consumable comprising a substrate as described herein;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of a non-combustible aerosol provision device for generating aerosol from the composition of the consumable shown in FIG. 3 .
  • An aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may be hygroscopic and so measures may need to be taken to ensure that the aerosol-generating material does not absorb moisture during processing, incorporation into a final product and storage in that final product prior to use.
  • the aerosol-generating material is provided in a composition comprising a binder.
  • the combination of the aerosol-generating material and the binder is referred to herein as a composition.
  • the ratio of aerosol-generating material to binder is from about 1:10 to about 2:1 by weight.
  • the aerosol-generating material is combined or mixed with one or more binder.
  • the compositions comprise the aerosol-generating material and one or more binder in a ratio of from about 1:10 to about 2:1 by weight.
  • the aerosol-generating material is combined with the binder after the aerosol-generating material has been dried.
  • the one or more binder is selected from the group consisting of: thermoreversible gelling agents, such as gelatin; starches; polysaccharides; polysaccharide derivatives; celluloses; cellulose derivatives; gums; protein materials; polyol matrix materials; waxes; wax esters; and other polymers.
  • thermoreversible gelling agents such as gelatin; starches; polysaccharides; polysaccharide derivatives; celluloses; cellulose derivatives; gums; protein materials; polyol matrix materials; waxes; wax esters; and other polymers.
  • Suitable polysaccharides include, for example, agar, agarose, pectin, furoidan, furcellan, alginates, carrageenans, starches, dextrans, maltodextrins and cyclodextrins.
  • Suitable cellulosic materials include, for example, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB); cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), cellulose acetate trimellitate (CAT) and cellulose acetate succinate (CAS), and cellulose ethers.
  • Suitable modified starches include, for example, high-amylose starches, hydroxypropylated starches, octenyl succinate modified starches, starch esters, and starch-based polyelectrolyte complexes (SPECs).
  • Suitable gums include, for example, gum arabic (acacia gum), guar gum, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, gum ghatti, quince seed gum, locust bean gum and xanthan gum.
  • Suitable proteins include zein and gelatin.
  • Suitable polyol matrixes may be formed from polyvinyl alcohol.
  • Suitable waxes include, for example, palmitic acid, carnauba wax, beeswax, candelilla wax, and paraffin wax.
  • Suitable wax esters include, for example, cetyl palmitate and triacontanyl palmitate.
  • Suitable polymers include, for example, shellac, lignin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyurethane, polymerised, hydrolysed ethylene vinyl acetate, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polymethacrylate, a polyglycol, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride.
  • Suitable co-polymers include, for example, methacrylic acid copolymers, and acrylic acid copolymers.
  • the one or more binder is a glue or adhesive, such as a solvent-based adhesive; a polymer dispersion adhesive; a pressure sensitive adhesive; a contact adhesive; a thermoplastic adhesive; or a hot-melt adhesive.
  • a glue or adhesive such as a solvent-based adhesive; a polymer dispersion adhesive; a pressure sensitive adhesive; a contact adhesive; a thermoplastic adhesive; or a hot-melt adhesive.
  • the adhesive is polyvinyl acetate (PVA).
  • the binder does not comprise water. This may be preferred as the aerosol-generating material is highly sensitive to water and will readily absorb moisture and may transform from a solid to a paste in the presence of too much water.
  • some support materials may also be sensitive to water. Some support materials, such as paper and card, may readily absorb moisture. As a result, such materials may be weakened or may deform or become discoloured when they are contacted with an aqueous binder. Also, the presence of water may require a drying step to remove the water and this requires energy input.
  • the binder comprises a non-aqueous solvent or no solvent.
  • the binder may comprise a hot melt adhesive which does not include a solvent.
  • Such binders may be applied to moisture sensitive support materials.
  • the binder In addition to attaching the aerosol-generating material to the support and, in some embodiments, forming a coating around the aerosol-generating material, the binder also needs to remain stable and in place during the period between manufacture and use by the consumer.
  • the binder is suitable for inclusion in a substrate or article that is to be used in an aerosol-generation system.
  • the binder can be heated to maximum temperatures of from about 250° C. to about 350° C. without releasing compounds that are unsuitable for inhalation by a user.
  • the binder it is desirable for the binder to become permeable when the aerosol-generating material is heated to generate an aerosol. This may be necessary to ensure that the aerosol can be released from the aerosol-generating material surrounded by the binder.
  • the binder is rendered permeable by at least some partial melting or other decomposition of the binder material.
  • the decomposition of the binder involves the binder losing its physical integrity so that it no longer forms a barrier around the aerosol-generating material. This may, for example, involve the binder melting, crumbling, disintegrating or otherwise breaking down.
  • binder materials should therefore be selected so that they remain intact when exposed to normal environmental temperatures. Therefore, in some embodiments, the binder materials used should be ones that are stable at temperatures below 40 or 50° C. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to select a binder material that will remain intact during exposure to more extreme temperatures that may be encountered during storage and transport, such as those of 60 to 80° C.
  • the binder may become permeable when the temperature is raised to about 100 to 110° C., so as to avoid superheating any moisture present in the coated aerosol-generating material.
  • the binder opens rapidly upon heating to form an aerosol. This will reduce the likelihood of the binder interfering with the volatilisation and the release of the resultant gas or vapour.
  • the temperature at which the binder becomes permeable is at least about 50° C., at least about 60° C., at least about 70° C. at least about 80° C., at least about 90° C., at least about 100° C., at least about 110° C., at least about 120° C. at least about 130° C., at least about 140° C., at least about 150° C., at least about 160° C., at least about 170° C., at least about 180° C., at least about 190° C. or at least about 200° C.
  • the temperature at which the binder becomes permeable is no more than about 280° C., no more than about 270° C., no more than about 260° C., no more than about 250° C., no more than about 240° C., no more than about 230° C., no more than about 220° C., no more than about 210° C.
  • the amount of binder included in the composition is from about 5% to about 95%, or from about 35% to about 95% by weight based on the weight of the total composition. In some embodiments, the amount of binder is at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 30%, at least about 35% or at least about 40% by weight based on the weight of the total composition. In some embodiments, the amount of binder is up to about 95%, up to about 90%, up to about 85%, up to about 80%, up to about 75%, up to about 70%, up to about 65%, up to about 60%, up to about 55%, or up to about 50% by weight based on the weight of the total composition.
  • the binder gives the composition adhesive properties.
  • the composition includes the binder in a form which has not been dried or cured. This composition may be in the form of a liquid, slurry, gel or semi-solid. This composition may also be tacky or glue-like.
  • the composition includes the binder in a form which has been dried or cured.
  • This composition may be in the form of a solid, a dried coating or semi-solid.
  • This dried or cured composition may be less tacky than the undried or uncured composition, or may be non-tacky.
  • the composition may be bonded to a surface or substrate it was in contact with when dried or cured.
  • the composition is formed by adding the aerosol-generating material to the undried or uncured binder. This allows the materials to be mixed, and for the aerosol-generating material to become at least partially coated with or surrounded by the binder. When the binder is dried or coated, the aerosol-generating material will be at least partially embedded in the composition.
  • the aerosol-generating material is soluble or partially soluble in the binder or other component of the composition, such as a solvent. As a result, when the aerosol-generating material is incorporated into the composition, the aerosol-generating material will dissolve or partially dissolve.
  • the aerosol-generating material is not soluble in the binder or in any other component of the composition. As a result, when the aerosol-generating material is incorporated into the composition, the aerosol-generating material will not dissolve and will retain its solid form.
  • the binder material comprises additives that are released upon heating the composition and which therefore contribute to the generated aerosol.
  • the binder material may comprise an active substance, including one or more of the active substances described elsewhere herein.
  • the binder material may comprise a flavour, including one or more of the flavours and flavourants described elsewhere herein.
  • the flavour added to the binder is a hydrophobic flavour. This may mean that the flavour enhances the hydrophobicity of the composition.
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises a dried extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material.
  • the aerosol-generating material further comprises an aerosol-former material.
  • the aerosol-generating material is formed by drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material.
  • the drying process is selected to retain the desired components of the precursor material and, therefore, the aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours.
  • the extract from a flavour- or active-substance containing plant material is an extract derived by contacting the plant material with a suitable solvent, such as an aqueous solvent or an alcohol such as ethanol.
  • a suitable solvent such as an aqueous solvent or an alcohol such as ethanol.
  • the liquid portion comprising the solvent and any dissolved plant components may then be separated or partially separated from the remaining solid plant material to provide the extract to be included in the precursor composition and dried.
  • the precursor material further comprises one or more aerosol-former material. Additionally or alternatively, one or more aerosol-former materials may be added to the dried precursor material to provide an aerosol-generating material with the desired aerosol-former material content.
  • the precursor material and/or the dried aerosol-generating material may also optionally include one or more other functional materials.
  • the aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours, and optionally one or more aerosol-former materials.
  • the precursor material and/or the dried aerosol-generating material may also optionally include one or more other functional materials.
  • the invention enjoys the advantage of an aerosol-generating material that is formulated to have an increased shelf life and so it may be easily transported and stored. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesised that the low water content of the dried aerosol-generating material reduces evaporation over time of other solvents, and reduces degradation of nicotine and/or other volatile compounds. A low water content also inhibits microbial growth.
  • precursor material may comprise up to about 99 wt %, up to about 90 wt %, up to about 80 wt %, up to about 70 wt % or up to about 60 wt % extract from tobacco or other flavour- or active-substance containing plant material (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the precursor material comprises around 50 wt % tobacco extract (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the aerosol-generating material may comprise at least about 45 wt %, at least about 50 wt %, at least about 60 wt %, at least about 70 wt %, at least about 80 wt %, at least about 90 wt %, or at least about 95 wt % tobacco material or tobacco extract, or flavour- or active-substance containing plant material extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise about 60 to about 80 wt % tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 2 wt % to about 10 wt % of nicotine, or from about 3 to about 6 wt % of nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the precursor material comprises around 50 v/v % tobacco extract.
  • the precursor material comprises around 50 v/v % tobacco extract and the tobacco extract has a tobacco solid content of between about 55 and about 60 v/v %
  • the overall tobacco solid content of the precursor material is from about 27.5 to about 30 v/v %.
  • the tobacco extract has a solids content of between about 40 and about 65 wt %, between about 45 and about 65 wt %, or between about 40 and about 60 wt % (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the water content of the tobacco extract is between about 35 wt % and about 65 wt %, or between about 35 and about 55 wt % (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the nicotine content of the tobacco extract is between about 1 wt % and about 5 wt % (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may comprise at least about 45 wt %, at least about 50 wt %, at least about 60 wt %, at least about 70 wt %, at least about 80 wt %, at least about 90 wt %, or at least about 95 wt % tobacco solids (calculated on a dry weight basis). Additionally or alternatively, the aerosol-generating material may comprise up to about 99 wt %, up to about 98 wt %, up to about 95 wt %, up to about 90 wt % or up to about 80 wt %. In some embodiments, the dried aerosol-generating material may comprise about 60 to about 80 wt % tobacco solids (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the tobacco extract is an aqueous tobacco extract.
  • the tobacco extract may be concentrated and subsequently diluted before being added to the precursor material and dried. In other embodiments, the tobacco extract is not concentrated and may be used directly in the precursor material.
  • any particles in the precursor composition may be desirable for any particles in the precursor composition to have an average particle size of no greater than about 3 mm, of no greater than 1 mm, of no greater than about 0.5 mm, or to have an average particle size of no greater than about 0.3 mm, when measured by sieving or by observing the size of the particles by SEM.
  • the water content of the precursor material may be at least about 20 wt %, at least about 30 wt %, at least about 40 wt %, at least about 50 wt %, at least about 60 wt %, at least about 70 wt %, at least about 80 wt %, or at least about 90 wt % on a wet weight basis.
  • the water content of the precursor material may be up to about 95 wt %, up to about 90 wt %, up to about 85 wt %, up to about 80 wt %, up to about 75 wt %, up to about 70 wt %, up to about 65 wt %, up to about 60 wt %, up to about 55 wt % or up to about 50 wt % on a wet weight basis.
  • the water content of the precursor material is between about 40 and about 50 wt % on a wet weight basis (50% and 60 v/v %). When the precursor material has a lower water content, the spray/freeze-drying process is quicker, as there is less water to remove.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises one or more active substance. This may be derived from the extract or it may be added. In some embodiments, the extract from a flavour- or active-substance containing plant material comprises an active substance.
  • the active substance may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response.
  • the active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics and psychoactives.
  • the active substance may comprise, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof.
  • the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
  • the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
  • the precursor material may comprise an extract from other botanical source(s) along with or instead of the tobacco extract.
  • the extract may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof.
  • botanical includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like.
  • the extract may comprise or be derived from botanicals in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.
  • Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, Ginkgo biloba , hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon
  • the mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v., Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens
  • the extract comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.
  • the extract comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof selected from rooibos and fennel.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of: cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM) and cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT).
  • CBD cannabidiol
  • THC tetrahydrocannabinol
  • THCA tetrahydroc
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material may comprise one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
  • CBD cannabidiol
  • THC tetrahydrocannabinol
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material may comprise cannabidiol (CBD).
  • CBD cannabidiol
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material may comprise nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).
  • CBD cannabidiol
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material may comprise nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
  • the aerosol-generating material further comprises an aerosol-former material.
  • this aerosol-former material is included in the precursor material.
  • the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol.
  • the aerosol-former may be, for instance, a polyol aerosol generator or a non-polyol aerosol generator. It may be a solid or liquid at room temperature, but preferably is a liquid at room temperature.
  • the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerine, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.
  • the aerosol former comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and/or aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
  • the aerosol-former material comprises one or more compounds selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, vegetable glycerine (VG), triacetin, sorbitol and xylitol.
  • the aerosol-former material comprises, consists essentially of or consists of glycerol.
  • Glycerol provides a visible aerosol when the aerosol-generation device is used. It is common that consumers like the aerosol generating device to provide a visible aerosol, as this enables the consumer to visualise the product and what they are consuming. This makes glycerol a desirable choice for aerosol former material.
  • Propylene glycol has the benefit that it is a better flavour carrier than glycerol.
  • a combination of two or more aerosol forming agents may be used, in equal or differing proportions.
  • the precursor material comprises at least about 1 wt %, at least about 5 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, or at least about 20 wt %, aerosol-former material (calculated on a wet weight basis). Additionally or alternatively, the precursor material may comprise up to about 40 wt %, up to about 35, up to about 30 wt %, up to about 25 wt %, up to about 20 wt %, or up to about 10 wt % aerosol-former material (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the precursor material may comprise at most 36 wt % of glycerol.
  • the inventors have demonstrated that dry weight inclusion levels up to 36 wt % (calculated on a dry weight basis) of aerosol-former material are possible.
  • the amount of glycerol in the precursor material, and therefore the dried aerosol material is important because it is both an aerosol-forming material and also a plasticizer. If the concentration of glycerol it too high, it may be detrimental to a critical temperature of the product during the freeze-drying process and may result in collapse of the product if the critical temperature of the formulation is exceeded. On the other hand, sufficient glycerol should be included to provide the consumer with an adequate and pleasing aerosol.
  • glycerol and some other aerosol-former materials are considered to have anti-freeze properties, it is particularly surprising that it is possible to freeze-dry a precursor material comprising such materials. Nevertheless, the inventors have discovered that precursor materials comprising glycerol may be freeze dried to form a highly useful aerosol-generating material.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may comprise at least about 1 wt %, at least about 5 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, at least about 20 wt %, at least about 30 wt %, or at least about 40 wt % aerosol-former material (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 1 to about 34 wt %, or from about 17 to about 34 wt % aerosol-former material (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments in which the aerosol-former material is glycerol, the dried aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 13 to about 34 wt % glycerol (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 17 to about 36 wt % of glycerol.
  • the amount of glycerol in the aerosol material is important because it is both an aerosol-forming material and a plasticizer. If the concentration of glycerol is too high, it may be detrimental to the critical temperature of the product during the freeze-drying process and may result in collapse of the product if a critical temperature of the formulation is exceeded. On the other hand, sufficient glycerol should be included to provide the consumer with an adequate and pleasing aerosol.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material further comprises one or more excipients.
  • the excipient stabilises and preserves the precursor material and the inventors have found the inclusion of an excipient especially important for stability when the precursor material comprised glycerol as the aerosol-forming material.
  • the excipient may also act as a bulking agent or a filler material.
  • the inclusion of an excipient may also improve the handleability of the dried aerosol-generating material, helping it to retain its granular form by helping to reduce moisture uptake and the resulting increase in tackiness of the material.
  • the presence of an excipient may also have an effect on the speed of (freeze) drying.
  • Suitable excipients include mannitol, sucrose, trehalose, lactose, sorbitol, raffinose, maltose, dextrans such as Dextran 10, Dextran 70, Dextran 90, maltodextrin, gelatin, agar, cyclodextrins, and polyethylene glycols such as PEG 2000-6000, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP 10).
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises one or more excipients in an amount of from 0 to about 40 wt % on a wet weight basis.
  • the precursor material may comprise at least about 1 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, at least about 20 wt %, at least about 30 wt %, and/or up to about 40 wt %, up to about 30%, up to about 20 wt %, or up to about 10 wt % excipient on a wet weight basis.
  • the aerosol-generating material may comprise at least about 0.1 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, at least about 20 wt %, or at least about 25 wt % excipient (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise up to about 25%, up to about 20 wt %, up to about 15 wt %, or up to about 10 wt % excipient (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises about 36 wt % glycerol, about 45 wt % tobacco extract, and about 19 wt % excipient on a dry weight basis.
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises from about 17 to about 39 wt % glycerol, from about 41 to about 76 wt % tobacco extract, and from 0 to about 28 wt % excipient on a dry weight basis.
  • the precursor material may comprise 0 wt %, about 5 wt %, or about 10 wt % agar.
  • agar makes the precursor material more viscous and that the freeze-drying process is easier when the precursor material comprises a lower concentration of the agar excipient.
  • the precursor material comprises about 50 wt % tobacco extract, from 0 to about 36 wt % aerosol forming agent (for example, from 0 to about 15 v/v %) and from 0 to about 40 wt % (for example, about 37.5 v/v %) excipient.
  • the tobacco extract may comprise about 55 wt % tobacco solids and the overall tobacco solids content of the precursor material is about 27.5 wt %.
  • the precursor material comprises about 50 wt % tobacco extract, up to about 36 wt % (for example, about 15 v/v %) glycerol and from 0 to about 40 wt % (for example, about 37.5 v/v %) excipient.
  • the tobacco extract may comprise about 55 wt % tobacco solids and the overall tobacco solids content of the precursor material is about 27.5 wt %.
  • Some sample formulations of dried aerosol-generating materials formed from aqueous tobacco extracts are summarised in Table 1 below, with the amounts provided on a dry weight basis. These are theoretical values (before drying and inherent losses). Typically from about 80 to 89% of the glycerol is retained following the drying. Glycerol may be used as an aerosol-former material, but can be replaced or partially replaced with one or more other aerosol-former material such as those disclosed herein.
  • the excipient used may be a dextran such as Dextran 70. Again, this may be replaced or partially replaced with alternative excipients, such as those disclosed herein.
  • the percentage content of nicotine in the formulation will depend on the type of tobacco used, and the presence of other components, i.e. the aerosol-former and the excipient.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises one or more binders.
  • the one or more binder is selected from the group consisting of: thermoreversible gelling agents, such as gelatin; starches; polysaccharides; pectins; celluloses; cellulose derivatives, such as carboxymethylcellulose; and alginates.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises one or more flavour-modifier, flavour or flavourant.
  • flavour-modifier derived from the extract or it may be added.
  • flavourant refers to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers.
  • flavour materials may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot,
  • the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint.
  • the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry.
  • the flavour comprises eugenol.
  • the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco.
  • the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.
  • the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect.
  • a suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises one or more other functional materials, which may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material contains a filler component.
  • the filler component is generally a non-tobacco component, that is, a component that does not include ingredients originating from tobacco.
  • the precursor material comprises less than 60 wt % of a filler, such as from 1 wt % to 60 wt %, or 5 wt % to 50 wt %, or 5 wt % to 30 wt %, or 10 wt % to 20 wt % on a wet weight basis.
  • the filler may comprise one or more inorganic filler materials such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic sorbents, such as molecular sieves.
  • the filler may comprise one or more organic filler materials such as wood pulp, hemp fibre, cellulose and cellulose derivatives.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material is in the form of a gel.
  • a gelling agent may be added to the aerosol-generating material, the precursor material or may be optionally omitted.
  • the gelling agent may comprise one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum and mixtures thereof.
  • the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of: hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and combinations thereof.
  • the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.
  • the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof.
  • the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar.
  • the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material may comprise an acid.
  • the acid may be an organic acid.
  • the acid may be at least one of a monoprotic acid, a diprotic acid and a triprotic acid.
  • the acid may contain at least one carboxyl functional group.
  • the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid, tricarboxylic acid and keto acid.
  • the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.
  • the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propanoic and pyruvic acid.
  • the acid is selected from one of lactic acid, benzoic acid and levulinic acid.
  • the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments the acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid and phosphoric acid.
  • an acid may be beneficial in embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material and/or the precursor material comprises nicotine.
  • the presence of an acid may stabilise dissolved species in the slurry from which the aerosol-generating material is formed.
  • the presence of the acid may reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing loss of nicotine during manufacturing.
  • the aerosol-generating material comprises a gelling agent comprising a cellulosic gelling agent and/or a non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active substance and an acid.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may be in any solid form.
  • the aerosol-generating material may be in the form of particles, granules or powder.
  • the aerosol-generating material may be in the form of a monolithic form, tablet, agglomerate or “cake”.
  • the aerosol-generating material formed by freeze- or spray-drying and is then processed with other suitable steps as required and known to the person skilled in the art to provide the dried material in the desired form, for example in the form of particles of the desired size(s).
  • the aerosol-generating material is in the form of particles or granules.
  • Smaller granule particles have a greater surface area to volume ratio and they may therefore exhibit enhanced release of constituents compared to particles of larger sizes. They will also be easier to combine with the binder in the composition to provide an even distribution of the aerosol-generating material throughout the composition.
  • the smaller particles will also provide a composition with a smoother consistency where the particles of aerosol-generating material do not dissolve in the other components of the composition.
  • a yet further advantage of the use of fine particles of aerosol-generating material in the compositions is that this will help to ensure that the particles are surrounded by the binder and are therefore protected from the environment. This will mean that this highly hygroscopic material is not exposed to moisture and therefore cannot absorb moisture. This means that additional measures (such as coating or packaging the aerosol-generating material) are not required to protect it from moisture.
  • the particles in the precursor composition may be desirable for the particles in the precursor composition, to have an average particle size of no greater than about 3 mm, of no greater than 1 mm, of no greater than about 0.5 mm, of no greater than about 0.4 mm, of no greater than about 0.3 mm, of no greater than about 0.2 mm or to have an average particle size of no greater than about 0.1 mm, when measured by sieving.
  • the average particle size is within the range of about 0.1 to about 3 mm, of about 0.1 to about 1 mm, of about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm, of about 0.1 to about 0.4 mm, or in the range of about 0.2 to about 0.3 mm.
  • at least about 90% of the particles of the precursor composition will have a particle size within the range of about 0.1 to about 3 mm, or of about 0.1 to about 1 mm, or of about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm.
  • at least about 90% of the tobacco particles of the precursor composition will have a particle size within the range of about 0.1 to about 3 mm, or of about 0.1 to about 1 mm, or of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm.
  • none of the particles in the precursor composition have a particle size greater than 5 mm, greater than 4 mm, greater than 2 mm, greater than 1.5 mm, or greater than about 1 mm. In some embodiments, the average particle size is less than 1 mm.
  • the particle size of any solid material present may be reduced by grinding, shredding, cutting or crushing tobacco material.
  • Suitable machinery to create such plant particles includes, for example, shredders, cutters, or mills, such as hammer mills, roller mills or other types of commercially available milling machinery.
  • the size of the plant particles is selected to provide particles which can be readily prepared from a variety of different types of plant material, having the properties described herein, and which provide a source of plant constituents that are readily released.
  • Particles of the aerosol-generating material of a smaller size may be advantageous for aerosol generation.
  • smaller particles may have a greater surface area to volume ratio, which may improve aerosol generation.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material readily forms particles with an average size of smaller than 1 mm.
  • the particles may be as small as 10 ⁇ m or even as small as 1 ⁇ m. The size of the particles may be determined by sieving or by observing the particles by SEM.
  • the freeze dried precursor material is ground into particles and may be sieved to exclude particles that are considered too small or too large to be used as aerosol-generating material.
  • aerosol-generating material used in the present invention has a particle size distribution D10 from about 5 to about 25 ⁇ m (meaning that 10% of the particles in the tested sample are smaller than the value), a particle size distribution D50 from about 30 to about 200 ⁇ m (meaning that 50% of the particles in the tested sample are smaller than the value), and a particle size distribution D90 from about 500 to about 2500 ⁇ m (meaning that 90% of the particles in the tested sample are smaller than the value).
  • D10 from about 5 to about 25 ⁇ m (meaning that 10% of the particles in the tested sample are smaller than the value)
  • a particle size distribution D50 from about 30 to about 200 ⁇ m (meaning that 50% of the particles in the tested sample are smaller than the value)
  • a particle size distribution D90 from about 500 to about 2500 ⁇ m (meaning that 90% of the particles in the tested sample are smaller than the value).
  • the freeze dried material used as the aerosol-generating material according to the present invention has a particle size distribution D10 from about 8 to about 15 ⁇ m, a particle size distribution D50 from about 50 to about 150 ⁇ m, and a particle size distribution D90 from about 900 to about 1700 ⁇ m.
  • the D10 mean is from about 10 to about 15 ⁇ m
  • the D50 mean from about 40 to about 140 ⁇ m
  • the D90 mean from about 800 to about 1600 ⁇ m.
  • the drying methods used to dry the precursor material may be any suitable drying process, including freeze-drying or spray-drying processes.
  • the drying process used must be compatible with the precursor material and the desired make-up of the aerosol-generating material.
  • it may be desirable for the aerosol-generating material to include active and/or flavour substances derived from the extract in the precursor material it is important to select a drying method that will retain a sufficient amount of these components.
  • the precursor material is freeze-dried using freeze-drying microscopy, for example using a Lyostat freeze-drying microscope.
  • the precursor material is sprayed and rapidly dried using a hot gas.
  • spray drying provides several advantages to the present invention: the dry particle size can be controlled and may be consistent; tobacco or flavour extracts or materials are heat sensitive but can still be spray-dried at relatively high inlet temperatures; a short residence time in the spray-drying equipment is required; and minimal loss of flavour/volatiles. This makes the process adaptable to reduce loss of volatile compounds and maintain the desired flavour of the aerosol generating material.
  • Freeze-drying also known as lyophilisation or cryodesiccation, is a process in which the precursor material is frozen, the temperature lowered and the water is removed via sublimation under reduced pressure conditions. Without wishing to be bound by any specific theory, it is believed that the low processing temperatures and rapid water loss via sublimation avoid changes in the aerosol-generating material's structure, appearance and characteristics. This process preserves the structure of the precursor material, and reduces the loss and decomposition of volatile flavour compounds.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material has a lower water content than the precursor material.
  • the water content of the aerosol-generating material may be at most about 0.5 wt %, about 1 wt %, about 2%, about 5 wt %, about 10 wt %, or about 20 wt % (calculated on a wet weight basis).
  • the water content of the dried aerosol-generating material may be reduced from the precursor material by at least about 50 wt %, about 60 wt %, about 70 wt %, about 80 wt %, about 90 wt %, about 95 wt %, about 98 wt %, or by about 100 wt %.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material has a water content of less than about 5 wt %, less than about 4 wt %, less than about 3 wt %, less than about 2 wt % or less than about 1 wt % (calculated on a wet weight basis), as measured by gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) or Karl Fischer measurement.
  • GC-TCD gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector
  • the precursor material comprises Burley tobacco extract and a water content of 60 wt %.
  • the dried aerosol generating material has a water content of 3 wt %.
  • a lower water content of the dried aerosol-generating material is associated with longer shelf-life and stability. However, very low water content may be associated be a brittle structure and a smaller particle size, as well as taking longer to process.
  • the material is also very hygroscopic. If the water content of the dried aerosol-generating material is too high on the other hand, the desired increased stability may not be achieved.
  • the dried aerosol-generating material may also not be as easy to handle with higher water content, with the material becoming sticky.
  • the precursor material comprises an excipient
  • the precursor material may be better suited to being dried via spray-drying (compared to a precursor material without an excipient).
  • increasing the amount of the excipient in the precursor material raises the glass transition temperature to above 100° C. and this affects the physical properties of the material, making it more suitable for spray drying.
  • compositions described herein comprise one or more components in addition to the aerosol-generating material and binder.
  • the composition may comprise an aerosol-former material in addition to the aerosol-former material included in the aerosol-generating material.
  • aerosol-former materials may be any of the specific materials discussed elsewhere herein.
  • the additional aerosol-former material may be included in an amount of at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25% or at least about 30% by weight of the total composition.
  • the additional aerosol-former material may be included in an amount of up to about 50%, up to about 45%, up to about 40%, up to about 35%, up to about 30%, up to about 25% or up to about 20% by weight of the total composition.
  • the composition may comprise a solvent.
  • the solvent may be included to give the binder component the desired properties, such as viscosity before drying or curing, or its ability to dissolve the aerosol-generating material.
  • the solvent may be included in an amount of at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20% or at least about 30% by weight of the total composition.
  • the solvent may be included in an amount of up to about 90%, up to about 80%, up to about 70%, up to about 60%, up to about 50% or up to about 40% by weight of the total composition.
  • the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water; alcohols, such as ethanol and methanol; acetone; and carboxylate esters, such as methyl acetate and ethyl acetate.
  • the composition may comprise a filler, bulking agent or diluent. These components may be included to give the composition the desired properties before and/or after drying or curing.
  • the filler, bulking agent or diluent may be included in an amount of at least about 1%, at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 20% or at least about 30% by weight of the total composition.
  • the filler, bulking agent or diluent may be included in an amount of up to about 60%, up to about 50%, up to about 40%, up to about 30%, up to about 20%, up to about 10% or up to about 5% by weight of the total composition.
  • the filler may comprise one or more inorganic filler materials, such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic sorbents, such as molecular sieves.
  • the filler may comprise one or more organic filler materials such as wood pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives. In particular cases, the composition comprises no calcium carbonate such as chalk.
  • the filler may be fibrous.
  • the filler may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood pulp, hemp fibre, cellulose or cellulose derivatives. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that including fibrous filler may increase the tensile strength of the composition.
  • the compositions may comprise a colourant.
  • the addition of a colourant may alter the visual appearance of the composition.
  • the composition may be colour-matched to other components of a substrate or article comprising the composition.
  • the colourant may be included in an amount of at least about 1%, at least about 2%, or at least about 5% by weight of the total composition.
  • the colourant may be included in an amount of up to about 10%, up to about 7% or up to about 5% by weight of the total composition.
  • Natural or synthetic colourants such as natural or synthetic dyes, food-grade colourants and pharmaceutical-grade colourants may be used.
  • the colourant may be incorporated during the formation of the composition (e.g. when mixing the components including the binder and aerosol-generating material that form the composition) or it may be applied to the composition after its formation (e.g. by spraying it onto the surface of the composition).
  • the compositions may comprise a flavour or an active substance, in addition to those that are included in the aerosol-generating material.
  • the flavour or active may be released from the composition with components of the aerosol-generating material upon heating.
  • the flavour or active may be any of those discussed elsewhere herein.
  • the additional flavour or active may be included in an amount of at least about 1%, at least about 2%, or at least about 5% by weight of the total composition.
  • the additional flavour or active may be included in an amount of up to about 20%, up to about 15%, up to about 10% or up to about 5% by weight of the total composition.
  • the additional flavour or active may be included in the compositions in encapsulated form.
  • the compositions may comprise a combustion retarding additive, to help ensure that the composition, or any substrate or article it is incorporated into or onto, resists combustion when exposed to high temperatures or to flames.
  • the combustion retarding additive is a salt.
  • a salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of cation and anions.
  • the salts used herein are those whose anion and/or whose cation may be effective in retarding combustion.
  • the support is a wrapper material, such as a paper wrapper.
  • the composition may be applied to at least a portion of a surface of the wrapper.
  • the composition may be used as a glue to secure the wrapper in place, or to hold the wrapper closed around the rod or aerosol-generating material.
  • the aerosol-generating material can essentially be incorporated into material that would be included in the substrate or article anyway. This minimises the additional manufacturing complexity and cost. It also minimises the material that needs to be heated in addition to the aerosol-generating material in order to generate the aerosol, and so minimises the additional energy required.
  • the heating material may be heated by induction heating.
  • Induction heating is a process in which an electrically-conductive object is heated by penetrating the object with a varying magnetic field.
  • the heating material may be heated by resistive heating.
  • the heating material is connected to a power supply.
  • the heating may be microwave heating or infrared heating.
  • the composition is applied to the support in a plurality of spaced areas of the surface of the support, forming discrete portions of aerosol generating material embedded within the binder. These portions may each generate aerosol for a single puff or enough aerosol for a series of puffs.
  • the substrate may allow the portions of aerosol-generating material to be independently heated. In other embodiments, the portions may be heated together, but the compositions may be formulated or provided in forms to generate different aerosols and/or may generate aerosols at different times or at different rates.
  • the substrates including the composition comprising aerosol-generating material and binder may be used in combustible or non-combustible aerosol provision systems, or in an aerosol-free delivery system.
  • the present invention also relates to a consumable or article comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder in a ratio of from about 1:10 to about 2:1 by weight, the aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material.
  • the substrate is provided in a consumable.
  • the substrate may be used as a consumable.
  • a consumable is an article comprising aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user.
  • the aerosol-generating material, or at least some of the aerosol-generating material is provided as part of a substrate as disclosed herein, including the composition comprising aerosol-generating material and binder.
  • a consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
  • a consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use.
  • the heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.
  • at least some of these components of a consumable may also be components of the substrate described herein.
  • the consumable may be any shape or size that is appropriate to the smoking device.
  • the consumable is a rod shape. In other embodiments, it may take the form of a flat strip, a rod, or a flexible sleeve.
  • the substrate comprising a composition as disclosed herein is provided in an aerosol-generating device such as a tobacco-heating product (THP) or hybrid e-cigarette product.
  • the substrate may be directly heated without burning to provide an inhalable aerosol.
  • heating the substrate will first cause the coating to decompose, to breach the barrier it forms around the aerosol-generating material. Then, the aerosolised components of the aerosol-generating material, for example the glycerol, nicotine and/or tobacco flavour will be released.
  • the substrate including a composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and binder may be incorporated into the consumable in the absence of any other carrier or other material that would need to be heated.
  • the total mass of the dried aerosol generating material included for use in a delivery system is up to about 200 mg, up to about 190 mg, up to about 180 mg, up to about 170 mg, up to about 160 mg, up to about 150 mg, up to about 140 mg, up to about 130 mg, up to about 120 mg, up to about 110 mg, up to about 100 mg, up to about 90 mg, up to about 80 mg, up to about 70 mg, up to about 60 mg, or up to about 50 mg.
  • the total mass of the dried aerosol generating material included may be at least about 5 mg, at least about 10 mg, at least about 15 mg, at least about 20 mg, at least about 25 mg, at least about 30 mg, at least about 35 mg, at least about 40 mg, at least about 45 mg, or at least about 50 mg.
  • the total mass of the dried aerosol-generating material is sufficient to provide aerosol, for example, for up to about 10 puffs to be generated in a single session or over a series of multiple sessions. In such embodiments, the total mass of the dried aerosol-generating material provided is from about 10 to 100 mg, or from about 25 to about 50 mg.
  • the composition itself protects the hygroscopic aerosol-generating material from absorbing moisture from the environment, it is not necessary for the consumable to be stored in reduced humidity conditions prior to use.
  • the consumable may advantageously comprise a moisture impermeable coating that surrounds but which may be separate from the aerosol-generating material.
  • the moisture impermeable coating may surround the composition (thereby surrounding the aerosol-generating material within the composition).
  • the moisture impermeable coating may be provided as a film or wrapper, optionally being deposited on a moisture permeable carrier.
  • the consumable may comprise a sorbent or desiccant material.
  • the sorbent or desiccant material may be provided in the composition as discussed above.
  • the sorbent or desiccant material may be provided separately in the consumable, but in such a manner that the sorbent still competes with the aerosol-generating material for the moisture in the environment and therefore reduces the amount of moisture absorbed by the aerosol-generating material.
  • the sorbent may be provided in or on a wrapper that surrounds the aerosol generating material in the consumable.
  • the sorbent may be incorporated into a separate section of the consumable to the aerosol-generating material. This may have the benefit of reducing the exposure of the sorbent to the high temperatures that the aerosol-generating material is heated to upon use.
  • the sorbent may be located in an adjacent section of the consumable which is not directly heated. This may be downstream or upstream of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the sorbent is included in one or more sections of the consumable that does not include the aerosol-generating material, such as a cooling element section, or a filter section.
  • the sorbent or desiccant material may be separated or removed from the aerosol-generating material and/or from the consumable before it is used.
  • the sorbent may be located in the packaging within which the consumable is held prior to use. In some embodiments, this packaging may be a wrapper, a box or other container. The sorbent may be incorporated into the packaging material or part thereof. Alternatively, the sorbent may be provided in a separate article, such as a sachet or sheet, located with the consumable within the packaging.
  • the delivery systems described herein can be combustible aerosol provision systems, non-combustible aerosol provision systems or an aerosol-free delivery systems.
  • delivery system is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user, and includes:
  • a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
  • the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.
  • the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.
  • a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.
  • a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
  • the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.
  • END electronic nicotine delivery system
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system.
  • a heat-not-burn system is a tobacco heating system.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated and may be an aerosol-generating material provided on a support.
  • Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine.
  • the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material.
  • the solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.
  • the disclosure relates to consumables comprising a composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices.
  • consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a power source and a controller.
  • the power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source.
  • the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to a substrate or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
  • the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise a substrate including a composition comprising aerosol-generating material and a binder, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
  • FIG. 3 is a side-on cross-sectional view of a consumable or article 10 for use in an aerosol delivery system.
  • the article 10 comprises a mouthpiece segment 11 , and an aerosol generating segment 12 .
  • the aerosol generating segment 12 is in the form of a cylindrical rod and comprises a section or plug of aerosol-generating material 14 , such as cut rag tobacco or reconstituted tobacco material.
  • the mouthpiece segment 11 in the illustrated embodiment includes a body of material 15 such as a plug of fibrous or filamentary tow.
  • a cooling section 13 comprising a hollow tube 16 formed from a suitable material such as cellulose acetate, paper or a heat absorbing material.
  • the consumable 10 further comprises a wrapper 17 , such as a paper wrapper, circumscribing the mouthpiece segment 11 , the cooling section 13 and the aerosol generating segment 12 .
  • This wrapper may include a strip of an adhesive composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder to hold the wrapper in place, as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
  • FIG. 4 shows an example of a non-combustible aerosol provision device 100 for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating medium/material such as the composition of a consumable no, as described herein.
  • the device 100 may be used to heat a replaceable article no comprising the aerosol-generating medium, for instance an article 10 as illustrated in FIG. 3 or as described elsewhere herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium which is inhaled by a user of the device 100 .
  • the device 100 and replaceable article no together form a system.
  • the device 100 comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) which surrounds and houses various components of the device 100 .
  • the device 100 has an opening 104 in one end, through which the article no may be inserted for heating by a heating assembly. In use, the article no may be fully or partially inserted into the heating assembly where it may be heated by one or more components of the heater assembly.
  • the device 100 of this example comprises a first end member 106 which comprises a lid 108 which is moveable relative to the first end member 106 to close the opening 104 when no article 110 is in place.
  • the lid 108 is shown in an open configuration, however the lid 108 may move into a closed configuration.
  • a user may cause the lid 108 to slide in the direction of arrow “B”.
  • the device 100 may also include a user-operable control element 112 , such as a button or switch, which operates the device 100 when pressed. For example, a user may turn on the device 100 by operating the switch 112 .
  • a user-operable control element 112 such as a button or switch
  • the device 100 may also comprise an electrical component, such as a socket/port 114 , which can receive a cable to charge a battery of the device 100 .
  • the socket 114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.
  • the substance to be delivered may be the aerosol-generating material of a substrate as described herein, and optionally another aerosol-generating material that may or may not be heated.
  • the substrate and other aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.
  • the invention enjoys the advantage of longer shelf life than other tobacco extracts.
  • the nicotine content of the precursor and aerosol-generating material after the freeze drying process has been calculated, providing an indication of the amount of nicotine retained following the processing.
  • the nicotine recovery of the dried aerosol generating material is at least about 76 wt % on a dry weight basis.
  • the nicotine recovery of the dried aerosol generating material compared to the original tobacco extract may be at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, or at least about 90% on a dry weight basis.
  • the glycerol content of the precursor and dried aerosol-generating material after the freeze drying process has been calculated, providing an indication of the amount of glycerol retained following the processing.
  • the glycerol recovery of the dried aerosol generating material is at least about 85%.
  • the glycerol recovery of the dried aerosol generating material compared to the precursor material may be at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90% at least about 95% on a dry weight basis.
  • the content of volatile components such as nicotine and flavours, and the content of the aerosol-forming material in the aerosol-generating material will be maintained until the composition is heated to generate an aerosol. This will be even without packaging or other protection from exposure to moisture.
  • the precursor material comprised essentially of aqueous tobacco extract, and glycerol.
  • the aqueous tobacco extract was diluted further with glycerol up to about 24 wt % (calculated on a dry weight basis).
  • the Burley aqueous tobacco extract had a tobacco solid content of about 40 wt %, and a water content of about 60 wt %.
  • the precursor material was dried via freeze drying.
  • the precursor material comprised essentially of aqueous tobacco extract, glycerol and Dextran 70.
  • the glycerol content was about 0 to about 15 v/v %, or up to about 36 wt % calculated on a dry weight basis.
  • the precursor material was dried via freeze drying.
  • Example 1 or Example 2 The freeze-dried material of Example 1 or Example 2 is ground to provide a loose powder with an average particle size of from about 10 ⁇ m to about 50 ⁇ m. 32.4 mg of the powder was then added to 130.7 mg of a diluted PVA binder. This mixture is then applied to the surface of a cardboard strip for insertion into a Tobacco Heating Product device to heat the composition and provide an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

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  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
US18/852,347 2022-04-01 2023-03-31 A composition comprising an aerosol-generating material and a binder and uses thereof Pending US20250212937A1 (en)

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