US20250176607A1

US20250176607A1 - Aerosol-generating material

Info

Publication number: US20250176607A1
Application number: US18/686,002
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeremy Phillips; Alexander WHITLEY
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-25
Filing date: 2022-08-25
Publication date: 2025-06-05
Also published as: CN118265464A; KR20240046606A; JP2024532246A; WO2023026048A1; CA3224484A1; MX2024002096A; EP4391839A1; GB202112173D0; AU2022334962A1; IL309600A

Abstract

Aerosol-generating materials including a plant based component, an aerosol-former material, and an acid. Also provided are methods for manufacturing the aerosol-generating materials and articles for use in an aerosol generation system, the articles including the aerosol-generating materials of the invention.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT/GB2022/052183 filed Aug. 25, 2022, which claims priority to GB Application 2112173.6 filed Aug. 25, 2021, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to aerosol-generating materials, a method for manufacturing the aerosol-generating materials and an article for use in an aerosol generation system, the article for use in the aerosol generation system comprising the aerosol-generating material.

BACKGROUND

Many tobacco industry products include an aerosol-generating material, such as a tobacco composition. Articles, such as cigarettes, cigars and the like, burn the aerosol-generating material during use to create tobacco smoke. Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these types of articles, which burn the tobacco material, by creating products that release compounds without burning. Examples of such products are so-called heat-not-burn products, also known as tobacco heating products or tobacco heating devices, which release compounds by heating, but not burning, the aerosol-generating material.

SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a first aspect there is provided an aerosol-generating material comprising a plant based component, an aerosol-former material, and an acid, wherein the plant based component comprises a plant based material in an amount equal to or greater than about 20% by weight of the plant based component and the plant based material has a nicotine content of equal to or greater than 1.5% by dry weight of the plant based material; the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material; and the total amount of the acid is from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a second aspect there is provided an aerosol-generating material comprising a plant based component which comprises nicotine, an aerosol-former material, and an acid, wherein: the aerosol-generating material comprises the acid in an amount from about 50% to about 200% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a third aspect there is provided a method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating material according to the first or second aspects, the method comprising applying said aerosol-former material and said acid to said plant based component.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a fourth aspect there is provided an aerosol-generating material manufactured by the method of the third aspect.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a fifth aspect there is provided a use of an aerosol-generating material according to the first, second, or fourth aspect, in an article for use in an aerosol provision system.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a sixth aspect there is provided an article for use in an aerosol provision system comprising the aerosol-generating material according to the first, second, or fourth aspect.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, in a seventh aspect there is provided a system comprising the aerosol-generating material according to the first, second, or fourth aspect, and a device arranged to heat the aerosol-generating material and generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a flowchart for a method of making an aerosol-generating material;

FIG. 2 is a side-on cross-sectional view of an article for use with an aerosol provision device, the article including a mouthpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to aerosol-generating materials. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating material, the use of an aerosol-generating material, an article for use in a delivery system, and a system comprising an aerosol-generating material and a device.
Aerosol-generating materials comprise aerosolizable components. In use, the aerosol-generating material produces an aerosol, for example a suspension of liquid droplets or particulates in a gas. The aerosol comprises nicotine as well as other components generated by the aerosol-generating material. In use, the user inhales the aerosol. As such, it is important that the aerosol-generating material produces an aerosol that delivers an appropriate user experience and satisfaction.
The composition of the aerosol contributes to the user's experience and satisfaction. One attribute that contributes the user's experience and satisfaction is the nicotine content in the aerosol. Another attribute that contributes the user's experience and satisfaction is the perceived harshness of the aerosol. It is therefore important to control the nicotine content and harshness of an aerosol.
In some instances, it has been found that aerosol-generating materials that comprise plant based components with a high nicotine content (for example lamina tobacco) produce aerosols that have a perceived harshness that is too high. However, use of such high nicotine content plant based components is desirable because they have other properties that the user appreciates, for example a good flavor profile. It is therefore important to be able to control the perceived harshness of aerosol-generating materials whilst maintaining other attributes that contribute to the user experience (for example the flavor profile and or nicotine content).
There is therefore a need to provide an aerosol-generating material which produces an aerosol which is acceptable to the user, for example by providing an appropriate nicotine content, perceived harshness and/or flavor profile.
As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver a substance to a user, and includes:

- combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material);
- non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and
- aerosol-free delivery systems, such as lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and smokeless tobacco products such as snus and snuff, which deliver a material to a user without forming an aerosol.

According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery to a user.
In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END).
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a tobacco heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco material or a non-tobacco product.
Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol provision device, also referred to herein as an aerosol generation device, and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-generating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.
In some embodiments, it is envisaged that consumables which themselves comprise a means for powering an aerosol generating component may themselves form the non-combustible aerosol provision system.
In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the power source, such as an exothermic power source, is provided in the article so as to form the non-combustible aerosol provision system.
A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise one or more other components, such as, 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. 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.
An aerosol generator is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosol-generating material so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material without applying heat thereto, for example via one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurisation or electrostatic means.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
In some embodiments, the plant based material may be leaf material, for example a tobacco material. In some embodiments, the plant based material may be a botanical material. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. The plant based material may comprise nicotine, or the plant based material may have nicotine added to it.
Where the aerosol-generating material comprises nicotine, it is important that it produces an aerosol with an appropriate nicotine content and perceived harshness. The present application relates to such aerosol-generating materials. The present inventors have discovered that aerosol-generating materials comprising the correct amount of an acid (for example lactic acid) provide an improved experience for the user. That is, the aerosol-generating materials comprising an acid as described herein produce an aerosol with an appropriate nicotine content and perceived harshness.
The correct amount of an acid to be used in an aerosol-generating material can be defined in a number of ways. For example, when a high nicotine content tobacco is used (such as lamina tobacco), the amount of acid used may be defined in relation to the aerosol-generating material, for example as a weight percentage of the aerosol-generating material. Alternatively, the amount of acid may be defined in relation to the nicotine content of the aerosol-generating material, for example by reference to a ratio of the moles of nicotine to the moles of acid.
Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is understood that when the amount of acid in the aerosol-generating material is as described herein, the aerosol produced by the aerosol-generating material contains a ratio of nicotine in the gas phase to nicotine in the particulate/liquid phase (nicotine (gas):nicotine (particulate/liquid)) that is particularly beneficial. That is, the ratio of nicotine (gas):nicotine (particulate/liquid) in the aerosol produced by the present aerosol-generating materials provides an improved user experience and satisfaction. This is believed to be because using an amount of acid as defined here allows for optimal protonation of the nicotine (for example, by altering the ratio of free-base nicotine to protonated nicotine). It is understood that protonation of the nicotine in the aerosol-generating material changes the ratio of nicotine (gas):nicotine (particulate/liquid) by increasing the amount of nicotine present in the particulate/liquid phase. The aerosols produced by the aerosol-generating materials described herein deliver an appropriate amount of nicotine to the user. Furthermore, users report that such aerosol-generating materials are neither too harsh, nor not harsh enough. As such, the aerosol-generating materials comprising acid as described herein produce an aerosol with an appropriate nicotine content and perceived harshness.
In some embodiments, the invention relates to an aerosol-generating material comprising a plant based component, an aerosol-former material, and an acid, wherein the plant based component comprises a plant based material in an amount equal to or greater than about 20% by weight of the plant based component and the plant based material has a nicotine content of equal to or greater than 1.5% by dry weight of the plant based material; the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material; and the total amount of the acid is from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the acid is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, levulinic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, or 2-methylvaleric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is lactic acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.
The term lactic acid is synonymous with the term 2-hydroxypropanoic acid and covers both D and L enantiomers separately or a mixture thereof. For example, the lactic acid can be a mixture (for example a racemic mixture) of D-2-hydroxypropanoic acid and L-2-hydroxypropanoic acid. The term levulinic acid is synonymous with the term 4-oxopentanoic acid.
It has been found that when the aerosol-generating material comprises a total amount of acid as defined herein, the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material contains an appropriate nicotine level but delivers a better sensory experience than if no acid or a different total amount of acid is used. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is understood that the total amount of acid as defined herein provides a particularly preferable sensory experience when in an aerosol-generating material comprising a high nicotine content plant based material (for example, lamina tobacco material).
In particular, it is understood that the total amount of acid as defined herein represents the lowest amount of acid required to provide the appropriate nicotine level and sensory experience. Using an amount of acid lower than that described herein results in a non optimal amount of nicotine reaching the user.
It is further understood that the total amount of acid as defined herein represents the greatest amount of acid required to provide the appropriate nicotine level and sensory experience. Using an amount of acid greater than that described herein results in no better performance and is therefore considered to be wasted.
It is further understood that when the aerosol-generating material comprises a plant based material other than tobacco, the total amount of acid as defined herein reduces the harshness of the aerosol produced by the aerosol-generating material.
The aerosol-generating material comprises an acid. The total amount of the acid is from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the total amount of the acid is from about 0.1% to about 5%, from about 0.5% to about 5%, from about 1% to about 5%, from about 1.5% to about 5%, from about 2% to about 5%, or from about 2.5% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the total amount of the acid is from about 2.5% to about 5%, from about 2.5% to about 4.5%, from about 2.5% to about 4%, from about 2.5% to about 3.5%, or from about 2.5% to about 3% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the acid is comprised in the plant based component. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the acid in an amount from about 50% to about 99% of the total the acid in the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the acid in an amount from about 60% to about 99%, from about 70% to about 99%, from about 80% to about 99%, or from about 85% to about 99% of the total the acid in the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise between about 0.04 millimoles and about 0.07 millimoles of the acid, optionally about 0.05 millimoles or about 0.06 millimoles of the acid.
In some embodiments, the ratio of the acid and aerosol-former material in the aerosol-generating material is from about 1:2 to about 1:50 (acid:aerosol-former material).
The invention also relates to an aerosol-generating material comprising a plant based component which comprises nicotine, an aerosol-former material, and an acid, wherein: the aerosol-generating material comprises the acid in an amount from about 50% to about 200% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component.
In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises a plant based material selected from the group consisting of a botanical material or a tobacco material.
For example, the moles of the acid in the aerosol-generating material is from about 50% to about 200% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component. Therefore, for every mole of nicotine in the plant based component in the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol-generating material comprises from about 0.5 moles to about 2 moles of the acid. Similarly, if the plant based component in the aerosol-generating material comprises about 0.1 moles of nicotine per gram of the plant based component, the aerosol-generating material comprises from about 0.05 moles to about 0.2 moles per gram of plant based component in the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises the acid in an amount (i.e. moles of acid) from about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 90%, about 100%, about 110%, about 120%, about 130%, about 140%, about 150%, about 160%, about 170%, about 180%, or about 190% to about 200% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component.
In some embodiments, the composition comprises the acid in an amount (i.e. moles of acid) from about 50% to about 200%, about 190%, about 180%, about 170%, about 160%, 150%, about 140%, about 130%, about 120%, about 110%, about 100%, about 90%, about 80%, about 70%, or to about 60% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component.
In some embodiments, the composition comprises the acid in an amount (i.e. moles of acid) from about 50% to about 200%, from about 75% to about 150%, from about 85% to about 140%, from about 95% to about 135%, from about 105% to about 130%, or from about 110% to about 125% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component. In some embodiments, the composition comprises the acid in an amount (i.e. moles of acid) from about 100% to about 200%, from about 100% to about 180%, from about 110% to about 180%, from about 120% to about 180%, from about 130% to about 180%, or from about 135% to about 180% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component.
The aerosol-generating material comprises a plant based component. In some embodiments the aerosol-generating material comprises the plant based component in an amount from about 60% to about 99% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises a plant based material in an amount equal to or greater than about 20% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the plant based material in an amount equal to or greater than about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90%, about 95%, or about 100% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the plant based material in an amount about 20%, about 60%, about 80% or about 100% by weight of the plant based component.
In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the plant based material in amount from about 20% to about 100% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the plant based material in amount from about 20% to about 99% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the plant based material in amount from about 20% to about 60% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises the plant based material in amount from about 40% to about 80% by weight of the plant based component.
Lamina tobacco has a high nicotine content (as described herein) and a desirable flavor profile. It is therefore advantageous to include such lamina tobacco in the aerosol-generating materials described herein. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is a lamina tobacco material.
As used herein, the term “botanical” includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like. Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint 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 plant based components and/or plant based materials described herein contain nicotine. For example, the plant based component may comprise between about 0.01 millimoles and about 0.04 millimoles of nicotine, optionally about 0.03 millimoles of nicotine. In some embodiments, the plant based component and/or plant based material comprise nicotine in their natural form (i.e. without nicotine being added to the plant based component and/or plant based material). In some embodiments, the plant based component and/or plant based material comprise nicotine that has been added to the plant based component and/or plant based material. In some embodiments, when the plant based material is or comprises a botanical material, the plant based material has nicotine added to it. In some embodiments, the nicotine is applied to the plant based material (by spraying the nicotine onto the plant based material or by soaking the plant based material in the nicotine).
In some embodiments, the plant based component has a nicotine content of from about 0.5% to about 3% by dry weight of the plant based component. For example, the plant based component has a nicotine content of from about 0.5% to about 2.75% by dry weight of the plant based component, from about 0.8% to about 2.5% by dry weight of the plant based component, from about 1% to about 2.5% by dry weight of the plant based component, or from about 1.5% to about 2.5% by dry weight of the plant based component. For example, the plant based component has a nicotine content of from about 0.5% to about 1.75% by dry weight of the plant based component, from about 0.8% to about 1.2% by dry weight of the plant based component or from about 0.8% to about 1.75% by dry weight of the plant based component. In embodiments, the nicotine content may be from about 0.8% to about 1% by dry weight of the plant based component.
In some embodiments, the plant based material has a nicotine content of equal to or greater than 1.5% by dry weight of the plant based material. In some embodiments, the plant based material has a nicotine content of from about 1.5% to about 5% by dry weight of the plant based material. The plant based material may have a nicotine content of about 1.5%, 1.6%, 1.7%, 1.8%, 1.9%, 2%, 2.1%, 2.2%, 2.3%, 2.4%, 2.5%, 2.6%, 2.7%, 2.8%, 2.9%, 3%, 3.1%, 3.2%, 3.3%, 3.4%, 3.5%, 3.6%, 3.7%, 3.8%, 3.9%, 4%, 4.1%, 4.2%, 4.3%, 4.4%, 4.5%, 4.6%, 4.7%, 4.8%, 4.9% or 5% by dry weight of the plant based material. In some embodiments, the plant based material has a nicotine content of more than about 1.5% and up to about 4% by dry weight of the plant based material.
The plant based component may comprise a tobacco component. The term “tobacco component” may include one or more of tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes. The tobacco component may comprise one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, leaf/lamina tobacco, tobacco stem, reconstituted tobacco and/or tobacco extract.
The tobacco material which may be used in the aerosol-generating materials described herein may be any suitable tobacco, such as single grades or blends, cut rag or whole leaf, including Virginia (flue-cured and/or air cured) and/or Burley and/or Oriental. The aerosol-generating material may comprise a mixture of any of these tobacco materials.
The remainder of the tobacco component may comprise paper reconstituted tobacco, extruded tobacco, bandcast reconstituted tobacco, or a combination of bandcast reconstituted tobacco and another form of tobacco, such as tobacco granules. In some embodiments, the tobacco component comprises tobacco material selected from the group consisting of: extruded tobacco, bandcast tobacco, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the tobacco component comprises paper reconstituted tobacco material. In some embodiments, the plant based component comprises paper reconstituted tobacco material in an amount of from about 50% to about 80% by weight of the plant based component
Paper reconstituted tobacco refers to tobacco material formed by a process in which tobacco feedstock is extracted with a solvent to afford an extract of solubles and a residue comprising fibrous material, and then the extract (usually after concentration, and optionally after further processing) is recombined with fibrous material from the residue (usually after refining of the fibrous material, and optionally with the addition of a portion of non-tobacco fibers) by deposition of the extract onto the fibrous material. The process of recombination resembles the process for making paper.
The paper reconstituted tobacco may be any type of paper reconstituted tobacco that is known in the art. In a particular embodiment, the paper reconstituted tobacco is made from a feedstock comprising one or more of tobacco strips, tobacco stems, and whole leaf tobacco. In a further embodiment, the paper reconstituted tobacco is made from a feedstock consisting of tobacco strips and/or whole leaf tobacco, and tobacco stems. However, in other embodiments, scraps, fines and winnowings can alternatively or additionally be employed in the feedstock.
The paper reconstituted tobacco for use in the tobacco component described herein may be prepared by methods which are known to those skilled in the art for preparing paper reconstituted tobacco.
The tobacco component may comprise a mixture of lamina tobacco material and paper reconstituted tobacco material. The paper reconstituted tobacco material may have a nicotine content of less than the nicotine content of an equivalent weight of the lamina tobacco. For example, the reconstituted tobacco material may have a nicotine content of less than 1.5% by dry weight of the reconstituted tobacco material.
The reconstituted tobacco material may have a density of less than about 700 milligrams per cubic centimetre (mg/cc). Preferably, the tobacco component comprises reconstituted tobacco material having a density of less than about 700 mg/cc, for instance paper reconstituted tobacco material. More preferably, the aerosol generating material comprises reconstituted tobacco material having a density of less than about 600 mg/cc. Alternatively or in addition, the aerosol generating material preferably comprises reconstituted tobacco material having a density of at least 350 mg/cc.
The weight ratio of the lamina tobacco material relative to the paper reconstituted tobacco material may be 30:70, 31:69, 32:68, 33:67, 34:66, 35:65, 36:64, 37:63, 38:62, 39:61, 40:60, 41:59, 42:58, 43:57, 44:56, 45:55, 46:54, 47:53, 48:52, 49:51, 50:50, 51:49, 52:48, 53:47, 54:46, 55:45, 56:44, 57:43, 58:42, 59:41, 60:40, 61:39, 62:38, 63:37, 64:36, 65:35, 66:34, 67:33, 68:32, 69:31, 70:30, 71:29, 72:28, 73:27, 74:26, 75:25, 76:24, 77:23, 78:22, 79:21, 80:20, 81:19, 82:18, 83:17, 84:16, 85:15, 86:14, 87:13, 88:12, 89:11 or 90:10 (weight of lamina tobacco:weight paper reconstituted tobacco).
The tobacco material may be provided in the form of cut rag tobacco. The cut rag tobacco can have a cut width of at least 15 cuts per inch (about 5.9 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut width of about 1.7 mm). Preferably, the cut rag tobacco has a cut width of at least 18 cuts per inch (about 7.1 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut width of about 1.4 mm), more preferably at least 20 cuts per inch (about 7.9 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut width of about 1.27 mm). In one example, the cut rag tobacco has a cut width of 22 cuts per inch (about 8.7 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut width of about 1.15 mm). Preferably, the cut rag tobacco has a cut width at or below 40 cuts per inch (about 15.7 cuts per cm, equivalent to a cut width of about 0.64 mm). Cut widths between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm, for instance between 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm, or between 0.6 mm and 1.7 mm, have been found to result in tobacco material which is preferable in terms of surface area to volume ratio, particularly when heated, and the overall density and pressure drop of the substrate. The cut rag tobacco can be formed from a mixture of forms of tobacco material, for instance a mixture of leaf tobacco and one or more of paper reconstituted tobacco, extruded tobacco and bandcast tobacco. Preferably the tobacco material comprises paper reconstituted tobacco.
The leaf tobacco and/or the paper reconstituted tobacco material may comprise a width of between about 0.5 mm and about 2 mm, between about 0.6 mm and about 1.75 mm, between about 0.6 mm and about 1.7 mm or between about 0.7 and about 1.5 mm.
The aerosol-generating materials described herein may comprise 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 filler component may be a non-tobacco fiber such as wood fiber or pulp or wheat fiber. The filler component may also be an inorganic material such as chalk, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, magnesium carbonate. The filler component may also be a non-tobacco cast material or a non-tobacco extruded material.
The filler component may be present in an amount from about 0 to about 20% by weight of the tobacco material, or in an amount of from about 1 to about 10% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating material comprises the filler component in an amount between about 5% and about 10% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the filler component is absent.
The aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former material. The total amount of aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 20% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 20% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 13% to about 16% by weight of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is about 15% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the total amount of aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 20% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 20% to about 30% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 13% to about 16% by weight of the plant based component. In some embodiments, the total amount of the aerosol-former material is about 15% by weight of the plant based component.
In this context, an “aerosol-former material” is an agent that promotes the generation of an aerosol. An aerosol-former material may promote the generation of an aerosol by promoting an initial vaporization and/or the condensation of a gas to an inhalable solid and/or liquid aerosol. In some embodiments, an aerosol-former material may improve the delivery of flavor from the aerosol generating material.
The aerosol-former material has been found to improve the sensory performance of a an article for use with an aerosol generation device comprising the aerosol-generating material, by helping to transfer compounds such as flavor compounds from the plant based material to the consumer. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material described herein is flavored and/or comprises a flavor as described herein.
In general, any suitable aerosol-former material or agent may be included in the aerosol generating material of the invention. Suitable aerosol-former materials include, but are not limited to: a polyol such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like propylene glycol or triethylene glycol; a non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, high boiling point hydrocarbons, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as diacetin, triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate or myristates including ethyl myristate and isopropyl myristate and aliphatic carboxylic acid esters such as methyl stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material is selected from the group consisting of 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, propylene carbonate, and mixtures thereof.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material comprises glycerol in amount from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the aerosol-former material.
The aerosol-former material may be included in any component of the aerosol-generating material. Alternatively or additionally the aerosol-former material may be added to the aerosol-generating material separately. In either case, the total amount of the aerosol-former material in the aerosol-generating material should be as defined herein. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material is applied to the aerosol-generating material or the plant based component as a liquid component. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material is comprised in a gel based component. The plant based component may be applied to the gel based component.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. Preferably, the aerosol-former material comprises glycerol. Glycerol may be present in an amount of from 10 to 20% by weight of the plant based component, for example 13 to 16% by weight of the component, or about 14% or 15% by weight of the component. Propylene glycol, if present, may be present in an amount of from 0.1 to 0.3% by weight of the component.
The aerosol-former material may be included in a component of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-former material may be included in the reconstituted tobacco and/or in a filler component, if present.
Alternatively or additionally the aerosol-former material may be applied to the plant based material or plant based component separately. In either case, the total amount of the aerosol-former material in the plant based material or plant based component should be as defined herein.
The paper reconstituted tobacco material may comprise the aerosol-former material. The paper reconstituted tobacco material may comprise the aerosol-former material in an amount of between about 10% and about 20% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco material. In some embodiments, the paper reconstituted tobacco material may comprise the aerosol-former material in an amount of about 10%, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 14%, about 15%, about 16%, about 17%, about 18%, about 19% or about 20% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco material.
The aerosol-generating material described herein can contain an aerosol modifying agent, such as any of the flavors described herein.
As used herein, the terms “flavor” and “flavorant” refer 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. They may include naturally occurring flavor materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, Ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.
In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from cannabis.
In some embodiments, the flavor 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 is not limited to, eucolyptol and WS-3.
In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material contains menthol, forming a mentholated article. The aerosol-generating material can comprise from 3 mg to 20 mg of menthol, preferably between 5 mg and 18 mg and more preferably between 8 mg and 16 mg of menthol. In the present example, the tobacco material comprises 16 mg of menthol. The tobacco material can contain between 2% and 8% by weight of menthol, preferably between 3% and 7% by weight of menthol and more preferably between 4% and 5.5% by weight of menthol. In some embodiments, the tobacco material includes 4.7% by weight of menthol. Such high levels of menthol loading can be achieved using a high percentage of reconstituted tobacco material, for instance greater than 50% of the tobacco material by weight. Alternatively or additionally, the use of a high volume of aerosol generating material, for instance tobacco material, can increase the level of menthol loading that can be achieved, for instance where greater than about 500 mm³or suitably more than about 1000 mm³of aerosol generating material, such as tobacco material, are used.
The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the aerosol-generating material as described herein, wherein the method comprises applying an aerosol-former material as described herein and an acid as described herein to the plant based component.
As shown in FIG. 1 , an aerosol-generating material according to some embodiments may be manufactured by a method comprising applying the aerosol-former material and lactic acid to lamina tobacco and then combining the lamina tobacco comprising the aerosol-former material with a reconstituted tobacco material. An aerosol-generating material according to some embodiments may be manufactured by a method comprising applying the aerosol-former material and lactic acid to the plant based component. The plant based component may comprise lamina tobacco and a reconstituted tobacco material.
For example, the aerosol-former material may be applied to the plant based component by spraying it onto the plant based component or by soaking the plant based component in the aerosol-former material. For example, the aerosol-generating material may be manufactured by applying the aerosol-former material to the lamina tobacco material and/or the reconstituted tobacco material.
The invention also relates to an aerosol-generating material manufactured by the methods described herein.
The invention relates to the use of the aerosol-generating materials as described herein in an article for use in an aerosol provision system, for example a non-combustible aerosol provision system.
The invention relates to an article for use in an aerosol provision system, for example a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article comprising an aerosol-generating material as described herein.
The article may comprise a rod of the aerosol-generating material. The rod may have a total weight of between about 250 mg and about 350 mg. In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating material may be wrapped in a wrapper having a permeability of less than 100 Coresta Units.
The article may comprise reconstituted tobacco material having a density of less than about 700 milligrams per cubic centimetre.
The article may have an outer circumference of at least about 19 mm, preferably between about 19 mm and about 23 mm or about 21 mm. This may facilitate insertion of the article into an aerosol generation device.
The invention also relates to a system comprising an aerosol-generating material as described herein and a device arranged to heat the aerosol-generating material and generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material.
In some embodiments, the system comprises an article as described herein and the aerosol generation device is arranged to receive at least a portion of the article comprising the aerosol-generating material and to heat the portion of the article comprising the aerosol-generating material and generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material.
FIG. 2 is a side-on cross sectional view of an article 1 for use with an aerosol provision device.
The article 1 comprises a mouthpiece 2, and a cylindrical rod of aerosol generating material 3, in the present case tobacco material, connected to the mouthpiece 2. The aerosol generating material 3, also referred to herein as an aerosol generating substrate 3, comprises at least one aerosol-former material. In the present example, the aerosol-former material is glycerol. In alternative examples, the aerosol-former material can be another material as described herein or a combination thereof. The aerosol-former material has been found to improve the sensory performance of the article, by helping to transfer compounds such as flavor compounds from the aerosol generating material to the consumer.
The part of the mouthpiece which comes into contact with a consumer's lips has usually been a paper tube, which is either hollow or surrounds a cylindrical body of filter material.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1 comprises an upstream end 2 a adjacent to the aerosol generating substrate 3 and a downstream end 2 b distal from the aerosol generating substrate 3. At the downstream end 2 b, the mouthpiece 2 has a hollow tubular element 4 formed from filamentary tow. This has advantageously been found to significantly reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 at the downstream end 2 b of the mouthpiece which comes into contact with a consumer's mouth when the article 1 is in use. In addition, the use of the tubular element 4 has also been found to significantly reduce the temperature of the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2 even upstream of the tubular element 4. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that this is due to the tubular element 4 channeling aerosol closer to the centre of the mouthpiece 2, and therefore reducing the transfer of heat from the aerosol to the outer surface of the mouthpiece 2.
In the present example the hollow tubular element 4 is a first hollow tubular element 4 and the mouthpiece includes a second hollow tubular element 8, also referred to as a cooling element, upstream of the first hollow tubular element 4. In the present example, the second hollow tubular element 8 is upstream of, adjacent to and in an abutting relationship with the body of material 6. The body of material 6 and second hollow tubular element 8 each define a substantially cylindrical overall outer shape and share a common longitudinal axis. The second hollow tubular element 8 is formed from a plurality of layers of paper which are parallel wound, with butted seams, to form the tubular element 8. In the present example, first and second paper layers are provided in a two-ply tube, although in other examples 3, 4 or more paper layers can be used forming 3, 4 or more ply tubes. Other constructions can be used, such as spirally wound layers of paper, cardboard tubes, tubes formed using a papier-mâché type process, molded or extruded plastic tubes or similar. The second hollow tubular element 8 can also be formed using a stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper as the second plug wrap 9 and/or tipping paper 5 described herein, meaning that a separate tubular element is not required. The stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper is manufactured to have a rigidity that is sufficient to withstand the axial compressive forces and bending moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the article 1 is in use. For instance, the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper can have a basis weight between 70 gsm and 120 gsm, more preferably between 80 gsm and 110 gsm. Additionally or alternatively, the stiff plug wrap and/or tipping paper can have a thickness between 80 μm and 200 μm, more preferably between 100 μm and 160 μm, or from 120 μm to 150 μm. It can be desirable for both the second plug wrap 9 and tipping paper 5 to have values in these ranges, to achieve an acceptable overall level of rigidity for the second hollow tubular element 8.
The second hollow tubular element 8 preferably has a wall thickness, which can be measured in the same way as that of the first hollow tubular element 4, of at least about 100 μm and up to about 1.5 mm, preferably between 100 μm and 1 mm and more preferably between 150 μm and 500 μm, or about 300 μm. In the present example, the second hollow tubular element 8 has a wall thickness of about 290 μm.
Preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is less than about 50 mm. More preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is less than about 40 mm. Still more preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is less than about 30 mm. In addition, or as an alternative, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is preferably at least about 10 mm. Preferably, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is at least about 15 mm. In some preferred embodiments, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is from about 20 mm to about 30 mm, more preferably from about 22 mm to about 28 mm, even more preferably from about 24 to about 26 mm, most preferably about 25 mm. In the present example, the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 is 25 mm.
The second hollow tubular element 8 is located around and defines an air gap within the mouthpiece 2 which acts as a cooling segment. The air gap provides a chamber through which heated volatilized components generated by the aerosol generating material 3 flow. The second hollow tubular element 8 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation yet rigid enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that might arise during manufacture and whilst the article 1 is in use. The second hollow tubular element 8 provides a physical displacement between the aerosol generating material 3 and the body of material 6. The physical displacement provided by the second hollow tubular element 8 will provide a thermal gradient across the length of the second hollow tubular element 8.
Preferably, the mouthpiece 2 comprises a cavity having an internal volume greater than 450 mm³. Providing a cavity of at least this volume has been found to enable the formation of an improved aerosol. Such a cavity size provides sufficient space within the mouthpiece 2 to allow heated volatilized components to cool, therefore allowing the exposure of the aerosol generating material 3 to higher temperatures than would otherwise be possible, since they may result in an aerosol which is too warm. In the present example, the cavity is formed by the second hollow tubular element 8, but in alternative arrangements it could be formed within a different part of the mouthpiece 2. More preferably, the mouthpiece 2 comprises a cavity, for instance formed within the second hollow tubular element 8, having an internal volume greater than 500 mm³, and still more preferably greater than 550 mm³, allowing further improvement of the aerosol. In some examples, the internal cavity comprises a volume of between about 550 mm³and about 750 mm³, for instance about 600 mm³or 700 mm³.
The second hollow tubular element 8 can be configured to provide a temperature differential of at least 40 degrees Celsius between a heated volatilized component entering a first, upstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8 and a heated volatilized component exiting a second, downstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8. The second hollow tubular element 8 is preferably configured to provide a temperature differential of at least 60 degrees Celsius, preferably at least 80 degrees Celsius and more preferably at least 100 degrees Celsius between a heated volatilized component entering a first, upstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8 and a heated volatilized component exiting a second, downstream end of the second hollow tubular element 8. This temperature differential across the length of the second hollow tubular element 8 protects the temperature sensitive body of material 6 from the high temperatures of the aerosol generating material 3 when it is heated.
In alternative articles, the second hollow tubular element 8 can be replaced with an alternative cooling element, for instance an element formed from a body of material which allows aerosol to pass through it longitudinally, and which also performs the function of cooling the aerosol.
In the present example, the first hollow tubular element 4, body of material 6 and second hollow tubular element 8 are combined using a second plug wrap 9 which is wrapped around all three sections. Preferably, the second plug wrap 9 has a basis weight of less than 50 gsm, more preferably between about 20 gsm and 45 gsm. Preferably, the second plug wrap 9 has a thickness of between 30 μm and 60 μm, more preferably between 35 μm and 45 μm. The second plug wrap 9 is preferably a non-porous plug wrap having a permeability of less than 100 Coresta Units, for instance less than 50 Coresta Units. However, in alternative embodiments, the second plug wrap 9 can be a porous plug wrap, for instance having a permeability of greater than 200 Coresta Units.
In the present example, the aerosol generating material 3 is wrapped in a wrapper 10. The wrapper 10 can, for instance, be a paper or paper-backed foil wrapper. In the present example, the wrapper 10 is substantially impermeable to air. In alternative embodiments, the wrapper 10 preferably has a permeability of less than 100 Coresta Units, more preferably less than 60 Coresta Units. It has been found that low permeability wrappers, for instance having a permeability of less than 100 Coresta Units, more preferably less than 60 Coresta Units, result in an improvement in the aerosol formation in the aerosol generating material 3. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that this is due to reduced loss of aerosol compounds through the wrapper 10. The permeability of the wrapper 10 can be measured in accordance with ISO 2965:2009 concerning the determination of air permeability for materials used as cigarette papers, filter plug wrap and filter joining paper.
In the present embodiment, the wrapper 10 comprises aluminium foil. Aluminium foil has been found to be particularly effective at enhancing the formation of aerosol within the aerosol generating material 3. In the present example, the aluminium foil has a metal layer having a thickness of about 6 μm. In the present example, the aluminium foil has a paper backing. However, in alternative arrangements, the aluminium foil can be other thicknesses, for instance between 4 μm and 16 μm in thickness. The aluminium foil also need not have a paper backing, but could have a backing formed from other materials, for instance to help provide an appropriate tensile strength to the foil, or it could have no backing material. Metallic layers or foils other than aluminium can also be used. The total thickness of the wrapper is preferably between 20 μm and 60 μm, more preferably between 30 μm and 50 μm, which can provide a wrapper having appropriate structural integrity and heat transfer characteristics. The tensile force which can be applied to the wrapper before it breaks can be greater than 3,000 grams force, for instance between 3,000 and 10,000 grams force or between 3,000 and 4,500 grams force.
The article has a ventilation level of about 75% of the aerosol drawn through the article. In alternative embodiments, the article can have a ventilation level of between 50% and 80% of aerosol drawn through the article, for instance between 65% and 75%. Ventilation at these levels helps to slow down the flow of aerosol drawn through the mouthpiece 2 and thereby enable the aerosol to cool sufficiently before it reaches the downstream end 2 b of the mouthpiece 2. The ventilation is provided directly into the mouthpiece 2 of the article 1. In the present example, the ventilation is provided into the second hollow tubular element 8, which has been found to be particularly beneficial in assisting with the aerosol generation process. The ventilation is provided via first and second parallel rows of perforations 12, in the present case formed as laser perforations, at positions 17.925 mm and 18.625 mm respectively from the downstream, mouth-end 2 b of the mouthpiece 2. These perforations pass though the tipping paper 5, second plug wrap 9 and second hollow tubular element 8. In alternative embodiments, the ventilation can be provided into the mouthpiece at other locations, for instance into the body of material 6 or first tubular element 4.
In the present example, the aerosol-former material added to the aerosol generating substrate 3 comprises 14% by weight of the aerosol generating substrate 3. Preferably, the aerosol-former material comprises at least 5% by weight of the aerosol generating substrate, more preferably at least 10%. Preferably, the aerosol-former material comprises less than 25% by weight of the aerosol generating substrate, more preferably less than 20%, for instance between 10% and 20%, between 12% and 18% or between 13% and 16%.
Preferably the aerosol generating material 3 is provided as a cylindrical rod of aerosol generating material. Irrespective of the form of the aerosol generating material, it preferably has a length of about 10 mm to 100 mm. In some embodiments, the length of the aerosol generating material is preferably in the range about 25 mm to 50 mm, more preferably in the range about 30 mm to 45 mm, and still more preferably about 30 mm to 40 mm.
The volume of aerosol generating material 3 provided can vary from about 200 mm³to about 4300 mm³, preferably from about 500 mm³to 1500 mm³, more preferably from about 1000 mm³to about 1300 mm³. The provision of these volumes of aerosol generating material, for instance from about 1000 mm³to about 1300 mm³, has been advantageously shown to achieve a superior aerosol, having a greater visibility and sensory performance compared to that achieved with volumes selected from the lower end of the range.
The mass of aerosol generating material 3 provided can be greater than 200 mg, for instance from about 200 mg to 400 mg, preferably from about 230 mg to 360 mg, more preferably from about 250 mg to 360 mg. It has been advantageously found that providing a higher mass of aerosol generating material results in improved sensory performance compared to aerosol generated from a lower mass of tobacco material.
Preferably the aerosol generating material or substrate is formed from tobacco material as described herein, which includes a tobacco component.

EXAMPLES

Determination of Nicotine and Aerosol-Former Material Content

The quantities of nicotine and the aerosol-former material may be measured using the following method.
An extraction solution may be made as follows. 2.5±0.01 g of n-heptadecane is weighed into a weighing vessel and added to a 5 L volumetric flask, containing 400-500 mL of methanol and the contents of the volumetric flask thoroughly mixed to dissolve the n-heptadecane. When dissolved, methanol is added to make up to the correct volume of the volumetric flask and form the extraction solution.
The aerosol generating material (5-10 mm wide pieces) is stored in a sealed plastic bag or air tight container before analysis. The samples are mixed inside the bags before use, as to guarantee homogeneity.
1.0 g (±0.01 g) of the sample is weighed into a 150-mL conical flask. 1.00 mL of deionised water from a calibrated pipette is added and the mixture left for 5 minutes. 50 mL of the extraction solution (see above) is added with a calibrated dispenser. The flask is stoppered and then set shaking on an Orbital/Horizontal shaker for 3 hours at 150 rpm.
Using a plastic 5 ml syringe, some of the extract is filtered through a 0.45 μm PVDF filter into a 2 mL GC Vial.
The extract in the GC vial may then be analysed using GC (see below tables for parameters) against working calibration solutions that have been previously prepared.
The sample is injected into the injection port connected to the analytical column. A capillary GC column (phenomenex ZB-WAXplus (30 m×0.53 mm id×1.00 μm)) and a flame ionisation detector (FID) may be used for the analysis.

TABLE 1

Column Parameters

	Front - MNPH

	Column	ZB-WAXplus
		30 m × 0.53 mm × 1.00 μm
	Carrier Gas	Helium
	Pressure (psi)	5.1

TABLE 2

Inlet/Injector Parameters

	Front - MNPH

	Mode	Splitless
	Temperature (° C.)	270
	Pressure (psi)	5.1
	Split Ratio	N/A
	Split Flow (mL/min)	N/A
	Total Flow (mL/min)	48
	Injection Volume (μL)	1
	Gas Saver	On

TABLE 3

Detector Parameters

	Front - MNPH

	Type	FID
	Temperature (° C.)	270
	H₂Flow/Ref. Flow	30
	Air Flow (mL/min)	400
	Make Up	Constant
	Make Up He (mL/min)	15.0
	On/Off	Flame On
	Negative Polarity	N/A

TABLE 4

Oven Parameters

Initial Temperature	120°	C.
Initial Time	4	min
Ramp Rate	20°	C./min
Final Temperature	230°	C.
Final Time	2.5	min

The final results of nicotine and aerosol-former material [C_NH(%)(dwb)] may be expressed as percent of dried sample, corrected by water content using the below equations. Water content may be determined by the Karl Fisher Method.
$C_{NH} (\frac{mg}{g}) = \frac{(\frac{A_{NH}}{A_{ISTD}} - INT) \times C_{ISTD} \times V}{D \times m}$ $C_{NH} (%) (dwb) = \frac{C_{NH} (\frac{mg}{g}) \times 100}{1000} \times \frac{100}{100 - C_{Water (%)}}$

- NH: Nicotine and/or Humectants (propylene glycol and glycerol) analytes
- C_NH(mg/g): Concentration of the Analyte expressed in mg/g
- C_NH(%)(dwb): Concentration of the Analyte expressed in % of dried sample
- Dwb: dry weigh bases
- CWater (%): Concentration of Water expressed in %
- A_NH: Area of the analyte (nicotine, glycerol or propylene glycol)
- A_ISTD: Area of the internal standard
- INT: y-axis intercept of the linear regression
- CISTD: concentration of internal standard in the extraction solution (mg/mL)
- V: volume of extraction solution (mL)+1.00 mL of deionised water
- D: slope of the linear regression
- m: mass of whole THP recon used for extraction (g)

The nicotine target % provided herein may be determined by analysing the nicotine content of a series of samples (e.g. 20-40 samples) and then taking an average.

Example 1

Samples of a lamina containing tobacco blend (such as an 80:20 blend of paper reconstituted tobacco and lamina tobacco) were produced. The samples (500 g) were sprayed with an acid solution (10 mL) comprising an acid (either levulinic acid (LEV) or lactic acid (LA)) and water using a mist spray gun whilst the samples were being rotated. The amount of acid in the solution was determined based on the intended molar ratio of acid:nicotine in the resulting material. The nicotine content of the tobacco blend was determined by gas chromatography as described above. Once the number of moles of nicotine in the tobacco blend were determined, the amount of acid to be added was calculated and incorporated in the acid solution. In example 1, the intended molar ratio of acid:nicotine in the resulting material was 1:1.
Control materials were also prepared. The control materials were prepared in an identical way to the corresponding materials that had been sprayed with the acid solution, except in that they were not sprayed with the acid solution. As such, the control materials were identical to those of the invention except that they did not contain the acid.
The acid containing materials and control materials were incorporated into smoking articles and were tested by a trained sensory panel consisting of 8 panellists. The panellists were asked to rank multiple attributes relating to their smoking experience on a scale of 0-10 for each of the smoking articles (each variation of smoking article was tested 3 separate times). The data was then assessed for statistically significant differences between test samples vs. the control using ANOVA and Fischer LSD (95% CL) tests. The results are shown in Table 5 in which FP means first puff and DS means during smoking.

TABLE 5

						Mouth
	Irritation	Irritation	Irritation	Irritation	Mouth	Drying
	FP	FP (with	DS	DS (with	Drying	(with
Acid	(control)	acid)	(control)	acid)	(control)	acid)

LEV	1.89	1.48	4	3.3	3.22	2.56
LEV	3.03	2.47	4.03	3.53	2.8	2.77
LA	2.25	1.67	3.67	2.96	2.88	2.21

As shown in table 5, aerosol generating materials according to the present invention show significant improvements in the user experience. In particular, the aerosol generating materials according to the present invention result in improved user irritation (FP and DS) as well as reduced mouth drying.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating material comprising a plant based component, an aerosol-former material, and an acid, wherein:

the plant based component comprises a plant based material in an amount equal to or greater than about 20% by dry weight of the plant based component and the plant based material has a nicotine content of equal to or greater than 1.5% by dry weight of the plant based material;

the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material; and

the total amount the acid is from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

2. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, levulinic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and 2-methylvaleric acid; optionally the acid is lactic acid or levulinic acid.

3. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based material is a botanical material or a tobacco material.

4. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 3, wherein the tobacco material is a lamina tobacco material.

5. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based component comprises the plant based material in amount from about 20% to about 99% by weight of the plant based component.

6. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based material has a nicotine content of from about 1.5% to about 5% by dry weight of the plant based material.

7. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based component has a nicotine content of from about 0.5% to about 3% by dry weight of the plant based component.

8. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based component comprises the acid in an amount from about 50% to about 99% of the total acid in the aerosol-generating material.

9. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 20% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

10. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol-former material is selected from the group consisting of 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, propylene carbonate, and mixtures thereof.

11. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol-former material comprises glycerol in amount from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the aerosol-former material.

12. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based component comprises paper reconstituted tobacco material in an amount of from about 50% to about 80% by weight of the plant based component.

13. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 1, wherein the plant based component comprises a plant based material selected from the group consisting of: extruded tobacco, bandcast tobacco, and mixtures thereof.

14. An aerosol-generating material comprising a plant based component which comprises nicotine, an aerosol-former material, and an acid, wherein:

the aerosol-generating material comprises the acid in an amount from about 50% to about 200% relative to the moles of nicotine in the plant based component.

15. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 14, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, levulinic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, and 2-methylvaleric acid; optionally the acid is lactic acid or levulinic acid.

16. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 13, wherein the total amount of the aerosol-former material is from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material.

17. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 14, wherein the plant based component comprises a plant based material selected from the group consisting of a botanical material or a tobacco material.

18. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 14, wherein the plant based component comprises a plant based material having a nicotine content of from about 1.5% to about 5% by dry weight of the plant based material.

19. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 14, wherein the plant based component comprises a lamina tobacco material.

20. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 14, wherein the plant based component has a nicotine content of from about 0.5% to about 2% by dry weight of the plant based component.

21. An aerosol-generating material according to claim 14, wherein the aerosol former material comprises glycerol in amount from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the aerosol-former material.

22. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating material as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising applying said aerosol-former material and said acid to said plant based component.

23. An aerosol-generating material manufactured by the method as claimed in claim 22.

24. Use of an aerosol-generating material as claimed in claim claim 1 in an article for use in an aerosol provision system.

25. An article for use in an aerosol provision system comprising aerosol-generating material as claimed in claim 1.

26. A system comprising an aerosol-generating material as claimed in claim 1 and a device arranged to heat the aerosol-generating material and generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material.