Seamless capsule for cigarettes and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a seamless capsule for cigarettes and a preparation method thereof, the seamless capsule for cigarettes comprises a core liquid and a rubber sheet wrapping the core liquid, and the core liquid comprises an oil-soluble liquid; the rubber skin comprises the following components in parts by weight: 2-10 parts of a gel, 0.1-5.5 parts of a functional aid, 0.1-0.5 part of a first curing agent and a second curing agent; the gel is prepared from gellan gum and alginate; the seamless capsule for the cigarette is prepared by the following steps: mixing a gelling agent, a functional auxiliary agent, deionized water and a first curing agent to prepare a rubber liquid of rubber; dropping the rubber liquid and the core liquid into the cooling liquid to obtain wet pills; and soaking the wet pill in a solution containing a second curing agent, and drying to obtain the seamless capsule for cigarettes, wherein the mass ratio of the wet pill to the solution containing the second curing agent is 1: (1-1.5). According to the seamless capsule for the cigarette, the wet pill is subjected to secondary strengthening, the overall strength of the wet pill is improved, and the compactness, heat resistance and moisture resistance of the seamless capsule for the cigarette are improved.

Description

Technical Field The invention belongs to the technical field of tobacco processing, and in particular relates to a seamless capsule for cigarettes and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Seamless capsules for cigarettes refer to round beads that can be squeezed and added to cigarette filters. The round beads are made of a plastic shell as the wall material, and a core material with aromatic substances is wrapped inside. Currently, most core materials are oily components, and a very small part of the core material is water-soluble. After the seamless capsules for cigarettes are squeezed, they can release some aromatic substances themselves. Finally, during the smoking process, the temperature of the smoke is used to increase the volatilization of the aromatic substances, and they enter the user's mouth during the smoking process, increasing the user's sensory experience.

[0003] Compared with traditional cigarettes that release smoke by heating and burning, and electronic cigarettes that turn nicotine oil into steam through atomization and other means, HNB cigarettes (heat-not-burn cigarettes) are based on distillation technology and do not release smoke through the combustion reaction of tobacco. The smoke temperature of 50~65℃ is much higher than the 40~50℃ smoke of traditional cigarettes, and the water content of the smoke is much higher than that of traditional cigarettes. The seamless capsules for cigarettes that meet the needs of traditional cigarettes are used in HNB cigarettes. In an environment where the water content of the smoke is high and the temperature is high, the capsules cannot maintain sufficient brittleness during the smoking process, and it is easy for the capsules to break before smoking, affecting the sensory experience. Therefore, it is urgent to prepare a seamless capsule for cigarettes that has higher heat resistance and moisture resistance. Summary of the invention

[0004] Aiming at the problem that the existing seamless capsules for cigarettes are not suitable for the temperature and moisture of HNB cigarette smoke, the present invention provides a seamless capsule for cigarettes and a preparation method thereof.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is as follows: In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a seamless capsule for cigarettes, comprising a core liquid and a rubber skin wrapping the core liquid, wherein the core liquid comprises an oil-soluble liquid; the components of the rubber skin comprise 2 to 10 parts of a gelling agent, 0.1 to 5.5 parts of a functional auxiliary agent, and 0.1 to 0.5 parts of a first curing agent and a second curing agent; the gelling agent comprises gellan gum and alginate; The seamless capsule for cigarettes is prepared by the following steps: The gelling agent, the functional additive, deionized water and the first curing agent are mixed to prepare a rubber liquid of the rubber; Dropping the rubber liquid and the core liquid into the cooling liquid to obtain wet pills; After soaking the wet pellets in a solution containing a second curing agent, drying the wet pellets to obtain the seamless capsules for cigarettes; Wherein, the mass ratio of the wet pellets to the solution containing the second curing agent is 1:(1-1.5). Optionally, the wet pellets are immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent for 1 min to 30 min.

[0006] Optionally, the first curing agent is selected from water-soluble magnesium salts, and the second curing agent is selected from water-soluble calcium salts.

[0007] Optionally, the content of calcium ions in the solution containing the second curing agent is 0.2%~1%.

[0008] Optionally, the mass fraction of the gellan gum in the gel is 50% to 99%, and the mass fraction of the alginate in the gel is 1% to 10%.

[0009] Optionally, the water-soluble magnesium salt includes one or more of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium nitrate; And / or, the water-soluble calcium salt includes one or more of calcium chloride, calcium lactate, and calcium gluconate.

[0010] Optionally, the viscosity of the rubber liquid is 20cp~100cp, and the gel strength of the rubber liquid is 1200g / cm 3 ~3000g / cm 3 .

[0011] Optionally, the gel further includes at least one of carrageenan, gum arabic, pectin and agar.

[0012] Optionally, the functional additive includes 0.1 to 5 parts of a plasticizer and 0 to 0.5 parts of an additive.

[0013] Optionally, the plasticizer includes at least one of sorbitol, propylene glycol, mannitol, and glycerol; And / or, the additive includes at least one of a pigment and a filler.

[0014] Optionally, the filler includes at least one of silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and pyridinium dichromate.

[0015] In the process of improving the quality of seamless capsules for cigarettes of the present invention, the gel strength and speed of the rubber liquid are optimized by reacting the gellan gum in the gelling agent with the first curing agent, and alginate is introduced to adjust the viscosity of the rubber liquid to adapt to different drop molding processes. In addition, the overall strength of the wet pills is enhanced by accurately controlling the content of the rubber liquid components. Further, the wet pills are soaked in a solution containing a second curing agent, so that the second curing agent reacts with the gellan gum and alginate in the wet pills to form a thermally irreversible gel, thereby achieving secondary reinforcement of the wet pills. These measures work together, which is far superior to the one-time curing process of adding a curing agent to the glue solution, and can more effectively improve the compactness, heat resistance and moisture resistance of the capsules, thereby ensuring product quality. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention discloses a seamless capsule for cigarettes, comprising a core liquid and a rubber skin wrapping the core liquid, wherein the core liquid comprises an oil-soluble liquid; the components of the rubber skin comprise 2 to 10 parts of a gelling agent, 0.1 to 5.5 parts of a functional auxiliary agent, and 0.1 to 0.5 parts of a first curing agent and a second curing agent; the gelling agent comprises gellan gum and alginate; The seamless capsule for cigarettes is prepared by the following steps: The gelling agent, the functional additive, deionized water and the first curing agent are mixed to prepare a rubber liquid of the rubber; Dropping the rubber liquid and the core liquid into the cooling liquid to obtain wet pills; After soaking the wet pellets in a solution containing a second curing agent, drying the wet pellets to obtain the seamless capsules for cigarettes; The mass ratio of the wet pills to the solution containing the second curing agent is 1:(1-1.5), so that the wet pills are fully immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent.

[0018] In this embodiment, first, the gellan gum in the gelling agent reacts with the first curing agent to improve the gel strength and gel speed of the rubber liquid. Due to the density difference between the rubber liquid and the coolant and the dead weight of the wet pills, a too slow gel speed will cause the wet pills to fall locally during the molding process due to the density difference and dead weight, forming a special shape; while a too fast gel speed will cause the wet pills to solidify before the interfacial tension acts, resulting in the shape of the finished capsules being not round. Therefore, in order to adapt to different drop molding processes, the present application selects a gelling agent containing gellan gum and introduces alginate to adjust the viscosity of the rubber liquid. In addition, by accurately controlling the content of each component of the rubber, the gel strength of the rubber liquid is further regulated, thereby improving the overall strength of the wet pills and enhancing the density, heat resistance and moisture resistance of the seamless cigarette capsules.

[0019] Secondly, the gel strength of the rubber liquid is improved by using the first curing agent, and the wet pills are immersed in a solution containing the second curing agent for the second curing. The second curing agent reacts with the gellan gum and alginate in the wet pills to form a thermally irreversible gel, thereby strengthening the wet pills for a second time. This preparation method not only improves the overall strength of the wet pills, but also further enhances the density, heat resistance and moisture resistance of the seamless capsules for cigarettes, ensuring the quality and performance of the product. The production efficiency and product quality of seamless capsules for cigarettes are significantly improved.

[0020] The weight portion of gelling agent includes but is not limited to 2 parts, 4 parts, 5 parts, 6 parts, 7 parts, 8 parts, 9 parts or 10 parts. The weight portion of functional additive includes but is not limited to 0.1 parts, 0.4 parts, 0.8 parts, 1.2 parts, 1.6 parts, 2 parts, 2.4 parts, 2.8 parts, 3.2 parts, 3.6 parts, 4 parts, 4.4 parts, 4.8 parts, 5.2 parts or 5.5 parts. The weight portion of deionized water includes but is not limited to 0.1 parts, 0.4 parts, 0.7 parts, 1.0 parts, 1.3 parts or 1.5 parts. The weight portion of the first curing agent includes but is not limited to 0.1 parts, 0.2 parts, 0.3 parts, 0.4 parts or 0.5 parts.

[0021] Furthermore, the oil-soluble liquid includes at least one of oil-soluble flavors, tobacco essential oil, tobacco pure oil, vegetable oil, and hydrogenated vegetable oil. The oil-soluble flavors, tobacco essential oil, tobacco pure oil, and water-soluble flavors are used in combination to improve the aroma level of the smoke.

[0022] In some embodiments, the soaking time of the wet pellets in the solution containing the second curing agent is 1 min to 30 min. The soaking time of the wet pellets in the solution containing the second curing agent is adjusted so that the calcium ions react fully with the wet pellets.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the wet pellets are immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent for 1 min to 15 min.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the wet pellets are immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent for 1 min to 5 min.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the wet pellets are immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent for 1 min to 2.5 min.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first curing agent is selected from a water-soluble magnesium salt, and the second curing agent is selected from a water-soluble calcium salt. Specifically, alginate includes but is not limited to sodium alginate. The gellan gum in the gelling agent reacts with the magnesium ions in the water-soluble magnesium salt to improve the gel strength and gel speed of the rubber liquid, so that the rubber liquid is suitable for different drop molding processes. The calcium ions in the second curing agent react with the gellan gum and alginate in the drop-molded wet pills to form a thermally irreversible gel, which performs secondary reinforcement on the wet pills, improves the overall strength of the wet pills, and increases the density, heat resistance and moisture resistance of the seamless cigarette capsules.

[0027] Through this two-stage curing process, the strength of the capsule is significantly improved, which is superior to the traditional single curing method of directly adding curing agent to the glue. The first curing reaction forms a mesh-like structure after the capsule is formed, and the calcium bath process of the second curing reaction can improve the strength of the capsule shell from the outside to the inside, making the capsule strength distribution more uniform. This double curing can effectively improve the density, heat resistance and moisture resistance of seamless cigarette capsules, ensuring product quality.

[0028] In some embodiments, the content of calcium ions in the solution containing the second curing agent is 0.2% to 1%. The content of calcium ions is regulated so that the calcium ions react fully with the wet pellets.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the content of calcium ions in the solution containing the second curing agent is 0.2%-0.8%.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the content of calcium ions in the solution containing the second curing agent is 0.2% to 0.6%.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the content of calcium ions in the solution containing the second curing agent is 0.2%-0.4%.

[0032] In some embodiments, the mass fraction of the gellan gum in the gel is 50% to 99%, and the mass fraction of the alginate in the gel is 1% to 10%.

[0033] Specifically, the mass fraction of gellan gum includes but is not limited to 50%, 54%, 58%, 62%, 66%, 70%, 74%, 78%, 82%, 86%, 90%, 94% or 99%. The mass fraction of alginate includes but is not limited to 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% or 10%.

[0034] In some embodiments, the water-soluble magnesium salt includes one or more of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium nitrate. Different metal ions have different gelation rates for gelling agents. In this embodiment, the gelation rate of the rubber solution is regulated by selecting magnesium ions to be suitable for different capsule dripping processes.

[0035] In some embodiments, the water-soluble calcium salt includes one or more of calcium chloride, calcium lactate, and calcium gluconate. In this embodiment, calcium ions are selected to perform secondary strengthening on the wet pellets to form an irreversible gel, thereby enhancing the heat resistance and moisture resistance of the capsules.

[0036] In some embodiments, the viscosity of the rubber liquid is 20cp~100cp, and the gel strength of the rubber liquid is 1200g / cm 3 ~3000g / cm3 By adjusting the viscosity of the rubber liquid and the gel strength of the rubber liquid, the rubber liquid is easy to drip and mold.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the viscosity of the rubber liquid is 30cp~80cp, and the gel strength of the rubber liquid is 1700g / cm 3 ~3000g / cm 3 .

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the viscosity of the rubber liquid is 40cp~60cp, and the gel strength of the rubber liquid is 2200g / cm 3 ~3000g / cm 3 .

[0039] In some embodiments, the gelling agent further comprises at least one of carrageenan, gum arabic, pectin, and agar. The strength and compression resistance of the rubber can be regulated by adding the above-mentioned plant polysaccharides or microbial polysaccharides that can form gels.

[0040] In some embodiments, the functional additive includes 0.1 to 5 parts of a plasticizer and 0 to 0.5 parts of an additive. The addition of a plasticizer increases the strength and compression resistance of the rubber and prevents deformation of the capsule during storage.

[0041] In some embodiments, the plasticizer includes at least one of sorbitol, propylene glycol, mannitol, and glycerol. The above plasticizer is selected to increase the flexibility and transparency of the gel formed by the gelling agent, and also improve the water retention capacity of the gel formed by the gelling agent.

[0042] In some embodiments, the additive includes at least one of a pigment and a filler. The rubber is dyed by adding a pigment to facilitate the identification of different types of capsules. The roughness of the capsule is increased by adding a filler, thereby further improving the molding rate of the capsule.

[0043] In some embodiments, the filler includes at least one of silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and pyridinium dichromate.

[0044] In some embodiments, after the wet pellets are immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent, unreacted calcium ions on the surface of the wet pellets are washed away with clean water, and then dried.

[0045] In some embodiments, the average particle size of the seamless capsule for cigarettes is 1 mm to 4.5 mm. By limiting the particle size of the capsule, the capsule forming rate is improved. If the particle size of the capsule is too large, the wet pill is affected by its own gravity during the forming stage, and it is easy to fall partially and become deformed. If the particle size of the capsule is too small, the oil-soluble liquid will not be embedded in time.

[0046] The present invention is further described below by way of examples.

[0047] Example 1 This embodiment is used to illustrate the seamless capsule for cigarettes disclosed in the present invention and the preparation method thereof.

[0048] The rubber comprises 2 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of agar, 0.05 parts of sodium alginate, 0.1 parts of plasticizer propylene glycol, 0.5 parts of magnesium chloride and 1.0 parts of deionized water.

[0049] Preparation of rubber solution 2 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of agar, 0.05 parts of sodium alginate, 0.1 parts of propylene glycol, and 0.5 parts of magnesium chloride were added to deionized water and heated to dissolve to obtain a rubber liquid with a viscosity of 43cp and a gel strength of 2337g / cm 3 .

[0050] Preparation of capsules The rubber liquid and the core liquid are dripped into the coolant through a coaxial double-layer dripper to obtain wet pills, and the second curing agent calcium chloride is prepared into a calcium bath solution, the calcium ion concentration in the calcium bath solution is 0.2%, and the wet pills are immersed in the 0.2% calcium bath solution for 1 minute, and then washed and dried to obtain seamless capsules for cigarettes with a particle size of 3.0 mm.

[0051] Embodiments 2 to 17 The embodiment is used to illustrate the seamless capsule for cigarettes and the preparation method thereof disclosed in the present invention, and includes most of the operation steps in Example 1, except that the formula in Table 1 is used.

[0052] Comparative Examples 1 to 11 The comparative example is used to illustrate the seamless capsule for cigarettes and the preparation method thereof disclosed in the present invention, and includes most of the operation steps in Example 1, except that the formula in Table 1 is used.

[0053] Table 1 Performance Testing The seamless cigarette capsules obtained in the above examples and comparative examples were subjected to high temperature and moisture resistance tests.

[0054] 1. Take 50g of seamless tobacco capsules and place them in an environment with a temperature of 50℃ and a humidity of 75% for 30 minutes; 2. Take 50g of seamless cigarette capsules and place them in an environment with a temperature of 65℃ and a humidity of 75% for 5 minutes. Measure the water content and water activity of the capsules before and after the experiment, and observe the number of bubbles or pits on the surface of the capsules before and after the experiment under a microscope. Fill in the above specific test results in Table 2.

[0055] Table 2 From the test results of Comparative Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 7-8, it can be seen that the soaking time of the wet pills in the calcium bath solution has a significant effect on the high temperature resistance and moisture resistance of the capsules. Too short soaking time results in the calcium ions in the solution being unable to fully react with the gellan gum and sodium alginate in the wet pills, while too long soaking time will cause the gellan gum and sodium alginate to over-react, resulting in a weakening of the airtightness of the capsule wall material after drying, both of which will affect the strength of the capsules, thereby deteriorating their high temperature resistance and moisture resistance.

[0056] Comparing the test results of Examples 1, 5-8 and Comparative Examples 5-6, it can be seen that the calcium ion concentration in the calcium bath solution has a significant effect on the high temperature and moisture resistance of the capsule. Too low a calcium ion concentration cannot fully react with the gellan gum and sodium alginate in the wet pills, while too high a calcium ion concentration will cause the surface of the wet pills to over-react and fail to penetrate into the wet pills, making the capsules unable to achieve the required high temperature and moisture resistance. Bubbles or pits appeared on the surface of the capsules in Comparative Examples 5 and 8 after the high temperature and moisture resistance test. It can be seen that the volatile substances in the capsules penetrated the wall material in the experiment, further proving that too high a calcium ion concentration or too long a calcium bath time will cause the surface of the wet pills to over-react and fail to penetrate into the wet pills, affecting the compactness of the capsules.

[0057] By comparing the test results of Examples 1, 9, 10 and Comparative Examples 1-2, it can be seen that the addition of alginate to the rubber liquid of the seamless cigarette capsule can effectively adjust the viscosity of the rubber liquid. This embodiment adjusts the gel strength and gel speed of the rubber liquid by adjusting the amount of alginate added to change the amount of its reaction with magnesium ions, so that the rubber liquid is suitable for different drop molding processes. In addition, the embodiment of the present application further enhances the strength of the capsule shell through the calcium bath process of the secondary curing reaction, effectively improves the density, heat resistance and moisture resistance of the seamless cigarette capsule, and ensures product quality.

[0058] From the test results of Examples 1, 11, 12 and Comparative Examples 3-4, it can be seen that adding soluble magnesium ion salt to the rubber liquid of seamless cigarette capsules can increase the gelling speed and gel strength of the rubber liquid, and has a great influence on the stability of the capsules.

[0059] From the test results of comparative examples 1, 13-17 and comparative examples 9-11, it can be seen that the components in the rubber liquid of the seamless cigarette capsules are within the range defined in this embodiment, and the obtained capsules have good high temperature resistance and moisture resistance.

[0060] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A seamless capsule for cigarettes, characterized in that: It comprises a core liquid and a rubber covering the core liquid, wherein the core liquid comprises an oil-soluble liquid; the components of the rubber comprise 2 to 10 parts of a gelling agent, 0.1 to 5.5 parts of a functional aid, and 0.1 to 0.5 parts of a first curing agent and a second curing agent; the gelling agent comprises gellan gum and alginate; The seamless capsule for cigarettes is prepared by the following steps: The gelling agent, the functional additive, deionized water and the first curing agent are mixed to prepare a rubber liquid of the rubber; Dropping the rubber liquid and the core liquid into the cooling liquid to obtain wet pills; After soaking the wet pellets in a solution containing a second curing agent, drying the wet pellets to obtain the seamless capsules for cigarettes; Wherein, the mass ratio of the wet pellets to the solution containing the second curing agent is 1:(1-1.5).

2. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wet pellets are immersed in the solution containing the second curing agent for 1 min to 30 min.

3. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first curing agent is selected from water-soluble magnesium salts, and the second curing agent is selected from water-soluble calcium salts.

4. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The content of calcium ions in the solution containing the second curing agent is 0.2% to 1%.

5. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mass fraction of the gellan gum in the gelling agent is 50% to 99%, and the mass fraction of the alginate in the gelling agent is 1% to 10%.

6. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The water-soluble magnesium salt includes one or more of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate and magnesium nitrate; And / or, the water-soluble calcium salt includes one or more of calcium chloride, calcium lactate, and calcium gluconate.

7. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The viscosity of the rubber liquid is 20cp~100cp, and the gel strength of the rubber liquid is 1200g / cm 3 ~3000g / cm 3 .

8. The seamless capsule for cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gelling agent further comprises at least one of carrageenan, gum arabic, pectin and agar.

9. The seamless capsule for tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that: The functional additive includes 0.1 to 5 parts of a plasticizer and 0 to 0.5 parts of an additive.

10. The seamless capsule for tobacco according to claim 9, characterized in that: The plasticizer includes at least one of sorbitol, propylene glycol, mannitol and glycerol; And / or, the additive includes at least one of a pigment and a filler; the filler includes at least one of silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and pyridinium dichromate.

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