Method for manufacturing a substrate for an aerosol-generating article and related substrate

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a substrate for an aerosol generating article adapted to operate with a non-combustion heating type aerosol generating device, the method comprising: - a step of forming a gel portion (110), by a step of forming a preliminary mixture of an aerosol forming agent and a thickener (112), by a step of heating the preliminary mixture (114), and by a step of adding water to the preliminary mixture (116); - a step of adding an active substrate portion to the gel portion to form a substrate dough (120).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a substrate for an aerosol-generating article. The present invention also relates to a substrate manufactured by such method and an aerosol-generating article comprising such substrate.

[0002] In particular, the aerosol generating article is designed to operate with an aerosol generating device, and the material contained within the aerosol generating article can form an aerosol when heated by the aerosol generating device. Thus, such a type of aerosol generating device, also known as a heat-not-burn device, is adapted to heat instead of burn to generate an aerosol for inhalation. Background Technology

[0003] Due to the use and popularity of risk reduction or risk modification devices (also known as vaporizers), aid devices to assist habitual smokers who wish to quit traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and rolled tobacco, have grown rapidly over the past few years. In contrast to burning tobacco in conventional tobacco products, various devices and systems are available that heat or warm vaporizable materials.

[0004] A commonly available risk reduction or risk modification device is a heated material aerosol generator or a non-combustion heated device. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol generating material, which is typically contained within a separate consumable article. Typically, such an aerosol generating material comprises wet leaf tobacco or other suitable vaporizable material at a temperature typically ranging from 150°C to 350°C. By heating the aerosol generating material without igniting or burning it, an aerosol is released that contains the desired components of the user but does not contain ignition and combustion products. Additionally, the aerosol typically produced by heating tobacco or other vaporizable material does not contain smoke that could pollute and irritate the environment, nor does it contain a burnt or bitter taste resulting from ignition and combustion that could be unpleasant to the user.

[0005] Aerosol generating articles usable with this type of aerosol generating device may take various forms. Some of these may be elongated sticks, or any other suitable shape, such as a flat shape, for example. Generally, such aerosol generating articles are at least partially housed within a heating chamber of a device comprising one or more heaters for heating the articles.

[0006] The substrate contained within the aerosol-generating article generally comprises an aerosol-forming agent capable of forming an aerosol when the substrate is heated. Accordingly, the amount of aerosol formed by the substrate depends on the content of the aerosol-forming agent within the substrate. In order to increase the amount of aerosol formed by the substrate, it is generally desirable to increase this content. However, according to known methods for manufacturing the substrate, this content cannot be significantly increased. For example, in a substrate manufactured by some known methods, the content of the aerosol-forming agent is in the range of 10% to 25% by weight. This may not be sufficient to form a desired amount of aerosol when the substrate is heated.

[0007] One of the objectives of the present invention is to propose a method for manufacturing a substrate for an aerosol-generating article, which can significantly increase the content of an aerosol-forming agent within the substrate and, consequently, significantly increase the amount of aerosol generated by the substrate when the substrate is heated.

[0008] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a substrate for an aerosol generating article adapted to operate with a non-combustion heating type aerosol generating device, wherein the method comprises:

[0009] - As a step of forming a gel portion,

[0010] By the step of forming a pre-mixture of an aerosol-forming agent and a thickening agent,

[0011] By the step of heating the preliminary mixture,

[0012] A step of forming a gel portion by adding water to a preliminary mixture;

[0013] - Includes the step of adding an active substrate portion to a gel portion to form a substrate dough.

[0014] The method may further include the step of forming a substrate with a substrate.

[0015] According to the present invention, a substrate dough is obtained by mixing a wet material portion (i.e., a gel portion) with a dry material portion (i.e., an active substrate portion). The gel portion prepared according to the present invention contains an increased amount of aerosol-forming agent (compared to a gel obtained by a method of the prior art) while ensuring excellent binding properties and a high viscosity level. The addition of the aerosol-forming agent in the gel reduces the water content in the gel and provides excellent binding properties and sufficient viscosity for forming the substrate dough. Thus, a small amount of water is sufficient to ensure these properties. Accordingly, the amount of aerosol-forming agent in the gel can be increased up to 90 weight percent. Consequently, the content of the aerosol-forming agent in the resulting substrate can be increased up to 60 weight percent, for example, on a dry basis. This results in faster aerosol generation by the article and a larger amount of aerosol released during the vaping phase.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the premixture is heated before water is added to the premixture. By heating the premixture before adding water, rapid, reliable, reproducible, and controllable gel formation is ensured.

[0017] According to some embodiments, the gel is,

[0018] - 80 weight% to 96 weight%, preferably 90 weight%, of an aerosol-forming agent;

[0019] - 1 weight% to 10 weight%, preferably 5 weight% of a thickener;

[0020] - It is formed by mixing 1% to 10% by weight, preferably 5% by weight, of water.

[0021] Therefore, it is possible to increase the content of the aerosol-forming agent in the gel to up to 90 weight percent while maintaining the excellent binding properties and high viscosity level of the gel.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the thickener may be selected from the group consisting of agar, gellan gum, tamarind gum, modified starch, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), or combinations thereof.

[0023] According to some embodiments, the thickener comprises a mixture of agar and carboxymethylcellulose mixed in a ratio of 10:90 to 90:10, preferably 40:60 to 60:40, most preferably about 50:50.

[0024] This particular combination of thickener components is useful for achieving desired gel viscosity and bonding characteristics when there is a high aerosol-forming agent content. Additionally, when a lamination process of the substrate dough is used, the adhesion of the resulting laminated sheet as well as the adhesion of the resulting substrate dough can be reduced.

[0025] Additionally or alternatively, the thickener may include hydroxypropyl cellulose and guar gum, preferably in combination with agar and / or CMC.

[0026] According to some embodiments, a preliminary mixture of an aerosol-forming agent and a thickener forms a suspension.

[0027] That is, the thickener is suspended within the aerosol-forming agent. Heating and the addition of water cause a homogeneous mixture of the thickener and the aerosol-forming agent. Accordingly, a gel can be formed.

[0028] Preferably, water is added after a suspension of the thickener and the aerosol-forming agent as a liquid is formed. More preferably, the premixture is heated before water is added. Since water is not added to the premixture, the gel is not yet formed, and the thickener continues to be suspended within the aerosol-forming agent.

[0029] Additionally, when the thickener contains agar, heating is generally required to gelify the agar. If the premix (particularly containing glycerin, CMC, and agar) is heated before water is added, gelling of the agar occurs more quickly compared to when water is added to the low-temperature premix and then the premix is ​​heated. Furthermore, by using a thickener containing CMC and agar, a gel with high viscosity can be obtained while maintaining a very low water content. In contrast, since CMC already binds a significant proportion of water at room temperature, if sufficient free water to be absorbed by the agar is not available, adding water to the premix before heating can cause non-uniform gel formation.

[0030] Alternatively, in some embodiments, water is first added to the premixture, and then the premixture is heated.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the premixture is heated to a temperature of at least 60°C, preferably 65°C to 80°C.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises the step of forming a substrate with a substrate dough. The substrate may exist as a solid or as solids, preferably as a sheet, strip, thread, or bead.

[0033] The substrate can be formed using, for example, an embossing / debossing process, a stamping process, or a molding process. A combination of these processes may also be used. Alternatively or additionally, more complex forming processes may be used, for example, such as the extrusion of a slab or mass and lamination into a sheet or strip. Depending on the lamination, a thin sheet of about 0.1 to 1.2 mm can be formed, which can facilitate aerosolization and reduce heating energy consumption.

[0034] According to some embodiments, the substrate may be further cut / formed to fit the dimensions of the substrate portion of the aerosol generating article. The substrate may be cut / formed, for example, to a length of 5 to 20 mm and a width of 2 to 10 mm.

[0035] Additionally, during the step of forming the substrate with a substrate, aerosol channels may be formed on the surface of the substrate or through the substrate. Depending on these channels, airflow can be conducted and aerosols to be supplied to the user can be released.

[0036] Furthermore, the relatively low moisture content within the resulting substrate promotes the formation of the sheet or partial substrate and ensures the desired moisture content, thereby eliminating the need for an additional drying step. Accordingly, the manufacturing process of the aerosol-generating article can be simplified, and energy consumption can be reduced. This can be particularly convenient for substrates having specific shapes, such as a planar shape, for example.

[0037] According to some embodiments, drying is performed at least partially after forming the substrate in order to achieve a desired moisture content within the substrate. The desired moisture content within the substrate is selected based on the shape of the substrate, the heating method thereof, the power of the aerosol generating device, the composition of the substrate, etc.

[0038] For example, in some embodiments, a substrate having a moisture content of 9% to 12% by weight before drying may be dried to reduce its moisture content to 6% to 9% by weight.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the substrate is laminated into a sheet. The thickness of the sheet may be less than 1200 μm, and preferably less than 400 μm.

[0040] For example, lamination can be performed before drying. For example, a sheet-shaped substrate can be used in a planar aerosol-generating article. According to some embodiments, the sheet may be folded or rolled to form multiple layers.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the substrate comprises 30% to 50% by weight of an aerosol-forming agent on a dry basis.

[0042] This content of the aerosol-forming agent within the resulting material is particularly desirable to achieve faster aerosol generation by the article and a larger amount of aerosol released during the vaping phase.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the active substrate portion comprises or is formed by at least one plant material and / or fiber material and / or nicotine. In some embodiments, at least one plant material comprises tobacco leaf particles and / or non-tobacco plants or extracts of non-tobacco plants. The fiber material may comprise cellulose fibers and / or citrus fibers.

[0044] In some embodiments, at least one plant material is mixed with the fiber material in a ratio of 3:1 to 6:1.

[0045] Alternatively, at least one plant material may comprise a lower proportion of fibrous material. In some embodiments, fibrous material is not provided. In this case, the substrate may have a higher moisture content.

[0046] In some embodiments, the tobacco particle size (D90) is 120 μm to 5 mm, preferably 500 μm to 900 μm.

[0047] "Particle size (D90)" is understood to mean that 90% of all particles are of a size that falls within a specified range, or have a size that is larger than a specified value or smaller than a specified value. Particle size is measured by a Mastersizer-3000 Aero dry S.

[0048] These particle sizes have specific advantages within the resulting substrate. In particular, because the surface-to-volume ratio of individual particles decreases as the particle size increases, less water-soluble compounds from tobacco migrate into the gel portion of the substrate. This is an advantage in terms of changing the flavor, as sheets made with larger particles have a fresher and more "tobacco-like" flavor.

[0049] The present invention also relates to a substrate manufactured according to the method described above.

[0050] These descriptions are based on dry standards,

[0051] 5% to 60% by weight of an aerosol-forming agent;

[0052] 0.3 weight% to 5 weight% of a thickener;

[0053] It may include at least one plant material in an amount of 10% to 70% by weight.

[0054] This may also optionally include 5% to 50% by weight of fiber material.

[0055] The present invention also relates to an aerosol generating article comprising such a material. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0056] The present invention and its advantages will be better understood by reading the following description, which is provided as a non-limiting example and is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, and as the accompanying drawings: - FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating assembly comprising an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device according to the present invention; - FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aerosol-generating article of FIG. 1; - FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating article of FIG. 1, wherein the aerosol generating article includes a substrate; and - Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the substrate of Fig. 3. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0057] Before describing the present invention, it should be understood that it is not limited to the details of the configuration described below. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art who have the advantage of this disclosure that the present invention is possible in other embodiments and can be practiced or performed in various ways.

[0058] As used herein, the terms “aerosol generating device” or “device” may include a vaping device for delivering an aerosol containing an aerosol for vaping to a user by means of a heating element described further in detail below. The device may be portable. “Portable” may refer to a device for use when held by a user. The device may be adapted to generate a variable amount of aerosol by activating a heating element for a variable time (as opposed to a fixed amount of aerosol), which may be controlled, for example, by a trigger. A trigger, such as a vaping button and / or an inhalation sensor, may be user-activated. The inhalation sensor may be sensitive to inhalation intensity as well as inhalation duration to allow a variable amount of vapor to be provided (e.g., to mimic the effect of smoking a conventional combustible smoking item such as a cigarette, cigar, or pipe). The device may include a temperature control device for raising the temperature of a heater and / or a heated aerosol generating material (aerosol precursor) to a specific target temperature, and then maintaining the temperature at a target temperature that enables efficient aerosol generation.

[0059] The term "aerosol" as used herein may include a suspension of a vaporizable material as one or more of solid particles; droplets; and gases. The suspension may be present in a gas containing air. The aerosol of the present invention may generally refer to / contain vapor. The aerosol may contain one or more components of a vaporizable material.

[0060] FIG. 1 illustrates an aerosol generating assembly (10) comprising an aerosol generating device (11) and an aerosol generating article (12). The aerosol generating article (12) is intended to work together with the aerosol generating device (11) to generate an aerosol, as described in more detail below.

[0061] According to an embodiment of FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device (11) comprises a device body (15) extending along the device axis (Y) between a closed end (16) and an open end (17). The open end (17) represents an opening into which an aerosol generating article (12) can be inserted into the device (11). The device body (15) defines an internal space of the device (11) that accommodates various elements designed to perform different functions of the device (11). This internal space may accommodate, for example, a battery for supplying power to the device (11), a control module for controlling the operation of the device (11), a heating chamber (60) for heating the aerosol generating article (12), etc. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, only the heating chamber (60) is shown. In particular, the heating chamber (60) is designed to accommodate at least partially the aerosol generating article (12). In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the heating chamber (60) may be positioned, for example, adjacent to an opening formed by the open end (17) of the device body (15). The heating chamber (60) may extend along the device axis (Y), for example, and may have a cup shape. The heating chamber (60) may include a heater designed to heat at least a portion of the aerosol generating article (12). The heater includes a pair of heating plates designed to heat opposing walls of the aerosol generating article (12), for example, facing each other, as described in more detail below. Each heating plate may include a metal or ceramic, or may be manufactured of a metal or ceramic. The metal is preferably stainless steel (e.g., SAE 316L). According to other embodiments, the heater includes any other means or material suitable for heating the aerosol generating article, such as a magnetic coil or heating blade that interacts with a heat-inductive element in contact with or adjacent to the aerosol substrate.

[0062] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the aerosol generating article (12) exhibits a planar shape. That is, in this embodiment, the aerosol generating article (12) is a rectangular parallepiped with a planar shape that extends along the article axis (X) between the inlet end (18) and the outlet end (19) and has external dimensions (LxWxD). In a typical embodiment, the length (L) of the article (12) along the article axis (X) is substantially equal to 33 mm, and its width (W) and depth (D) are substantially equal to 12 mm and 1.2 mm, respectively. Depending on different embodiments, the values ​​of L, W, and D may be selected within a range of, for example, + / - 40%. The depth (D) of the aerosol generating article (12) is formed by a pair of parallel walls (23A, 23B), referred to hereinafter as side walls (23A, 23B), and the width (W) of the aerosol generating article (12) is formed by a pair of parallel walls (24A, 24B), referred hereinafter as wider walls (24A, 24B). In the embodiment of FIG. 2, since the aerosol generating article (12) has a planar shape, each wider wall (24A, 24B) is, for example, at least 5 times, preferably 10 times, wider than each side wall (23A, 23B). Accordingly, the planar shape of the aerosol generating article (12) is limited by the ratio between each wider wall (24A, 24B) and each side wall (23A, 23B), which is greater than 5, and preferably greater than 10. In some embodiments, the edges between the wide wall and the side walls (23A, 23B, 24A, 24B) may be rounded. According to other embodiments, the aerosol generating article (12) may have any other suitable shape, such as a cylindrical shape (i.e., a rod shape) having a circular or elliptical or rectangular cross-section, for example.

[0063] The aerosol generating article (12) comprises a base portion (25) and a cooling portion (26) arranged continuously along the article axis (X), as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The base portion (25) may be, for example, slightly longer than the cooling portion (26). For example, the length (L2) of the base portion (25) along the article axis (X) may be substantially equal to 18 mm, and the length (L1) of the cooling portion (26) along the article axis (X) may be substantially equal to 15 mm. The base portion (25) defines the intake end (18) of the article (12), and the cooling portion (16) defines the discharge end (19) of the article (12). The base portion (25) and the cooling portion (26) may be secured to each other by a wrapping paper (31) extending around the article axis (X). In this case, the packaging (31) forms the side walls and wider walls (23A, 23B, 24A, 24B) of the aerosol generating article (12). The packaging (31) may be formed, for example, from one or more sheets of paper. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating article (12) has only a substrate portion (25).

[0064] The base portion (25) of the aerosol generating article (12) is designed to be received within the heating chamber (60) of the aerosol generating device (11) (e.g., through an opening formed by the device body (15)) such that the article axis and the device axis (X, Y) coincide, as shown in FIG. 1. Each portion of the wider wall (24A, 24B) corresponding to the base portion (25) of the article (12) is designed to be heated by the heating chamber (60) of the device (11). In particular, according to some embodiments, as described above, each of these portions is designed to be in contact with a heating plate forming a heater. In some embodiments, only one corresponding portion of the wider wall (24A, 24B) is designed to be heated by the heater. According to another embodiment, at least a portion of at least one wall (23A, 23B, 24A, 24B) is designed to be heated away from (i.e., without contact) by a heater of the heating chamber (60), for example by convection.

[0065] The substrate portion (25) comprises the substrate (35) illustrated in FIG. 3. The substrate (35) extends along the entire length of the substrate portion (25) and forms a solid body capable of releasing aerosol upon heating. This solid body may, for example, form a substantially rectangular shape. In some embodiments, the solid body forms aerosol channels on its surface that conduct aerosol. In some embodiments, the solid body may have a corrugated shape in each of its cross-sections, as illustrated in FIG. 3. In these embodiments, the corrugated shape defines a plurality of protruding regions and a plurality of valley regions. Each valley region forms an aerosol channel between the inner surface (36) of the packaging (31) and its surface. Each protruding region is in direct contact with the inner surface (36) of the packaging (31). As described in more detail below, the substrate (35) comprises an active substrate comprising tobacco particles and / or inhalants, particularly including at least one stimulant and / or flavoring agent. The material (35) can be manufactured using a method described in more detail below.

[0066] According to different embodiments, the cooling portion (26) is designed to form a mouthpiece itself or to be received within an external mouthpiece that can be mounted on the device body (15). The cooling portion (26) is intended to act as a cooler to cool the vapor before it is inhaled by a user. In one embodiment, the cooling portion (26) is hollow, preferably completely hollow. That is, in this embodiment, the cooling portion (26) is limited only by the inner surface (36) of the packaging (31). According to another embodiment, the cooling portion (26) includes at least one inner wall that extends along the article axis (X) to form one or more air flow channels. For example, the inner wall may be completely adjacent to the inner surface (36) of the packaging (31) or may extend between a pair of side walls or wider walls (23A, 23B, 24A, 24B). In this last case, multiple air flow channels may be formed within the cooling portion (26). In another embodiment, the cooling portion (26) includes a core. The core may have a corrugated shape, for example, and may form one or more air flow channels. The core may be made of a cellulose material, such as corrugated cardboard or molded pulp, or a combination of a natural cellulose material (e.g., paper) and an acetate or polymer material. In another embodiment, the cooling portion (26) is essentially made of an acetate or polymer material and includes a void to allow an aerosol to flow through the portion. This material may also act as a filter. In this case, the length (L1) of the cooling portion (26) may be reduced compared to other embodiments.

[0067] Now, with reference to FIG. 4, a method for manufacturing the substrate (35) will be described.

[0068] This method includes a step (110) of forming a gel portion. This step (110) may include a plurality of sub-steps.

[0069] During the lower step (112), a preliminary mixture is formed by mixing an aerosol-forming agent and a thickener. This preliminary mixture preferably forms a suspension.

[0070] The thickener may comprise a mixture of agar and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) mixed in a ratio of 10:90 to 90:10, preferably 40:60 to 60:40, most preferably about 50:50. In some embodiments, other binders such as hydroxypropyl cellulose and guar gum may also be used, preferably in combination with agar and / or CMC.

[0071] The aerosol forming agent may include glycerin, propylene glycol, and / or any combination thereof. Preferably, the aerosol forming agent includes glycerin or is composed of glycerin.

[0072] During the next sub-step (114), the premixture is heated to a temperature of at least 60°C, preferably 65°C to 80°C.

[0073] During the next sub-step (116), water is added to the pre-mixture. This uniformly disperses the thickener and aerosol-forming agent within the suspension.

[0074] Alternatively, the sub-step (116) of adding water is performed before the sub-step (114) of heating the premix. That is, in this case, water is added to the premix first, and then the premix is ​​heated.

[0075] In some embodiments, at the end of step (110), the gel portion may have the following content based on wetness:

[0076]

[0077] The method may further include the step (120) of adding an active substrate portion to a gel portion to form a substrate dough.

[0078] In particular, the active substrate portion may comprise or be formed by at least one plant material and / or fiber material and / or nicotine. The plant material may comprise leaf tobacco particles and / or non-tobacco plants and / or extracts of non-tobacco plants. The fiber material may comprise cellulose fibers and / or citrus fibers. The plant material may be mixed with the fiber material in a ratio of 3:1 to 6:1, preferably 4:1 to 5:1. The leaf tobacco particles may be formed from tobacco leaves and / or tobacco leaf fragments (i.e., tobacco leaves with stems removed). In some embodiments, the leaf tobacco particles may have a size generally larger than a predetermined value. For example, the leaf tobacco particles may have a size (D90) in the range of 120 μm to 5 mm, preferably 500 μm to 900 μm, and more preferably 750 μm to 850 μm.

[0079] After mixing with the gel portion, the active substrate portion may form 40% to 85% by weight, preferably 50% to 75% by weight, and preferably 60% to 70% by weight of the resulting mixture based on wetness. Accordingly, the gel portion may form 15% to 60% by weight, preferably 25% to 50% by weight, and preferably 30% to 40% by weight of the resulting mixture based on wetness.

[0080] The method may further include the step (130) of forming a substrate (35) with a substrate dough. For example, the substrate (35) may represent a solid body or solid bodies. The or each solid body may represent a sheet, one or more strips, one or more threads, and / or one or more beads. Preferably, the step (130) includes the step of laminating the substrate dough into a plurality of sheets.

[0081] This step (130) may be performed using an embossing / debossing process, a stamping process, or a molding process. A combination of these processes may also be used. Alternatively or additionally, a process for forming a dough substrate may be used, comprising the extrusion of a slab or lump and subsequent lamination. As described above, the process may further include a step of forming aerosol channels. An example of a recycled tobacco forming process starting from recycled tobacco dough is described in WO2020058814, WO2021181327, or WO2021144676.

[0082] Optionally, step (130) further includes the step of at least partially drying a solid or solids to reduce or remove moisture content. Partial drying may be used, for example, for a specific shape of a substrate (35). For example, in the case of a substrate having a planar shape, an initial moisture content of 9 weight% to 12 weight% may be reduced to a value of 6 weight% to 9 weight%.

[0083] In some embodiments, at the end of step (130), the material (35) may indicate the following content on a dry basis:

[0084]

[0085] In some embodiments, the substrate (35) may be further cut to fit the dimensions of the aerosol generating article (12) as previously disclosed.

Claims

Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a substrate (35) for an aerosol generating article (12) adapted to operate with a non-combustion heating type aerosol generating device (11), the method comprises: - a step (110) of forming a gel portion, By the step (112) of forming a preliminary mixture of an aerosol forming agent and a thickening agent, By the step (114) of heating the above premixture, A method for manufacturing a substrate (35) for an aerosol generating article (12) adapted to operate with a non-combustion heating aerosol generating device (11), comprising: a step (110) of forming a gel portion by adding water to the above-mentioned premix (116); and a step (120) of adding an active substrate portion to the gel portion to form a substrate dough. Claim 2 A method according to claim 1, wherein the premixture is heated (114) before the step (116) of adding water to the premixture. Claim 3 A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gel is formed by mixing: - 80% to 96% by weight, preferably 90% by weight of the aerosol forming agent; - 1% to 10% by weight, preferably 5% by weight of the thickening agent; and - 1% to 10% by weight, preferably 5% by weight of water. Claim 4 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thickener comprises a mixture of agar and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) mixed in a ratio of 10:90 to 90:10, preferably 40:60 to 60:40, most preferably about 50:

50. Claim 5 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the preliminary mixture of the aerosol forming agent and the thickening agent forms a suspension. Claim 6 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the premix is ​​heated to a temperature of at least 60°C, preferably 65°C to 80°C. Claim 7 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the step (130) of forming a substrate (35) with the substrate dough, and optionally the step of drying the substrate (35), wherein, preferably, the substrate (35) represents a solid or solid bodies, preferably a sheet, strip, thread, or bead. Claim 8 In claim 7, the above-mentioned material (35) has a moisture content of 9% to 12% by weight and is optionally dried to reduce its moisture content to 6% to 9% by weight. Claim 9 In claim 7 or 8, the above description (35) is preferably laminated into a sheet before drying. Claim 10 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the above description (35) comprises 30% to 50% by weight of the aerosol-forming agent based on dry weight. Claim 11 A method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the active substrate portion comprises or is formed by at least one plant material and / or fiber material and / or nicotine. Claim 12 In claim 11, the method wherein at least one plant material is mixed with the fiber material in a ratio of 3:1 to 6:

1. Claim 13 A method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein at least one plant material comprises tobacco leaf particles and / or a non-tobacco plant or an extract of a non-tobacco plant. Claim 14 A method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the tobacco particle size (D90) is 120 μm to 5 mm, preferably 500 μm to 900 μm. Claim 15 A substrate (35) manufactured according to a method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising, on a dry basis, 5% to 60% by weight of an aerosol forming agent; 0.3% to 5% by weight of a thickening agent; and 10% to 70% by weight of at least one plant material. Claim 16 In item 15, the substrate (35) further comprises 5% to 50% by weight of fiber material.

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