Microcapsules embedding water-soluble flavoring agents, and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of tobacco, and relates to a microcapsule embedding water-soluble essence as well as a preparation method and application thereof. The wall material of the microcapsule is a temperature-sensitive material, and the microcapsule is coated with a water solution containing water-soluble essence. The temperature-sensitive material is heated to 70-80 DEG C to completely melt, and a molten wall material glue liquid is obtained. The water-soluble essence is dissolved in water to obtain an essence water solution. The molten wall material glue liquid is delivered to the middle layer of a three-fluid coaxial nozzle, the essence water solution is delivered to the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, and the first cold wind of-5-0 DEG C is delivered to the outer layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The molten wall material glue liquid, the essence water solution and the first cold wind are simultaneously sprayed out by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, so that the molten wall material glue liquid coats the essence water solution, and the microcapsule is obtained. The microcapsule provided by the application has the effect of slow-release essence, and the preparation method has simple steps and can avoid environmental pollution caused by plastic.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of tobacco, and relates to a microcapsule embedding water-soluble essence and a preparation method and application thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] The information disclosed in this BACKGROUND section is only for the purpose of increasing the understanding of the background of the present application and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms prior art that is publicly known.

[0003] The burst ball cigarette is obtained by embedding a ball in the filter tip, and selectively crushing the ball during smoking, so as to increase the taste of the cigarette. The essence added in the burst ball cigarette in the market is oil-soluble, and has a significant dry feeling during smoking. The comfort during smoking can be improved by adding some humectants, such as propylene glycol, glycerol, etc., in the tobacco. However, these humectants are combusted together with the tobacco, and other odors are generated.

[0004] In the patent with the publication number CN108451016A, a hollow spherical plastic ball is prepared by using thermoplastic technology, and then water is injected and the water injection port is closed to prepare a water-embedded burst ball placed in the filter tip, which can increase the moisture and avoid the generation of other odors. However, the inventors found in the research that the moisture-increasing effect is not long-lasting, and the use of plastic causes environmental pollution, health risks and resource consumption. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present application provides a microcapsule embedding water-soluble essence and a preparation method and application thereof. The microcapsule provided by the present application has the effect of slow release of essence, and the preparation method is simple and can avoid the environmental pollution caused by the use of plastic.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical scheme of the present application is as follows:

[0007] On the one hand, a microcapsule embedding water-soluble essence, the wall material of the microcapsule is a temperature-sensitive material, and the microcapsule encapsulates an aqueous solution containing water-soluble essence; the temperature-sensitive material changes from solid to liquid at 40-60℃ within 4-8s.

[0008] The temperature-sensitive material is used as the wall material of the microcapsule in the present application, which can realize the encapsulation of the aqueous solution containing water-soluble essence by controlling the temperature. Since the microcapsule is arranged in the filter tip of the cigarette, the temperature of the filter tip during smoking is 40-60℃, and therefore the temperature-sensitive material of the present application has a temperature sensitivity of 40-60℃. The aqueous solution containing water-soluble essence is slowly discharged in the process of changing from solid to liquid within 4-8s, so as to realize the slow release of the water-soluble essence.

[0009] In another aspect, a method for preparing the microcapsules embedding water-soluble essence comprises the following steps:

[0010] The temperature-sensitive material is heated to 70-80 DEG C to completely melt, and a molten wall material glue solution is obtained;

[0011] The water-soluble essence is dissolved in water to obtain an essence aqueous solution;

[0012] The molten wall material glue solution is delivered to the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, the essence aqueous solution is delivered to the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, and the first cold air at-5-0 DEG C is delivered to the outer layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle; the molten wall material glue solution, the essence aqueous solution and the first cold air are simultaneously sprayed out by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle to coat the essence aqueous solution with the molten wall material glue solution, and the microcapsules embedding water-soluble essence are obtained; and the side wall of the middle layer channel of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle is provided with a heat preservation layer.

[0013] In order to obtain the microcapsules embedding water-soluble essence, the difficulty lies in coating the water-soluble essence aqueous solution with the temperature-sensitive material. The present application realizes one-step forming of the microcapsules by using the three-fluid coaxial nozzle cold spraying technology, in which the temperature-sensitive material is heated to completely melt to form a molten wall material glue solution, so as to give the temperature-sensitive material a flow phase. In order to avoid loss of the essence, the essence aqueous solution is not heated during preparation, and in the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, the essence aqueous solution is located in the inner layer and the molten wall material glue solution is located in the middle layer, so that heat transfer can be carried out through the channel walls of the inner layer and the middle layer. In order to avoid solidification of the molten wall material glue solution after heat transfer, the temperature-sensitive material is heated to 70-80 DEG C to completely melt, so that the temperature-sensitive material has higher flowability and is easy to deliver, and the temperature-sensitive material can be pre-cooled by the essence aqueous solution in the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, while solidification of the molten wall material glue solution can also be avoided. After the molten wall material glue solution and the essence aqueous solution are sprayed out, they are contacted with the first cold air at-5-0 DEG C, and under the dual action of force and temperature at the outlet, the molten wall material glue solution is coated with the essence aqueous solution and further cooled and solidified, so as to realize one-step forming. The heat preservation layer is arranged on the outer wall of the middle layer channel of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, so that heat exchange between the first cold air and the molten wall material glue solution in the middle layer during spraying by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle is avoided, so that solidification of the molten wall material glue solution in the three-fluid coaxial nozzle is avoided, and smooth spraying of the molten wall material glue solution is ensured.

[0014] In a third aspect, the microcapsules embedding water-soluble essence are used for preparing cigarettes.

[0015] In a fourth aspect, a cigarette is provided, and the microcapsules embedding water-soluble essence are arranged in the filter.

[0016] The present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] 1.The present application realizes the encapsulation of the water-soluble flavor solution by setting the temperature-sensitive material as the wall material of the water solution containing the water-soluble flavor, and avoiding the use of plastic to avoid environmental pollution, health risks and resource consumption and other problems by the solid-liquid phase change caused by the temperature sensitivity of the temperature-sensitive material. Experiments show that the water retention rate of the microcapsule provided by the present application is high, and the water retention rate can reach more than 95% after 6 months of storage.

[0018] 2.The present application can realize melting during smoking by setting the temperature-sensitive temperature of the temperature-sensitive material, so that the water solution containing the water-soluble flavor slowly flows out, thereby realizing the slow release of the water-soluble flavor, and further prolonging the moisturizing effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings accompanying the specification of the present application serve to provide further understanding of the present application, and the illustrative embodiments of the present application and the description thereof serve to explain the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application.

[0020] Figure 1 The structure schematic view of the device for preparing the microcapsule embedding the water-soluble flavor in the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0021] Figure 2 The structure schematic view of the device for preparing the microcapsule embedding the water-soluble flavor in the embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0022] 1, three-fluid coaxial nozzle, 2, cooling tower, 3, cyclone separator, 4, collector, 5, spray air inlet, 6, outer material inlet, 7, inner material inlet, 8, outer channel, 9, inner channel, 10, middle layer channel, 11, wall material, 12, core material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It should be noted that the following detailed description is exemplary and is intended to provide further explanation of the present application. Unless otherwise indicated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs.

[0024] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form, and in addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in the specification, they refer to the presence of a feature, step, operation, device, component and / or combination thereof.

[0025] In view of the problems of non-durability of moisturizing effect, environmental pollution, health risks and resource consumption caused by using plastic for encapsulation after existing water-soluble essence is encapsulated, the application provides a microcapsule for embedding water-soluble essence and a preparation method and application thereof.

[0026] In a typical embodiment of the application, a microcapsule for embedding water-soluble essence is provided, wherein a wall material of the microcapsule is a temperature-sensitive material, and the microcapsule encapsulates an aqueous solution containing water-soluble essence; the temperature-sensitive material changes from solid state to liquid state at 40-60 DEG C in 4-8 s.

[0027] In some embodiments, the temperature-sensitive material comprises palm oil and beeswax, and the weight of the palm oil accounts for 10-20% of the total weight of the temperature-sensitive material.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the temperature-sensitive material further comprises a reinforcing agent, which is one or more of ethyl cellulose, phytosterol, monoglyceride and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. The reinforcing agent can play the role of adhesion and film formation, and improve the brittleness and hardness of the wall material of the microcapsule, thereby stabilizing the structure of the microcapsule. Specifically, the weight of the reinforcing agent accounts for 0.1-30% of the total weight of the temperature-sensitive material, preferably 20-30%.

[0029] In some embodiments, the aqueous solution containing water-soluble essence contains a supporting agent, which is one or more of gelatin, carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, pectin and agar. The supporting agent can play the role of support, and also helps the formation of the microcapsule. Specifically, the weight of the supporting agent accounts for 0.1-20% of the total weight of the aqueous solution containing water-soluble essence, preferably 15-20%.

[0030] In some embodiments, the anti-crushing strength of the microcapsule is 9-25 N.

[0031] In another embodiment of the application, a preparation method of the above-mentioned microcapsule for embedding water-soluble essence is provided, which comprises the following steps:

[0032] The temperature-sensitive material is heated to 70-80 DEG C to be completely melted, so as to obtain a molten wall material glue solution;

[0033] The water-soluble essence is dissolved in water to obtain an aqueous solution of the essence;

[0034] The molten wall material adhesive is delivered to the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, the fragrance aqueous solution is delivered to the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, and the first cold air at -5 to 0°C is delivered to the outer layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The molten wall material adhesive, the fragrance aqueous solution, and the first cold air are sprayed simultaneously by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, so that the molten wall material adhesive coats the fragrance aqueous solution, thus obtaining the final product. The sidewall of the middle layer channel of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle is provided with a heat insulation layer.

[0035] In some embodiments, the proppant is heated and stirred with water until homogeneous, and then the fragrance is added after cooling. To increase the mixing time of the proppant and water, heating and stirring are performed at a temperature of 75–85°C. Specifically, the temperature is lowered to 60–65°C. Lowering to this temperature avoids excessively long cooling times.

[0036] In some embodiments, the flow rate ratio of the fragrance aqueous solution to the molten wall material adhesive is 1.5 to 2:1.

[0037] In some embodiments, the material ejected from the three-fluid coaxial nozzle is treated with a second cooling air at 4–10°C. This second cooling air at 4–10°C reduces energy consumption and acts as a transition, preventing excessive temperature differences when the final sample is obtained and avoiding cracking of the microcapsules.

[0038] In some embodiments, the formed microcapsules are collected after gas-solid separation. Specifically, a cyclone separator is used for gas-solid separation, which is beneficial for continuous production.

[0039] A third embodiment of the present invention provides the application of the above-mentioned microcapsules encapsulating water-soluble flavorings in the preparation of cigarettes.

[0040] A fourth embodiment of the present invention provides a cigarette in which the above-mentioned microcapsules containing water-soluble flavoring are disposed in the filter tip.

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and comparative examples.

[0042] The apparatus used in the preparation process in the following examples is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes a three-fluid coaxial nozzle 1, a cooling tower 2, a cyclone separator 3, and a collector 4. The three-fluid coaxial nozzle 1 is located at the top of the cooling tower 2. The outlet of the cooling tower 2 is connected to the inlet of the cyclone separator 3, and the solid phase outlet of the cyclone separator 3 is connected to the collector 4.

[0043] The outer layer channel 8, the middle layer channel 10, and the inner layer channel 9 of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle 1 are coaxially arranged. The outer layer channel 8 is connected to the spray air inlet 5, the middle layer channel 10 is connected to the outer layer material inlet 6, and the inner layer channel 9 is connected to the inner layer material inlet 7.

[0044] In operation, air or material is introduced into the outer, middle, and inner channels of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The force of the outer air jet forms encapsulated droplets from the middle and inner channels. Cooled by the outer air, the wall material forming the droplet shell rapidly condenses. Then, through a cooling tower with slightly warmer air, the condensed wall material gradually returns to room temperature, preventing rapid heating and internal stress that could cause cracking. Finally, gas-solid separation is performed by a cyclone separator to obtain the target microcapsules. An insulation layer is installed on the outer wall of the middle channel to prevent heat exchange between the cold air from the outer channel and the liquid wall material in the middle channel.

[0045] Example 1

[0046] A microcapsule encapsulating water-soluble fragrance, such as Figure 2 As shown, it includes wall material 11 and core material 12. The preparation process is as follows: Palm oil and beeswax are weighed in a ratio of 2:8 and melted into a liquid at about 75°C, which is used as the wall material for insulation. The water-to-water-soluble fragrance in the core material is mixed in a ratio of 9:1. The core material is sprayed out from the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 25°C, and the molten wall material adhesive is sprayed out from the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 75°C. The flow rate is controlled by a peristaltic pump to make the ratio of core material to wall material 10:5. The inlet air temperature is -5°C and it is sprayed out from the outermost layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The cavity temperature is further set to 5°C and the outlet air temperature to 15°C. The core material and wall material are sprayed out, shaped, and collected by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle.

[0047] The microcapsules melted rapidly at 50°C, and after 6 months of storage, the water retention rate was 60%, and the shatter resistance was 9.8N.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] A microcapsule encapsulating water-soluble fragrance, such as Figure 2 As shown, it includes wall material 11 and core material 12. The preparation process is as follows: Palm oil, beeswax, and monoglycerides are weighed in a ratio of 1.5:6:2.5 and melted into a liquid at about 75°C, which is used as the wall material for insulation. The water-to-water-soluble fragrance in the core material is mixed in a ratio of 9:1. The core material is sprayed out from the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 25°C, and the molten wall material adhesive is sprayed out from the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 75°C. The flow rate is controlled by a peristaltic pump to make the ratio of core material to wall material 10:5. The inlet air temperature is -5°C and it is sprayed out from the outermost layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The cavity temperature is further set to 5°C and the outlet air temperature to 15°C. The core material and wall material are sprayed out, shaped, and collected by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle.

[0050] The microcapsules melt slowly within 5 seconds at 50°C, retain 80% of their water content after 6 months of storage, and have a breakage strength of 11.4 N.

[0051] Example 3

[0052] A microcapsule embedding water-soluble essence, as shown in Figure 2 Figure 1, comprises a wall material 11 and a core material 12. The preparation process is as follows: palm oil, beeswax and monoglyceride are weighed at a ratio of 1.5:6:2.5 and melted into a liquid at about 75°C for standby as the wall material; the core material is mixed with water, gelatin and water-soluble essence at a ratio of 7.5:1.5:1, the gelatin and water are heated and stirred at 80°C to form a uniform solution, the essence is added when the temperature drops to about 65°C and mixed immediately before use. The core material is sprayed out from the inner layer of a three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 65°C, and the molten wall material is sprayed out from the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 75°C. The flow rate is controlled by a peristaltic pump to make the ratio of the core material and the wall material 10:5. The air inlet temperature is -5°C, and the air outlet temperature is 15°C. The core material and the wall material are sprayed out from the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, shaped and collected.

[0053] The microcapsule melts slowly within 5 seconds at 50°C, and the water retention rate is 86.5% after 6 months of storage, and the crushing strength is 17.8N.

[0054] Example 4

[0055] A microcapsule embedding water-soluble essence, as shown in Figure 2 Figure 1, comprises a wall material 11 and a core material 12. The preparation process is as follows: palm oil, beeswax and monoglyceride are weighed at a ratio of 1.5:6:2.5 and melted into a liquid at about 75°C for standby as the wall material; the core material is mixed with water, gelatin and water-soluble essence at a ratio of 7.5:1.5:1, the gelatin and water are heated and stirred at 80°C to form a uniform solution, the essence is added when the temperature drops to about 65°C and mixed immediately before use. The core material is sprayed out from the inner layer of a three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 65°C, and the molten wall material is sprayed out from the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 75°C. The flow rate is controlled by a peristaltic pump to make the ratio of the core material and the wall material 10:5. The air inlet temperature is -5°C, and the air outlet temperature is 15°C. The core material and the wall material are sprayed out from the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, shaped and collected.

[0056] The microcapsule melts slowly within 8 seconds at 50°C, and the water retention rate is 95.2% after 6 months of storage, and the crushing strength is 23.6N.

[0057] Comparative Example

[0058] When the wall material is only palm oil, it cannot be produced industrially.

[0059] The palm oil and beeswax are weighed in a ratio of 5:5 and melted into liquid at about 75°C for use as wall material; the water: water-soluble fragrance mixture ratio in the core material is 9:1. The core material is sprayed out from the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 25°C, and the molten wall material glue is sprayed out from the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle at 75°C. The flow rate is controlled by a peristaltic pump, so that the ratio of the core material and the wall material is 10:5. The air inlet temperature is -5°C, and the air is sprayed out from the outermost layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The cavity temperature is further set to 5°C, and the air outlet temperature is 15°C. The core material and the wall material are sprayed out and formed by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, but they cannot be collected because they have almost no crushing strength.

[0060] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. The present application can have various modifications and changes for those skilled in the art. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A microcapsule encapsulating a water-soluble fragrance, characterized in that, The wall material of the microcapsule is a thermosensitive material, and the microcapsule contains an aqueous solution containing water-soluble fragrance; the thermosensitive material changes from solid to liquid in 4 to 8 seconds under conditions of 40 to 60°C. The thermosensitive material includes palm oil and beeswax, and the weight of palm oil accounts for 10-20% of the total weight of the thermosensitive material. The thermosensitive material also includes a reinforcing agent, which is one or more of ethyl cellulose, phytosterol, monoglyceride, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; the weight of the reinforcing agent is 0.1% to 30% of the total weight of the thermosensitive material. The aqueous solution containing water-soluble fragrance contains a support agent, which is one or more of gelatin, carrageenan, gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, pectin, and agar.

2. The microcapsule for encapsulating water-soluble fragrance as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The microcapsules have a shatter resistance of 9~25 N.

3. A method for preparing microcapsules encapsulating water-soluble flavorings as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The temperature-sensitive material is heated to 70~80 ℃ and completely melted to obtain a molten wall material adhesive; Water-soluble fragrance is added to water and dissolved to obtain a fragrance aqueous solution; The molten wall material adhesive is delivered to the middle layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, the fragrance aqueous solution is delivered to the inner layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, and the first cold air at -5~0 ℃ is delivered to the outer layer of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle. The molten wall material adhesive, the fragrance aqueous solution, and the first cold air are sprayed simultaneously by the three-fluid coaxial nozzle, so that the molten wall material adhesive coats the fragrance aqueous solution, thus obtaining the final product. The sidewall of the middle layer channel of the three-fluid coaxial nozzle is provided with a heat insulation layer.

4. The method for preparing microcapsules encapsulating water-soluble flavorings as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Heat and stir the support agent with water until homogeneous, then add fragrance after cooling.

5. The method for preparing microcapsules encapsulating water-soluble flavorings as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The flow rate ratio of the fragrance aqueous solution to the molten wall material adhesive is 1.5~2:1; Alternatively, the material ejected from the three-fluid coaxial nozzle can be treated with a second cold air at 4~10℃.

6. The method for preparing microcapsules encapsulating water-soluble flavorings as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The formed microcapsules are collected after gas-solid separation.

7. The use of a microcapsule containing a water-soluble flavoring as described in any one of claims 1 to 2 in the preparation of cigarettes.

8. A cigarette characterized by, The filter tip contains a microcapsule containing water-soluble flavoring as described in any one of claims 1 to 2.

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