Aerosol generating substrate, preparation method thereof and aerosol generating device

Abstract

The invention discloses an aerosol generating substrate, a preparation method thereof and an aerosol generating device, and relates to the field of aerosol generating devices. The preparation method of the aerosol generating substrate comprises the following steps: performing irradiation treatment on konjac polysaccharide materials, wherein the konjac polysaccharide materials comprise natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharide and deacetylated konjac glucomannan; mixing the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material with an alkaline substance, a foaming agent, a dispersing agent and water to prepare a gel block; heating the gel block to form porous gel; freezing and forming the porous gel, unfreezing and washing to obtain the konjak sponge; and coating konjak sponge with the coating liquid, and drying to obtain the aerosol generating substrate. The aerosol generating substrate provided by the invention can realize efficient adsorption and loading of fragrant, tasty and addictive substances. Compared with tobacco shreds, particles and sheet matrixes, the matrix has the advantages that the adsorption rate and the load rate are greatly improved, and a solid foundation is laid for improvement of richness and sensory quality of smoke.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aerosol generating devices, and particularly to an aerosol generating substrate, a preparation method thereof, and an aerosol generating device. Background Art

[0002] As a new type of tobacco product, the heat-not-burn cigarette (abbreviated as HNB) has significant differences in heating temperature and aerosol generation mechanism compared with traditional cigarettes. The heat-not-burn cigarette precisely controls the heating temperature (usually in the range of 300 - 350 °C), causing the aroma, flavor, and addictive substances loaded in the substrate of the smoking section to undergo cracking, distillation, and evaporation processes, generating an aerosol containing a small amount of gas, a large number of small droplets, and a small amount of solid small particles. The types and quantities of substances generated in this process are significantly reduced compared with traditional cigarettes (where tobacco substances undergo thermal cracking at a high temperature of about 900 °C, and the generated aerosol contains a small amount of gas, a small amount of small droplets, and a large number of solid small particles), thus providing users with a purer and more delicate smoking experience.

[0003] The core of the heat-not-burn cigarette lies in the selection and design of the substrate of its smoking section. As the main carrier of aroma, flavor, and addictive substances, the loading rate (or adsorption rate) is a key indicator to measure the performance of the substrate. Currently, the substrates of common heat-not-burn cigarettes on the market include various forms such as sheets (manufactured by processes such as papermaking, roll pressing, thick slurry method, dry method, etc.), cut tobacco, stem cut tobacco, and granules. However, there are significant differences in the loading rates of these substrates: the loading rate of cut tobacco is relatively low, about 15% or so; the loading rate of the granular substrate has increased, approximately around 35%; while the loading rate of the sheet substrate is the highest, up to 50% - 60%, becoming the mainstream substrate in current aerosol generating devices.

[0004] Although the sheet substrate performs well in terms of loading rate, the substrates of existing aerosol generating devices still have many limitations. For example, some substrates involve complex chemical treatments during the preparation process, resulting in increased costs and being unfavorable for environmental protection; at the same time, there is still room for improvement in the loading rate of the substrates of existing aerosol generating devices to meet users' pursuit of a more intense and lasting aroma.

[0005] Therefore, researching and developing a new type, efficient, and environmentally friendly substrate for aerosol generating devices to further improve the loading rate, optimize the aerosol composition, and enhance the user experience has become an important research direction for current aerosol generating devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to provide an aerosol generating substrate, a preparation method thereof, and an aerosol generating device to solve the above problems.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A preparation method of an aerosol - generating matrix, comprising:

[0009] Irradiating a konjac - type polysaccharide material, wherein the konjac - type polysaccharide material includes natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharide, and de - acetylated konjac glucomannan;

[0010] Mixing the irradiated konjac - type polysaccharide material with an alkaline substance, a foaming agent, a dispersant, and water to form a gel block;

[0011] Heating the gel block to decompose the foaming agent in the gel block to form a porous gel;

[0012] Freezing and molding the porous gel, and then thawing and washing to obtain a konjac - type sponge;

[0013] Coating a coating solution on the konjac - type sponge and drying to obtain the aerosol - generating matrix.

[0014] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the natural konjac glucomannan to the konjac oligosaccharide and the de - acetylated konjac glucomannan is (10 - 60):(40 - 90):(10 - 60).

[0015] In some embodiments, the irradiating the konjac - type polysaccharide material includes: sealing the konjac - type polysaccharide material with a γ - ray penetrable packaging material, and then irradiating the konjac - type polysaccharide material with γ - rays;

[0016] When irradiating the konjac - type polysaccharide material, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment does not exceed 500 Gy·h -1 , and the time of the irradiation treatment is 20 - 40 min.

[0017] In some embodiments, the alkaline substance includes at least one of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate;

[0018] And / or, the mass of the alkaline substance is 2% - 4.5% of the mass of the irradiated konjac - type polysaccharide material;

[0019] And / or, the foaming agent includes at least one of foaming agent H and foaming agent OBSH;

[0020] And / or, the foaming agent includes foaming agent H and foaming agent OBSH, and the mass ratio of foaming agent H to foaming agent OBSH is 1:(0.8 - 1.2);

[0021] And / or, the mass of the foaming agent is 5% - 15% of the mass of the irradiated konjac - type polysaccharide material.

[0022] In some embodiments, the dispersant includes sucrose esters;

[0023] and / or, the mass of the dispersant is 1%-6% of the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material;

[0024] and / or, the mass of the water is 8-12 times the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material;

[0025] and / or, the heating temperature is 180°C - 230°C;

[0026] and / or, the heating time is 25 min - 55 min;

[0027] and / or, the temperature for freeze - forming is below -5°C, and the time for freeze - forming is 6 - 48 h;

[0028] and / or, the coating solution includes an active substance, a flavoring agent, and a smoke - generating agent;

[0029] and / or, the coating amount of the coating solution is 20 - 23 times the mass of the konjac sponge.

[0030] In some embodiments, the active substance includes at least one of a tobacco extract and a nicotine - type compound;

[0031] When the active substance includes a tobacco extract and a nicotine - type compound, in the coating solution, the content of the tobacco extract is 55 wt% - 65 wt%, the content of the flavoring agent is 5 wt% - 11 wt%, the content of the smoke - generating agent is 25 wt% - 35 wt%, and the content of the nicotine - type compound is 1 wt% - 2 wt%.

[0032] In some embodiments, the smoke - generating agent includes at least one of propylene glycol and glycerol;

[0033] When the smoke - generating agent includes propylene glycol and glycerol, the content of propylene glycol in the coating solution is less than or equal to 10 wt%, and the content of glycerol in the coating solution is less than or equal to 35 wt%.

[0034] In some embodiments, after coating the coating solution on the konjac sponge and drying, an intermediate matrix is obtained, and the preparation method further includes: sealing the intermediate matrix with a γ - ray penetrable packaging material, and then irradiating the intermediate matrix with γ - rays;

[0035] When irradiating the intermediate matrix, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment does not exceed 500 Gy·h -1 , and the time of the irradiation treatment is 15 - 20 min.

[0036] The present application also provides an aerosol generating substrate, which is prepared by the aerosol generating substrate preparation method described above.

[0037] The present application also provides an aerosol generating device, comprising the aerosol generating substrate described above.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application include:

[0039] The present application provides a novel method for preparing an aerosol-generating matrix, which is prepared by using konjac polysaccharide materials to prepare aerosol-generating matrix. The aerosol-generating matrix prepared by the method can achieve efficient adsorption and loading of fragrance, taste, and addictive substances. Compared with tobacco shreds, particles, and thin slices, the adsorption rate and loading rate of the matrix of the present application are greatly improved, which lays a solid foundation for the richness and sensory quality of smoke. Specifically, the matrix of the present application can release fragrance, taste, and addictive substances more fully during the heating process, making the smoke more delicate and rich, and users can enjoy a more pure and lasting fragrance experience during the smoking process, and the sensory quality is significantly improved. Moreover, the matrix of the present application can more efficiently realize the atomization of the material during the heating process, reduce energy waste and heating time, and improve the overall atomization efficiency. In addition, the matrix of the present application is prepared by using the natural material of konjac polysaccharide materials, which not only meets environmental protection requirements, but also can be completely degraded after use, reduces environmental pollution, and conforms to the current green and sustainable development concept.

[0040] The present application also provides an aerosol generating matrix, which has the advantages of being pure natural, degradable, and having a high adsorption rate. It performs well in improving smoke quality, sensory quality, atomization efficiency, and environmental protection performance, providing users with a high-performance, safe and reliable choice.

[0041] The present application also provides an aerosol generating device, which exhibits significant superiority in many aspects such as optimization of smoke quality, improvement of sensory quality, enhancement of atomization efficiency, and enhancement of environmental protection performance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] As used herein:

[0043] "Prepared from" is synonymous with "comprising." As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a composition, process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the listed elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition, process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0044] When an equivalent, concentration, or other value or parameter is expressed as a range, a preferred range, or a range defined by a series of upper preferred values and lower preferred values, this should be understood to specifically disclose all ranges formed by any pairing of any range upper limit or preferred value with any range lower limit or preferred value, regardless of whether the range is disclosed individually. For example, when the range "1 to 5" is disclosed, the described range should be interpreted to include ranges such as "1 to 4", "1 to 3", "1 to 2", "1 to 2 and 4 to 5", "1 to 3 and 5", etc. When a numerical range is described herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include its end values and all integers and fractions within the range.

[0045] In these examples, unless otherwise specified, the parts and percentages are by mass.

[0046] "Parts by mass" refers to the basic measurement unit representing the mass ratio relationship of multiple components. 1 part can represent any unit mass, such as 1 g or 2.689 g, etc. If we say that the mass parts of component A is a parts and the mass parts of component B is b parts, it means the mass ratio of component A to component B is a:b. Or, it means the mass of component A is aK and the mass of component B is bK (K is any number representing a multiple factor). It should not be misunderstood that the sum of the mass parts of all components is not limited to 100 parts.

[0047] "And / or" is used to indicate that either or both of the stated situations may occur. For example, A and / or B includes (A and B) and (A or B).

[0048] Konjac glucomannan is a polysaccharide extracted from konjac tubers and is the water-soluble plant gum with the highest known viscosity in nature. Konjac glucomannan is a heteropolysaccharide formed by connecting D-glucose and D-mannose in a molar ratio of 1:1.6 or 1:1.69 through β-1,4 glycosidic bonds, and there is a branched-chain structure bonded through β-1,3 glycosidic bonds at the C3 position of the main-chain mannose. There are approximately 3 branched chains per 32 sugar residues, and 1 acetyl group per 19 sugar residues. This structure endows konjac glucomannan with good biocompatibility, water solubility, film-forming property, thickening property, and gelling property, etc., and it has currently been widely used in fields such as food, medicine, agriculture, and environment.

[0049] Starting from the perspective of the substrate in the fuming section, this application uses konjac glucomannan and its derivatives to prepare a new type of natural and degradable substrate with an adsorption rate and a loading rate higher than those of current existing materials, thereby increasing the amount of smoke, improving the sensory quality, and enhancing the atomization efficiency.

[0050] This application provides a method for preparing an aerosol generating matrix, including:

[0051] Irradiate konjac polysaccharide materials, where the konjac polysaccharide materials include natural konjac glucomannan (NKGM), konjac oligosaccharide (KOGM), and deacetylated konjac glucomannan (DKGM);

[0052] Mix the irradiated konjac polysaccharide materials with an alkaline substance, a foaming agent, a dispersant, and water to form a gel block;

[0053] Heat the gel block to decompose the foaming agent in the gel block, forming a porous gel;

[0054] Freeze-mold the porous gel, and then thaw and wash it to obtain a konjac sponge;

[0055] Coat the konjac sponge with a coating solution and dry it to obtain an aerosol-generating substrate.

[0056] In this application, the raw materials are treated by irradiation, which can break and degrade the macromolecular chains in the konjac polysaccharide materials without introducing other chemical reagents, thereby significantly reducing their molecular weight and viscosity, and changing the sensitivity and thermal properties of the materials. Specifically, this application can reduce the thermal properties of the materials, and can move the thermal decomposition temperature of the substances in the substrate and tobacco formula forward, which means that the substances in the smoking section can be atomized more easily, improving the taste. Moreover, the irradiation treatment also has a sterilization effect.

[0057] The aerosol-generating substrate prepared in this application has the advantages of high adsorption rate and high loading rate, can efficiently carry aroma components, and has excellent aroma-carrying characteristics; moreover, the aerosol-generating substrate prepared in this application also has the advantages of significantly increasing the smoke volume, optimizing the sensory quality, and enhancing the atomization efficiency, which is beneficial to improving the overall performance of aerosol-generating products. In addition, the aerosol-generating substrate prepared in this application also has the advantage of being biodegradable, meeting the environmental protection requirements.

[0058] Furthermore, natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharides, and deacetylated konjac glucomannan have different effects on the physical properties of the aerosol - forming matrix, such as mechanical strength, specific surface area, and elasticity, and the formula can be adjusted according to requirements. Specifically, natural konjac glucomannan has a high molecular weight and can form a strong hydrogen - bond network. After freeze - drying, it can form a dense but relatively large - pore sponge structure. Due to its long molecular chain, the pore walls are thick during freeze - drying, the pore size distribution is uneven, and it is relatively brittle. Konjac oligosaccharides have a relatively low molecular weight. When used in combination with natural konjac glucomannan, they can significantly reduce the pore size of the aerosol - forming matrix and increase its specific surface area, and can be used as pore regulators. Compared with natural konjac glucomannan, deacetylated konjac glucomannan has enhanced intermolecular hydrogen bonds. When used in combination with natural konjac glucomannan, the pore walls are thinner and more evenly distributed after freeze - drying, which helps to increase the porosity, and it can form a stable sponge structure without the need for additional cross - linking agents. In actual production, the raw material formula can be adjusted according to the physical property requirements of the matrix.

[0059] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharides, and deacetylated konjac glucomannan is (10 - 60):(40 - 90):(10 - 60). When the mass ratio of natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharides, and deacetylated konjac glucomannan is within the above range, the physical properties such as mechanical strength, specific surface area, and elasticity of the matrix can meet the requirements.

[0060] Exemplarily, the mass ratio of natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharides, and deacetylated konjac glucomannan can be 10:40:10, 10:40:50, 35:65:35, 60:90:60, or any value between (10 - 60):(40 - 90):(10 - 60).

[0061] In some embodiments, irradiating the konjac - based polysaccharide material includes: sealing the konjac - based polysaccharide material with a γ - ray - penetrable packaging material, and then irradiating the konjac - based polysaccharide material with γ - rays;

[0062] Exemplarily, the γ - ray - penetrable packaging material includes polyethylene plastic bags.

[0063] When irradiating the konjac - based polysaccharide material, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment does not exceed 500 Gy·h -1 and the irradiation time of the irradiation treatment is 20 - 40 min.

[0064] Exemplarily, when irradiating the konjac - based polysaccharide material, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment can be 100 Gy·h -1 、200 Gy·h -1 、300 Gy·h -1 、400 Gy·h -1 、500 Gy·h-1 or not exceeding 500 Gy·h -1 Any value, and the irradiation treatment time can be 20 min, 30 min, 40 min or any value between 20 - 40 min.

[0065] Furthermore, the irradiation treatment of the konjac polysaccharide material is carried out under normal temperature and pressure.

[0066] Specifically, γ-rays can cleave glycosidic bonds during irradiation, thereby producing low-molecular-weight polysaccharide products. γ-ray irradiation can be carried out in a batch production manner in a repeatable and quantitative way without introducing chemical reagents, and there is no need for special equipment to control temperature and environmental changes. Compared with complex chemical modification, the irradiation treatment of this application is carried out under normal temperature and pressure conditions, with the advantages of simple operation, short treatment time, low production cost, environmental friendliness, etc.

[0067] In some embodiments, the alkaline substance includes at least one of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate.

[0068] In some embodiments, the mass of the alkaline substance is 2% - 4.5% of the mass of the konjac polysaccharide material after irradiation treatment.

[0069] Exemplarily, the mass of the alkaline substance is 2%, 3%, 4%, 4.5% or any value between 2% - 4.5% of the mass of the konjac polysaccharide material after irradiation treatment.

[0070] In some embodiments, the blowing agent includes at least one of blowing agent H (N, N'-dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine) and blowing agent OBSH (4,4'-oxybis(benzenesulfonylhydrazide));

[0071] In some embodiments, the blowing agent includes blowing agent H and blowing agent OBSH, and the mass ratio of blowing agent H to blowing agent OBSH is 1:(0.8 - 1.2).

[0072] Exemplarily, the mass ratio of blowing agent H to blowing agent OBSH can be 1:0.8, 1:0.9, 1:1.0, 1:1.2 or any value between 1:(0.8 - 1.2).

[0073] In some embodiments, the mass of the blowing agent is 5% - 15% of the mass of the konjac polysaccharide material after irradiation treatment.

[0074] Exemplarily, the mass of the blowing agent is 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15% or any value between 5% - 15% of the mass of the konjac polysaccharide material after irradiation treatment.

[0075] In some embodiments, the dispersant includes sucrose esters.

[0076] In some embodiments, the mass of the dispersant is 1%-6% of the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material.

[0077] Exemplarily, the mass of the dispersant is 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6% or any value between 1%-6% of the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material.

[0078] In some embodiments, the mass of water is 8-12 times the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material.

[0079] Exemplarily, the mass of water is 8 times, 9 times, 10 times, 11 times, 12 times or any value between 8-12 times the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material.

[0080] In some embodiments, the heating temperature is 180°C - 230°C.

[0081] Exemplarily, the heating temperature can be 180°C, 190°C, 200°C, 210°C, 220°C, 230°C or any value between 180°C - 230°C.

[0082] In some embodiments, preparing a porous gel using a gel block includes: loading the gel block into a mold and heating to decompose the foaming agent to form a porous gel. Specifically, the foaming agent in the gel block decomposes to release gas, generating a large number of bubbles in the gel to form a gel with a porous structure.

[0083] In some embodiments, the heating time is 25 min - 55 min.

[0084] Exemplarily, the heating time can be 25 min, 30 min, 35 min, 40 min, 45 min, 50 min, 55 min or any value between 25 min - 55 min.

[0085] In some embodiments, the temperature for freeze forming is below -5°C, and the freeze forming time is 6 - 48 h.

[0086] Exemplarily, the temperature for freeze forming can be -5°C, -10°C, -20°C or any value below -5°C, and the freeze forming time can be 6 h, 10 h, 15 h, 20 h, 25 h, 30 h, 35 h, 40 h, 45 h, 48 h or any value between 6 - 48 h.

[0087] The konjac sponge prepared in this application has good strength, air permeability and absorption rate.

[0088] In some embodiments, the coating liquid includes an active substance, a flavoring agent, and a smoke generator.

[0089] In some embodiments, the coating amount of the coating liquid is 20 - 23 times the mass of the konjac sponge.

[0090] Exemplarily, the coating amount of the coating liquid is 20 times, 21 times, 22 times, 23 times the mass of the konjac sponge, or any value between 20 - 23 times.

[0091] In some embodiments, the active substance includes at least one of a tobacco extract and a nicotine compound;

[0092] When the active substance includes a tobacco extract and a nicotine compound, in the coating liquid, the content of the tobacco extract is 55wt% - 65wt%, the content of the flavoring agent is 5wt% - 11wt%, the content of the smoke generator is 25wt% - 35wt%, and the content of the nicotine compound is 1wt% - 2wt%.

[0093] Exemplarily, in the coating liquid, the content of the tobacco extract can be 55wt%, 60wt%, 65wt%, or any value between 55wt% - 65wt%; the content of the flavoring agent can be 5wt%, 6wt%, 7wt%, 8wt%, 9wt%, 10wt%, 11wt%, or any value between 5wt% - 11wt%; the content of the smoke generator can be 25wt%, 30wt%, 35wt%, or any value between 25wt% - 35wt%; the content of the nicotine compound can be 1wt%, 2wt%, or any value between 1wt% - 2wt%.

[0094] In some embodiments, the smoke generator includes at least one of propylene glycol and glycerol.

[0095] When the smoke generator includes propylene glycol and glycerol, the content of propylene glycol in the coating liquid is less than or equal to 10wt%, and the content of glycerol in the coating liquid is less than or equal to 35wt%.

[0096] Exemplarily, the content of propylene glycol in the coating liquid can be 5wt%, 6wt%, 7wt%, 8wt%, 9wt%, 10wt%, or any value less than or equal to 10wt%; the content of glycerol in the coating liquid can be 10wt%, 15wt%, 20wt%, 25wt%, 30wt%, 35wt%, or any value less than or equal to 35wt%.

[0097] In some embodiments, the nicotine compound includes at least one of nicotine and a nicotine derivative.

[0098] Further, the nicotine includes at least one of natural nicotine and synthetic nicotine.

[0099] The nicotine derivatives include one or more of nicotine salts, nicotine in a matrix such as a sugar matrix or an organometallic complex, nicotine-resin combinations, nicotine inclusion complexes, and non-covalently bound nicotine. Among them, the non-covalently bound nicotine includes nicotine lactate, nicotine malate, nicotine salicylate, nicotine cyclodextrin inclusion complex, nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine tartrate, nicotine tartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulfate, nicotine zinc chloride, nicotine benzoate, etc. The nicotine derivatives also include nicotine with substituents, such as one or more mixtures of hexamethyl nicotine, hexamethyl nicotine lactate, hexamethyl nicotine malate, hexamethyl nicotine salicylate, hexamethyl nicotine cyclodextrin inclusion complex, hexamethyl nicotine hydrochloride, hexamethyl nicotine dihydrochloride, hexamethyl nicotine tartrate, hexamethyl nicotine tartrate dihydrate, hexamethyl nicotine sulfate, hexamethyl nicotine zinc chloride, hexamethyl nicotine benzoate.

[0100] In some embodiments, after the coating liquid is coated on the konjac sponge and dried to obtain an intermediate matrix, the preparation method further includes: sealing the intermediate matrix with a γ-ray penetrable packaging material, and then irradiating the intermediate matrix with γ-rays; preferably, the γ-ray penetrable packaging material includes a polyethylene plastic bag.

[0101] When irradiating the intermediate matrix, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment does not exceed 500 Gy·h -1 , and the irradiation time of the irradiation treatment is 15 - 20 min.

[0102] Exemplarily, when irradiating the intermediate matrix, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment can be 100 Gy·h -1 , 200 Gy·h -1 , 300 Gy·h -1 , 400 Gy·h -1 , 500 Gy·h -1 or any value not exceeding 500 Gy·h -1 , and the irradiation time of the irradiation treatment can be 15 min, 20 min, or any value between 15 - 20 min.

[0103] In some embodiments, the irradiation treatment of the intermediate matrix can be carried out at normal temperature and pressure.

[0104] The present application also provides an aerosol generating matrix, and the aerosol generating matrix is prepared by the preparation method of the aerosol generating matrix described above.

[0105] The present application also provides an aerosol generating device, including the aerosol generating substrate described above.

[0106] The following will describe the implementation schemes of the present application in detail with reference to specific embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application. For those conditions not specified in the embodiments, they are carried out according to conventional conditions or the conditions recommended by the manufacturer. For the reagents or instruments whose manufacturers are not specified, they are all conventional products that can be obtained through commercial purchase.

[0107] I. Preparation of the aerosol generating substrate

[0108] Example 1

[0109] Example 1 provides an aerosol generating substrate, and its preparation method includes:

[0110] (1) Weigh 10 g of natural konjac glucomannan, 40 g of konjac oligosaccharide, and 50 g of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (the mass ratio of natural konjac glucomannan is 10%, the mass ratio of konjac oligosaccharide is 40%, and the mass ratio of deacetylated konjac glucomannan is 50%). After mixing, seal it with a polyethylene plastic bag. At room temperature, irradiate the mixed raw materials by the irradiation method (γ-ray), with an irradiation dose rate of 500 Gy·h -1 , an irradiation time of 0.5 h, an irradiation dose of 250 Gy. The irradiated sample is sealed in a self-sealing bag and stored in a low-temperature and light-proof environment.

[0111] (2) Weigh 100 g of the irradiated sample prepared in step (1), 2 g of sodium carbonate, 5 g of a foaming agent (a mixture composed of foaming agent H and foaming agent OBSH in a mass ratio of 1:1), and 1 g of sucrose ester. Mix them, add 800 g of deionized water, and stir well to form a gel block.

[0112] (3) Load the gel block into a fuming section mold (long cylinder, diameter 6.85 mm, length 50 cm), heat it to 180 °C for foaming. The foaming agent starts to decompose, releasing gas, and a large number of bubbles are generated in the gel. The foaming time is 55 min to form a porous gel.

[0113] (4) Place the porous gel at -5 °C for 48 h for freeze molding, and then thaw and wash it to obtain a highly elastic konjac sponge, which has good strength, air permeability, and absorption rate.

[0114] (5) Place the konjac sponge in the coating solution and perform dip coating. The coating amount of the coating solution is 20 times the mass of the konjac sponge. The coating material includes: 60 wt% tobacco extract, 8 wt% flavor and fragrance, 5 wt% PG (propylene glycol), 25 wt% VG (glycerol), and 2 wt% nicotine salt. Dry it by freeze-drying for 12 h, then spray 3 wt% top flavor, and cut it into 13 mm to obtain the HNB smoking section with high adsorption rate and high loading rate.

[0115] (6) Finally, irradiate the smoking section: seal it with a polyethylene plastic bag, and at room temperature, irradiate the smoking section obtained in step (5) by the irradiation method (γ-ray), with an irradiation dose rate of 500 Gy·h -1 , for 15 min. Seal the irradiated sample in a self-sealing bag and store it in a low-temperature and light-proof environment.

[0116] Example 2

[0117] Example 2 provides an aerosol generation matrix, and its preparation method includes:

[0118] (1) Take 10 g of natural konjac glucomannan, 40 g of konjac oligosaccharide, and 50 g of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (the mass ratio of natural konjac glucomannan is 10%, the mass ratio of konjac oligosaccharide is 40%, and the mass ratio of deacetylated konjac glucomannan is 50%), mix them, seal them with a polyethylene plastic bag, and at room temperature, irradiate the mixed raw materials by the irradiation method (γ-ray), with an irradiation dose rate of 500 Gy·h -1 , the irradiation time is 0.5 h, the irradiation dose is 250 Gy. Seal the irradiated sample in a self-sealing bag and store it in a low-temperature and light-proof environment.

[0119] (2) Weigh 100 g of the irradiated sample prepared in step (1), 2 g of sodium carbonate, 8 g of foaming agent (a mixture composed of foaming agent H and OBSH with a mass ratio of 1:1), and 5 g of sucrose ester, mix them, add 1000 g of deionized water, and stir well to make a gel block.

[0120] (3) Put the gel block into a smoking section mold (long cylinder, diameter 6.85 mm, length 50 cm), heat it to 200 °C for foaming. The foaming agent starts to decompose and releases gas, and a large number of bubbles are generated in the gel. The foaming time is 35 min to form a porous gel.

[0121] (4) Place the porous gel at -5 °C for 48 h for freeze molding, then thaw and wash it to obtain a highly elastic konjac sponge with good strength, air permeability and absorption rate.

[0122] (5) placing the konjac sponge in a coating solution and performing a dipping treatment, wherein the coating amount of the coating solution is 20 times the mass of the konjac sponge. The coating material comprises: 60wt% tobacco extract, 8wt% flavors and fragrances, 5wt% PG (propylene glycol), 25wt% VG (glycerol), and 2wt% nicotine salt. The sponge is dried by freeze drying for 12h, and then sprayed with 3wt% of surface fragrance, and cut into 13mm pieces to obtain a HNB smoking segment with high adsorption rate and high loading rate.

[0123] (6) Finally, the smoke-generating segment is irradiated: the smoke-generating segment is sealed in a polyethylene plastic bag and irradiated (gamma rays) at room temperature at a dose rate of 500 Gy·h -1 , time 20min, seal the irradiated samples in ziplock bags and store them in a low temperature and light-proof environment.

[0124] 2. Performance test of aerosol generating matrix

[0125] The proportion of hot water soluble matter, specific surface area, aroma volume, smoke volume and sensory quality of the aerosol generating matrix and PMI heets cartridge of Example 1-2 were measured. The specific test method is as follows.

[0126] (1) Test of the proportion of hot water soluble matter:

[0127] Refer to the tobacco industry standard, YC / T 571-2018 "Soxhlet extraction method for determination of hot water soluble matter content of reconstituted tobacco leaves".

[0128] (2) Specific surface area test:

[0129] After cutting the sample to be tested into pieces, weigh 0.01000g and put it in a U-shaped sample tube. After heating to 200℃ under vacuum conditions and keeping it for 3h, fix the U-shaped sample tube on the specific surface area meter and test it at the liquefaction point of nitrogen (-196℃) to obtain the specific surface area data.

[0130] (3) Aroma test:

[0131] Refer to the aroma quantity standard in (5) sensory quality scoring and organize inhalation testers to conduct inhalation evaluation. The full score for aroma quantity is 10 points.

[0132] (4) Smoke volume test:

[0133] Smoking method: Refer to ISO 20778, use PMI smoking tools;

[0134] Smoking machine: linear smoking machine, puffing capacity 55mL, puffing time 2s, interval time 30s, number of puffs 10 / cigarette, number of puffs 5, puffing curve: bell-shaped.

[0135] Measuring the amount of smoke by the weight loss method: The difference in mass before and after puffing on the cartridge is divided by the number of puffs to represent the smoke amount data.

[0136] (5) Sensory quality scoring:

[0137] Referring to "GB / T 5606.4 Cigarettes - Part 4: Sensory Technical Requirements", "GB / T 10221 Sensory Analysis - Vocabulary", and "YC / T 138 Tobacco and Tobacco Products - Sensory Evaluation Methods", scores are given separately according to the four dimensions of aroma characteristics, smoke characteristics, taste characteristics, and smoke consistency, and then the total score is calculated; the full score of sensory quality is 100 points. Among them, the full score of aroma characteristics is 30 points, including 10 points for aroma quantity, 10 points for aroma quality, 5 points for richness, and 5 points for harmony; the full score of smoke characteristics is 25 points, including 15 points for smoke concentration and 10 points for off-flavors; the full score of taste characteristics is 30 points, including 10 points for irritation, 10 points for aftertaste, and 10 points for smoke temperature; the full score of smoke consistency is 15 points.

[0138] The performance test results of the aerosol generation matrix and PMI's heets cartridges in Examples 1-2 are shown in Table 1.

[0139] Table 1 Comparison table of various indicators of the aerosol generation matrix and PMI's heets cartridges in Examples 1-2

[0140]

[0141] As can be seen from Table 1, the proportion of hot water-soluble substances and the specific surface area of the aerosol generation matrix in Examples 1-2 are significantly higher than those of PMI's heets cartridges. The proportion of hot water-soluble substances and the specific surface area of the matrix are important factors affecting its loading rate and adsorption rate. A higher proportion of hot water-soluble substances and a larger specific surface area will significantly increase the loading rate and adsorption rate of the matrix.

[0142] Moreover, the aroma quantity, smoke amount, and total sensory quality score of the aerosol generation matrix in Examples 1-2 are all better than those of PMI's heets cartridges, indicating that the aerosol generation matrix in Examples 1-2 has a better smoking experience.

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0144] In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments herein include certain features included in other embodiments rather than other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of this application and forms different embodiments. For example, in the claims above, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination. The information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancing the understanding of the overall background of this application and should not be regarded as an admission or any form of implication that this information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method for preparing an aerosol - generating substrate, characterized in that, Comprising: Irradiating a konjac polysaccharide material, wherein the konjac polysaccharide material includes natural konjac glucomannan, konjac oligosaccharide, and deacetylated konjac glucomannan; Mixing the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material with an alkaline substance, a foaming agent, a dispersant, and water to form a gel block; Heating the gel block to decompose the foaming agent in the gel block to form a porous gel; Freezing and molding the porous gel, followed by thawing and washing to obtain a konjac sponge; Coating a coating solution on the konjac sponge and drying to obtain an aerosol generating substrate.

2. The method for preparing an aerosol - generating substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The mass ratio of the natural konjac glucomannan to the konjac oligosaccharide and the deacetylated konjac glucomannan is (10 - 60):(40 - 90):(10 - 60).

3. The preparation method of the aerosol - generating substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The irradiating the konjac polysaccharide material includes: sealing the konjac polysaccharide material with a γ-ray penetrable packaging material, and then irradiating the konjac polysaccharide material with γ-rays; When irradiating konjac polysaccharide materials, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment does not exceed 500 Gy·h -1 , and the time of the irradiation treatment is 20 - 40 min.

4. The method for preparing an aerosol - generating substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The alkaline substance includes at least one of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate; And / or, the mass of the alkaline substance is 2% - 4.5% of the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material; And / or, the foaming agent includes at least one of foaming agent H and foaming agent OBSH; And / or, the foaming agent includes foaming agent H and foaming agent OBSH, and the mass ratio of foaming agent H to foaming agent OBSH is 1:(0.8 - 1.2); And / or, the mass of the foaming agent is 5% - 15% of the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material.

5. The preparation method of the aerosol generating substrate according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The dispersant includes sucrose ester; And / or, the mass of the dispersant is 1% - 6% of the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material; And / or, the mass of the water is 8 - 12 times the mass of the irradiated konjac polysaccharide material; And / or, the heating temperature is 180°C - 230°C; And / or, the heating time is 25 min - 55 min; And / or, the temperature of the freezing and molding is below -5°C, and the time of the freezing and molding is 6 h - 48 h; And / or, the coating solution includes an active substance, a flavor and fragrance, and a smoke agent; And / or, the coating amount of the coating solution is 20 - 23 times the mass of the konjac sponge.

6. The preparation method of the aerosol - generating substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The active substance includes at least one of a tobacco extract and a nicotine compound; When the active substance includes a tobacco extract and a nicotine compound, in the coating solution, the content of the tobacco extract is 55 wt% - 65 wt%, the content of the flavor and fragrance is 5 wt% - 11 wt%, the content of the smoke agent is 25 wt% - 35 wt%, and the content of the nicotine compound is 1 wt% - 2 wt%.

7. The method for preparing an aerosol-generating substrate according to claim 6, wherein, The smoke agent includes at least one of propylene glycol and glycerol; When the smoke agent includes propylene glycol and glycerol, the content of propylene glycol in the coating solution is less than or equal to 10 wt%, and the content of glycerol in the coating solution is less than or equal to 35 wt%.

8. The preparation method of the aerosol - generating substrate according to claim 1, wherein, After coating the konjac sponge with the coating liquid and drying, an intermediate matrix is obtained. The preparation method further includes: sealing the intermediate matrix with a γ-ray penetrable packaging material, and then irradiating the intermediate matrix with γ-rays; When irradiating the intermediate matrix, the irradiation dose rate of the irradiation treatment does not exceed 500 Gy·h -1 , and the time of the irradiation treatment is 15 - 20 min.

9. An aerosol - generating substrate, characterized in that, The aerosol generating matrix is prepared by the preparation method of the aerosol generating matrix according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, It includes the aerosol generating matrix according to claim 9.

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