Compositions Comprising Aerosol-Forming and Sorption Materials and Uses Thereof - Patent application

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition comprising an aerosol-generating material, including a dry precursor material comprising an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material, and optionally an aerosol-forming material, and a sorbent material. The composition can be used to generate an aerosol. For example, the composition can be used in a combustion or non-combustion aerosol delivery system. The present invention also relates to an aerosol delivery system comprising the composition, and a method of providing the composition.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to compositions comprising an aerosol-forming material and a sorbent material, methods of making the compositions and uses thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol-generating materials for use in combustion or non-combustion aerosol delivery systems may contain a variety of different actives and / or flavors. Factors such as the concentration of volatile active and / or flavor ingredients in the aerosol-generating material and the stability of the aerosol-generating material affect the characteristics of the aerosol generated. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a composition comprising an aerosol-forming material comprising a dry precursor material comprising an extract from flavour- and / or active-containing plant material, and a sorbent material.

[0004] In some embodiments, the sorbent material is more hygroscopic than the aerosol-forming material.

[0005] In some embodiments, the sorbent material retains absorbed or adsorbed moisture at temperatures up to about 100°C.

[0006] In some embodiments, the sorbent material comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of silica gel, molecular sieves, activated carbon, zeolites, sodium acrylate, and simple salts such as alkaline earth or alkali metal salts, carbonates and hydrides, carbonates and hydroxides, e.g., calcium chloride, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potassium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide.

[0007] In some embodiments, the sorbent material is present on a surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[0008] In some embodiments, the sorbent material forms an incomplete coating surrounding the aerosol-forming material.

[0009] In some embodiments, particles of the sorbent material are mixed with particles of the aerosol-forming material.

[0010] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of particles or granules. In some embodiments, the particles or granules of the aerosol-forming material have an average size of from about 1 μm to about 3 mm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of agglomerates or platelets formed from particles, hi some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material agglomerates or platelets have an average size of about 3 mm to about 20 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the sorbent material is included in the aggregates or platelets of the aerosol-forming material.

[0013] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-forming material.

[0014] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises from about 10 to about 95% by weight extract from a flavor- or active-containing plant material.

[0015] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises from about 1 to about 36% by weight of the aerosol-forming material.

[0016] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises from 0 to about 40% by weight of excipients.

[0017] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 45 to about 99% by weight of a dry extract from a flavor- or active-containing plant material.

[0018] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 1 to about 34% by weight of the aerosol-forming material.

[0019] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises from 0 to about 25% by weight of an excipient.

[0020] In some embodiments, the plant material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, and hemp.

[0021] In some embodiments, the extract from the flavor- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous extract.

[0022] In some embodiments, the extract from the flavor- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous tobacco extract.

[0023] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 40 to about 99% by weight tobacco solids.

[0024] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material has a water content of about 5% or less.

[0025] In some embodiments, the composition is for use in an aerosol delivery system.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article comprising an aerosol-forming material comprising a dry precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and / or active-containing plant material, and a sorbent.

[0027] In some embodiments, the article comprises a composition according to the first aspect.

[0028] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material and the sorbent are provided separately within the article.

[0029] According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising a composition according to the first aspect or an article according to the second aspect.

[0030] According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a pack comprising an article comprising an aerosol-forming material comprising a dry precursor material comprising an extract from flavour- and / or active-containing plant material, and a sorbent.

[0031] In some embodiments, the sorbent is separate from the article.

[0032] In some embodiments, the sorbent is provided in a separate item, such as a sachet or sheet.

[0033] In some embodiments, the sorbent is provided in a packaging material that is removed from the article before the article is used to generate an aerosol.

[0034] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a composition comprising drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and / or active-containing plant material and an aerosol-forming material to form an aerosol-forming material, and adding a sorbent material to the aerosol-forming material.

[0035] In some embodiments, the precursor material is dried by spray drying or freeze drying.

[0036] In some embodiments, the sorbent is added in the form of a discontinuous coating on the surface of the aerosol-forming material.

[0037] In some embodiments, the adsorbent material is mixed with the dry aerosol-forming material.

[0038] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is agglomerated.

[0039] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a consumable product comprising a composition described herein. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a non-combustion aerosol delivery device for generating aerosol from the consumable aerosol-generating material shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] An aerosol-forming material is, for example, a material that is capable of generating an aerosol when heated, irradiated, or energized in any other manner.

[0042] Conventional aerosol generating materials, including tobacco materials or tobacco extracts, can be used in combustion and non-combustion aerosol generating devices, including hybrid devices and tobacco heating products, to provide users with an aerosol with authentic tobacco taste and texture. One problem encountered with such materials is that the content of flavors, other volatile compounds and nicotine decreases with storage of the aerosol generating material, especially toward the end of the material's life. This is because the more volatile components, including nicotine and many flavors and aromas, are easily released from the material. Furthermore, when the moisture content of the aerosol generating material increases due to moisture absorption, this adversely affects the release of substances such as nicotine and flavors. Aerosol generating materials produced using conventional methods and procedures generally need to be used within 1-3 days of production. Thus, there is a need to improve the shelf life of aerosol generating materials.

[0043] A further problem associated with conventional aerosol-forming materials, including tobacco materials or tobacco extracts, is that the concentrations of desired components, such as nicotine and flavors, are relatively low. This limits the concentration of these desired components in the generated aerosol. Furthermore, this means that a relatively large amount of aerosol-forming material is required, and therefore a large amount of energy is required to heat the aerosol-forming material to release the desired components.

[0044] The present invention relates to compositions comprising a dried or dehydrated aerosol-forming material formed from an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material and a sorbent material. In some embodiments, the extract is a liquid solution or suspension and may be dried or dehydrated using a process such as spray drying or freeze drying. The dried or dehydrated aerosol-forming material may be formed from a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material and an aerosol-forming material.

[0045] Aerosol-forming materials that include dried extracts from flavor- and / or active-containing plant materials contain high concentrations of flavors and / or actives, with little or no material that does not contribute to the aerosol generated from the dry aerosol-forming material. Thus, small amounts of aerosol-forming material are sufficient to generate an aerosol having the desired active and flavor content. Furthermore, the aerosol can be generated with a relatively low level of energy input.

[0046] An additional advantage of the aerosol-forming materials used as solid substrates is that the low water content reduces problems associated with "hot puffs" as known in the art.

[0047] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material has a moisture content of 0 to about 10%, or 0 to about 5% (calculated on a wet weight basis) as measured by gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) or Karl Fischer titration. In some embodiments, the moisture content of the dry aerosol-forming material is less than about 3% by weight, e.g., about 0 to about 3% by weight, or about 0.5 to about 2.5% by weight.

[0048] Karl Fischer titration is a classical method of chemical analysis to reliably determine the amount of water in a sample, even in trace amounts. This method can be easily performed using an automated Karl Fischer titrator. Similarly, the use of GC-TCD is also an established method to reliably determine the water content in a sample.

[0049] Unless otherwise stated, references to moisture content herein are references to moisture content as measured by Karl Fischer titration.

[0050] Dry aerosol-forming materials can be hygroscopic, so steps must be taken to ensure that the aerosol-forming materials do not absorb moisture during processing, during incorporation into the final product, and during storage in that final product prior to use.

[0051] It is not usually necessary to protect conventional aerosol-generating materials from moisture in the surrounding environment. This is because conventional aerosol-generating materials are not hygroscopic and are not particularly sensitive to moisture. Furthermore, humectants such as glycerol are often included in conventional aerosol-generating materials in appropriate amounts to target a specific moisture level in the aerosol-generating material. The highly concentrated nature of the dry aerosol-generating materials used in the present invention means that even small amounts of moisture absorption can be very detrimental to the properties of the aerosol-generating material and the quality of the aerosol generated. Furthermore, water absorption can occur to such an extent that the dry powder takes on a paste-like consistency, which is undesirable in the compositions and consumables described herein.

[0052] Preventing or reducing the absorption of water by the aerosol-forming material also helps manage or avoid the phenomenon known as "hot puffs."

[0053] Compositions including aerosol-forming materials can be used in combustion or non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, or aerosol-free delivery systems.

[0054] An aerosol-forming material is, for example, a material that is capable of generating an aerosol when heated, irradiated, or energized in any other manner.

[0055] In the present disclosure, compositions are provided in which a dry aerosol-forming material is formulated with a sorbent material that is intended to absorb or adsorb moisture from the environment, thus reducing the exposure of the aerosol-forming material to moisture and therefore reducing the absorption of moisture by the aerosol-forming material prior to its use.

[0056] The term sorbent as used herein refers to a material that has hygroscopic and / or dehumidifying properties. This means that the sorbent is capable of absorbing or adsorbing water or moisture. The terms sorbent material and dehumidifying material are used interchangeably.

[0057] In some embodiments, the hygroscopic aerosol-generating material has a moisture content of about 10% or less, or about 5% or less (calculated on a wet weight basis) as measured by gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) or Karl Fischer titration. This moisture content is stable, meaning that the moisture content of the aerosol-generating material is within this range not only when the aerosol-generating material is first prepared, but also after incorporation into an aerosol product, transportation, and storage. This stable moisture content is observed despite the fact that the hygroscopic aerosol-generating material rapidly absorbs moisture when exposed to the environment, even under "normal" humidity conditions. Indeed, when an aerosol-generating material is described as hygroscopic, this means that the aerosol-generating material rapidly absorbs water from the surrounding environment, significantly increasing its moisture content. For example, when an uncoated aerosol-generating material is exposed to the environment (e.g., when stored in an open container, etc.), the moisture content rapidly increases to more than 20% or more than 25% (calculated on a wet weight basis) as measured by gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) or Karl Fischer titration.

[0058] Competition for moisture between the aerosol-forming material and the sorbent or dehumidifying material means that the amount of moisture absorbed by the aerosol-forming material is reduced: the higher the affinity of the sorbent or dehumidifying material for water, the more moisture or moisture the sorbent or dehumidifying material will adsorb or absorb, and the less moisture will be available for the aerosol-forming material to absorb.

[0059] In some embodiments, the sorbent material is more hygroscopic than the aerosol-forming material. For example, dynamic water vapor sorption (DVS) is a gravimetric technique that can be used to measure the rate at which a sample of material absorbs water by varying the vapor concentration surrounding the sample and measuring the resulting change in mass. DVS can be used to measure the water uptake rates of both the sorbent material and the aerosol-forming material. In preferred embodiments, the water uptake rate of the sorbent material is preferably faster than the water uptake rate of the aerosol-forming material.

[0060] In particular, the water uptake rate of the sorbent or dehumidifying material is preferably greater than the water uptake rate of the aerosol-forming material at about 20% RH or greater, about 30% RH or greater, about 40% RH or greater, or about 50% RH or greater.

[0061] In some embodiments, the sorbent material not only absorbs or adsorbs moisture, but also prevents the release of this water (as vapor) in a manner that may interfere with the desired aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material. Thus, in some embodiments, the sorbent retains the captured moisture while the aerosol-generating material is heated to form the aerosol. Thus, in some embodiments, the sorbent material retains the absorbed or adsorbed moisture at temperatures up to about 200° C., up to about 250° C., up to about 300° C., up to about 325° C., or up to about 350° C. In other embodiments, the sorbent releases water at temperatures between about 100° C. and about 150° C., thereby releasing water at a temperature below the temperature at which the first puff of aerosol is generated for inhalation by the consumer.

[0062] In some embodiments, the sorbent material is a desiccant.

[0063] Suitable sorbent materials may include one or more selected from the group consisting of silica gel, molecular sieves, activated carbon, zeolites, sodium acrylate, and simple salts such as alkaline earth or alkali metal salts, carbonates and hydrides, carbonates and hydroxides, such as calcium chloride, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potassium carbonate and sodium hydroxide. These sorbent materials are suitable for inclusion in compositions that are heated to generate aerosols for inhalation by consumers. In some embodiments, the sorbent material is stable at the temperatures to which the composition is exposed when heated to generate aerosols. Thus, in such embodiments, the sorbent does not decompose, melt or disintegrate when exposed to high temperatures during use of the composition.

[0064] Further discussion of the sorbent or dehumidifying materials that can be used in the present invention is provided below.

[0065] In some embodiments, the composition includes a sorbent material on the surface of the aerosol-generating material. For example, the sorbent material may form a partial or incomplete coating surrounding the aerosol-generating material. Partial or incomplete coating means that the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material may be released from the composition and available for inhalation. In some embodiments, the partial coating is in the form of a permeable network. This ensures that the sorbent is present on the surface of the aerosol-generating material, but does not prevent the volatile substances generated by heating the aerosol-generating material from being released.

[0066] If the sorbent material swells as it absorbs moisture, it is desirable for the coating to not become a complete coating as a result of the swelling of the sorbent material. Thus, in some embodiments, it is desirable for the sorbent coating to be sufficiently incomplete to ensure that the aerosol-generating material is exposed and may not ultimately become completely surrounded by the sorbent material.

[0067] In some embodiments, the composition includes a sorbent material in the form of particles. These particles may be mixed, for example, with particles of an aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the particles of the sorbent and the particles of the aerosol-forming material are homogeneously mixed. In other embodiments, the sorbent particles may be concentrated in one or more locations to increase exposure to ambient moisture. This may mean that moisture is more easily absorbed or adsorbed by the sorbent material than by the aerosol-forming material.

[0068] In some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more sorbent particles or granules, hi some embodiments, the sorbent particles have an average size of at least about 50 nm, at least about 100 nm, at least about 200 nm, at least about 500 nm, at least about 1 μm, at least about 10 μm, at least about 50 μm, at least about 100 μm, at least about 200 μm, at least about 500 μm, at least about 600 μm, at least about 700 μm, at least about 800 μm, at least about 900 μm, or at least about 1 mm.

[0069] Additionally or alternatively, the sorbent particles have an average size of about 3 mm or less, about 2.5 mm or less, about 2 mm or less, about 1.5 mm or less, about 1 mm or less, about 900 μm or less, about 800 μm or less, about 700 μm or less, about 600 μm or less, or about 500 μm or less.

[0070] In some embodiments, the composition includes aggregates or platelets formed from one or more particles of an aerosol-forming material and one or more particles of a sorbent material. Optionally, the sorbent may be present on or at the surface of the aggregates or platelets, or the sorbent may be concentrated at the surface. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material and the aggregates or platelets of the sorbent material have an average size of about 3 mm to about 20 mm.

[0071] In some embodiments, the amount of sorbent material included in the composition is at least about 5%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, or at least about 30% based on the total weight of the composition. Alternatively or additionally, the amount of sorbent material included in the composition is no more than about 50%, no more than about 45%, no more than about 40%, no more than about 35%, no more than about 30%, no more than about 25%, or no more than about 20% based on the total weight of the composition.

[0072] In some embodiments, the sorbent is present in an amount of about 5 to about 40% by weight of the composition, or about 10 to 30% by weight of the composition.

[0073] The amount of sorbent that can be included can be limited by the potential swelling of the sorbent material as it absorbs moisture. This increase in size of the sorbent increases the volume of the composition that includes the aerosol-generating material and the sorbent material. In extreme situations where a large amount of sorbent is included in the composition and in an environment with high moisture levels, the expansion of the sorbent can cause problems such as the consumable no longer fitting into the aerosol delivery device or the airflow through the composition is reduced, compromising the release of the aerosol.

[0074] In some embodiments, a consumable is provided that includes an aerosol-generating material that includes a dry precursor material that includes an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material, an aerosol-forming material, and a sorbent. These components may be provided in the compositions described above. Alternatively, these components may be provided separately in the consumable, but the sorbent may still be provided to compete with the aerosol-generating material for moisture in the environment, thus reducing the amount of moisture absorbed by the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the sorbent may be provided in or on a wrapping that surrounds the aerosol-generating material in the consumable. In other embodiments, the sorbent may be incorporated in a separate section of the consumable relative to the aerosol-generating material. This may have the advantage of reducing the exposure of the sorbent to high temperatures to which the aerosol-generating material is heated during use. For example, the sorbent may be located in an adjacent section of the consumable that is not directly heated. This may be downstream or upstream of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the sorbent is included in one or more sections of the consumable that do not include the aerosol-generating material, such as a cooling element section or a filter section.

[0075] In yet another embodiment, the sorbent may be separated or removed from the aerosol-generating material and / or consumable prior to use. For example, the sorbent may be disposed within the packaging in which the consumable is held prior to use. In some embodiments, the packaging may be a wrapper, box, or other container. The sorbent may be incorporated into or part of the packaging material. Alternatively, the sorbent may be provided in a separate article, such as a sachet or sheet, that is placed with the consumable in the packaging.

[0076] Dry aerosol-generating materials The aerosol-generating material comprises a dried extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material further comprises an aerosol-forming material.

[0077] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is formed by drying a precursor material that includes an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material. The drying process is selected to preserve the desired components of the precursor material, and thus the aerosol-generating material may include one or more actives and / or flavors.

[0078] In some embodiments, the precursor material further comprises one or more aerosol-forming materials. Additionally or alternatively, one or more aerosol-forming materials may be added to the dry precursor material to provide an aerosol-generating material having a desired aerosol-forming material content.

[0079] The precursor material and / or the dry aerosol forming material may also, optionally, include one or more other functional materials.

[0080] Thus, the aerosol-generating material may include one or more active agents and / or flavors, and optionally one or more aerosol-forming materials. The precursor material and / or the dry aerosol-generating material may also optionally include one or more other functional materials.

[0081] The present invention takes advantage of aerosol generating materials that are formulated to have an extended shelf life and thus can be easily transported and stored. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is hypothesized that the low moisture content of the dry aerosol generating materials reduces the evaporation of other solvents over time and reduces the decomposition of nicotine and / or other volatile compounds. The low moisture content also inhibits microbial growth. Compositions including the dry aerosol generating materials described herein are stable over a range of temperatures and humidities, have an extended shelf life and are therefore easy to store and transport. In some embodiments, the compositions may be stored at temperatures ranging from 0 to 35° C. In some embodiments, the compositions may be stored at a relative humidity of up to about 50.

[0082] Aerosol-forming materials also have the advantage of having a high concentration of the desired component, meaning that relatively small amounts of the aerosol-forming material are required and less energy is required to heat and release the desired component. Importantly, the aerosols generated from these materials also provide a moderate intensity of authentic tobacco taste.

[0083] A further advantage of the aerosol-forming material is that it may be used as a solid aerosol-generating substrate in a hybrid system or tobacco heating product (THP), making the invention versatile enough for use in a variety of products without the need for further processing.

[0084] In some embodiments, the extract from the flavorant- or active-containing plant material is an extract derived by contacting the plant material with a suitable solvent, such as an aqueous solvent or an alcohol, such as ethanol, and the liquid portion containing the solvent and any dissolved plant components is then separated or partially separated from the remaining solid plant material to provide the extract contained in a precursor composition, which can then be dried.

[0085] In some embodiments, the extract from a flavorant- or active-containing plant material is an extract from a tobacco material.

[0086] The tobacco extract or tobacco material may be derived from or may be any type of tobacco and any part of the tobacco plant, including tobacco blades, stems, stalks, veins, litter and bits, or a mixture of two or more thereof. Suitable tobacco extracts or materials include the following types: Virginia or fully cured tobacco, Burley tobacco, Oriental tobacco, or blends of tobacco materials optionally including those listed herein. The tobacco may be expanded, such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET), or processed by any other means. In some embodiments, the tobacco material may be a reconstituted tobacco material. The tobacco may be pre-processed or unprocessed, for example, solid stem (SS), shredded dried stem (SDS), steam treated stem (STS), or any combination thereof. The tobacco material may be fermented, cured, uncured, roasted, or otherwise pre-processed. The tobacco material may be provided in the form of cut rag tobacco. Cut rag tobacco may, for example, have a cut width of at least 15 cuts / inch (equivalent to about 5.9 cuts / cm, or about 1.7 mm cut width). Cut rag tobacco may be formed from a mixture of tobacco material forms, such as one or more of reconstituted tobacco, leaf tobacco, extruded tobacco, and band cast tobacco.

[0087] The precursor material that is dried to form the aerosol-forming material may comprise at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20%, at least about 25%, at least about 30%, at least about 35%, or at least about 40% by weight of tobacco solids (calculated on a wet weight basis). Additionally or alternatively, the precursor material may comprise up to about 60%, up to about 55%, up to about 50%, up to about 45%, or up to about 40% by weight of tobacco solids (calculated on a wet weight basis). In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises between about 20% and about 40% by weight of tobacco solids (calculated on a wet weight basis).

[0088] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises at least about 10% by weight, about 20% by weight, at least about 30% by weight, at least about 40% by weight, at least about 50% by weight, at least about 60% by weight, at least about 70% by weight, at least about 80% by weight, or at least about 90% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis) of extract from tobacco or other flavorant- or active-containing plant material. Alternatively or additionally, the precursor material may comprise up to about 99% by weight, up to about 90% by weight, up to about 80% by weight, up to about 70% by weight, or up to about 60% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis) of extract from tobacco or other flavorant- or active-containing plant material. In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises about 50% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis) of tobacco extract.

[0089] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may comprise at least about 45%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, or at least about 95% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis) of tobacco material or tobacco extract, or flavorant- or active-containing plant material extract. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may comprise from about 60 to about 80% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis) of tobacco extract.

[0090] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material may contain from about 2% to about 10% nicotine by weight, or from about 3% to about 6% nicotine by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0091] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises about 50% v / v tobacco extract, and when the precursor material comprises about 50% v / v tobacco extract, and the tobacco extract has a tobacco solids content of about 55 to about 60% v / v, the total tobacco solids content of the precursor material is about 27.5 to about 30% v / v.

[0092] In some embodiments, the tobacco extract has a solids content of about 40 to about 65% by weight, about 45 to about 65% by weight, or about 40 to about 60% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis). In some embodiments, the moisture content of the tobacco extract is about 35% to about 65% by weight, or about 35 to about 55% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis). In some embodiments, the nicotine content of the tobacco extract is about 1% to about 5% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis).

[0093] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material may comprise at least about 45%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, or at least about 95% by weight of tobacco solids (calculated on a dry weight basis). Additionally or alternatively, the aerosol-forming material may comprise up to about 99%, up to about 98%, up to about 95%, up to about 90%, or up to about 80% by weight of tobacco solids. In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material may comprise from about 60 to about 80% by weight of tobacco solids (calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0094] In some embodiments, the tobacco extract is an aqueous tobacco extract. In some embodiments, the tobacco extract may be concentrated and subsequently diluted before being added to the precursor material and dried. In other embodiments, the tobacco extract may not be concentrated and may be used directly to the precursor material.

[0095] The precursor material may be in the form of a slurry, suspension, gel, liquid or solid, but in some preferred embodiments is in the form of a suspension or liquid, hi some embodiments, particles of solid material may be removed from the extract and / or precursor material by filtration and / or centrifugation.

[0096] In some embodiments, it may be desirable for any particles in the precursor composition to have an average particle size of about 3 mm or less, 1 mm or less, about 0.5 mm or less, or to have an average particle size of about 0.3 mm or less, as measured by sieving or by observing the size of the particles with a SEM.

[0097] The water content of the precursor material can be at least about 20% by weight, at least about 30% by weight, at least about 40% by weight, at least about 50% by weight, at least about 60% by weight, at least about 70% by weight, at least about 80% by weight, or at least about 90% by weight, on a wet weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the water content of the precursor material can be up to about 95% by weight, up to about 90% by weight, up to about 85% by weight, up to about 80% by weight, up to about 75% by weight, up to about 70% by weight, up to about 65% by weight, up to about 60% by weight, up to about 55% by weight, or up to about 50% by weight, on a wet weight basis. In some embodiments, the water content of the precursor material is about 40% to about 50% by weight (50% to 60% v / v%), on a wet weight basis. When the water content of the precursor material is low, the spray / freeze drying process is quicker because there is less water to remove.

[0098] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-generating material and / or the precursor material includes one or more active substances, which may be derived from an extract or may be added, in some embodiments, a flavoring material or an extract from an active-containing plant material includes the active substances.

[0099] The active substance may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may be selected from, for example, dietary supplements, nootropics, and psychotropic drugs. The active substance may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco, cannabis, or another botanical substance.

[0100] In some embodiments, the active agent comprises nicotine, hi some embodiments, the active agent comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0101] In some embodiments, the precursor material may include extracts from other botanical sources in addition to or in place of tobacco extract.

[0102] As described herein, an extract may include or be derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical substances" includes any material derived from a plant, including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husks, or shells. Extracts may include or be derived from botanical substances in the form of liquids, gases, solids, powders, dusts, crushed particles, granules, pellets, chips, strips, sheets, and the like. Exemplary botanicals include tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay, licorice, matcha, yerba mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea, such as green or black tea, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, Lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, shiso, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiane, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, Calvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab, or any combination thereof.The mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: Mentha arventis, Mentha cv, Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata cv, Mentha piperita cv, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Mentha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata cv, and Mentha suaveolens.

[0103] In some embodiments, the extract comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives or extracts thereof, the botanical substances being selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, and hemp.

[0104] In some embodiments, the extract comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0105] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and / or precursor material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiol acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), and cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT).

[0106] The aerosol-generating and / or precursor materials may include one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

[0107] The aerosol-generating material and / or precursor material may include cannabidiol (CBD).

[0108] The aerosol generating and / or precursor materials may include nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).

[0109] The aerosol-generating and / or precursor materials may include nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

[0110] The aerosol-generating material further comprises an aerosol-forming material, hi some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is included in the precursor material.

[0111] The aerosol forming material may include one or more components capable of forming an aerosol. The aerosol forming agent may be, for example, a polyol aerosol generator or a non-polyol aerosol generator. The aerosol forming agent may be a solid or liquid at room temperature, but is preferably a liquid at room temperature.

[0112] In some embodiments, the aerosol forming material may include one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, mesoerythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixtures, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0113] In some embodiments, the aerosol forming agent comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerin, esters of polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate, and / or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. In some embodiments, the aerosol forming material comprises one or more compounds selected from erythritol, propylene glycol, glycerol, vegetable glycerin (VG), triacetin, sorbitol, and xylitol.

[0114] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of glycerol. Glycerol provides a visible aerosol when the aerosol generating device is used. Consumers generally prefer aerosol generating devices that provide a visible aerosol because they allow consumers to visualize the product and what they are consuming. This makes glycerol a desirable choice for the aerosol-forming material. Propylene glycol has the advantage of being a better flavor carrier than glycerol.

[0115] Combinations of two or more aerosol forming agents may be used, in equal or differing proportions.

[0116] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises at least about 1%, at least about 5%, at least about 10%, or at least about 20% by weight of aerosol-forming material (calculated on a wet weight basis). Additionally or alternatively, the precursor material may comprise up to about 40%, up to about 35, up to about 30%, up to about 25%, up to about 20%, or up to about 10% by weight of aerosol-forming material (calculated on a wet weight basis).

[0117] In embodiments of the invention where the aerosol-forming material is glycerol, the precursor material may contain up to 36% glycerol by weight. The inventors have demonstrated that dry weight content levels of aerosol-forming material of up to 36% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis) are possible.

[0118] The amount of glycerol in the precursor material, and therefore in the dry aerosol material, is important because glycerol is both an aerosol-forming material and a plasticizer. If the concentration of glycerol is too high, it can be detrimental to the critical temperature of the product during the freeze-drying process, and can lead to the collapse of the product if the critical temperature of the formulation is exceeded. On the other hand, sufficient glycerol should be included to provide a sufficient and pleasant aerosol to the consumer.

[0119] It is particularly surprising that precursor materials including glycerol and some other aerosol-forming materials can be freeze-dried because such materials are believed to have freeze-resistant properties. Nevertheless, the inventors have discovered that precursor materials including glycerol can be freeze-dried to form highly useful aerosol-generating materials.

[0120] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material may comprise at least about 1% by weight, at least about 5% by weight, at least about 10% by weight, at least about 20% by weight, at least about 30% by weight, or at least about 40% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0121] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material may comprise from about 1 to about 34% by weight, or from about 17 to about 34% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis) of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments where the aerosol-forming material is glycerol, the dry aerosol-forming material may comprise from about 13 to about 34% by weight (calculated on a dry weight basis) of glycerol.

[0122] In embodiments where burley tobacco is used, the aerosol-generating material may include about 17 to about 36% by weight glycerol. The amount of glycerol in the aerosol material is important since glycerol is both an aerosol-forming material and a plasticizer. If the concentration of glycerol is too high, it may be detrimental to the critical temperature of the product during the freeze-drying process and may result in the collapse of the product if the critical temperature of the formulation is exceeded. On the other hand, sufficient glycerol should be included to provide a sufficient and pleasant aerosol to the consumer.

[0123] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and / or the precursor material further comprises one or more excipients. In some embodiments, the excipients stabilize and preserve the precursor material, and the inventors have found that the inclusion of an excipient is particularly important for stability when the precursor material comprises glycerol as the aerosol-forming material. The excipients may also function as bulking agents or filler materials. In some embodiments, the inclusion of an excipient may also help the dry aerosol-generating material retain its granular form by improving the handling properties of the dry aerosol-generating material and helping to reduce moisture uptake and the resulting increase in stickiness of the material. The presence of an excipient may also have an effect on the speed of (freeze) drying.

[0124] Suitable excipients include mannitol, sucrose, trehalose, lactose, sorbitol, raffinose, maltose, dextrans such as dextran 10, dextran 70, dextran 90, maltodextrin, gelatin, agar, cyclodextrin, and polyethylene glycols such as PEG 2000-6000, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP 10).

[0125] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material and / or precursor material includes one or more excipients in an amount of 0 to about 40% by weight on a wet weight basis, hi some embodiments, the precursor material may include at least about 1%, at least about 10%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, and / or up to about 40%, up to about 30%, up to about 20%, or up to about 10% by weight of excipients on a wet weight basis.

[0126] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may comprise at least about 0.1%, at least about 10%, at least about 20%, or at least about 25% by weight of excipients (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may comprise up to about 25%, up to about 20%, up to about 15%, or up to about 10% by weight of excipients (calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0127] In an exemplary embodiment, the aerosol-forming material includes, on a dry weight basis, about 36% glycerol, about 45% tobacco extract, and about 19% excipients.

[0128] In another exemplary embodiment, the aerosol-forming material comprises, on a dry weight basis, from about 17 to about 39% glycerol, from about 41 to about 76% tobacco extract, and from 0 to about 28% excipients.

[0129] In embodiments where the excipient is agar, the precursor material may contain 0%, about 5%, or about 10% by weight of agar. The inventors have found that when the precursor material contains a lower concentration of the agar excipient, the agar makes the precursor material more viscous and the freeze-drying process is easier.

[0130] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises about 50% by weight tobacco extract, 0 to about 36% by weight aerosol forming agent (e.g., 0 to about 15% v / v), and 0 to about 40% by weight excipients (e.g., about 37.5% v / v). The tobacco extract may comprise about 55% by weight tobacco solids, with the total tobacco solids content of the precursor material being about 27.5% by weight.

[0131] In some embodiments, the precursor material comprises about 50% by weight tobacco extract, up to about 36% by weight (e.g., about 15% v / v) glycerol, and 0 to about 40% by weight (e.g., about 37.5% v / v) excipients. The tobacco extract may comprise about 55% by weight tobacco solids, with the total tobacco solids content of the precursor material being about 27.5% by weight.

[0132] Several sample formulations of dry aerosol-forming materials formed from aqueous tobacco extracts are summarized in Table 1 below, with amounts provided on a dry weight basis. These are theoretical values ​​(before drying and inherent losses). Typically, about 80-89% of the glycerol is retained in the drying stream. Glycerol may be used as an aerosol-forming material, but may be replaced or partially replaced with one or more other aerosol-forming materials, such as those disclosed herein. The excipient used may be dextran, e.g., dextran 70. Again, dextran may be replaced or partially replaced with alternative excipients, such as those disclosed herein.

[0133] [Table 1]

[0134] The nicotine content in the formulation depends on the type of tobacco used and the presence of other ingredients, namely aerosol formers and excipients.

[0135] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and / or the precursor material comprises one or more binders, hi some embodiments, the one or more binders are selected from the group consisting of thermoreversible gelling agents such as gelatin, starches, polysaccharides, pectins, celluloses, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose, and alginates.

[0136] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating and / or precursor materials include one or more flavor modifiers, flavors or flavorants, which may be derived from extracts or may be added. As used herein, the terms "flavor" and "flavorant" refer to materials that may be used, where local regulations permit, to create a desired taste, aroma, or other somatic sensation in a product intended for adult consumers.They may be any naturally occurring flavoring material, botanical substance, extract of botanical substance, synthetically derived material, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime). , tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel quid, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, i Lang ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, bell pepper, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay, yerba mate, orange peel, rose, tea such as green or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, black currant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiane , marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, Calvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners.They may be of imitation, synthetic or natural origin, or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example liquids such as oils, solids such as powders, or gases.

[0137] In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and / or red berry flavor components. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavor comprises flavor components extracted from cannabis.

[0138] In some embodiments, the flavor may include a sensory elicitor, which is intended to achieve somatic sensations that are usually chemically induced and perceived by stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) in addition to or instead of the aroma or gustatory nerves, and may include agents that produce a heating, cooling, tingling, or numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

[0139] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material and / or the precursor material include one or more other functional materials, which may include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a filler, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0140] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material and / or the precursor material contains a filler component. The filler component is generally a non-tobacco component, i.e., a component that does not contain tobacco-derived raw materials. In some embodiments, the precursor material contains less than 60% filler by weight, for example between 1% and 60%, or between 5% and 50%, or between 5% and 30%, or between 10% and 20%, on a wet weight basis.

[0141] When present, the filler may include one or more inorganic filler materials such as calcium carbonate, perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, colloidal silica, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium carbonate, and suitable inorganic sorbents such as molecular sieves. The filler may include one or more organic filler materials such as wood pulp, hemp fiber, cellulose and cellulose derivatives.

[0142] In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material is in the form of a gel. A gelling agent may be added to the aerosol-forming material, the precursor material, or may be optionally omitted. The gelling agent may include one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum, and mixtures thereof.

[0143] In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), and combinations thereof.

[0144] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more of hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum.

[0145] In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the non-cellulose based gelling agent is alginate or agar.

[0146] The aerosol-generating material and / or the precursor material may include an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monoprotic acid, a diprotic acid, and a triprotic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may contain at least one carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.

[0147] In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propanoic acid, and pyruvic acid. In some embodiments, the acid is selected from one of lactic acid, benzoic acid, and levulinic acid.

[0148] In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid.

[0149] The inclusion of an acid can be beneficial in embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material and / or precursor material includes nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of an acid can stabilize dissolved species in the slurry from which the aerosol-generating material is formed. The presence of an acid can reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing loss of nicotine during production.

[0150] In certain embodiments, the aerosol forming materials include a gelling agent, including a cellulosic and / or non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active agent, and an acid.

[0151] The dry aerosol-generating material may be in any solid form. For example, the aerosol-generating material may be in the form of particles, granules, or a powder. The aerosol-generating material may be in monolithic form, platelets, agglomerates, or in the form of a "cake." In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is formed by freeze drying or spray drying, and then processed as necessary with other suitable steps known to those skilled in the art to provide the dry material in the desired form, e.g., in the form of particles of the desired size.

[0152] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in the form of granules. The granules can be of any size, cross-sectional shape, or mass. Aerosol-generating materials in the form of granules are preferred due to their high surface area to volume ratio, which positively impacts the release of volatile substances from the material. This form also facilitates the incorporation of the material into an aerosol delivery system.

[0153] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is free-flowing and non-sticky, which aids in further processing and handling of the aerosol-forming material.

[0154] Smaller granule particles have a greater surface area to volume ratio and therefore may exhibit enhanced release of tobacco constituents as compared to larger sized particles.

[0155] In some embodiments, it may be desirable for the particles in the precursor composition to have an average particle size of about 3 mm or less, 1 mm or less, about 0.5 mm or less, or to have an average particle size of about 0.3 mm or less, as measured by sieving.

[0156] In some embodiments, the average particle size is within the range of about 0.1 to about 3 mm, about 0.1 to about 1 mm, about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm, about 0.1 to about 0.4 mm, or about 0.2 to about 0.3 mm. In some embodiments, at least about 90% of the particles of the precursor composition have a particle size within the range of about 0.1 to about 3 mm, or about 0.1 to about 1 mm, or about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, at least about 90% of the tobacco particles of the precursor composition have a particle size within the range of about 0.1 to about 3 mm, or about 0.1 to about 1 mm, or about 0.1 to about 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, none of the particles in the precursor composition have a particle size greater than 5 mm, greater than 4 mm, greater than 2 mm, greater than 1.5 mm, or greater than about 1 mm. When preparing a precursor composition to be dried, the particle size of any solid material present can be reduced by grinding, chopping, cutting, or crushing the plant material. Suitable machines for creating such plant particles include, for example, shredders, cutters, or mills, such as hammer mills, roller mills, or other types of commercially available crushing machines. The size of the plant particles is selected to provide particles that can be readily prepared from a variety of different types of plant material having the characteristics described herein and that provide a readily releasable source of plant components.

[0157] Smaller sized particles of the aerosol-generating material may be suitable for aerosol generation. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, smaller particles may have a larger surface area to volume ratio, which may improve aerosol generation. In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-generating material readily forms particles having an average size of less than 1 mm. In some embodiments, the particles may be as small as 10 μm, or as small as 1 μm. The size of the particles may be determined by sieving or by observing the particles with a SEM.

[0158] In some embodiments, the lyophilized precursor material can be ground into particles and sieved to eliminate particles that are deemed too small or too large for use as an aerosol generating material.

[0159] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material used in the present invention has a particle size distribution D10 of about 5 to about 25 μm (meaning that 10% of the particles in a test sample are smaller than the value), a particle size distribution D50 of about 30 to about 200 μm (meaning that 50% of the particles in a test sample are smaller than the value), and a particle size distribution D90 of about 500 to about 2500 μm (meaning that 90% of the particles in a test sample are smaller than the value). These values ​​are determined using a Microtrac CamSizer® X2 particle size analyzer. The percentages referred to herein are volume percentages.

[0160] In some embodiments, the lyophilized material used as an aerosol generating material according to the present invention has a particle size distribution D10 of about 8 to about 15 μm, a particle size distribution D50 of about 50 to about 150 μm, and a particle size distribution D90 of about 900 to about 1700 μm.

[0161] In some embodiments, the D10 average is from about 10 to about 15 μm, the D50 average is from about 40 to about 140 μm, and the D90 average is from about 800 to about 1600 μm.

[0162] Spray drying and freeze drying The drying method used to dry the precursor material can be any suitable drying process, including freeze-drying or spray-drying processes. The drying process used must be compatible with the precursor material and the desired composition of the aerosol-forming material. Because it may be desirable for the aerosol-forming material to contain actives and / or flavorants from extracts in the precursor material, it is important to select a drying method that retains sufficient amounts of these components.

[0163] In a small scale example, the precursor material is freeze-dried using a freeze-drying microscope, for example a Lyostat freeze-drying microscope.

[0164] In the spray drying process, the precursor material is atomized and dried rapidly using hot gas. The use of spray drying provides the present invention with several advantages, namely, the dried particle size can be controlled and made consistent, the tobacco or flavor extract or material is heat sensitive but can still be spray dried at a relatively high inlet temperature, the required residence time in the spray drying equipment is short, and the loss of flavor / volatile substances is minimal. This allows the process to be adapted to reduce the loss of volatile compounds and maintain the desired flavor of the aerosol-generating material.

[0165] Freeze-drying, also known as lyophilisation or cryodesiccation, is a process in which a precursor material is frozen, the temperature is reduced and the water is removed by sublimation under reduced pressure conditions. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the low processing temperature and rapid water loss by sublimation avoids alteration of the structure, appearance and properties of the aerosol-forming material. This process preserves the structure of the precursor material and reduces the loss and decomposition of volatile flavour compounds.

[0166] The dry aerosol-forming material has a lower water content than the precursor material. The water content of the aerosol-forming material can be up to about 0.5%, about 1%, about 2%, about 5%, about 10%, or about 20% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis). The water content of the dry aerosol-forming material can be reduced by at least about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 90%, about 95%, about 98%, or about 100% by weight from the precursor material. In some embodiments, the dry aerosol-forming material has a water content of less than about 5%, less than about 4%, less than about 3%, less than about 2%, or less than about 1% by weight (calculated on a wet weight basis) as measured by gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) or Karl Fischer measurements.

[0167] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the precursor material comprises Burley tobacco extract and has a moisture content of 60% by weight. After the freeze-drying operation described herein, the dry aerosol-forming material has a moisture content of 3% by weight.

[0168] A lower moisture content of the dry aerosol-generating material is associated with a longer shelf life and stability. However, a very low moisture content may be associated with a fragile structure and smaller particle size, as well as longer processing times. The material is also very hygroscopic. On the other hand, if the moisture content of the dry aerosol-generating material is too high, the desired stability improvement may not be achieved. The dry aerosol-generating material is also not easy to handle at a higher moisture content, and the material may become sticky.

[0169] The inventors have found that when a precursor material includes an excipient, the precursor material may be more suitable for drying by spray drying (compared to a precursor material that does not include an excipient). Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is speculated that increasing the amount of excipient in the precursor material increases the glass transition temperature above 100° C., which affects the physical properties of the material and makes it more suitable for spray drying.

[0170] Use of the composition Compositions including an aerosol-forming material and a sorbent material can be used in combustion or non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, or in aerosol-free delivery systems.

[0171] In some embodiments, the sorbent may be incorporated into a composition having an aerosol-forming material by including it in a precursor composition that is dried, for example by lyophilization, along with an extract from the active- and / or flavor-containing plant material and, optionally, any support. Alternatively, as noted above, the sorbent may be blended with the aerosol-forming material after it has been dried, for example, in the form of a powder or granules. In yet another embodiment, the sorbent may be added as a coating that surrounds or partially surrounds the aerosol-forming material.

[0172] In some embodiments, the optional support may be an additional aerosol-generating material, such as tobacco material in the form of cut rags or reconstituted tobacco material. The composition may be added to the additional aerosol-generating material to introduce the dry aerosol-generating material contained in the composition. Additionally, the composition may be introduced to stabilize or structurally reinforce the additional aerosol-generating material.

[0173] In some embodiments, the support consists of or includes a heating material that includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of an electrically conductive material, a magnetic material, and a magnetically conductive material. In some embodiments, the heating material may include a metal or metal alloy. In some embodiments, the heating material may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, graphite, plain carbon steel, stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, copper, and bronze.

[0174] In some embodiments, the heating material may be heated by induction heating, a process in which a conductive object is heated by penetrating a varying magnetic field through the conductive object. In some embodiments, the heating material may be heated by resistive heating. In such embodiments, the heating material is connected to a power source. Alternatively, the heating may be microwave heating or infrared heating.

[0175] The present invention also relates to a consumable or article comprising an aerosol-forming material, including a dry precursor material comprising an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material, and a sorbent.

[0176] In some embodiments, a consumable is provided that includes an aerosol-generating material that includes a dry precursor material that includes an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material, an aerosol-forming material, and a sorbent. These components may be provided in the compositions described above. Alternatively, these components may be provided separately in the consumable, but the sorbent may still be provided to compete with the aerosol-generating material for moisture in the environment, thus reducing the amount of moisture absorbed by the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the sorbent may be provided in or on a wrapping that surrounds the aerosol-generating material in the consumable. In other embodiments, the sorbent may be incorporated in a separate section of the consumable relative to the aerosol-generating material. This may have the advantage of reducing the exposure of the sorbent to high temperatures to which the aerosol-generating material is heated during use. For example, the sorbent may be located in an adjacent section of the consumable that is not directly heated. This may be downstream or upstream of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the sorbent is included in one or more sections of the consumable that do not include the aerosol-generating material, such as a cooling element section or a filter section.

[0177] In yet another embodiment, the sorbent may be separated or removed from the aerosol-generating material and / or consumable prior to use. For example, the sorbent may be disposed within the packaging in which the consumable is held prior to use. In some embodiments, the packaging may be a wrapper, box, or other container. The sorbent may be incorporated into or part of the packaging material. Alternatively, the sorbent may be provided in a separate article, such as a sachet or sheet, that is placed with the consumable in the packaging.

[0178] A consumable is an article that includes an aerosol-forming material, some or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user, where the aerosol-forming material, or at least a portion of the aerosol-forming material, is in the form of a composition disclosed herein that includes an aerosol-forming material and a sorbent material.

[0179] The consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transport component, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a wrapping material, a mouthpiece, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier. The consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater that generates heat upon use to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol. The heater may comprise, for example, a combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. The consumable may be of any shape or size suitable for a smoking device. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the consumable is rod-shaped.

[0180] In some embodiments, the composition comprising the aerosol-forming material and the sorbent material is provided in an aerosol-generating device, such as a tobacco heating product (THP) or a hybrid e-cigarette product. Suitably, the composition can be used directly as a solid substrate, and the composition is directly heated without combustion to provide an inhalable aerosol. By heating the composition, the components of the aerosol-generating material, such as glycerol, nicotine and / or tobacco flavor, can be aerosolized. The composition comprising the aerosol-generating material and the sorbent material may be stored in reduced humidity conditions, for example, less than about 30% humidity, prior to use. For example, the packaging of the consumable may provide protection from ambient moisture. In other embodiments, the composition itself and / or the sorbent protects moisture-sensitive aerosol-generating materials, so that there is no need to store the composition or consumable in reduced humidity conditions prior to use.

[0181] In some embodiments, a composition including an aerosol-forming material and a sorbent material may be incorporated into a consumable product without the need for a carrier or other substrate material to be heated.

[0182] However, in some embodiments, a composition comprising an aerosol-forming material and a sorbent material may be applied to a fibrous paper material to provide a reconstituted tobacco. This process may be similar to existing processes for preparing reconstituted tobacco by applying a tobacco extract to a fibrous paper material, or may be modified by replacing the tobacco extract with a dry aerosol-forming material. This is advantageous because the aerosol-forming material may be incorporated into existing manufacturing processes, but with improved shelf life as described herein.

[0183] Paper reconstituted tobacco refers to tobacco material formed by a process of extracting tobacco feedstock with a solvent to obtain an extract of soluble substances and a residue containing fibrous material, and then recombining the extract (usually after concentration, and optionally after further processing) with fibrous material from the residue (usually after refining the fibrous material, and optionally with the addition of a portion of non-tobacco fiber) by deposition of the extract onto the fibrous material. The recombination process is similar to the process of making paper.

[0184] The paper reconstituted tobaccos described herein may be prepared by methods known to those skilled in the art for preparing paper reconstituted tobaccos.

[0185] In some embodiments, the composition is provided in the form of free-flowing particles. These may be held in a porous bag or pouch. Alternatively, the composition may be held in a chamber such as a cartridge.

[0186] In other embodiments, the composition may be provided in the form of an agglomerate comprising particles of the aerosol-forming material and the sorbent material. In some embodiments, the sorbent material is provided mixed with the particles of the aerosol-forming material in the agglomerate. Additionally or alternatively, the sorbent material may be present on a surface of the agglomerated aerosol-forming material.

[0187] In some embodiments, the total mass of dry aerosol-forming material included for use in the delivery system is up to about 200 mg, up to about 190 mg, up to about 180 mg, up to about 170 mg, up to about 160 mg, up to about 150 mg, up to about 140 mg, up to about 130 mg, up to about 120 mg, up to about 110 mg, up to about 100 mg, up to about 90 mg, up to about 80 mg, up to about 70 mg, up to about 60 mg, or up to about 50 mg.

[0188] Alternatively or additionally, the total mass of dry aerosol-forming material included may be at least about 5 mg, at least about 10 mg, at least about 15 mg, at least about 20 mg, at least about 25 mg, at least about 30 mg, at least about 35 mg, at least about 40 mg, at least about 45 mg, or at least about 50 mg.

[0189] In some embodiments, the total mass of dry aerosol generating material is sufficient to provide, for example, up to about 10 puffs of aerosol generated in a single session or over a series of multiple sessions, In such embodiments, the total mass of dry aerosol generating material provided is about 10 to 100 mg, or about 25 to about 50 mg.

[0190] Sorbent-containing sheet material The present invention relates to a sheet material having moisture wicking properties that includes a base material and a sorbent that is a moisture absorbing material.

[0191] The sheet material may be incorporated into a pack of articles that includes an aerosol-forming material. The sorption or moisture-wicking properties of the sheet material mean that the sheet material will compete with the aerosol-forming material to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment, thus reducing the amount of moisture absorbed by the aerosol-forming material, for example, during storage or when the pack is opened and exposed to environmental moisture.

[0192] The term moisture-wicking properties refers to the property of inducing or maintaining dry conditions in the vicinity of the sheet material, in the context of the present invention where the sheet material is intended to be incorporated into the packaging of an aerosol product, the vicinity may be defined as the interior of said packaging.

[0193] In embodiments in which the sheet material is incorporated into a package surrounding an article containing an aerosol-generating material, the sheet material is in proximity to the aerosol-generating material. The moisture-wicking material in the sheet material absorbs moisture from the environment surrounding the aerosol-generating material, thereby reducing moisture absorption by the aerosol-generating material itself. Thus, the sheet material can maintain the moisture content of the aerosol-generating material and prevent or reduce undesirable moisture absorption by the aerosol-generating material while it is disposed within the pack or package.

[0194] Storage of the hygroscopic aerosol-generating materials disclosed herein presents a different challenge to storage of tobacco materials used in conventional combustion smoking articles, such as cigarettes and cigars. In the case of combustion smoking articles, the tobacco materials tend to dry out during storage. As a result, packages of such articles often include moisture-impermeable films to retain moisture within the package. Some smoking article packages may further include moisture reservoirs that help maintain a desired moisture content of the tobacco material. Such moisture reservoirs may include moisture-absorbing materials pre-loaded with water, such that the moisture-absorbing materials maintain the (elevated) moisture level within the package by maintaining moisture equilibrium.

[0195] In contrast, during storage of the hygroscopic aerosol-generating material disclosed herein, the material tends to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment.It is known that this water uptake can be associated with adverse effects on the release of active substances such as nicotine and flavors from the aerosol-generating material when the aerosol-generating material is consumed.Therefore, it is effective to protect the hygroscopic aerosol-generating material from moisture and reduce the amount of water that can be absorbed during storage.

[0196] The sorbent or desiccant sheet materials of the present invention compete for moisture with hygroscopic aerosol-forming materials, thus preventing the aerosol-forming materials from absorbing water or reducing the amount of water absorbed.

[0197] In some embodiments, the sheet material is intended to be placed in proximity to the aerosol-generating material for use. In some embodiments, the sheet material is in proximity to the aerosol-generating material during storage. The sheet material can be used to maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of the aerosol-generating material by providing a dehumidifying effect.

[0198] Sheet material The sheet material provided by the present invention comprises a paper or cardboard base material incorporating a moisture-wicking material. The sorbent or moisture-wicking material provides the sheet material with the ability to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment. In fact, it is important that the moisture-wicking material is not wet prior to use so that the sheet material can absorb water.

[0199] In some embodiments, the base material provides the sheet material with its structure, making it suitable for use as part of a pack or package, and, as described below, in some embodiments, this allows the moisture-wicking material to be incorporated as an integral or structural part of the pack or packing in which the aerosol-generating material is stored.

[0200] An advantage associated with the sorbent or desiccant sheet material is that it comprises biodegradable, recyclable, or environmentally friendly materials that can be sustainably sourced and can replace other less sustainable, non-recyclable, and / or non-biodegradable materials, such as plastic films and metal foils, that are conventionally used in packaging consumable products that contain aerosol-forming materials to protect the aerosol-forming materials from moisture.

[0201] In some embodiments, the sheet material has a thickness of about 20 g / m 2 ~about 250g / m 2In some embodiments, the sheet material has a basis weight of at least about 20 g / m 2 , at least about 30 g / m 2 , at least about 40 g / m 2 , at least about 50 g / m 2 , at least about 60 g / m 2 , at least about 70 g / m 2 , at least about 80 g / m 2 , at least about 90 g / m 2 , at least about 100 g / m 2 , at least about 125 g / m 2 , at least about 150 g / m 2 , at least about 175 g / m 2 , or at least about 200 g / m 2 In some embodiments, the sheet material has a basis weight of up to about 250 g / m 2 , maximum about 240g / m 2 , maximum about 230g / m 2 , maximum about 220g / m 2 , maximum about 210g / m 2 , maximum about 200g / m 2 , maximum about 190g / m 2 , maximum about 180g / m 2 , maximum about 170g / m 2 , maximum about 160g / m 2 , maximum about 150g / m 2 , maximum about 125g / m 2 , maximum about 100g / m 2 , maximum about 75g / m 2 , or up to about 50 g / m 2 The basis weight of a material affects the density of the material, which can affect the thickness, tensile strength, and bending moment, and can be selected to provide optimized structural integrity of the sheet material. The basis weight of a material can be measured by any suitable method known in the art, such as by weighing a known area of ​​the material.

[0202] In some embodiments, the sheet material has a thickness of about 30 μm to about 500 μm. The thickness of the sheet material can be measured using a microscope, such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM), known to those of skill in the art, or any other suitable technique known to those of skill in the art. The thickness of the base material can contribute to its structural rigidity and thus the structural integrity of the sheet material and any item or pack made therefrom.

[0203] In some cases, the thickness of the sheet material may vary by about 25%, about 20%, about 15%, about 10%, about 5%, or about 1% or less over its area. This has advantages in embodiments where the sheet material is used as part of a pack or package. The sheet material has a constant thickness so that the space for the consumable within the pack or package can be predictable and accurate.

[0204] The thickness of the sheet can be determined using ISO 534:2011 "Paper and Board-Determination of Thickness". The inventors have found that thicker sheet materials may work better in the present invention. This may be because thicker materials provide improved tensile strength and therefore provide sufficient structural integrity to the pack or packaging material. Furthermore, the thickness of the sheet material may contribute to the sheet material's adequate bending resistance. This means that the material retains its shape when it is bent. Advantageously, this provides a shape to the sheet material and / or support material that can fit around the aerosol generating device, fit properly into the package, and be handled by the user.

[0205] In some embodiments, the sheet material has a bending resistance of about 100 to about 350 mN as measured in the machine direction (MD), which is the direction of travel during manufacturing, using ISO 2493. In some embodiments, the sheet material has a bending resistance of about 50 to about 250 mN as measured in the counter direction (CD), which is a direction at 90° to the MD, using ISO 2493.

[0206] In some embodiments, the sheet material has a tensile strength of about 50 N / m to about 900 N / m. In some embodiments, the sheet material has a tensile strength of about 50 N / m to about 900 N / m, about 80 N / m to about 860 N / m, about 100 N / m to about 820 N / m, about 140 N / m to about 780 N / m, or about 180 N / m to about 720 N / m. In some embodiments, the sheet material has a wet tensile strength of about 4 to about 8 N / 15 mm. In some embodiments, the sheet material has a wet tensile strength of about 5 to about 7 N / 15 mm, or about 6 N / 15 mm. Wet tensile strength can be measured by any means known in the art, but may be measured using an Instron Tensile & Compression tester.

[0207] It is important to select the appropriate thickness, bending strength, tensile strength, and / or wet tensile strength of the sheet material so that it is strong enough and malleable enough for its intended purpose. For example, a stiffer sheet material (related to a higher thickness, bending moment, tensile strength, and / or wet tensile strength) may be suitable for a pack, so that the sheet is sturdy and does not shrink. On the other hand, in embodiments where the sheet material is used as an inner wrapper where one or more consumables are wrapped inside the pack, the sheet material must be malleable to conform to the shape of the consumables and strong enough to maintain that shape and not tear or deteriorate.

[0208] In some embodiments, the sheet material has a moisture content of up to about 10%. Such a low moisture content is preferred to ensure that the sheet material will absorb water during use.

[0209] In some embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material is present in the sheet material in an amount of about 25 to about 70 weight percent (DWB), based on the total weight of the sheet material, hi some embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material is present in the sheet material in an amount of about 30 to about 65 weight percent, about 40 to about 60 weight percent, about 50 to about 60 weight percent, or about 52 to about 58 weight percent (DWB), based on the total weight of the sheet material.

[0210] Sorptive or dehumidifying materials As used herein, the terms sorbent and dehumidifying materials refer to the characteristic property of readily taking up and retaining moisture. Thus, a material that is a sorbent or dehumidifier is one that readily takes up and retains moisture (by absorption or adsorption).

[0211] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sorbent or dehumidifying material may be selected from the group consisting of oxides, alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts, mono- and disaccharides, sugar alcohols, and polybasic acids and their salts. The sorbent or dehumidifying material is selected from the group consisting of sodium salts, potassium salts, magnesium salts, calcium salts, ammonium salts, and lithium salts. The sorbent or dehumidifying material is selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, potassium oxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, sodium hydroxide, phosphorus pentoxide, silicon oxide, and their salts. In some embodiments, the dehumidifying material is magnesium oxide.

[0212] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sorption or dehumidification material may be selected from the group consisting of sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide, potassium nitrite, potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, potassium bromide, potassium iodide, potassium sulfate, potassium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium carbonate, calcium chloride, sucrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, citric acid and its salts, malic acid and its salts, and succinic acid and its salts.

[0213] The sorbent or dehumidifying material may be stored in dehumidified conditions, for example, less than about 30% humidity, prior to use in accordance with the present invention.

[0214] When sorbent or dehumidifying material is incorporated into the sheet material, the sheet material may comprise about 20 to about 80% by weight, or about 30 to 70% by weight (all calculated on a dry weight basis). The sheet material may comprise at least about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, or at least about 60% by weight (all calculated on a dry weight basis). Additionally or alternatively, the sheet material may comprise up to about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, or up to about 80% by weight (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0215] In some embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material may be a solid material in particulate form, for example in the form of a free-flowing powder. The sorbent or dehumidifying material in the form of a powder may be incorporated into a base material or applied to a surface of the base material. In some embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material in the form of a powder may be added to a solvent before being incorporated into the base material. In such embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material may be dissolved in a solvent or dispersed in a solvent. The solvent may be an aqueous solvent.

[0216] In embodiments where the sorbent or dehumidifying material is a powder, each particle of the powder may have a maximum dimension. As used herein, the term "maximum dimension" refers to the longest linear distance from any point on the surface, i.e., on the surface of, a particle of the sorbent or dehumidifying material to any other surface point, i.e., on the same particle of the sorbent or dehumidifying material. The maximum dimension of a particle of particulate tobacco material may be measured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0217] In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of each particle of the sorbent or dehumidifying material in the sheet material is up to about 800 μm. In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of each particle of the sorbent or dehumidifying material is up to about 2000 μm.

[0218] The population of particles of the sorbent or dehumidifying material may have a particle size distribution (D90) of at least about 100 μm. In some embodiments, the population of particles of the sorbent or dehumidifying material has a particle size distribution (D90) of at least 50 μm, at least 60, at least 70 μm, at least 80 μm, at least 90, at least 100 μm, at least 110 μm, at least 120 μm, at least 130 μm. In some embodiments, the population of particles of the sorbent or dehumidifying material has a particle size distribution (D90) of up to 720 μm, up to 740 μm, up to 760 μm, up to 780 μm, up to 800 μm, up to 820 μm, up to 840 μm, up to 860 μm. Sieve analysis can be used to determine the particle size distribution of the particles of the sorbent or dehumidifying material.

[0219] Base Material Where sorbent or dehumidifying materials are incorporated into the sheet material, the sheet material may further include a base material that can provide the desired or required structure and rigidity to the sheet material, for example, so that the sheet material can maintain its shape when deformed, as described herein.

[0220] In some embodiments, the base material comprises paper, paperboard, or cardboard. In some embodiments, the base material consists or consists essentially of paper, paperboard, a paper-based material, or a paper-like material.

[0221] In some embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material is applied to a paper, paperboard or cardboard base material that is already in the form of a sheet. In such embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material tends to be present on one or more surfaces of the sheet of base material.

[0222] In other embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material is incorporated into the paper or cardboard when the sheet of base material is manufactured. In these embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material may be distributed throughout the base material, for example, uniformly distributed throughout the base material. In some embodiments, the sorbent or dehumidifying material may be concentrated at or near the surface of the base material.

[0223] In embodiments where the sorbent or dehumidifying material is added to a formed base material, the base material may have a mass of about 20 g / m 2 ~about 90g / m 2 , about 25g / m 2 ~Approx. 35g / m 2 , or about 55 g / m 2 ~65g / m 2 In some embodiments, the basis weight of the base material in sheet form can be at least about 15, at least about 20, at least about 25, at least about 30, at least about 35, at least about 40, at least about 45, at least about 50, at least about 60, at least about 70, at least about 80, at least about 90, at least about 100, at least about 110, at least about 120, at least about 130, at least about 140, at least about 150, at least about 160, at least about 180, at least about 190, at least about 200, at least about 210, at least about 220, at least about 230, at least about 240 g / m 2 In some embodiments, the basis weight of the base material in sheet form is about 250 or less, about 240 or less, about 230 or less, about 220 or less, about 210 or less, about 200 or less, about 190 or less, about 180 or less, about 170 or less, about 160 or less, about 150 or less, about 140 or less, about 130 or less, about 120 or less, about 110 or less, about 100 or less, about 90 or less, about 80 or less, about 70 or less, about 60 or less, about 55 or less, about 50 or less, about 45 or less, about 40 or less, about 35 or less, about 30 g / m 2 The following is the result.

[0224] In some embodiments, the base material has a thickness of at least about 10 μm. In some cases, the base material has a thickness of at least about 50 μm, at least about 100 μm. In some cases, the base material has a maximum thickness of about 100 μm. In some cases, the base material has a maximum thickness over its region of up to about 500 μm, up to about 300 μm, up to about 200 μm, up to about 100 μm, up to about 95 μm, up to about 90 μm, up to about 85 μm, or up to about 80 μm.

[0225] The thickness of the sheet can be determined using ISO 534:2011 "Paper and Board - Determination of Thickness".

[0226] In some embodiments, the base material is a porous paper, such as airlaid paper. The porous structure of such paper base materials allows for sorption or dehumidification materials to be easily added to the base material during or after manufacture. The pores in this type of base material can accommodate and support the particulate sorption or dehumidification materials, and the binder used to form the airlaid paper can help hold the particles in place. The pores can also provide space around the particles, which can be beneficial because it means that the particles have room to swell as they absorb moisture, which can ensure that the dehumidification effect of these particles is not hindered by physical constraints on their expansion.

[0227] Incorporation of sheet materials into packs In some embodiments of the present invention, the sheet material is incorporated into a pack or package for storing the hygroscopic aerosol-forming material described herein. For example, the aerosol-forming material can be incorporated into an article or consumable that can be stored in a pack or package that includes the sheet material. For example, the article can be a tobacco heating product (THP) for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0228] In some embodiments of the invention, the sheet material is placed near or in the vicinity of the aerosol generating material. For example, the sheet material may be placed in a packing near a consumable containing the aerosol generating material. In some embodiments, the sheet material is used to form an inner bundle in a pack of consumables. This has the advantage that the sheet material has a dehumidifying effect on the aerosol generating material, or at least partially on the environment around the aerosol generating material. This means that at least a part of the aerosol generating material is maintained in an at least partially dry environment, reducing the moisture available to be absorbed by the aerosol generating material. This provides an improved environment for storing the aerosol generating material. The dehumidifying properties are therefore advantageous when storing consumables in a device or pack, for example during transportation, pre-sale storage and post-sale storage.

[0229] In some embodiments of the invention, the sheet material is incorporated into a pack as a box, outer frame, inner frame, inner wrapper or insert. This is advantageous because the sheet material may contribute a moisture-wicking effect to the contents of the pack, which in some embodiments may include one or more articles including aerosol-forming materials.

[0230] In some embodiments, a pack is provided to house one or more consumables for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. The pack can include one or more of such consumables. In these embodiments, a sheet material incorporated into the pack can provide a dehumidifying effect to one, some, or all of the consumables. This provides an environment with a controlled moisture content for storage of the consumables, reducing the moisture that the consumables can absorb, thus improving the shelf life of the consumables and the quality of the aerosol delivered when these consumables are used in a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0231] In some embodiments, the pack comprises from about 5 mg to about 100 mg of sorbent or dehumidifying material.

[0232] The amount of sheet material in the pack may be selected to provide a suitable dehumidifying effect, for example, this may be selected based on the size of the pack, or the nature of the consumable, or the distance between the sheet material and the aerosol-generating material.

[0233] In some embodiments, the sheet material of the present invention is incorporated into a pack by forming at least one of the components of the pack from the sheet material. Thus, the outer or inner frame of the pack may comprise or consist of the sheet material according to the present invention. The sheet material may be a cardboard or paperboard material from which suitable blanks are cut, folded and assembled into the desired portions of the carton or pack.

[0234] Additionally or alternatively, the sheet material may be used as an inner wrapper to encase one or more of the articles disposed within the pack, in such an embodiment, the sorbent or dehumidifying material may be in close proximity to the article, which may be preferred.

[0235] Additionally or alternatively, a sheet material may be used as an insert and is included inside the pack with one or more of the items. The insert may be positioned adjacent to the items in the pack, but does not completely surround the items in the pack (and therefore does not function as a wrapper). In such an embodiment, the insert may be a paper or paper-like sheet material, or a stiffer paperboard or cardboard sheet material.

[0236] Delivery System The delivery systems described herein can be combustion aerosol delivery systems, non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, or aerosol-free delivery systems.

[0237] As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to encompass a system that delivers at least one substance to a user, Combustion aerosol delivery systems such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and tobacco (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes, or other smokable materials) for hand-rolled or roll-your-own cigarette pipes; non-combustion aerosol delivery systems that release compounds from an aerosol-forming material without burning the aerosol-forming material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems that generate aerosols using a combination of aerosol-forming materials; and An aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally, or otherwise without forming an aerosol, including oral products such as, but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles containing inhalable powders, and chewing tobacco, including snus or moist snuff, where the at least one substance may or may not contain nicotine. Includes.

[0238] According to the present disclosure, a "combustion-based" aerosol delivery system is a system in which the constituent aerosol-generating materials (or components thereof) of the aerosol delivery system are combusted or burned during use to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0239] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo, and a cigar.

[0240] In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to components for use in combustion aerosol delivery systems, for example, aerosol modifier-releasing components such as filters, filter rods, filter segments, tobacco rods, spills, capsules, threads or beads, or papers such as plug wrap, tipping paper or cigarette paper.

[0241] According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system is one in which the constituent aerosol-generating materials (or components thereof) of the aerosol delivery system are not combusted or burned to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0242] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a powered non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0243] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0244] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. One example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0245] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system that generates an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in solid, liquid, or gel form and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0246] Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and a consumable for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

[0247] In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to consumables that include aerosol generating materials and are configured for use with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices. These consumables may be referred to as articles throughout this disclosure.

[0248] In some embodiments, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, can include a power source and a controller. The power source can be, for example, an electrical power source or a heat generating source. In some embodiments, the heat generating source includes a carbon substrate that can be energized to deliver power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or a heat transfer material in proximity to the heat generating source.

[0249] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include an area for receiving a consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0250] In some embodiments, consumables for use with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices may include a composition including an aerosol generating material and a sorption material, an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol generating material transport component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0251] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a consumable or article 1 for use in an aerosol delivery system. The article 1 comprises a mouthpiece segment 2 and an aerosol generation segment 3.

[0252] The aerosol-generation segment 3 is in the form of a cylindrical rod and contains a composition that includes an aerosol-generating material and a sorbent material 4. The composition can be any of the materials described herein.

[0253] Although described above in rod form, the aerosol-generating segment 3 may be provided in other forms, for example in a plug, pouch or packet of material within the article.

[0254] The tipping segment 2, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a body of material 5, such as fibrous or filamentary tow.

[0255] The rod-shaped consumable 1 further comprises a wrapping 6 , for example wrapping paper, surrounding the mouthpiece segment 2 and the aerosol-generation segment 3 .

[0256] 2 shows an example of a non-combustion aerosol delivery device 100 for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating medium / material, such as the aerosol-generating material of the consumables 110 described herein. Generally, device 100 may be used to heat a replaceable article 110 that contains an aerosol-generating medium, such as article 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 or described elsewhere herein, to generate an aerosol or other inhalable medium that is inhaled by a user of device 100. Device 100 and replaceable article 110 together form a system.

[0257] The device 100 comprises a housing 102 (in the form of an outer cover) that surrounds and contains the various components of the device 100. The device 100 has an opening 104 at one end through which an item 110 can be inserted for heating by a heating assembly. In use, the item 110 can be fully or partially inserted into the heating assembly where it can be heated by one or more components of the heater assembly.

[0258] The device 100 in this example includes a first end member 106 that includes a lid 108 that is movable relative to the first end member 106 to close the opening 104 when the item 110 is not in place. In Figure 2, the lid 108 is shown in an open configuration, but the lid 108 can be moved to a closed configuration. For example, a user can slide the lid 108 in the direction of arrow "B."

[0259] Device 100 may also include user-operable controls 112, such as buttons or switches that, when pressed, operate device 100. For example, a user may turn device 100 on by operating switch 112.

[0260] The device 100 may also include an electrical component, such as a socket / port 114 that can accept a cable for charging a battery of the device 100. For example, the socket 114 may be a charging port, such as a USB charging port.

[0261] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be a composition that includes an aerosol-generating material and a sorption material, and optionally another aerosol-generating material that may or may not be heated. Optionally, any of the materials may include one or more active components, one or more flavors, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0262] stability The present invention enjoys the advantage of a longer shelf life than other tobacco extracts.

[0263] The nicotine content of the precursor and aerosol-forming material after the freeze-drying process is calculated to provide an indication of the amount of nicotine retained after processing. The nicotine recovery of the dried aerosol-forming material compared to the original tobacco extract is at least about 76% by weight on a dry weight basis. The nicotine recovery of the dried aerosol-forming material compared to the original tobacco extract may be at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, or at least about 90% by weight on a dry weight basis.

[0264] The glycerol content of the precursor and dry aerosol generating material after the freeze-drying process is calculated to provide an indication of the amount of glycerol retained after processing. The glycerol recovery of the dry aerosol generating material compared to the precursor material is at least about 85%. The glycerol recovery of the dry aerosol generating material compared to the precursor material can be at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95% on a dry weight basis.

[0265] Furthermore, in some embodiments, as a result of the presence of the sorption material, moisture renewal by the aerosol-generating material is reduced, such that the content of volatile components, such as nicotine or other actives and flavors, and the content of aerosol-forming materials in the aerosol-generating material are substantially maintained until the composition is heated to generate the aerosol. This may be accomplished without packaging or other protection from exposure to moisture.

[0266] Example 1 In a first test, the precursor material consisted essentially of aqueous tobacco extract and glycerol. The aqueous tobacco extract was further diluted with up to about 24% by weight glycerol (calculated on a dry weight basis). The burley aqueous tobacco extract had a tobacco solids content of about 40% by weight and a moisture content of about 60% by weight. The precursor material was dried by freeze drying.

[0267] Example 2 In further tests, the precursor material consisted essentially of aqueous tobacco extract, glycerol and dextran 70. The glycerol content was from about 0 to about 15% v / v, or up to about 36% by weight calculated on a dry weight basis. The precursor material was dried by lyophilization.

[0268] Example 3 To evaluate the relative absorption rates of the dry materials of Example 1 and Example 2, and potential sorbents for use in the present invention, equal amounts of the materials were provided in an open container and exposed to 90% relative humidity. After a period of two days, the materials were weighed to evaluate which absorbed the most moisture. Sorbents that absorb or adsorb more moisture than the aerosol-forming material (i.e., gain weight more than the aerosol-forming material) are suitable for use. Preferred sorbents gain weight at least 10% or preferably at least 50% more than the aerosol-forming material.

[0269] Example 4 50 mg of the freeze-dried material of Example 1 or Example 2 is ground to form particles having an average size of about 1 mm to about 3 mm and blended with 10 mg of calcium carbonate or silica gel. This blend is then added to a container that further contains a susceptor as a heater for heating the aerosol-generating material when the container is used in an aerosol generating device.

[0270] Example 5 Ten separate portions each containing 5 mg of the freeze-dried material of Example 1 or Example 2 and 1 mg of sodium acrylate are deposited on the surface of a support containing an aluminum portion that can be heated by magnetic hysteresis heating. The support and the portion containing the aerosol-generating material are then heated to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the consumer.

[0271] Example 6 100 mg of the lyophilized material of Example 1 or Example 2 is pressed to form a platelet, which is included in the aerosol-generating segment of the consumable. An adjacent upstream section of the consumable includes a cavity into which 100 mg of silica gel or activated charcoal is placed.

[0272] Example 7 A consumable is provided that includes the lyophilized material of Example 1 or Example 2. This is packaged in a box that includes a sorbent provided in a sachet. During storage, the sorbent absorbs moisture within the package to reduce the amount of moisture absorbed by the aerosol-forming material. When the consumable is to be used, it is removed from the package.

[0273] The various embodiments described herein are presented only to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. These embodiments are provided only as a representative sample of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the present invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of any suitable combination of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. Furthermore, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. an aerosol-forming material comprising a dry precursor material comprising an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material; Sorption material and A composition comprising:

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material is more hygroscopic than the aerosol-forming material.

3. 3. The composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sorbent material retains absorbed or adsorbed moisture at temperatures up to about 100°C.

4. 4. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sorbent material comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of silica gel, molecular sieves, activated carbon, zeolites, sodium acrylate, and simple salts such as alkaline earth or alkali metal salts, carbonates and hydrides, carbonates and hydroxides, for example calcium chloride, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potassium carbonate and sodium hydroxide.

5. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sorbent material is present on a surface of the aerosol-forming material.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the sorbent material forms an incomplete coating surrounding the aerosol-forming material.

7. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein particles of the sorbent material are mixed with particles of the aerosol-forming material.

8. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol-forming material is in the form of particles or granules.

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the particles or granules of the aerosol-forming material have an average size of from about 1 μm to about 3 mm.

10. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the aerosol-forming material is in the form of agglomerates or platelets formed from particles.

11. The composition of claim 10, wherein the agglomerates or platelets of the aerosol-forming material have an average size of from about 3 mm to about 20 mm.

12. 12. The composition of claim 10 or 11, wherein the sorbent material is comprised in aggregates or platelets of the aerosol-forming material.

13. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-forming material.

14. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the precursor material comprises from about 10 to about 95% by weight of an extract from a flavour or active-containing plant material.

15. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the precursor material comprises from about 1 to about 36% by weight of aerosol forming material.

16. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the precursor material comprises 0 to about 40% by weight of excipients.

17. 17. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 45 to about 99% by weight of a dry extract from the flavor- or active-containing plant material.

18. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 1 to about 34% by weight of aerosol-forming material.

19. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises from 0 to about 25% by weight of excipients.

20. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the plant material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

21. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein said extract from flavour or active-containing plant material is an aqueous extract.

22. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein said extract from flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous tobacco extract.

23. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 40 to about 99% by weight tobacco solids.

24. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the aerosol-forming material has a water content of about 5% or less.

25. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 24 for use in an aerosol delivery system.

26. An article comprising an aerosol-forming material comprising a dry precursor material comprising an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material, and a sorbent.

27. 27. The article of claim 26, comprising the composition of any one of claims 1 to 25.

28. 27. The article of claim 26, wherein the aerosol-forming material and the sorbent are provided separately within the article.

29. A non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 24 or an article according to any one of claims 26 to 28.

30. A pack comprising an article including an aerosol-forming material, the aerosol-forming material including a dry precursor material including an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material, and a sorbent.

31. 31. The pack of claim 30, wherein the sorbent is separate from the article.

32. 32. The pack of claim 31 , wherein the sorbent is provided in a separate item, such as a sachet or sheet.

33. 33. The pack of claim 32, wherein the sorbent is provided in a packaging material that is removed from the article before the article is used to generate an aerosol.

34. A method of providing a composition comprising drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavor- and / or active-containing plant material and an aerosol-forming material to form an aerosol-forming material, and adding a sorption material to the aerosol-forming material.

35. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the precursor material is dried by spray drying or freeze drying.

36. 36. The method of claim 34 or 35, wherein the sorbent is added in the form of a discontinuous coating on the surface of the aerosol-forming material.

37. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the adsorbent material is mixed with the dry aerosol-forming material.

38. The method of any one of claims 34 to 37, wherein the aerosol-forming material is agglomerated.

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