Aerosol-forming compositions comprising aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands

Abstract

Novel aerosol-generating compositions, consumables for use with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices, non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, and methods for producing aerosol-generating materials are provided. The present invention provides an aerosol-forming composition that includes an aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands and that is substantially free of tobacco. The present invention also provides a consumable for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, and a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. The present invention also provides a method for producing the aerosol-forming material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating composition comprising the aerosol-generating material, a consumable product comprising the aerosol-generating composition for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, and a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the aerosol-generating material and the aerosol-generating material obtainable by the method of the present invention. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoking consumables, such as cigarettes and cigars, burn tobacco to produce tobacco smoke during use. Alternatives to these types of consumables release inhalable aerosols or vapors by heating a substrate material without combustion, thereby releasing compounds. These alternatives may be referred to as non-combustion smoking consumables or aerosol-generating assemblies.

[0003] One example of such a product is a heating device that releases a compound by heating, but not burning, a solid aerosol-forming material. The solid aerosol-forming material may optionally contain plant material. The heating volatilizes at least one component of the material, typically forming an inhalable aerosol. These products may be referred to as non-combustion heating devices, tobacco heating devices, or tobacco heating products. A variety of different configurations are known for volatilizing at least one component of a solid aerosol-forming material.

[0004] Another example is a hybrid device, which includes a liquid source (which may or may not contain nicotine) that is vaporized by heating to produce an inhalable vapor or aerosol. The device further includes a solid aerosol-forming material (which may or may not contain tobacco material), the components of which are entrained in the inhalable vapor or aerosol to produce an inhalation medium. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol-forming composition comprising an aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands, the aerosol-forming composition being substantially free of tobacco.

[0006] The aerosol-forming material may include an aerosol-forming agent, a cross-linking agent, optionally one or more fillers, and optionally an active agent and / or a flavoring agent and / or an acid.

[0007] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may include an aerosol-generating agent, a binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (such as iota carrageenan), gellan gum (such as high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof, optionally one or more fillers, and optionally an active agent and / or flavoring and / or acid.

[0008] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming an aerosol-forming composition that is substantially free of tobacco and that includes an aerosol-forming material in the form of non-linear strands, comprising: (a) forming a mixture comprising a solvent, an aerosol-forming agent, a cross-linking agent, optionally a filler, and optionally an active agent and / or a flavoring agent and / or an acid; (b) discharging the mixture through a nozzle such that the mixture moves with velocity; (c) contacting the dispensed mixture with a solution containing a cross-linking agent, wherein the velocity of the mixture decreases upon contact with the solution; A method is provided, comprising:

[0009] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming an aerosol-forming composition that is substantially free of tobacco and that includes an aerosol-forming material in the form of non-linear strands, comprising: (a) forming a mixture comprising a solvent, an aerosol-forming agent, a binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (such as iota carrageenan), gellan gum (such as high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof, optionally a filler, and optionally an active agent and / or a flavoring and / or an acid; (b) discharging the mixture through a nozzle such that the mixture moves with velocity; (c) contacting the dispensed mixture with a solution containing a cross-linking agent, wherein the velocity of the mixture decreases upon contact with the solution; A method is provided, comprising:

[0010] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a consumable for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, comprising an aerosol-forming composition as defined herein, the consumable also being substantially free or free of tobacco.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising a consumable as defined herein and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol generation device configured (or arranged) to generate an aerosol from the consumable when the consumable is used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

[0012] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of an aerosol generating composition as defined herein in a consumable for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol generating device arranged to generate an aerosol from the consumable when the consumable is used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

[0013] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of an aerosol-forming composition as defined herein for generating an aerosol.

[0014] According to a further aspect, the present invention provides an aerosol-forming composition comprising an aerosol-forming material that is substantially free of tobacco and that is obtainable by or obtained by the method of the present invention.

[0015] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of generating an aerosol using the non-combustion aerosol delivery system described herein, comprising heating the aerosol-generating composition. In some embodiments, the method comprises heating the aerosol-generating composition to a temperature of 350°C or less. In some embodiments, the method comprises heating the aerosol-generating composition to a temperature of about 220°C to about 280°C or less.

[0016] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example of an aerosol product. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the article of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an example of an aerosol product. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the article of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generation assembly. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example of an aerosol generation assembly. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generation assembly. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol-forming material of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol-generating material of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol-forming material of the present invention. [Figure 11]1 is a photograph of an aerosol-forming material of the present invention (left) and a comparable aerosol-forming material in the form of shredded sheets (right). [Figure 12] 1 is a photograph of an aerosol-forming material of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a photograph of a series of strands of the present invention. [Figure 14] 1 is a microscope image of a single strand specimen of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The aerosol-generating materials / compositions described herein are materials / compositions that can generate an aerosol when energized, for example, by heating, irradiation, or any other method. The aerosol-generating composition includes an aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material may be a dry gel. The aerosol-generating material may be a solid material capable of retaining some fluid, such as a liquid, therein. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition may contain, for example, about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% aerosol-generating material, to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating composition consists of the aerosol-generating material. In other cases, the aerosol-generating composition contains about 40 to about 60 wt% aerosol-generating material. The remainder of the composition may be formed from other components, as described below.

[0019] As noted above, the present invention provides an aerosol-forming composition comprising an aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands. aerosol-generating agents, and / or cross-linking agent may include:

[0020] The aerosol-generating material is an aerosol generating agent, and A binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (such as iota carrageenan), gellan gum (such as high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof. may include:

[0021] The aerosol-forming composition is substantially free of tobacco, including tobacco fiber and tobacco extract. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming composition is free of tobacco, i.e., the aerosol-forming composition is free of tobacco, including tobacco fiber and tobacco extract.

[0022] The inventors have discovered that the aerosol-forming compositions of the present invention, whether substantially or completely tobacco-free, can be incorporated into consumables and used with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices to form aerosols. Furthermore, because the aerosol-forming compositions (and any consumables incorporating the aerosol-forming compositions) are completely tobacco-free, the weight of the consumables is less restricted for tax purposes. Thus, a greater weight of the aerosol-forming composition can be included in the consumables than in consumables containing tobacco-containing aerosol-forming compositions. This means that each consumable can last longer when in use.

[0023] The aerosol-forming material may also optionally include one or more fillers, active agents and / or flavorings and / or acids.

[0024] The aerosol-generating material is in the form of non-linear strands, which may alternatively be described as non-linear gel fibers. That is, the aerosol-generating material is in the form of strands or gel fibers, with each strand or fiber being non-linear along its length. Alternatively, the strands or fibers may be described as curled, noodle-like, or twisted. Thus, each strand may be considered similar in shape to a noodle, while several strands or gel fibers together may be considered similar in shape to a collection of multiple noodles, where the individual strands may randomly overlap and connect with one another. As used herein, the term "non-linear strand" is also intended to encompass alternative terms described herein, such as "non-linear gel fiber," "curly strand," "curly gel fiber," "noodle-like strand," "noodle-like gel fiber," and "twisted strand."

[0025] Schematic examples of nonlinear strands of the present invention are shown as solid lines in Figures 8 and 10, although it will be understood that these figures show two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional structures. In reality, each strand is three-dimensional and may be nonlinear in three dimensions. By "nonlinear" in three dimensions, it is meant that the strands of the present invention are nonlinear in the x, y, and z directions. A spring or coil is an example of a shape that is nonlinear in the x, y, and z directions. In contrast, other strands may be nonlinear in two dimensions (e.g., the x and y directions) but linear or flat in the third dimension (e.g., the z direction).

[0026] Each non-linear strand can have a diameter of about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.1 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.6 mm, or 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, each non-linear strand has a diameter of about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm, about 0.3 to about 2.5 mm, about 0.5 to about 1.5 mm, or about 0.7 to about 1.1 mm. In some embodiments, each non-linear strand has a diameter of about 0.1 to about 2 mm, about 0.2 to about 1.1 mm, about 0.3 to about 0.6 mm, or about 0.2 mm to about 0.4 mm. Diameter, also referred to as width, is defined as the longest dimension of the cross section of the strand.

[0027] Each non-linear strand may have a circular or substantially circular cross-section, the cross-section being the shape exposed by cutting the strand straight through at a right angle to its length at that point. An example of a circular cross-section of a strand is shown in Figure 9, the cross-section being taken at the dotted line in the schematic representation of a strand of the invention shown in Figure 8.

[0028] However, as explained below, the shape of the strands is determined by the method by which the strands are made, and therefore, one skilled in the art will recognize that strands having other cross-sectional shapes (e.g., rectangular, substantially rectangular, triangular, or substantially triangular) can also be made.

[0029] In some embodiments, the non-linear strands of the present invention are homogeneous across their cross-section, i.e., in some embodiments, the strands have a homogeneous composition.

[0030] Each non-linear strand can have a thickness of about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, or 0.5 mm to about 3 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.1 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.6 mm, or 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, each non-linear strand has a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm, about 0.3 to about 2.5 mm, about 0.5 to about 1.5 mm, or about 0.7 to about 1.1 mm. In some embodiments, each non-linear strand has a thickness of about 0.1 to about 2 mm, about 0.2 to about 1.1 mm, about 0.3 to about 0.6 mm, or about 0.2 mm to about 0.4 mm. As used herein, the term "thickness" refers to the cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the diameter or width.

[0031] When the cross section of the non-linear strands is circular, the ratio of the diameter to the thickness of the non-linear strands is 1. Each non-linear strand can have a diameter to thickness ratio of about 1:2 to about 2:1, such as about 3:2 to about 2:3, for example about 1:1.

[0032] Each non-linear strand can have a total length (also referred to herein as total length) of from about 8 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm, or 30 mm to about 200 mm, 100 mm, 75 mm, or 50 mm. The total length or total length of each strand, also referred to herein as the uncoiled length, is defined as the theoretical length of the strand if it were stretched straight. For example, the total length of the strand shown in Figure 10 is the total length of the strand, i.e., the length of the solid black line, if the strand were straightened.

[0033] In some embodiments, each non-linear strand has a total length of about 10 mm to about 200 mm, such as about 20 mm to about 100 mm, or about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

[0034] Each non-linear strand may have a free length of about 3 mm, 5 mm, 8 mm, or 11 mm to about 25 mm, 22 mm, 20 mm, or 18 mm. As used herein, the term "free length" is intended to mean the shortest (linear) length between the farthest ends of a strand in its natural non-linear (i.e., curly) state (e.g., the distance between the ends of the strand in a "straight line"). This is also referred to herein as the coiled length. For example, in FIG. 10, the free or coiled length of the strand is shown by a dashed line. Non-linear strands having free lengths outside the ranges disclosed herein may aggregate more readily than non-linear strands having free lengths defined herein.

[0035] In some embodiments, each non-linear strand has a free or coiled length of about 2 mm to about 35 mm, e.g., about 3 mm to about 25 mm, about 6 mm to about 23 mm, about 8 mm to about 22 mm, or about 11 mm to about 20 mm.

[0036] The total length or uncoiled length is greater than the free length or coiled length. In some embodiments, the ratio between the total length and the free length of each non-linear strand (i.e., the total length divided by the free length) is at least about 1.2, e.g., at least about 1.3, at least about 1.5, or at least about 2. In some embodiments, the ratio between the total length and the free length of each non-linear strand is less than about 10, less than about 8, or less than about 6. In some embodiments, the ratio between the total length and the free length of each non-linear strand is from about 1.2 to about 10, e.g., from about 1.5 to about 5, or from about 2 to about 5.

[0037] In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the non-linear strands (ie, total length divided by diameter) is in the range of about 5 to about 200, such as about 10 to about 100, or about 20 to about 50.

[0038] In some embodiments, the tensile strength of each strand is within a range from about 0.1 N, 0.2 N, 0.3 N, or 0.4 N to about 3.0 N, 2.0 N, 1.5 N, or 1.0 N. In some embodiments, the tensile strength of each strand is within a range from about 0.1 N to about 3.0 N, from about 0.2 N to about 2.0 N, or from about 0.3 N to about 1.0 N.

[0039] The tensile strength of the nonlinear strands of the present invention can be determined by measuring the tensile force required to break the strand. A suitable test procedure is described in ISO 527-3:1995. As used herein, tensile strength is essentially the force required to break the strand and is given as the force (in Newtons) per strand. The force required to break the strand can be determined using a suitable machine, for example, an Instron Model 68TM-5 tensile tester. Prior to measuring the tensile strength, the sample should be conditioned for at least 48 hours at 22°C ± 1°C and (60 ± 2)% relative humidity (RH). The atmospheric pressure should be within the range of 96 kPa ± 10 kPa.

[0040] In some embodiments, the uncoiled length, coiled length, aspect ratio, and / or tensile strength values ​​for each strand can be calculated as an average of measurements taken on multiple strands, e.g., values ​​can be calculated as an average of measurements taken on about 5 to about 100 strands, e.g., about 20 to about 70 strands, e.g., 50 strands.

[0041] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is at least about 2 cm 3 / g, 2.5cm 3 / g, 3cm 3 / g, 3.5cm 3 / g, 4cm 3 / g, 4.5cm 3 / g, or 5cm 3 In some embodiments, the fill value is about 6 cm 3 / g, 6.5cm 3 / g, 7cm 3 / g, 7.5cm 3 / g, 8cm 3 / g, 8.5cm 3 / g, 9cm 3 / g, 9.5cm 3 / g, or 10cm 3 In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material has a density of less than about 2 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 7.5cm 3 / g, approx. 3cm 3 / g ~ approx. 7cm 3 / g, approx. 3.5cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 / g, or approximately 4 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 In other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material has a loading value of about 3 cm / g. 3 / g ~ approx. 10cm 3 / g, approx. 4cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9.5cm 3 / g, approx. 4.5cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 / g, or approximately 5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 / g.

[0042] The packing value is measured by placing a known weight of material in a cylinder of known dimensions. This is subjected to pressure from a weighted piston for 30 seconds. The residual height of the compressed sample is measured and converted to volume. The packing value is then calculated as the volume of the material relative to the mass.

[0043] More specifically, the packing value of the non-linear strand of the present invention can be determined by the following procedure: A 20 g sample of material is placed in a 60 mm diameter cylinder of a hydrometer, and then the material is compressed for 30 seconds with a 2.90 ± 0.03 kg piston. The height of the piston in the hydrometer is measured. The packing value of the sample is calculated according to the following formula:

[0044] The volume that a material occupies when compressed is determined using Equation 1.

number

[0045] The fill value is then determined using the measured volume and mass of the material according to Equation 2.

number

[0046] Filling values ​​are in cm 3 It can also be given in units of 10g / 1cm 3 / g is 10cm 3 / 10g.

[0047] The inventors have found that the aerosol-generating materials of the present invention have a higher fill value than aerosol-generating materials containing the same components but formed as a flat sheet (e.g., by casting), a rolled sheet (e.g., by rolling a flat sheet), or a chopped sheet (e.g., by chopping a flat sheet). Filling value (also referred to herein as packing value) is a measure of the volume that a given mass of material occupies when a given pressure is applied. That is, packing value is a measure of the ability of a material to occupy a particular volume.

[0048] By using a material with a higher fill value as an aerosol-generating material, it may be possible to provide articles and consumables with a lower overall weight than conventional articles. Reducing the overall weight can provide many advantages, such as reduced transportation costs, as well as reduced material costs and / or taxes. Furthermore, reducing the weight of an article can also have a positive impact on the environment, as less energy may be required to transport the article. Furthermore, consumers may prefer to carry and use lighter articles. This material can also be used as a tobacco-free aerosol-generating substrate.

[0049] The material of the present invention has a higher filling value than conventional aerosol-generating materials because the filling efficiency of the aerosol-generating material in the form of a non-linear strand is lower than that of conventional aerosol-generating materials, which may be in the form of a flat sheet, a rolled sheet, or a chopped sheet. That is, when a container having a given volume is filled with the material of the present invention, the material occupies a lower percentage of the container than with conventional aerosol-generating materials, which may be in the form of a flat sheet, a rolled sheet, or a chopped sheet. In other words, a larger volume of void or empty space exists within a container containing the material of the present invention. Therefore, less aerosol-generating material is required to fill the container.

[0050] It would therefore be advantageous to be able to form materials in the form described herein that have similar chemical compositions to conventional aerosol-generating materials, but with higher loading values.

[0051] FIG. 11 shows an image of the same weight of aerosol-generating material in the form of strands of the present invention (left) compared to a similar material formed as a flat sheet and then chopped (right).

[0052] FIG. 12 shows a photograph of an aerosol-forming material of the present invention in the form of several non-linear strands.

[0053] The aerosol-generating material can contain from about 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, or 20 wt% to about 80 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 40 wt%, or 30 wt% aerosol-generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In exemplary embodiments, the aerosol-generating material contains 1-80 wt%, 5-60 wt%, or 10-50 wt% aerosol-generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material contains 10-45 wt%, 20-40 wt%, or 30-40 wt% aerosol-generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material contains 10-45 wt%, 10-40 wt%, or 15-30 wt% aerosol-generating agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). These amounts represent the total amount of aerosol-forming agent in the aerosol-forming material.

[0054] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating agent may include one or more of 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. In some cases, the aerosol generating agent includes, consists essentially of, or consists of glycerol.

[0055] The aerosol-forming material can include about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 6 wt%, 7 wt%, 10 wt%, or 15 wt% to about 20 wt%, 25 wt%, 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, or 60 wt% of the cross-linking agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material can include 1-60 wt%, 5-50 wt%, 6-40 wt%, 7-20 wt%, or 15-25 wt% of the binder (on a dry weight basis). These amounts represent the total amount of binder in the aerosol-forming material.

[0056] The cross-linking agent may comprise or consist of a non-cellulosic binder. Examples of non-cellulosic binders that may be used include, but are not limited to, alginate, pectin, carrageenan (e.g., iota carrageenan), gellan gum (e.g., high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof.

[0057] The cross-linking agent may comprise or consist of a flexible binder. Examples of flexible binders that may be used include, but are not limited to, pectin, iota-carrageenan, gellan gum (e.g., high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof.

[0058] In some embodiments, the cross-linking agent comprises a flexible binder in combination with one or more other binders, such as alginate.

[0059] In some embodiments, the binder comprises alginate and / or pectin and / or iota carrageenan.

[0060] In some embodiments, the binder comprises alginate and / or iota carrageenan.

[0061] In some embodiments, the binder comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of alginate and pectin.

[0062] In some embodiments, the binder comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of alginate and iota-carrageenan.

[0063] In some embodiments, the binder does not include alginate.

[0064] In some embodiments, the binder comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of iota carrageenan.

[0065] The aerosol-forming material may be substantially free of cellulosic binders. By "substantially free," it is meant that the material contains less than 1 wt. %, e.g., less than 0.5 wt. %, of relevant components (on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is free of cellulosic binders.

[0066] The aerosol-forming material may be substantially free of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is CMC-free.

[0067] In some embodiments, the binder comprises alginate, and the alginate is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of 5-50 wt%, 8-40 wt%, 10-30 wt%, or 15-25 wt% of the aerosol-forming material (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the alginate is the only binder present in the aerosol-forming material. In other embodiments, the binder comprises alginate and at least one additional non-cellulosic binder, such as pectin.

[0068] In some embodiments, the binder comprises an alginate, and the alginate is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of 1-30 wt%, 2-20 wt%, 3-20 wt%, or 5-15 wt% of the aerosol-forming material (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the binder comprises an alginate and at least one non-cellulosic flexible binder, such as iota-carrageenan.

[0069] In some embodiments, the binder comprises iota-carrageenan, and the iota-carrageenan is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount between 1 and 30 wt%, between 2 and 20 wt%, between 2 and 20 wt%, or between 10 and 20 wt% of the aerosol-forming material (calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0070] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises 5-15 wt% alginate and 10-20 wt% iota-carrageenan (calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0071] In some embodiments, iota-carrageenan is the only binder present in the aerosol-forming material, hi other embodiments, the binder comprises iota-carrageenan and at least one additional non-cellulosic binder.

[0072] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises multiple binders. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises a cross-linking agent and a non-cross-linking agent. When present, the non-cross-linking agent may be a cellulosic binder. Examples of cellulosic binders that may be used include, but are not limited to, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), and cellulose acetate propionate (CAP). In some embodiments, the cellulosic binder is selected from hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and / or carboxymethyl cellulose. In some embodiments, the cellulosic binder comprises carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). In some embodiments, the cellulosic binder is carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).

[0073] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is provided in the form of one or more non-linear strands, and the aerosol-forming material includes an aerosol-generating agent and a binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (e.g., iota carrageenan), gellan gum (e.g., high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof. In this material, the total amount of binder may be the same as the amount described above for the cross-linking agent. For example, the aerosol-generating material of this embodiment may include 1-60 wt%, 5-50 wt%, 6-40 wt%, 7-20 wt%, or 15-25 wt% of binder (on a dry weight basis).

[0074] All aspects of the invention described herein are applicable to any of the aerosol-forming materials of the present invention.

[0075] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material includes a cross-linking agent. In some cases, the cross-linking agent includes calcium ions. In some embodiments, the cross-linking agent includes calcium lactate, calcium formate, and / or calcium acetate. In some embodiments, the cross-linking agent includes calcium lactate. In some cases, the aerosol-forming material includes calcium cross-linked alginate. Cross-linking agents may also be described as stiffening agents.

[0076] The aerosol-forming material can include from about 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 3 wt%, or 5 wt% to about 10 wt%, 9 wt%, 8 wt%, or 7 wt% of the crosslinker (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material can include 1-10 wt%, 3-8 wt%, or 5-7 wt% of the crosslinker (on a dry weight basis). These amounts represent the total amount of crosslinker in the aerosol-forming material.

[0077] The aerosol-forming material can contain from about 1 wt%, 10 wt%, or 20 wt%, to about 80 wt%, 60 wt%, or 50 wt% of flavor (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material can contain 1-80 wt%, 10-60 wt%, or 20-50 wt% of flavor. These amounts represent the total amount of flavor, if any, in the aerosol-forming material.

[0078] As used herein, the terms "flavor" and "flavoring agent" refer to materials that may be used, where local regulations permit, to create a desired taste, aroma, or other somatic sensation in products intended for adult consumers.These materials may be naturally occurring flavoring materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically derived materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., 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, eggplant, betel nut, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang Orchids, sage, fennel, wasabi, bell peppers, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay leaf, 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, damián, majo The flavor enhancers may include other additives such as rum, 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 charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners.They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients, or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, a liquid such as an oil, a solid such as a powder, or a gas.

[0079] In some embodiments, the flavor comprises menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint, hi some embodiments, the flavor comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of menthol.

[0080] In some embodiments, the flavoring is a water-soluble flavoring.

[0081] The flavoring may be incorporated during the formation of the aerosol-forming material (e.g., when forming a slurry including the materials that form the aerosol-forming material), or the flavoring may be applied to the aerosol-forming material after its formation (e.g., by spraying it onto the aerosol-forming material after it has dried).

[0082] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 18 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, or 40 wt% to about 80 wt%, 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% filler (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material may comprise 1-60 wt%, 1-50 wt%, 5-45 wt%, 10-40 wt%, 18-35 wt%, or 20-30 wt% filler (all calculated on a dry weight basis). Alternatively, the aerosol-generating material may contain 1-70 wt%, 10-65 wt%, 20-60 wt%, 30-60 wt%, or 40-60 wt% filler (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may contain 10-80 wt%, 20-70 wt%, 30-65 wt%, or 40-65 wt% filler (all calculated on a dry weight basis). These amounts represent the total amount of filler in the aerosol-generating material.

[0083] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material contains less than 70 wt% filler, e.g., less than 60 wt%, less than 50 wt%, less than 30 wt%, less than 20 wt%, or less than 10 wt% filler, hi some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is substantially free or completely free of filler.

[0084] 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 adsorbents, such as molecular sieves. The filler may also include one or more organic filler materials, such as wood pulp, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives (e.g., ground cellulose). In certain cases, the aerosol-generating material contains less than 10 wt%, less than 5 wt%, less than 1 wt%, or no calcium carbonate, such as chalk. Because calcium carbonate has a high density, it may be desirable to avoid including a large amount of calcium carbonate in the material (e.g., more than 10 wt%, more than 25 wt%, or more than 50 wt%). Thus, including a large amount of calcium carbonate may result in a material with a high density and / or a low packing value and / or may slow aerosol release.

[0085] In certain embodiments, the filler is fibrous. For example, the filler may be a fibrous organic filler material such as wood pulp, hemp fiber, cellulose, or a cellulose derivative, e.g., microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), nanocrystalline cellulose, and / or comminuted cellulose. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the inclusion of a fibrous filler in the aerosol-generating material may increase the tensile strength of the material.

[0086] In some cases, the filler comprises wood pulp, MCC and / or ground cellulose.

[0087] In some cases, the filler comprises MCC and / or milled cellulose.

[0088] In some cases, the filler comprises (or is) wood pulp.

[0089] In some cases, the filler does not include wood pulp.

[0090] In some cases, the aerosol-forming material contains less than 10 wt% wood pulp, e.g., less than about 5 wt%, less than about 4 wt%, less than about 2 wt%, or less than about 1 wt%. In some cases, the aerosol-forming material does not contain wood pulp.

[0091] In some cases, any filler present in the aerosol-forming material has a particle size of less than about 2 mm, e.g., less than about 1.5 mm, less than about 1 mm, less than about 0.5 mm, less than about 0.4 mm, less than about 0.3 mm, or less than about 0.2 mm.

[0092] In some cases, any filler present in the aerosol-forming material has an average (e.g., number average) particle size of less than about 2 mm, e.g., less than about 1.5 mm, less than about 1 mm, less than about 0.5 mm, less than about 0.4 mm, less than about 0.3 mm, or less than about 0.2 mm.

[0093] As used herein, the term "particle size" refers to the longest dimension of a particle (e.g., the diameter of a spherical particle). Particles of different sizes can be separated by known methods, such as sieving.

[0094] It has been found that forming materials of the present invention containing wood pulp can be difficult because the wood pulp can clog or block the nozzle through which the mixture is dispensed. This is thought to be due to the particle size of the wood pulp, which is typically at least 0.5 mm, often at least 1 mm. As a result, it can be effective to reduce the amount of wood pulp present in the material and / or ensure that any fillers present in the material have a small particle size (e.g., less than the size of the nozzle diameter). Reducing the amount of wood pulp present in the material can also increase the viscosity of the mixture used to form the material.

[0095] Since the filler (if any) is the only particle component of the aerosol-forming material, only the particle size of the filler needs to be controlled.

[0096] In some cases, the filler comprises maltodextrin or microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, microcrystalline cellulose can be formed by depolymerizing cellulose through a chemical process (e.g., using an acid or enzyme). One exemplary method for forming microcrystalline cellulose involves acid hydrolysis of cellulose using an acid such as HCl. The cellulose produced after this treatment is crystalline (i.e., no amorphous regions remain). Suitable methods and conditions for forming microcrystalline cellulose are well known in the art.

[0097] In some cases, the filler is about 2 g / cm 3 less than, for example, about 0.5 g / cm 3 Less than, or about 0.3 g / cm 3 has a density of less than

[0098] The aerosol-forming material can have any suitable moisture content, such as from 1 wt% to 15 wt%. Suitably, the moisture content of the aerosol-forming material can be from about 5 wt%, 7 wt%, or 9 wt% to about 15 wt%, 13 wt%, 11 wt%, 9 wt%, or 8 wt% (wet weight basis) (WWB). In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material has a moisture content of less than about 9 wt% (WWB), e.g., less than about 8 wt% (WWB). The moisture content of the aerosol-forming material can be determined, for example, by Karl Fischer titration or gas chromatography with thermal conductivity detection (GC-TCD).

[0099] The amounts of components of the aerosol-forming material, such as the aerosol-forming agent (eg, glycerol) and flavoring (eg, menthol), can be determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID).

[0100] The aerosol-generating material may include a colorant. The addition of a colorant may change the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material. The presence of a colorant in the aerosol-generating material may enhance the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material and aerosol-generating composition. By adding a colorant to the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol-generating material may be color-matched with other components of the aerosol-generating composition or other components of an article comprising the aerosol-generating material.

[0101] Depending on the desired color of the aerosol-generating material, various coloring agents may be used. The color of the aerosol-generating material may be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown, or black. Other colors are also contemplated. Natural or synthetic coloring agents, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food-grade coloring agents, and pharmaceutical-grade coloring agents, may be used. In certain embodiments, the coloring agent is caramel, which may impart a brown appearance to the aerosol-generating material. In such embodiments, the color of the aerosol-generating material may be similar to the color of other components in the aerosol-generating composition that includes the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the addition of a coloring agent to the aerosol-generating material makes it visually indistinguishable from the other components in the aerosol-generating composition.

[0102] The colorant may be incorporated into the aerosol-generating material during its formation (e.g., when forming a slurry containing the materials that form the aerosol-generating material), or the colorant may be applied to the aerosol-generating material after its formation (e.g., by spraying it onto the aerosol-generating material).

[0103] In some embodiments, (brown) wood pulp is present as a filler and therefore colorants may not be necessary.

[0104] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating composition further comprises an active agent, such that the aerosol-generating composition comprises an aerosol-generating material and an active agent. For example, in some cases, the aerosol-generating composition further comprises nicotine. In some cases, the aerosol-generating composition may comprise 5-60 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-generating composition may comprise from about 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% to about 70 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 45 wt%, 40 wt%, 35 wt%, or 30 wt% (calculated on a dry weight basis) of the active agent. In some cases, the aerosol-generating composition may comprise from about 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, or 4 wt% to about 20 wt%, 18 wt%, 15 wt%, or 12 wt% nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming composition may contain 1-20 wt %, 2-18 wt %, or 3-12 wt % nicotine.

[0105] The loading value of an aerosol-forming composition can be determined by the loading value of the aerosol-forming material, the loading values ​​of any other materials in the composition, and the relative proportions of the materials in the composition. Thus, the loading value of the composition can be estimated.

[0106] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming composition is at least about 2 cm 3 / g, 2.5cm 3 / g, 3cm 3 / g, 3.5cm 3 / g, 4cm 3 / g, 4.5cm 3 / g, or 5cm 3 In some embodiments, the fill value is about 6 cm 3 / g, 6.5cm 3 / g, 7cm 3 / g, 7.5cm 3 / g, 8cm 3 / g, 8.5cm 3 / g, 9cm 3 / g, 9.5cm 3 / g, or 10cm 3 In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming composition has a viscosity of less than about 2 cm / g. 3 / g ~ approx. 7.5cm 3 / g, approx. 3cm 3 / g ~ approx. 7cm 3 / g, approx. 3.5cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 / g, approx. 4cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 / g, or approximately 5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 / g. In other embodiments, the aerosol-forming composition has a loading value of about 3 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 10cm 3 / g, approx. 4cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9.5cm 3 / g, approx. 4.5cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 / g, or approximately 5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 / g.

[0107] In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include a botanical extract. The aerosol-generating material may include from about 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, or 40 wt% to about 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, or 70 wt% of the botanical extract (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In exemplary embodiments, the aerosol-generating material includes 1-70 wt%, 5-60 wt%, or 10-50 wt% of the botanical extract (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may include 10-40 wt%, 10-35 wt%, or 15-30 wt% of the botanical extract (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In other embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may contain 10-70 wt%, 20-65 wt%, or 40-60 wt% of the botanical extract (all calculated on a dry weight basis), these amounts representing the total amount of botanical extract in the aerosol-forming material.

[0108] The botanical extract may comprise or consist of a botanical extract that naturally contains metal (e.g., calcium or magnesium) ions (i.e., the ions are present without addition). In some embodiments, the botanical extract naturally contains calcium ions. The botanical extract may also be described as a plant extract.

[0109] As used herein, the term "botanical extract" includes extracts of any material derived from a plant, including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fiber, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husks, shells, etc. Alternatively, the botanical extract may contain synthetically derived active compounds naturally occurring in the botanical material. Exemplary botanical materials 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 tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, rabe, etc. The active ingredient in the active ingredient may be laurel, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, shiso, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiana, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, kahlua, 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.

[0110] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises particulate plant material. The aerosol-generating material may comprise from about 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 30 wt%, 35 wt%, or 40 wt% to about 30 wt%, 35 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, or 70 wt% particulate plant material (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In exemplary embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises 1-70 wt%, 5-60 wt%, 10-50 wt%, or 30-40 wt% particulate plant material (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

[0111] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material includes an additional active substance other than the botanical extract. In some embodiments, the active substance includes nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance includes caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0112] In some embodiments, the active substance may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0113] Cannabinoids are a class of natural or synthetic compounds that act on intracellular cannabinoid receptors (i.e., CB1 and CB2) to inhibit the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Cannabinoids can occur naturally from plants such as cannabis (phytocannabinoids), from animals (endocannabinoids), or can be artificially produced (synthetic cannabinoids). Cannabis species exhibit at least 85 different phytocannabinoids, divided into subclasses including cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, and cannabinodiol, as well as other cannabinoids. Cannabinoids found in cannabis include, but are not limited to, cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabinodiol (CBDL), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), cannabinerolic acid, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol propyl variant (CBNV), cannabiditriol (CBO), tetrahydrocannabimolic acid (THCA), and tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCV A).

[0114] In some embodiments, the active substance may include a cannabinoid, such as cannabidiol (CBD). The aerosol-generating material and / or aerosol-generating composition 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.

[0115] 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.

[0116] Preferably, the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. 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. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid and / or pyruvic acid.

[0117] In some embodiments, the acid is selected from lactic acid, benzoic acid, and levulinic acid.

[0118] In embodiments in which the aerosol-generating composition contains nicotine, it is particularly preferred to include an acid. The presence of an acid can reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing nicotine loss during production. The presence of an acid can also improve the flavor and impact of the aerosol when nicotine is present. For example, the perception of nicotine scum can be reduced by the presence of an acid.

[0119] The aerosol-forming materials and compositions are substantially free of tobacco. By "substantially free," it is meant that the materials and compositions contain less than 1 wt. %, for example, less than 0.5 wt. %, of tobacco (on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming materials and compositions are tobacco-free.

[0120] The aerosol-forming material may be made from a gel, which may further contain a solvent present at 0.1 to 50 wt %. However, including a solvent in which the flavor is soluble may decrease gel stability and cause the flavor to crystallize from the gel. Therefore, in some cases, the gel does not contain a solvent in which the flavor is soluble.

[0121] One aspect of the present invention relates to articles (also referred to herein as consumables). Consumables are articles intended to be consumed, in part or in whole, during use by a user. Consumables may include or consist of an aerosol-generating composition. Consumables may also include one or more other elements, such as a filter or an aerosol modifier. Consumables may include a heating element that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating composition to generate an aerosol during use. The heating element may, for example, include a combustible material or may include a susceptor that can be heated by penetration by a varying magnetic field.

[0122] The articles of the present invention can be provided in any suitable shape. In some examples, the articles are provided as rods (e.g., substantially cylindrical). Articles provided as rods may include an aerosol-forming composition.

[0123] A susceptor is a material that can be heated by penetration by a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The heating material can be a conductive material, such that penetration of the conductive material by the varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material can be a magnetic material, such that penetration of the magnetic material by the varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The heating material can be both conductive and magnetic, such that the heating material can be heated by both heating mechanisms.

[0124] Induction heating is a process in which a conductive object is heated by the penetration of the object by a changing magnetic field. This process is explained by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may include an electromagnet and a device for passing a changing current, such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are properly positioned relative to each other so that the resulting changing magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated within the object. The object has a resistance to the flow of current. Therefore, when such eddy currents are generated within the object, their flow against the object's electrical resistance causes the object to heat. This process is called Joule heating, Ohmic heating, or resistive heating.

[0125] In some embodiments, the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit. It has been found that when the susceptor is in the form of a closed circuit, the magnetic coupling between the susceptor and the electromagnet during use is enhanced, thereby resulting in increased or improved Joule heating.

[0126] Magnetic hysteresis heating is the process by which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by the penetration of the object by a changing magnetic field. Magnetic materials can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles become aligned with the field. Thus, when a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field produced by an electromagnet, penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the applied changing magnetic field. Such magnetic dipole reorientation causes the generation of heat within the magnetic material.

[0127] When an object is both conductive and magnetic, penetrating it with a varying magnetic field can cause both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating within the object. Furthermore, the magnetic field can be strengthened by the use of magnetic materials, thereby enhancing Joule heating.

[0128] In each of the above processes, because heat is generated within the object itself rather than by conduction from an external heat source, rapid temperature rise and more uniform heat distribution in the object can be achieved, particularly by selecting the appropriate object material and geometry, and by appropriate magnitude and orientation of the varying magnetic field relative to the object. Furthermore, induction heating and magnetic hysteresis heating do not require a physical connection between the source of the varying magnetic field and the object, thereby allowing for greater design freedom and control over the heating profile and potentially lower costs.

[0129] One aspect of the present invention provides a non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising an article described herein and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device including a heater configured to heat the aerosol product without combustion. The non-combustion aerosol delivery system may also be referred to as an aerosol generation assembly. The non-combustion aerosol delivery device may also be referred to as an aerosol generation apparatus.

[0130] In some cases, the heater, when in use, can heat the aerosol-forming material to temperatures up to 350°C, for example, 120°C to 350°C, without burning the aerosol-forming material. In some cases, the heater, when in use, can heat the aerosol-forming composition to temperatures between 140°C and 250°C, or between 220°C and 280°C, without burning the aerosol-forming material. In some cases, when in use, substantially all of the aerosol-forming material is less than about 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm from the heater. In some cases, the material is positioned between about 0.010 mm and 2.0 mm, suitably between about 0.02 mm and 1.0 mm, and suitably between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, from the heater. In some cases, the surface of the aerosol-forming material may be in direct contact with the heater.

[0131] The heater is configured to heat the aerosol product, and thus the aerosol-forming composition, without combustion. In some cases, the heater may be a thin-film electrical resistive heater. In other cases, the heater may comprise an induction heater or the like. The heater may be a combustion-based heat source or a chemical heat source that undergoes an exothermic reaction to generate heat during use. The aerosol-generating assembly may include multiple heaters. The heater may be battery-powered.

[0132] The aerosol product may further comprise a cooling element and / or a filter. The cooling element, if present, may act or function to cool the gas or aerosol components. In some cases, the cooling element may act to cool the gas components so that they condense to form the aerosol. The cooling element may also act to direct hot portions of the non-combustion aerosol delivery device away from the user. The filter, if present, may include any suitable filter known in the art, such as a cellulose acetate plug.

[0133] In some cases, the aerosol generating assembly may be a non-combustion heating device. That is, the aerosol generating assembly may include a solid aerosol-generating material (but not a liquid aerosol-generating material). Non-combustion heating devices are disclosed in WO 2015 / 062983, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0134] The aerosol product article (sometimes referred to herein as an article, cartridge, or consumable) can be adapted for use in a THP or another aerosol generating device. In some cases, the article may further comprise a filter (as described above) and / or a cooling element. In some cases, the aerosol product article can be surrounded by a packaging material, such as paper.

[0135] The aerosol product may further comprise a ventilation aperture. The ventilation aperture may be provided in a sidewall of the product. In some cases, the ventilation aperture may be provided in the filter and / or cooling element. These apertures may allow cool air to be drawn into the product during use, where it can mix with the heated volatile components and thereby cool the aerosol.

[0136] Ventilation enhances the production of visible heated volatiles from the article when the article is heated during use. The heated volatiles become visible through the process of cooling the heated volatiles, such that supersaturation of the heated volatiles occurs. The heated volatiles then undergo droplet formation, also known as nucleation, and ultimately, the size of the aerosol particles of the heated volatiles increases due to further condensation of the heated volatiles and solidification of newly formed droplets from the heated volatiles.

[0137] In some cases, the ratio of the cool air to the sum of the heated volatiles and the cool air, known as the ventilation rate, is at least 15%. A ventilation rate of 15% allows the heated volatiles to be visualized using the methods described above. The visibility of the heated volatiles allows the user to identify that volatiles are being produced, adding to the sensory experience of the smoking experience.

[0138] In another example, the ventilation rate is 50% to 85% to provide additional cooling of the heated volatile components. In some cases, the ventilation rate can be at least 60% or 65%.

[0139] 1 and 2, there is shown a partially cutaway cross-sectional view and a perspective view of an example aerosol production article 101. Article 101 is adapted for use with a device having a power source and a heater. This embodiment of article 101 is particularly suited for use with device 1 shown in FIGS. 5-7, described below. During use, article 101 can be removably inserted into the device shown in FIG. 5 at insertion point 20 of device 1.

[0140] The example article 101 is in the form of a substantially cylindrical rod, including a body of an aerosol-forming composition 103 in the form of a rod and a filter assembly 105. The aerosol-forming composition includes an aerosol-forming material as described herein.

[0141] The filter assembly 105 includes three segments: a cooling segment 107, a filter segment 109, and a mouth end segment 111. The article 101 has a first end 113, also known as the mouth end or proximal end, and a second end 115, also known as the distal end. The body of the aerosol-forming composition 103 is disposed toward the distal end 115 of the article 101. In one example, the cooling segment 107 is disposed adjacent to the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103, between the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103 and the filter segment 109, such that the cooling segment 107 is in an abutting relationship with the aerosol-forming composition 103 and the filter segment 109. In another example, a partition may exist between the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103 and the cooling segment 107, and between the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103 and the filter segment 109. The filter segment 109 is disposed between the cooling segment 107 and the mouth end segment 111. Mouth end segment 111 is disposed adjacent filter segment 109 toward proximal end 113 of article 101. In one example, filter segment 109 is in an abutting relationship with mouth end segment 111. In some embodiments, the total length of filter assembly 105 is between 37 mm and 45 mm, and more preferably, the total length of filter assembly 105 is 41 mm.

[0142] In one example, the rod of aerosol-forming composition 103 is between 34 mm and 50 mm in length, suitably between 38 mm and 46 mm in length, suitably 42 mm in length.

[0143] In one example, the total length of the article 101 is between 71 mm and 95 mm, suitably between 79 mm and 87 mm, suitably 83 mm.

[0144] The axial end of the body of aerosol-forming composition 103 can be seen at distal end 115 of article 101. However, in other embodiments, distal end 115 of article 101 may include an end member (not shown) that covers the axial end of the body of aerosol-forming composition 103.

[0145] The body of aerosol-forming composition 103 is joined to filter assembly 105 by an annular piece of tipping paper (not shown) that surrounds filter assembly 105, generally around the circumference of filter assembly 105, and extends partially along the length of the body of aerosol-forming composition 103. In one example, the tipping paper is made from 58 GSM tipping stock. In one example, the tipping paper has a length of 42 mm to 50 mm, suitably 46 mm.

[0146] In one example, cooling segment 107 is an annular tube that is disposed around and defines a cavity within the cooling segment. The cavity provides a chamber for the flow of heated volatile components generated from the body of aerosol-forming composition 103. Cooling segment 107 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation, yet is rigid enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacturing and use of article 101 during insertion into device 1. In one example, the wall thickness of cooling segment 107 is approximately 0.29 mm.

[0147] Cooling segment 107 provides a physical displacement between aerosol-generating composition 103 and filter segment 109. The physical displacement provided by cooling segment 107 provides a thermal gradient across the length of cooling segment 107. In one example, cooling segment 107 is configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 40° C. between the heated volatile components entering a first end of cooling segment 107 and the heated volatile components exiting a second end of cooling segment 107. In one example, cooling segment 107 is configured to provide a temperature difference of at least 60° C. between the heated volatile components entering a first end of cooling segment 107 and the heated volatile components exiting a second end of cooling segment 107. This temperature difference across the length of cooling segment 107 protects temperature-sensitive filter segment 109 from the high temperatures of aerosol-generating composition 103 when heated by device 1. If no physical displacement is provided between the filter segment 109 and the body of the aerosol-generating composition 103 and the heating element of the device 1, the temperature-sensitive filter segment 109 may become damaged during use and therefore will not effectively perform its required function.

[0148] In one example, the length of the cooling segment 107 is at least 15 mm. In one example, the length of the cooling segment 107 is between 20 mm and 30 mm, more particularly between 23 mm and 27 mm, even more particularly between 25 mm and 27 mm, suitably 25 mm.

[0149] The cooling segment 107 is made of paper, meaning that it is constructed of a material that does not produce compounds of concern, such as toxic compounds, when used adjacent to the heater of the device 1. In one example, the cooling segment 107 is fabricated from a spirally wound paper tube that provides a hollow interior chamber but maintains mechanical rigidity. The spirally wound paper tube can meet the stringent dimensional accuracy requirements of high-speed manufacturing processes with respect to tube length, outer diameter, roundness, and straightness.

[0150] In another example, cooling segment 107 is a recess created from rigid plug wrap or tipping paper that is manufactured to be sufficiently rigid to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacturing and use of article 101 during insertion into device 1.

[0151] The filter segment 109 may be formed of any filter material sufficient to remove one or more volatile compounds from the heated volatile components from the aerosol-generating material. In one example, the filter segment 109 is made of a monoacetate material, such as cellulose acetate. The filter segment 109 provides cooling and reduced irritation from the heated volatile components without depleting the amount of the heated volatile components to an unsatisfactory level for the user.

[0152] In some embodiments, a capsule (not shown) can be provided within filter segment 109. The capsule can be substantially centered within filter segment 109 across the diameter and along the length of filter segment 109. In other cases, it can be offset in one or more dimensions. The capsule can optionally contain a volatile ingredient, such as a flavoring or aerosol-forming agent, if present.

[0153] The density of the cellulose acetate tow material of filter segment 109 controls the pressure drop across filter segment 109, which in turn controls the retraction resistance of article 101. Therefore, the selection of material for filter segment 109 is important in controlling the retraction resistance of article 101. Additionally, the filter segment performs a filtration function within article 101.

[0154] In one example, the filter segment 109 is made of 8Y15 grade filter tow material, thereby providing filtration for the heated volatilized material while also reducing the size of the condensed aerosol droplets resulting from the heated volatilized material.

[0155] The presence of filter segment 109 provides an insulating effect by providing additional cooling to the heated volatile components exiting cooling segment 107. This additional cooling effect reduces the temperature of the surface of filter segment 109 where the user's lips contact.

[0156] In one example, the filter segment 109 is between 6 mm and 10 mm in length, suitably 8 mm.

[0157] The mouth end segment 111 is an annular tube that is disposed around and defines a cavity within the mouth end segment 111. The cavity provides a chamber for heated volatile components that flow from the filter segment 109. The mouth end segment 111 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation, yet is rigid enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacture and use of the article during insertion into the device 1. In one example, the wall thickness of the mouth end segment 111 is approximately 0.29 mm. In one example, the length of the mouth end segment 111 is between 6 mm and 10 mm, suitably 8 mm.

[0158] The mouth end segment 111 may be manufactured from a spirally wound paper tube that provides a hollow interior chamber yet maintains critical mechanical rigidity. A spirally wound paper tube can meet the stringent dimensional accuracy requirements of high speed manufacturing processes with respect to tube length, outer diameter, roundness, and straightness.

[0159] Mouth end segment 111 serves the function of preventing any liquid condensate that accumulates at the outlet of filter segment 109 from coming into direct contact with the user.

[0160] It should be appreciated that in one example, the mouth end segment 111 and the cooling segment 107 may be formed from a single tube, with the filter segment 109 disposed within the tube to separate the mouth end segment 111 and the cooling segment 107.

[0161] 3 and 4, there are shown partially cut-away cross-sectional and perspective views of an example of an article 301. The reference numbers shown in Figures 3 and 4 are the same as the reference numbers shown in Figures 1 and 2, but are incremented by 200.

[0162] In the example of article 301 shown in Figures 3 and 4, article 301 is provided with a ventilation region 317 that allows air to flow from the exterior of article 301 to the interior of article 301. In one example, ventilation region 317 takes the form of one or more vent holes 317 formed through an outer layer of article 301. The vent holes may be located within cooling segment 307 to aid in cooling of article 301. In one example, ventilation region 317 comprises one or more rows of holes, preferably each row of holes arranged circumferentially around article 301 in a cross section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of article 301.

[0163] In one example, there are 1 to 4 rows of ventilation holes to provide ventilation to article 301. Each row of ventilation holes may have 12 to 36 ventilation holes 317. The ventilation holes 317 may have a diameter of, for example, 100 to 500 μm. In one example, the axial spacing between rows of ventilation holes 317 is 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm, suitably 0.5 mm.

[0164] In one example, the vent holes 317 are uniform in size. In another example, the vent holes 317 vary in size. The vent holes can be created using any suitable technique, such as one or more of laser techniques, mechanical perforation of the cooling segment 307, or pre-perforation of the cooling segment 307 before it is formed in the article 301. The vent holes 317 are positioned to provide effective cooling to the article 301.

[0165] In one example, the row of vent holes 317 is positioned at least 11 mm from the proximal end 313 of the article, suitably 17 mm to 20 mm from the proximal end 313 of the article 301. The positions of the vent holes 317 are positioned such that the user does not block the vent holes 317 while the article 301 is in use.

[0166] Providing a row of vent holes 17-20 mm from proximal end 313 of article 301 allows vent holes 317 to be located on the exterior of device 1 when article 301 is fully inserted into device 1, as can be seen in Figures 6 and 7. Locating the vent holes on the exterior of the device allows unheated air to enter article 301 from outside device 1 through the vent holes to assist in cooling article 301.

[0167] The length of cooling segment 307 is such that when item 301 is fully inserted into device 1, cooling segment 307 is partially inserted into device 1. The length of cooling segment 307 serves two functions: first, to provide a physical gap between the heater arrangement and temperature-sensitive filter arrangement 309 of device 1 when item 301 is fully inserted into device 1; and second, to allow vent hole 317 to be located within the cooling segment while also being located outside of device 1. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the majority of cooling element 307 is located within device 1. However, there is a portion of cooling element 307 that extends from device 1. It is this portion of cooling element 307 in which vent hole 317 is located that extends from device 1.

[0168] 5-7, an example of a device 1 is shown that is configured to heat an aerosol-forming composition to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol-forming composition, typically to form an inhalable aerosol. Device 1 is a heating device that releases compounds by heating, but not burning, the aerosol-forming material.

[0169] The first end 3 is sometimes referred to herein as the mouth end or proximal end 3 of the device 1, and the second end 5 is sometimes referred to herein as the distal end 5 of the device 1. The device 1 has an on / off button 7 that allows the entire device 1 to be switched on and off as desired by the user.

[0170] Device 1 includes a housing 9 for arranging and protecting various internal components of device 1. In the illustrated example, housing 9 includes a unibody sleeve 11 that surrounds the periphery of device 1, with sleeve 11 capped with a top panel 17 that defines a general "top" of device 1 and a bottom panel 19 that defines a general "bottom" of device 1. In another example, the housing includes a front panel, a back panel, and a pair of opposing side panels in addition to top panel 17 and bottom panel 19.

[0171] Top panel 17 and / or bottom panel 19 may be removably secured to unibody sleeve 11 to allow easy access to the interior of device 1, or may be "permanently" secured to unibody sleeve 11 to, for example, prevent a user from accessing the interior of device 1. In one example, panels 17 and 19 are made of a plastic material, including, for example, glass-filled nylon formed by injection molding, and unibody sleeve 11 is made of aluminum, although other materials and manufacturing processes may be used.

[0172] The top panel 17 of the device 1 has an opening 20 at the mouth end 3 of the device 1 through which a user can insert and remove an article 101, 301 containing an aerosol-generating composition into and from the device 1 during use.

[0173] Housing 9 has disposed therein or secured thereto heater element 23, control circuit 25, and power supply 27. In this example, heater element 23, control circuit 25, and power supply 27 are laterally adjacent (i.e., adjacent when viewed end-on), with control circuit 25 located substantially between heater element 23 and power supply 27, although other arrangements are possible.

[0174] Control circuitry 25 may include a control device, such as a microprocessor arrangement, constructed and arranged to control the heating of the aerosol-forming composition within article 101, 301, as further described below.

[0175] Power source 27 can be, for example, a battery, which can be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium-ion batteries, nickel batteries (such as nickel-cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, and / or the like. Battery 27 is electrically coupled to heater arrangement 23 and, under the control of control circuitry 25, provides power as needed to heat the aerosol-forming composition within the article (as described, to volatilize the aerosol-forming material without burning the aerosol-forming composition).

[0176] An advantage of locating the power source 27 laterally adjacent to the heater structure 23 is that a physically larger power source 25 can be used without excessively lengthening the overall device 1. As will be appreciated, a physically larger power source 25 generally has a larger capacity (i.e., total electrical energy that it can deliver, often measured in ampere-hours or the like) and therefore may enable a longer battery life for the device 1.

[0177] In one example, the heater element 23 is in the form of a generally hollow cylindrical tube having a hollow internal heating chamber 29 into which the article 101, 301 containing the aerosol-generating material is inserted for heating during use. Various configurations of the heater element 23 are possible. For example, the heater element 23 may comprise a single heating element or may be formed from multiple heating elements arranged along the longitudinal axis of the heater element 23. The heating element, or each heating element, may be annular or tubular around its periphery, or at least partially annular or partially tubular. In one example, the heating element, or each heating element, may be a thin-film heater. In another example, the heating element, or each heating element, may be made of a ceramic material. Examples of suitable ceramic materials include alumina, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride ceramics, which may be layered and sintered. Other heating elements are also possible, including, for example, induction heating elements, infrared heating elements that heat by emitting infrared radiation, or resistive heating elements, formed, for example, by resistive electrical windings.

[0178] In one particular example, the heater element 23 is supported by a stainless steel support tube and includes a polyimide heating element. The heater element 23 is sized so that when the article 101, 301 is inserted into the device 1, substantially the entire body of the aerosol-forming composition 103, 303 of the article 101, 301 is inserted into the heater element 23.

[0179] The heating element, or each of the heating elements, may be arranged so that selected regions of the aerosol-forming material can be heated independently, as desired, for example, sequentially (over time, as described above) or together (simultaneously).

[0180] The heater element 23 in this example is surrounded by insulation 31 along at least a portion of its length. The insulation 31 serves to reduce the passage of heat from the heater element 23 to the exterior of the device 1. This generally reduces heat loss and therefore helps reduce the power requirements of the heater element 23. The insulation 31 also serves to keep the exterior of the device 1 cool during operation of the heater element 23. In one example, the insulation 31 may be a double-walled sleeve that provides a low-pressure region between the two walls of the sleeve. That is, the insulation 31 may be, for example, a "vacuum" tube, i.e., a tube that is at least partially evacuated to minimize heat transfer by conduction and / or convection. Other configurations of the insulation 31 are possible, including using insulating materials in addition to or instead of a double-walled sleeve, including, for example, suitable foam-type materials.

[0181] The housing 9 may further include various internal support structures 37 for supporting all internal components and the heating arrangement 23 .

[0182] Device 1 further includes a collar 33 extending around opening 20 and projecting from the opening into housing 9, and a generally tubular chamber 35 located between collar 33 and one end of vacuum sleeve 31. Chamber 35 further includes cooling structure 35f, in this example including a plurality of cooling fins 35f spaced along the outer surface of chamber 35, each circumferentially arranged around the outer surface of chamber 35. A gap 36 exists between hollow chamber 35 and article 101, 301 over at least a portion of the length of hollow chamber 35 when the article is inserted into device 1. A gap 36 exists around the entire circumference of article 101, 301 over at least a portion of cooling segment 307.

[0183] The collar 33 includes a plurality of ridges 60 arranged circumferentially around the periphery of the opening 20 and projecting into the opening 20. The ridges 60 occupy space within the opening 20 such that the opening span of the opening 20 at the location of the ridges 60 is smaller than the opening span of the opening 20 without the ridges 60. The ridges 60 are configured to mate with the articles 101, 301 inserted into the device 1 to help secure the articles within the device 1. Open spaces (not shown) defined by adjacent pairs of ridges 60 and the articles 101, 301 form ventilation paths around the outside of the articles 101, 301. These ventilation paths allow hot steam escaping from the articles 101, 301 to exit the device 1 and allow cooling air to flow into the device 1 and reach around the articles 101, 301 within the gap 36.

[0184] In operation, the article 101, 301 is removably inserted into the insertion site 20 of the device 1, as shown in Figures 5-7. Referring particularly to Figure 6, in one example, the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103, 303 disposed toward the distal end 115, 315 of the article 101, 301 is completely contained within the heater arrangement 23 of the device 1. The proximal end 113, 313 of the article 101, 301 extends from the device 1 and serves as the user's mouthpiece assembly.

[0185] During operation, the heater arrangement 23 heats the article 101, 301 to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol-forming composition from the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103, 303.

[0186] The primary flow path for heated volatile components from the body of the aerosol-forming composition 103, 303 is axially through the article 101, 301, through the inner chamber of the cooling segment 107, 307, through the filter segment 109, 309, through the mouth-end segment 111, 313, and to the user. In one example, the temperature of the heated volatile components generated from the body of the aerosol-forming composition is between 60°C and 250°C, which may exceed an acceptable inhalation temperature for a user. As the heated volatile components travel through the cooling segment 107, 307, they cool, and some volatile components condense on the inner surface of the cooling segment 107, 307.

[0187] In the example of article 301 shown in Figures 3 and 4, cool air can enter cooling segment 307 through vents 317 formed in cooling segment 307. This cool air mixes with the heated volatile components to further cool the heated volatile components.

[0188] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of making an aerosol-forming composition that includes an aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands, such as an aerosol-forming material described herein.

[0189] This method is (a) forming a mixture comprising a solvent, an aerosol-forming agent, a cross-linking agent, optionally a filler, and optionally an active agent and / or a flavoring agent and / or an acid; (b) discharging the mixture through a nozzle such that the mixture moves with velocity; (c) contacting the dispensed mixture with a solution containing a cross-linking agent, wherein the velocity of the mixture decreases upon contact with the solution; may include:

[0190] This method is (a) forming a mixture comprising a solvent, an aerosol-forming agent, a binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (such as iota carrageenan), gellan gum (such as high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof, optionally a filler, and optionally an active agent and / or a flavoring and / or an acid; (b) discharging the mixture through a nozzle such that the mixture moves with velocity; (c) contacting the dispensed mixture with a solution containing a cross-linking agent, wherein the velocity of the mixture decreases upon contact with the solution; may include:

[0191] Step (a) involves forming a mixture or slurry containing the components of the aerosol-generating material or their precursors and a solvent (typically water). The slurry or mixture formed in step (a) thus contains a cross-linking agent (i.e., a precursor of the cross-linking agent present in the material of the present invention), an aerosol-generating agent, and optionally a filler, an active substance and / or a flavor and / or an acid. The cross-linking agent may include pectin, iota-carrageenan, and / or gellan gum. The mixture or slurry may contain these components, on a dry weight basis, in any of the proportions given herein for the composition of the aerosol-generating material.

[0192] Step (b) involves discharging the mixture through a nozzle. The shape of the nozzle can determine the cross-section of the material formed by the method of the present invention. In some embodiments, the nozzle has a circular shape. In this case, the cross-section of the final material is circular or substantially circular. As used herein, the term "nozzle" can be used interchangeably with the terms "orifice" or "aperture."

[0193] In some embodiments, the nozzle has a diameter of about 0.05 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, 1.5 mm, or 1.5 mm to about 4 mm, 3.0 mm, 2.5 mm, or 1.5 mm, In some embodiments, the nozzle has a diameter of about 0.05 to about 4 mm, about 0.5 to about 4 mm, about 1.0 to about 3.0 mm, or about 1.5 to about 2.5 mm.

[0194] In some embodiments, the nozzle has a diameter of about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, or 0.3 mm to about 3.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.0 mm, or 0.7 mm. In some embodiments, the nozzle has a diameter of about 0.05 to about 3.0 mm, about 0.1 to about 2.0 mm, about 0.2 to about 2.0 mm, or about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm.

[0195] As used herein, the term "extruding" is also intended to encompass the terms "extruding" and "dispensing." Thus, in some embodiments, step (b) comprises dispensing the mixture through a nozzle. In some embodiments, step (b) comprises extruding the mixture through a nozzle.

[0196] The mixture has velocity after being ejected from the nozzle. This velocity may be imparted by gravity, i.e., the mixture is ejected from the nozzle into a medium (e.g., air) into which it can fall. Alternatively and / or additionally, the velocity may be imparted by the ejection process, i.e., the mixture is forced through the nozzle, imparting kinetic energy to the mixture. The mixture is generally ejected in the form of a continuous trickle or stream of material.

[0197] In some embodiments, the mixture is expelled from a nozzle into a gaseous medium, such as air.

[0198] The mixture can be contacted with the cross-linking agent by ejecting the mixture into a medium such as air directly above a solution containing the cross-linking agent, with gravity acting to contact the mixture with the solution (optionally together with any force applied to eject the mixture from a nozzle).

[0199] Alternatively, the mixture may be forcefully ejected to contact the solution containing the crosslinker. In this case, the nozzle may be positioned directly above the solution, but simultaneously and / or alternatively, it may be positioned to the side of the solution, or even below the solution. The angle between the direction of the nozzle (i.e., the direction in which the mixture is initially ejected) and the surface of the solution may be varied. When the nozzle is positioned directly above the solution, this angle is 90°. When the nozzle is directly to the side of the solution (i.e., parallel to the solution), this angle is 0°. In one embodiment, this angle is 90°. In another embodiment, this angle is less than about 90° and greater than about 0°. In some embodiments, this angle is between about 10° and about 85°, between about 20° and about 80°, or between about 30° and about 75°.

[0200] Thus, in one aspect, the nozzle is positioned directly above the surface of the solution containing the cross-linking agent, although this may not be necessary if the mixture is extruded from the nozzle so that it does not move directly downward after ejection.

[0201] In some embodiments, the nozzle is positioned at a distance of about 0.5 to about 100 cm, e.g., about 1 to about 50 cm, or about 2 to about 20 cm, above the surface of the solution containing the cross-linking agent. Increasing the distance between the nozzle and the surface of the solution can decrease the diameter of the resulting non-linear strands. Thus, positioning the nozzle at a distance from the surface of the solution beyond the ranges disclosed herein can significantly decrease the diameter of the non-linear strands compared to the diameter of the nozzle.

[0202] In some embodiments, the volume of solution and the container used to hold the solution containing the crosslinker are selected so that the depth of the solution at the point of impact is at least about 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, or 5 cm, and can be less than about 50 cm, 30 cm, 20 cm, or 10 cm. In some embodiments, the depth of the solution at the point of impact is about 1 to about 50 cm, about 2 to about 30 cm, or about 3 to about 10 cm.

[0203] The nozzle may be stationary or may move as the mixture is dispensed. For example, the nozzle may move over the surface of the solution containing the cross-linking agent as the mixture is dispensed. Alternatively, the nozzle may be stationary, and the solution containing the cross-linking agent may move as the mixture is dispensed. Moving at least one of the nozzle and / or the solution during the process may be useful if the entire process is continuous, which may help prevent individual strands from overlapping.

[0204] In some embodiments, the nozzle can dispense the mixture in a series of pulses. For example, step (c) can include pausing the dispensing of the mixture from the nozzle for a selected time interval. In this manner, the need to cut the strand can be avoided or reduced. The length of the strand can be determined by the length of the time interval. Generally, the longer the time interval, the longer the strand.

[0205] Step (c) involves contacting the ejected mixture with a solution containing a cross-linking agent, the velocity of the mixture decreasing upon contact with the solution.

[0206] When the material comes into contact with the cross-linking agent, the cross-linkable binder cross-links, thereby forming a cross-linked binder. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that when the ejected mixture comes into contact with the solution containing the cross-linking agent, the binder immediately cross-links. This, combined with the reduction in velocity resulting from collision of the mixture with the solution, is believed to result in the formation of the non-linear strands or gel fibers of the present invention. Thus, the result of step (c) is an aerosol-generating material in the form of non-linear strands or gel fibers, i.e., an aerosol-generating material as defined herein.

[0207] In some embodiments, a solution including a crosslinking agent is provided in a container into which the dispensed mixture is dropped and / or pushed. In some embodiments, the solution is sprayed or otherwise applied to the mixture after it has been dispensed and while the dispensed mixture is moving with velocity, such that contact between the dispensed mixture and the crosslinkable solution results in a desired reduction in the velocity of the dispensed mixture.

[0208] The crosslinking agent is used in the present method in the form of a solution containing the crosslinking agent. In some embodiments, the solution is an aqueous solution containing water and the crosslinking agent. Generally, the crosslinking agent is present in the solution in an excess amount so that the crosslinking agent remains after the binder is crosslinked. In some embodiments, the concentration of the crosslinking agent in the solution can be in the range of about 0.01 M to about 2.0 M, about 0.3 M to about 1.5 M, or about 0.5 M to about 1.0 M.

[0209] Suitable cross-linking agents and amounts thereof are described above. For example, the slurry can include sodium alginate, potassium alginate, or ammonium alginate as a binder precursor, and a hardener or cross-linking agent including a calcium source (e.g., calcium formate, calcium acetate, or calcium lactate) can be used to form a calcium alginate gel or binder.

[0210] Alginate is a derivative of alginic acid and is typically a high molecular weight polymer (10-600 kDa). Alginic acid is a copolymer of β-D-mannuronic acid (M) units and α-L-guluronic acid (G) units (blocks) linked together by (1,4)-glycosidic bonds to form a polysaccharide. Upon addition of calcium cations, alginate crosslinks to form a gel. Alginate with a high G monomer content more readily forms a gel upon addition of a calcium source. Thus, in some cases, gel precursors may contain alginate in which at least about 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, or 70% of the monomer units in the alginate copolymer are α-L-guluronic acid (G) units.

[0211] In some embodiments, the solution of step (c) further comprises one or more of a flavoring agent, an active agent, an aerosol generating agent (e.g., glycerol), and a botanical extract. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent is water-soluble.

[0212] When present, each of these components is capable of entering (eg, diffusing into) the non-linear strand or gel fibers of the present invention.

[0213] Thus, the result of step (c) may be an aerosol-generating material that includes one or more of a flavoring, an active agent, an aerosol generating agent (eg, glycerol), and a botanical extract.

[0214] The amount of additional ingredients (e.g., botanical extracts) in the resulting non-linear strands can vary depending on the time the material is in contact with the solution. Generally, the longer the contact time between the material and the solution, the greater the amount of flavorant, active substance, aerosol-generating agent (e.g., glycerol), and / or botanical extract in the resulting non-linear strands. Thus, the amount of flavorant, active substance, aerosol-generating agent (e.g., glycerol), and / or botanical extract in the non-linear strands can be controlled by the contact time between the material and the solution. In some embodiments, the contact time between the material and the solution can be less than about 120 seconds. In some embodiments, the contact time between the material and the solution can be within a range of about 5 seconds to about 120 seconds, about 10 seconds to about 60 seconds, or about 10 seconds to about 30 seconds.

[0215] In some embodiments, the solution further comprises a botanical extract in addition to the cross-linking agent. Suitable botanical extracts are described above. The botanical extract may contain metal (e.g., calcium) ions that can cause cross-linking of the cross-linking agent. Therefore, less cross-linking agent may be required. In some embodiments, the concentration of the botanical extract in the solution may be within the range of about 20 wt% to about 90 wt%, about 25 wt% to about 75 wt%, or about 30 wt% to about 50 wt%.

[0216] Adding a botanical extract to the mixture in step (a) may result in premature cross-linking of the cross-linking binder due to the metal (e.g., calcium) ion content of any of the botanical extracts. This may result in undesirable cross-linking of the mixture or slurry during step (a), before the mixture or slurry is discharged through a nozzle and contacted with a solution in steps (b) and (c). This may prevent the slurry from being discharged through a nozzle, thus preventing the formation of non-linear strands.

[0217] Therefore, when forming a material containing a plant extract, it may be effective to form a slurry that does not contain the plant extract in step (a) and then extrude the slurry into a solution containing the plant extract. This method can also reduce the amount of cross-linking agent required in the solution.

[0218] In some embodiments, the solution of step (c) may further comprise another component of the aerosol-forming material, which may then be dispersed in the aerosol-forming material in the same manner as the botanical extract. For example, the solution may further comprise a flavoring, such as a water-soluble flavoring, and / or an active substance in addition to the botanical extract and / or the aerosol-forming agent (e.g., glycerol).

[0219] Alternatively, it may be desirable to include a component of the aerosol-generating material (e.g., an aerosol-generating agent) in solution to prevent diffusion or loss of the component from the material when the material is in contact with the solution. For example, it may be useful to include the same aerosol-generating agent in the solution as in the mixture formed in step (a), possibly at substantially the same or the same concentration. This can prevent or reduce loss of the aerosol-generating agent during the manufacturing process, particularly when the material is in contact with the solution in step (c).

[0220] In one embodiment, the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the solution is substantially the same as or equal to the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the mixture, such that the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the final aerosol-generating material is the same as or substantially the same as the concentration in the mixture.

[0221] Conversely, if the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the solution is lower than the concentration in the mixture, the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the final aerosol-generating material will be lower than the concentration in the mixture due to diffusion of the aerosol-generating agent from the material while in contact with the solution. Similarly, if the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the solution is higher than the concentration in the mixture, the concentration of the aerosol-generating agent in the final aerosol-generating material will be higher than the concentration in the mixture.

[0222] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating agent is contained in a solution. In some embodiments, the same aerosol-generating agent as in the mixture is contained in the solution. In some embodiments, the solution contains from about 1 wt%, 3 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, or 20 wt% to about 80 wt%, 60 wt%, 50 wt%, 40 wt%, or 30 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent. In some embodiments, the solution contains 10-45 wt%, 20-40 wt%, or 30-40 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent. In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material contains 10-45 wt%, 10-40 wt%, or 15-30 wt% of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0223] In some embodiments, the solution contains an amount of aerosol-generating agent that is within about 15 wt %, such as within about 10 wt %, within about 5 wt %, or within about 1 wt % of the amount of aerosol-generating agent in the mixture.

[0224] The method of the present invention comprises: (d) separating the material formed in step (c) (e.g., the cross-linked material in the form of non-linear strands) from the solution containing the cross-linking agent; (e) drying the material; It may further include:

[0225] Step (d) of separating the material from the solution containing the cross-linking agent may include manually removing the material from the solution, for example by filtration or sieving.

[0226] The processes described herein can be continuous or batch processes, but are generally continuous processes.

[0227] The drying step (e) can include any suitable drying method, including, but not limited to, infrared (IR) heating, conventional heating, air impingement, conductive heating, and microwave heating. Conductive heating can include heating a surface on which the material is placed. The surface can be, for example, a metal or alloy (e.g., stainless steel) band. The surface can be heated by itself (e.g., the surface of a heater) or can be indirectly heated. For example, the surface can be heated from below, for example, using steam. In some embodiments, the drying step (e) is performed using a belt dryer.

[0228] The drying step (e) removes about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, or 90 wt%, to about 80 wt%, 90 wt%, or 95 wt% (WWB) of the water in the slurry, as the case may be.

[0229] Drying may be carried out at a suitable temperature, for example, from room temperature (25°C) to about 200°C, for example, from about 50°C to about 150°C, or from about 100°C to about 130°C. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, higher temperatures may allow for faster drying times, but may be more energy intensive. In some embodiments, the material is dried for about 30 seconds to about 10 minutes, for example, from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes, for example, from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes.

[0230] The drying step (e) may optionally reduce the average diameter of each of the strands by at least about 20%, such as from about 20% to about 90%, or from about 30% to about 70%.

[0231] During step (e), the material may be heated to remove at least about 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, or 90 wt% of the solvent, which is typically water.

[0232] After drying step (e), the aerosol-generating material may have a moisture content as defined above. In particular, the aerosol-generating material may have a moisture content of 1 wt% to 15 wt% (wt%). Suitably, the moisture content of the aerosol-generating material may be from about 5 wt%, 7 wt%, or 9 wt% to about 15 wt%, 13 wt%, 11 wt%, 9 wt%, or 8 wt% (wet weight basis) (wt%). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material has a moisture content of less than about 9 wt% (wt%), e.g., less than about 8 wt% (wt%). The moisture content of the aerosol-generating material may be determined, for example, by Karl Fischer titration or gas chromatography with thermal conductivity detection (GC-TCD).

[0233] In some cases, the solvent that is part of the slurry or mixture may consist essentially of or consist of water. In some cases, the slurry or mixture may include about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, 70 wt%, 80 wt%, or 90 wt% solvent (WWB).

[0234] When the solvent comprises water, the dry weight content of the slurry can match the dry weight content of the aerosol-forming material. Accordingly, the descriptions herein relating to solid materials are expressly disclosed in conjunction with the slurry aspects of the invention. In particular, the above aspects and embodiments defining the components and amounts of the aerosol-forming material apply mutatis mutandis to the slurries and methods of the invention.

[0235] The method of the present invention may also include cutting the non-linear strands to a desired free length. This step may be performed before or after drying. The desired free length may be as described above.

[0236] In some embodiments, the material is cut into a plurality of non-linear strands prior to drying step (e). Cutting the material into a plurality of non-linear strands (each shorter than the non-linear strands originally formed) prior to drying the material can reduce entanglement of the material, which can facilitate processing and / or incorporation of the material into an article.

[0237] In some embodiments, the non-linear strands may be arranged to form a net or mesh-like structure. In some embodiments, the non-linear strands may be bonded or woven together to form a sheet of aerosol-generating material. Such a structure may be formed by arranging the strands in the shape of a net or mesh (e.g., grid formation) before, during, and / or after drying.

[0238] In a further aspect, the present invention also provides an aerosol-forming composition comprising an aerosol-forming material obtainable by or obtained by the method of the present invention. The above aspects and embodiments defining the components and amounts of the aerosol-forming material apply mutatis mutandis to this further aspect of the invention.

[0239] According to aspects of the present invention, there are provided methods of generating an aerosol using the non-combustion aerosol delivery system described herein. In some embodiments, the method comprises heating the aerosol-generating composition to a temperature of 350°C or less. In some embodiments, the method comprises heating the aerosol-generating composition to a temperature of about 220°C to about 280°C or less. In some embodiments, the method comprises heating at least a portion of the aerosol-generating composition to a temperature of about 220°C to about 280°C or less over a use session.

[0240] As used herein, a "use session" refers to a single period of use of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system by a user. A use session begins when power is first applied to at least one heating unit present in the heating assembly. After a period of time has elapsed since the start of the use session, the device is ready for use. A use session ends when power is no longer applied to any heating element in the aerosol generating device. The end of a use session may coincide with the point at which the smoking article is depleted (the point at which the total particulate matter yield (mg) in each puff is deemed unacceptably low by the user). A session has a duration of multiple puffs. The session may have a duration of less than 7 minutes, or less than 6 minutes, or less than 5 minutes, or less than 4 minutes 30 seconds, or less than 4 minutes, or less than 3 minutes 30 seconds. In some embodiments, a use session may have a duration of 2 to 5 minutes, or 3 to 4.5 minutes, or 3.5 to 4.5 minutes, or suitably 4 minutes. A session may be initiated by a user activating a button or switch on the device, which may initiate a temperature increase of at least one heating element.

[0241] All weight percentages (expressed as wt%) set forth herein are calculated on a dry weight basis (DWB) unless otherwise specified. All weight ratios are also calculated on a dry weight basis. Weights quoted on a dry weight basis refer to the entire slurry, aerosol-forming composition, or aerosol-forming material, excluding water, and may include components that are themselves liquid at room temperature and pressure, such as glycerol. Conversely, weight percentages quoted on a wet weight basis (WWB) refer to all components, including water.

[0242] For the avoidance of doubt, where the term "comprises" is used herein in defining the invention or features of the invention, embodiments are also disclosed in which the invention or features may be defined using the terms "consists essentially of" or "consists of" instead of "comprises." Reference to a material "comprising" certain features means that those features are included in, contained within, or retained within the material.

[0243] Any feature described in connection with one aspect of the invention is expressly disclosed in combination with any other aspect described herein.

[0244] Illustrative Embodiments Further embodiments of the present invention are as follows.

[0245] Embodiment 1. An aerosol-forming composition comprising an aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands, the aerosol-forming composition being substantially free of tobacco.

[0246] Embodiment 2. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises an aerosol-generating agent and a cross-linking agent.

[0247] Embodiment 2a. The aerosol-forming material comprises: an aerosol generating agent; a binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (such as iota carrageenan), gellan gum (such as high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof; 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising:

[0248] Embodiment 3. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm.

[0249] Embodiment 4. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.3 mm to about 2.5 mm.

[0250] Embodiment 5. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 1.5 mm.

[0251] Embodiment 6. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.7 to about 1.1 mm.

[0252] Embodiment 7. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.1 to about 2 mm.

[0253] Embodiment 8. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.2 to about 1.1 mm.

[0254] Embodiment 9. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of about 0.3 to about 0.6 mm.

[0255] Embodiment 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of from about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm.

[0256] Embodiment 11. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of from about 0.3 mm to about 2.5 mm.

[0257] Embodiment 12. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of about 0.5 to about 1.5 mm.

[0258] Embodiment 13. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of from about 0.7 to about 1.1 mm.

[0259] Embodiment 14. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio of diameter to thickness of each of the non-linear strands is from about 1:2 to about 2:1.

[0260] Embodiment 15. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio of diameter to thickness of each of the non-linear strands is from about 3:2 to about 2:3.

[0261] Embodiment 16. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio of diameter to thickness of each of the non-linear strands is about 1:1.

[0262] Embodiment 17. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 2 mm.

[0263] Embodiment 18. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of from about 0.2 to about 1.1 mm.

[0264] Embodiment 19. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of about 0.3 to about 0.6 mm.

[0265] Embodiment 20. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has an uncoiled length of from about 8 mm to about 200 mm.

[0266] Embodiment 20a. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has an uncoiled length of from about 10 mm to about 200 mm.

[0267] Embodiment 21. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has an uncoiled length of from about 20 mm to about 100 mm.

[0268] Embodiment 22. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has an uncoiled length of between about 30 mm and about 50 mm.

[0269] Embodiment 23. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a coiled length of from about 2 mm to about 35 mm.

[0270] Embodiment 24. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a coiled length of from about 3 mm to about 25 mm.

[0271] Embodiment 25. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a coiled length of from about 6 mm to about 23 mm.

[0272] Embodiment 26. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a coiled length of from about 8 mm to about 22 mm.

[0273] Embodiment 27. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a coiled length of between about 11 mm and about 20 mm.

[0274] Embodiment 28 The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the uncoiled length is greater than the coiled length.

[0275] Embodiment 29. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is at least about 1.2.

[0276] Embodiment 30. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is at least about 1.3.

[0277] Embodiment 31. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is at least about 1.5.

[0278] Embodiment 32. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is at least about 2.0.

[0279] Embodiment 33. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is less than about 10.

[0280] Embodiment 34. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is less than about 8.

[0281] Embodiment 35. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is less than about 6.

[0282] Embodiment 36. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is from about 1.2 to about 10.

[0283] Embodiment 37. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is from about 1.5 to about 5.

[0284] Embodiment 38. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is from about 2 to about 5.

[0285] Embodiment 39. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and diameter of each of the non-linear strands is from about 5 to about 200.

[0286] Embodiment 40. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and diameter of each of the non-linear strands is from about 10 to about 100.

[0287] Embodiment 41. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and diameter of each of the non-linear strands is from about 20 to about 50.

[0288] Embodiment 42. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the tensile strength of each strand is within the range of about 0.1 N to about 3.0 N.

[0289] Embodiment 43. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the tensile strength of each strand is within the range of about 0.2 N to about 2.0 N.

[0290] Embodiment 44. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the tensile strength of each strand is within the range of about 0.3 N to about 1.0 N.

[0291] Embodiment 45. The aerosol-forming material is about 2 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 7.5cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0292] Embodiment 46. The aerosol-forming material is about 3 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 7cm 310. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0293] Embodiment 47. The aerosol-forming material is about 3.5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0294] Embodiment 48. The aerosol-forming material is about 4 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 6cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0295] Embodiment 48a. The aerosol-forming material is dispersed in a solution of about 3 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 10cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0296] Embodiment 48b. The aerosol-forming material is dispersed in a solution of about 4 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9.5cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0297] Embodiment 48c. The aerosol-forming material is dispersed in a solution of about 4.5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0298] Embodiment 48d. The aerosol-forming material is dispersed in a solution of about 5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 10. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a loading value of 1000 mg / g.

[0299] Embodiment 49. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 1 to about 80 wt % of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0300] Embodiment 50. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 5 to about 60 wt % of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0301] Embodiment 51. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 10 to about 50 wt. % of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0302] Embodiment 52. The aerosol-generating composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises about 10 to about 45 wt. % of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0303] Embodiment 53. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 20 to about 40 wt % of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0304] Embodiment 54. The aerosol-generating composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises about 30 to about 40 wt % of the aerosol-generating agent.

[0305] Embodiment 55. The aerosol-forming material of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 10 to about 40 wt. % of an aerosol-forming agent.

[0306] Embodiment 56. The aerosol-forming material of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 15 to about 30 wt. % of an aerosol-forming agent.

[0307] Embodiment 57. The aerosol-generating composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-generating agent comprises one or more of 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.

[0308] Embodiment 58 The aerosol-generating composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-generating agent comprises glycerol.

[0309] Embodiment 59. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 1 to about 60 wt. % of a binder.

[0310] Embodiment 60. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 5 to about 50 wt % of a binder.

[0311] Embodiment 61. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 6 to about 40 wt. % of a binder.

[0312] Embodiment 62. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 7 to about 20 wt. % of a binder.

[0313] Embodiment 63. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the binder comprises cross-linked alginate and / or pectin and / or iota-carrageenan.

[0314] Embodiment 64. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the binder comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of iota-carrageenan.

[0315] Embodiment 65. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of cellulosic binders.

[0316] Embodiment 66. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of carboxymethylcellulose.

[0317] Embodiment 66a. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises a cross-linking agent and a non-cross-linking agent.

[0318] Embodiment 67. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises one or more fillers.

[0319] Embodiment 68. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 1 to about 60 wt. % filler material.

[0320] Embodiment 69. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 1 to about 50 wt. % filler material.

[0321] Embodiment 70. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 5 to about 45 wt. % filler material.

[0322] Embodiment 71. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 10 to about 40 wt. % filler material.

[0323] Embodiment 72. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 18 to about 35 wt. % filler material.

[0324] Embodiment 73. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 20 to about 30 wt % filler.

[0325] Embodiment 74. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 1 to about 70 wt. % filler material.

[0326] Embodiment 75. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 10 to about 65 wt. % filler material.

[0327] Embodiment 76. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 20 to about 60 wt % filler material.

[0328] Embodiment 77. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 30 to about 60 wt % filler material.

[0329] Embodiment 78. The aerosol-forming material of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 40 to about 60 wt. % filler.

[0330] Embodiment 78a. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 10 to about 80 wt. % filler material.

[0331] Embodiment 78b. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 20 to about 70 wt. % filler material.

[0332] Embodiment 78c. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 30 to about 65 wt. % filler material.

[0333] Embodiment 78d. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises about 40 to about 65 wt. % filler material.

[0334] Embodiment 79. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises less than about 70 wt% filler.

[0335] Embodiment 80. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises less than about 60 wt% filler.

[0336] Embodiment 81. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises less than about 50 wt% filler.

[0337] Embodiment 82. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises less than about 30 wt% filler.

[0338] Embodiment 83. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises less than about 20 wt% filler.

[0339] Embodiment 84. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises less than about 10 wt% filler.

[0340] Embodiment 85. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the filler is a fibrous organic filler material selected from wood pulp, hemp fiber, cellulose or a cellulose derivative, such as microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), nanocrystalline cellulose, and / or comminuted cellulose.

[0341] Embodiment 86. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the filler material comprises wood pulp, MCC and / or comminuted cellulose.

[0342] Embodiment 87. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the filler material does not comprise wood pulp.

[0343] Embodiment 87a. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material has a water content of less than about 9 wt%.

[0344] Embodiment 87b. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the aerosol-forming material has a water content of less than about 8 wt%.

[0345] Embodiment 88. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising one or more additional active agents and / or fragrances, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

[0346] Embodiment 88a. Approximately 3 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 10cm 3 89. The aerosol-forming composition of embodiment 88, having a loading value of 1 / g.

[0347] Embodiment 88b. Approximately 4 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9.5cm 3 89. The aerosol-forming composition of embodiment 88, having a loading value of 1 / g.

[0348] Embodiment 88c. Approximately 4.5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 89. The aerosol-forming composition of embodiment 88, having a loading value of 1 / g.

[0349] Embodiment 88d. Approximately 5 cm 3 / g ~ approx. 9cm 3 89. The aerosol-forming composition of embodiment 88, having a loading value of 1 / g.

[0350] Embodiment 89. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising one or more other functional materials.

[0351] Embodiment 90. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the other functional materials include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a binder, a filler, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0352] Embodiment 91. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the other functional materials include one or more fillers.

[0353] Embodiment 92. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the filler is selected from inorganic filler materials, wood pulp, hemp fiber, cellulose, and cellulose derivatives.

[0354] Embodiment 93. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, which does not include calcium carbonate, e.g., chalk.

[0355] Embodiment 94. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 50-100 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0356] Embodiment 95. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 50-95 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0357] Embodiment 96. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 50-90 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0358] Embodiment 97. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 60-100 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0359] Embodiment 98. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 60-95 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0360] Embodiment 99. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 60-90 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0361] Embodiment 100. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 70-100 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0362] Embodiment 101. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 70-95 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0363] Embodiment 102. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising about 70-90 wt% (WWB) of the aerosol-forming material.

[0364] Embodiment 102A. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, consisting of, or consisting essentially of, an aerosol-forming material.

[0365] Embodiment 103. A consumable product for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, comprising the aerosol-generating composition of any one of the preceding embodiments.

[0366] Embodiment 104. A non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising the consumable product described in embodiment 103 and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

[0367] Embodiment 105. A consumable for use in the non-combustion aerosol delivery device described in embodiment 103 or the non-combustion aerosol delivery system described in embodiment 104, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device is a non-combustion heating device.

[0368] Embodiment 106.(a) aerosol generating agents, cross-linking agents, Possibly filler, optionally active substances and / or flavorings, and solvent forming a mixture comprising: (b) discharging the mixture through a nozzle such that the mixture moves with velocity; (c) contacting the dispensed mixture with a solution containing a cross-linking agent, wherein the velocity of the mixture decreases upon contact with the solution; 103. A method of making the aerosol-forming composition of any one of embodiments 1-102, comprising:

[0369] Embodiment 107. The method of embodiment 106, wherein the solution of step (c) further comprises one or more of a flavoring agent, an active agent, an aerosol generating agent (e.g., glycerol), and a botanical extract.

[0370] Embodiment 108. The method of embodiment 106 or 107, wherein the solution of step (c) further comprises an aerosol generating agent (e.g., glycerol), and / or a botanical extract.

[0371] Embodiment 109. The method of any one of embodiments 106 to 108, wherein the solution of step (c) further comprises the same aerosol generating agent as is present in the mixture of step (a).

[0372] Embodiment 110. (d) Separating the material formed in step (c) from the solution containing the cross-linking agent. 110. The method of embodiment 109, further comprising:

[0373] Embodiment 111. (e) Step of drying the material 111. The method of embodiment 110, further comprising:

[0374] Embodiment 112. The method of any one of embodiments 106 to 111, wherein the solvent is water.

[0375] Embodiment 113. An aerosol-forming material obtainable by the method of any one of claims 106 to 112.

[0376] Example The material was conditioned at 22±1° C. and 60±2% RH for 48 hours.

[0377] Example 1 A gel slurry was prepared in a 10 L Robot Coupe mixer (R 10 VV Robot Coupe). Wood pulp with a 70-80 SR Schopper Riegler was added to water to form a mixture of water and 3 wt% wood pulp. Alginate was slowly added at 600 RPM over a 5-minute period. Ground cellulose was then slowly added to the slurry mix over a 5-minute period. Following this, glycerol was added in a mixture with water over a 2-minute period. The final gel slurry was allowed to mix for an additional 10 minutes before being poured into a beaker. The slurry mix was then slowly stirred using an overhead mixer. The solids content of the gel slurry was 15%.

[0378] The resulting slurry contained wood pulp (7.5 wt%), alginate algogel 6021 (7.5 wt%), glycerol (50 wt%), and ground cellulose (35 wt%) (all weight percentages on a dry weight basis).

[0379] The gel slurry was pumped using a 2.0 mm round nozzle and a 620S Watson Marlow peristaltic pump into a 0.06 M calcium formate bath solution. The residence time was 0 min (gel strands in mesh trays were immediately removed), and the gel strands were dried at 70° C. for 3 h.

[0380] Once dry, the strands were divided into four batches: one batch was left uncut (material 1) and the other three were cut into cutting lengths of 1, 2 and 3 cm (materials 2, 3 and 4, respectively).

[0381] The tensile strength of individual strands selected from the material was measured using an Instron 68TM-5 (TCT_004) tension / compression instrument with Bluehill Universal software. The non-linear strands to be tested were visually selected from the bulk sample material to avoid clumping with the rest of the sample and to have a coiled length of approximately 4-6 cm. The strands were cut from the rest of the sample material. An example of a tested strand is shown in Figure 13.

[0382] The coiled and uncoiled lengths of the strands were measured using a Keyence VHX-6000 (DMI_001). An image of an exemplary strand is shown in Figure 14. Rather than random sampling, a selective sampling technique was applied. Strands were visually selected, avoiding clumping with the rest of the sample. The strands were cut from the rest of the sample.

[0383] The tensile test results (in Newtons (N)) and coiled / uncoiled length results are summarized in Tables 1-4 below. [Table 1] [Table 2] [Table 3] [Table 4]

[0384] Example 2 A series of materials (Materials 5-9) according to Table 5 below were made by forming gel slurries in a 10 L Robot Coupe mixer (R 10 VV Robot Coupe) as follows: Wood pulp with a 70-80 SR Schopper Riegler was added to water to form a mixture of water and 3 wt% wood pulp. Alginate was slowly added at a speed of 600 RPM over a period of 5 minutes. Ground cellulose was then slowly added to the slurry mix over a period of 5 minutes. Following this, glycerol was added mixed with water over a period of 2 minutes. The final gel slurry was left to mix for an additional 10 minutes before being poured into a beaker. The slurry mix was then slowly stirred using an overhead mixer. The solids content of the gel slurry was 15%.

[0385] The resulting slurry contained wood pulp, alginate algogel 6021, glycerol and ground cellulose, the proportions of each component being shown in Table 5 below.

[0386] The gel slurry was pumped into a 0.06 M calcium formate bath solution using a 620S Watson Marlow peristaltic pump with a circular nozzle of 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, or 0.5 mm diameter. The residence time in the bath solution was 0 min (gel strands in mesh trays were immediately removed), and the gel strands were then dried at 70° C. for 3 h.

[0387] Once dry, the strands of each material were divided into four batches and cut into cutting lengths of 1, 2 and 3 cm (one batch was left uncut).

[0388] The fill values ​​of these materials were then measured as described above, and the results are shown in Table 5, where the fill value given is the average of three replicates for each batch of material. [Table 5]

[0389] A known comparative aerosol-forming material containing 50 wt. % glycerol, 7 wt. % wood pulp, 7 wt. % CMC, and 36 wt. % ground cellulose was also measured. This comparative material, not in the form of non-linear strands of the present invention, had a packing value of 2.696 cm. 3 / g.

[0390] Example 3 A gel slurry was made in a 10L Robot Coupe mixer (R 10 VV Robot Coupe). The alginate was slowly added to the water at a speed of 600 RPM over a period of 5 minutes. Then, the milled cellulose was slowly added to the slurry mix over a period of 5 minutes. Then, the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was slowly added to the slurry mix over a period of 5 minutes. This was followed by the addition of glycerol mixed with water over a period of 2 minutes. The final gel slurry was left to mix for an additional 10 minutes before being poured into a beaker. This slurry mix was then slowly stirred using an overhead mixer.

[0391] The resulting slurry contained alginate algogel 6021 (7.5 wt%), glycerol (20 wt%), ground cellulose (50 wt%), and MCC (22.5 wt%) (all weight percentages on a dry weight basis).

[0392] The gel slurry was pumped using a 0.5 mm round nozzle and a 620S Watson Marlow peristaltic pump into a 0.06 M calcium formate bath solution. The residence time was 0 min (gel strands in mesh trays were immediately removed), and the gel strands were dried at 70° C. for 3 h.

[0393] The coiled and uncoiled lengths of the strands were measured using a Keyence VHX-6000 (DMI_001) as described for Example 1. The results are shown in Table 6 below. [Table 6]

[0394] Example 4 A slurry containing water, alginate algogel 6021 (8 wt%), glycerol (20 wt%), milled cellulose (38 wt%), MCC (21 wt%), and carrageenan (13%) (all weight percent on a dry weight basis) was formed. The solids content of the slurry was 15%.

[0395] The slurry was pumped using a 0.8 mm or 1.0 mm round nozzle into a calcium formate bath solution, which also contained 20 wt% glycerol.

[0396] The residence time was 0 minutes (gel strands were removed immediately) and the gel strands were dried in a heat tunnel at 120°C for 2.5 minutes.

[0397] The loading values ​​of these materials were then measured as described above, and the results are shown in Table 7. [Table 7]

[0398] Example 5 A slurry containing water, alginate algogel 6021 (8 wt%), glycerol (20 wt%), milled cellulose (38 wt%), MCC (21 wt%), and carrageenan (13%) (all weight percent on a dry weight basis) was formed. The solids content of the slurry was 15%.

[0399] The slurry was pumped into 0.06 M calcium formate solutions, together with various amounts of glycerol, using a 0.5 mm nozzle (Example 5a) or a 0.6 mm nozzle (Examples 5b, 5c and 5d).

[0400] The residence time was 30 seconds and the gel strands were dried in a heat tunnel at 120°C for 3.5 minutes.

[0401] The glycerol content of the final material was measured by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and the results are shown below: The glycerol content shown below for Examples 5a, 5b and 5c is the average of three strands from the same batch. [Table 8]

[0402] As can be seen from the results above, by including an aerosol-generating agent (i.e., glycerol) in the crosslinking solution, it was possible to produce a material with a desired level of aerosol-generating agent. Conversely, when the aerosol-generating agent was not included in the solution, the level of aerosol-generating agent in the final material was significantly reduced compared to the initial mixture.

Claims

1. An aerosol-forming composition comprising an aerosol-forming material in the form of one or more non-linear strands, the aerosol-forming composition being substantially free of tobacco.

2. 10. The aerosol-forming composition of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises an aerosol-forming agent and a cross-linking agent.

3. 3. The aerosol-forming composition of claim 1, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a diameter of from about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm.

4. 4. The aerosol forming composition of claim 1, wherein each of the non-linear strands has a thickness of from about 0.05 mm to about 3 mm.

5. 5. The aerosol forming composition of claim 1, wherein the ratio of diameter to thickness of each of the non-linear strands is from about 1:2 to about 2:

1.

6. 6. The aerosol-forming composition of claim 1, wherein each of the non-linear strands has an uncoiled length of about 20 mm to about 100 mm, and / or each of the non-linear strands has a coiled length of about 3 mm to about 25 mm, provided that the uncoiled length is greater than the coiled length.

7. 7. The aerosol-forming composition of claim 1, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and the coiled length of each non-linear strand is at least about 1.2, for example, from about 1.2 to about 10.

8. 8. The aerosol-forming composition of claim 1, wherein the ratio between the uncoiled length and diameter of each of the non-linear strands is from about 5 to about 200.

9. 9. The aerosol forming composition of claim 1, wherein the tensile strength of each strand is within the range of about 0.1 N to about 3.0 N.

10. The aerosol-forming material is about 3 cm ３ / g ~ approx. 10cm ３ 10. The aerosol forming composition of claim 1, having a loading value of 1 / g.

11. the aerosol-forming material is about 1 to about 80 wt % of an aerosol-forming agent; about 1 to about 60 wt % of a cross-linking agent; optionally, about 1 to about 60 wt % filler; optionally about 1 to about 50 wt % of an active agent and / or flavoring agent Including, These amounts are calculated on a dry weight basis. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. 12. The aerosol-generating composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the aerosol-generating agent comprises one or more of 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, e.g., the aerosol-generating agent comprises glycerol.

13. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the binder comprises cross-linked alginate and / or pectin.

14. 14. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of cellulosic binders and / or the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of carboxymethylcellulose.

15. 15. The aerosol forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the filler material is present, preferably the filler material comprises wood pulp, MCC and / or ground cellulose.

16. 16. The aerosol-forming composition of claim 15, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises a filler material in an amount of from about 5 to about 60 wt %.

17. 17. The aerosol-generating composition of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the aerosol-generating material further comprises a cross-linking agent, for example, the cross-linking agent comprises calcium ions, for example, the cross-linking agent comprises calcium lactate, calcium acetate, and / or calcium formate.

18. 18. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises an active substance, and the active substance is nicotine.

19. 19. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises a flavoring, and the flavoring is menthol.

20. 20. The aerosol-generating composition of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-generating agent, a binder selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan (such as iota carrageenan), gellan gum (such as high acyl gellan gum), and combinations thereof, optionally one or more fillers, and optionally an active substance and / or flavoring and / or acid.

21. 21. The aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises chopped or chopped strands of the aerosol-forming material.

22. A consumable product for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device comprising the aerosol forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. 23. A non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising the consumable of claim 22 and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device is configured to generate an aerosol from the consumable when the consumable is used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

24. 24. The non-combustion aerosol delivery system of claim 23, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device comprises a heater configured to heat but not combust the consumable.

25. Use of an aerosol-forming composition according to any one of claims 1 to 21 to generate an aerosol.

26. (a) aerosol generating agents, cross-linking agents (optionally including pectin, iota carrageenan, and / or gellan gum); Possibly filler, optionally active substances and / or flavorings, and solvent forming a mixture comprising: (b) expelling the mixture through a nozzle such that the mixture moves with velocity; (c) contacting the ejected mixture with a solution comprising a cross-linking agent, wherein the velocity of the mixture decreases upon contact with the solution; 22. A method of making the aerosol-forming composition of any one of claims 1 to 21, comprising:

27. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the solution comprises an aerosol generating agent.

28. (d) further comprising the step of separating the material formed in step (c) from the solution containing the cross-linking agent, and optionally further comprising the step of (e) drying the material, wherein optionally the material is cut into a plurality of non-linear strands before drying.

28. The method of claim 26 or 27.

29. An aerosol-forming material obtainable by the method of any one of claims 26 to 28.

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