Aerosol generating article comprising downstream elements including paper material

Abstract

The aerosol generating article comprises an aerosol generating substrate and a downstream element provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate and axially aligned with the aerosol generating substrate. The downstream element includes a plug element. The plug element includes a cellulosic filter material. The cellulosic filter material includes a paper material and an additive coating applied to the paper material. The additive coating contains at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis. The overall lignin content in the plug element is at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article comprising at least one element formed from a biodegradable filter material. In particular, the present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article comprising a downstream element located downstream of and axially aligned with an aerosol-generating substrate, the downstream element comprising a plug element formed from a biodegradable cellulosic filter material.

Background Art

[0002] Conventional aerosol-generating articles, such as filter cigarettes, typically comprise a cylindrical rod of tobacco cut filler surrounded by a paper wrapper and a cylindrical filter axially aligned with the rolled tobacco rod, with the ends of the filter and the rolled tobacco rod in abutting relationship in most cases. The cylindrical filter typically comprises one or more plug elements of a fibrous filter material, such as cellulose acetate tow, surrounded by a paper plug wrap. Conventionally, the rolled tobacco rod and the filter are joined by a tipping wrapper band formed from a usually opaque paper material surrounding the entire length of the filter and the adjacent portion of the rolled tobacco rod. In known filter cigarettes, the filter is typically adapted for the removal of particulate and gaseous components of the mainstream smoke.

[0003] Numerous aerosol-generating articles in which tobacco is heated rather than burned have also been proposed in the art. In heated aerosol-generating articles, aerosols are generated by heating an aerosol-generating substrate such as tobacco. Known heated aerosol-generating articles include, for example, smoking articles in which aerosols are generated by electric heating or by heat transfer from a combustible fuel element or heat source to an aerosol-generating substrate. During smoking, volatile compounds are released from the aerosol-generating substrate by heat transfer from the heat source and are carried into the air drawn through the smoking article. As the released compounds cool, they condense to form an aerosol, which is inhaled by the consumer. Many known heated aerosol-generating articles comprise one or more elements formed of fibrous filter material.

[0004] After aerosol-generating articles are smoked and discarded, it is desirable that their components, particularly any elements formed from fibrous filter materials, decompose as quickly as possible. However, cellulose acetate, the most commonly used fibrous filter material in aerosol-generating articles, is not biodegradable and can persist in the environment for many years. As a result, used cigarette filters made from cellulose acetate tend to accumulate in the environment and are the most commonly collected plastic items in beach cleanup activities. Therefore, it is desirable to provide more sustainable alternatives to cellulose acetate for producing aerosol-generating article components, particularly filter or mouthpiece components.

[0005] To address the environmental impact caused by post-consumer waste containing non-biodegradable plastics that are directly discarded into the environment, certain jurisdictions have introduced legislation banning single-use plastic products (SUPs). The term SUP refers to a product that is manufactured entirely or partially from plastic and is typically intended for use only once or for a short period before being discarded. Therefore, it is generally desirable to replace single-use plastics in aerosol-generating articles with natural, biodegradable alternatives.

[0006] A wide variety of alternative materials have already been proposed for use as filtration materials for aerosol-generating articles. However, in many cases, these alternative filtration materials have been found to fail to provide consumers with an acceptable filtration efficiency and smoking experience. In other cases, these alternative filtration materials have been found to lack hardness and processability. Furthermore, in many cases, dispersible and biodegradable materials have been found to be unsuitable for use in existing manufacturing processes, and their use would require excessively large modifications to existing methods and equipment to make them commercially viable.

[0007] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an aerosol-generating article comprising components that are at least partially formed of a filter material that has improved biodegradability but provides a filtration efficiency comparable to that of cellulose acetate tow. In particular, it is desirable that the components be formed of a biodegradable filter material that can still effectively reduce or remove undesirable compounds from aerosols generated from a substrate (e.g., phenol).

[0008] Furthermore, it is desirable to provide such aerosol-generating articles that give consumers an acceptable sensory experience. In particular, it is desirable that the components be made of biodegradable filter materials that have little to no effect on the taste perceived by consumers during the use of the aerosol-generating article and generally do not adversely affect the smoking experience.

[0009] Furthermore, it is desirable to provide such aerosol-generating articles that can be easily manufactured using existing high-speed manufacturing techniques and equipment that requires only minimal modifications.

[0010] Furthermore, it is desirable that the filtration material be capable of being effectively formed into components that provide a consumer-acceptable appearance and feel. For example, it is desirable that the filtration material be capable of being effectively formed into components for aerosol-generating articles that provide a desirable density, hardness, and draw-to-discharge (RTD). [Overview of the project]

[0011] This disclosure relates to an aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating article may comprise an aerosol generating substrate. Furthermore, the aerosol generating article may comprise a downstream element. The downstream element may be provided at the downstream end of the aerosol generating substrate. The downstream element may be provided axially aligned with the aerosol generating substrate.

[0012] The downstream element may include a plug element. The plug element may include a cellulose-based filter material. The cellulose-based filter material may include a paper material. The cellulose-based filter material may include an additive coating applied to the paper material.

[0013] The additive coating may contain at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis. The overall lignin content in the plug element may be at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an aerosol generating article is provided comprising an aerosol generating substrate and a downstream element provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate and axially aligned with the aerosol generating substrate. The downstream element includes a plug element. The plug element comprises a cellulosic filter material including a paper material and an additive coating applied to the paper material. The additive coating contains at least 10 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis. The overall lignin content in the plug element is at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

[0015] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "aerosol-generating article" is used to describe an article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate that generates and delivers a heated, inhalable aerosol to a user.

[0016] When used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "aerosol-generating substrate" is used to describe a substrate comprising an aerosol-forming material that can release an aerosol in response to heating of a volatile compound capable of generating an aerosol.

[0017] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "aerosol" is used to describe a dispersion of solid particles or droplets, or a combination of solid particles and droplets, in a gas. Aerosols may be visible or invisible. Aerosols may include not only vapors of substances that are normally liquid or solid at room temperature, but also solid particles or droplets of liquid, or a combination of solid particles and droplets of liquid.

[0018] When used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "aerosol generator" is used to describe a device that generates an aerosol by interacting with an aerosol-generating substrate of an aerosol-generating article.

[0019] The aerosol generating article according to the present invention has a proximal end through which the aerosol exits the aerosol generating article for delivery to the user during use. The proximal end of the aerosol generating article may also be referred to as the downstream end or mouth end of the aerosol generating article. During use, the user directly or indirectly inhales the proximal end of the aerosol generating article in order to inhale the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article.

[0020] The aerosol-generating article according to the present invention has a distal end. The distal end is the opposite side of the proximal end. The distal end of the aerosol-generating article may also be referred to as the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article.

[0021] The components of the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention can be described as being upstream or downstream of each other based on their relative positions between the proximal end and the distal end of the aerosol-generating article.

[0022] As used herein in connection with this specification, the term "longitudinal direction" is used to describe the direction between the upstream end and the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article. During use, air is drawn longitudinally through the aerosol-generating article.

[0023] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "length" is used to describe the maximum dimension in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article or a component of the aerosol-generating article.

[0024] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "transverse direction" is used to describe a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Unless otherwise specified, the "cross-section" of the aerosol-generating article or a component of the aerosol-generating article refers to a cross-section.

[0025] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "width" refers to the maximum dimension in the transverse direction of the aerosol-generating article or a component of the aerosol-generating article. When the aerosol-generating article has a substantially circular cross-section, the width of the aerosol-generating article corresponds to the diameter of the aerosol-generating article. When a component of the aerosol-generating article has a substantially circular cross-section, the width of the component of the aerosol-generating article corresponds to the diameter of the component of the aerosol-generating article.

[0026] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term "rod" is used to mean a generally cylindrical element having a substantially circular, oval or elliptical cross-section.

[0027] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term “hollow tubular element” is used to describe a substantially cylindrical element having a tubular space along its longitudinal axis. The tubular portion may have a substantially circular, substantially oval, or substantially elliptical cross-section. The tubular space may have a substantially circular, substantially oval, or substantially elliptical cross-section. Specifically, the term “hollow tubular element” is used to describe an element that defines at least one airflow conduit establishing an uninterrupted fluid communication between the upstream end of the hollow tubular element and the downstream end of the hollow tubular element.

[0028] Unless otherwise specified, the draw resistance (RTD) of a component or aerosol-generating article according to the present invention shall be measured in accordance with ISO 6565-2015. RTD refers to the pressure required to pump air through the entire length of the component. The terms “pressure drop” or “draw resistance” for a component or article may also refer to “resistance to draw.” These terms generally refer to measurements performed in accordance with ISO 6565-2015, which are normally carried out at a temperature of approximately 22 degrees Celsius, a pressure of approximately 101 kPa (approximately 760 Torr), and a relative humidity of approximately 60%, with a volumetric flow rate of approximately 17.5 milliliters per second at the output or downstream end of the component being measured.

[0029] The "resistance to draw (RTD) per unit length" of a specific component (or element) of an aerosol-generating article, such as an upstream element, an aerosol-generating element, etc., can be calculated by dividing the measured draw resistance of the component by the total axial length of the component. The RTD per unit length refers to the pressure required to force air through a unit length of the component. Throughout the present disclosure, the unit length refers to a length of 1 millimeter. Thus, in order to derive the RTD per unit length of a particular part, a specimen of a particular length of the component, for example, a 15-millimeter specimen, can be used for measurement. The RTD of such a specimen is measured in accordance with ISO6565-2015. For example, if the measured RTD is about 15 millimeters H2O, the RTD per unit length of the component is about 1 millimeter H2O / mm. The RTD per unit length of a component generally depends on, among other factors, the structural properties of the material used in the component, as well as the cross-sectional shape or outer profile of the component.

[0030] The aerosol flow generated during use of an aerosol-generating article is a complex mixture of chemicals, including semi-solid particles dispersed in a fluid matrix of vapor and permanent gases. As used herein in the context of the present invention, the term "filtration efficiency" is used to describe the ability of an element containing a filter material to capture particulate matter contained in such an aerosol flow. In practice, the term "filtration efficiency" means the proportion of the total dry particulate matter carried by the aerosol flow that is retained within the element containing the filter material during use.

[0031] As used herein, the term "phenol" refers to a class of compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group (-OH) directly bonded to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. Phenolic groups include phenol, catechol, m + P cresol, and o-cresol.

[0032] As used herein, the term "flue gas" is used to mean the gaseous products generated by the combustion or pyrolysis of an aerosol-generating substrate.

[0033] The present invention provides an improved aerosol-generating article comprising at least one downstream element, the downstream element comprising a plug element formed of a cellulosic filtration material comprising a combination of paper material and an additive coating containing exogenous lignin. Thus, the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention can be advantageously formed of more sustainable materials containing reduced or zero levels of single-use plastics. In particular, the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention uses paper material instead of cellulose acetate fibers to form elements such as filtration elements, thereby significantly improving the biodegradability of the aerosol-generating article.

[0034] The application of additive coatings to paper materials has been found to significantly improve the filtration characteristics of downstream elements. In particular, the use of additive coatings containing exogenous lignin has been found to significantly improve the reduction of phenols and other undesirable compounds from mainstream smoke or aerosols compared to the use of paper materials alone. The composition of the additive coatings can be advantageously modified to optimize the filtration efficiency of downstream elements so that similar reductions in phenols and other undesirable compounds can be achieved as with conventional cellulose acetate tow. For example, since polarity can play a significant role in the ability of a material to filter certain compounds, hydrophobic additive coatings can be used to counteract, at least partially, the hydrophilicity of paper materials.

[0035] As defined above, the plug element of the downstream element of the aerosol generating article according to the present invention comprises a paper material coated with an additive coating.

[0036] For the purposes of the present invention, the term “paper material” generally means a web of cellulosic fibers in sheet form. As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term “sheet” is used to describe a thin, plate-like element having a width and length considerably greater than its thickness. In some embodiments, the sheet may have a thickness ranging from 0.03 to 2 millimeters and a basis weight of 50 grams / m² to 300 grams / m².

[0037] Paper materials are obtained from cellulosic pulp. This includes both mechanical pulp and chemical pulp. Mechanical pulp is produced by using only mechanical abrasion to pulp lignocellulosic material, with the help of water or steam, but without the use of chemicals. Chemical pulp is obtained by treating lignocellulosic material with chemicals such as sulfates, sulfites, and bleaches. To form paper materials, cellulosic pulp may be subjected to different processes, and the web of cellulosic fibers may be woven, nonwoven, airlaid, or wet-laid, or the paper materials may be obtained by foam formation or friction spinning.

[0038] The paper material may be hammer-milled. While we do not wish to be bound by theory, it is understood that this reduces the degree of crystallinity of the cellulose, resulting in a more amorphous sheet. It has been observed that more amorphous sheets capture flue gases more efficiently.

[0039] Suitable paper materials for manufacturing plug elements for use in aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention include paper, cardboard, tissue paper, and paper towels. The term "paper" is typically used to mean a web of cellulosic fibers in sheet form, with sheets having a thickness ranging from 0.03 to 0.20 millimeters. The term "cardboard" is typically used to mean a web of cellulosic fibers in sheet form, with sheets having a thickness ranging from 0.20 to 2.00 millimeters.

[0040] To form a web, the aqueous slurry of pulp fibers is discharged through a sieve-like screen onto which a mat of randomly woven fibers is placed. Water is further removed from this mat by pressurization, optionally assisted by suction or vacuum, by heating, or both. Once the drying process is complete, a generally flat and uniform paper material sheet is obtained.

[0041] Advantageously, using paper materials containing randomly oriented cellulose fibers facilitates the decomposition of the plug elements. This is because the randomly oriented fibers can be dispersed more easily after the plug elements are discarded, especially compared to the substantially continuous filaments of conventional cellulose acetate tow filters. Increased fiber dispersion increases the exposure of individual fibers to the environment, and therefore further increases the rate at which the plug elements decompose.

[0042] The term "pulp" is used to refer to lignocellulose fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Lignocellulose is composed primarily of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

[0043] The term cellulose is defined by the formula (C6H 10 O5) n This shows organic compounds containing [the specified compound]. Polysaccharides, consisting of linear chains of hundreds to thousands of D-glucose units linked by glycosidic bonds, are structural components of the primary cell walls of green plants and many algae.

[0044] The term "hemicellulose" refers to a group of polysaccharides that typically coexist with cellulose in the cell walls of almost all land plants. Hemicellulose polysaccharides are shorter and typically branched than cellulose. From a chemical standpoint, cellulose is derived solely from glucose, while hemicellulose polysaccharides contain both five-carbon sugars (xylose and arabinose) and six-carbon sugars (mannose and galactose on top of glucose). Furthermore, acidified forms of sugars such as glucuronic acid and galactronic acid may be found in hemicellulose.

[0045] The term "lignin" refers to a group of highly heterogeneous polymers derived from several precursor lignols. This heterogeneity arises from the diversity and variability of crosslinking between these lignols. For example, the relative amounts of precursor lignols generally vary depending on the plant source. Lignin polymers typically form the main structural material in the cell walls of plant support tissues, particularly wood and bark, and are also found in red algae. Lignin fills the gaps in cell walls between cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin components, and its rigidity is provided by crosslinking between lignol molecules.

[0046] Lignin is understood to inhibit the formation of hydrogen bonds between cellulose fibers. Therefore, some pulping processes are designed to remove as much lignin as possible, as this is understood to provide stronger paper by promoting interfiber bonding. Other pulping processes aim to separate the fibers instead. Pulp intended for use in fine paper typically undergoes papermaking processes aimed at both lignin removal and fiber separation.

[0047] However, regardless of the specific pulping process used, lignin becomes more resistant to removal as pulping progresses, while cellulose fibers become more vulnerable to the chemicals used, or to mechanical pulping, or both. Therefore, some lignin is usually present in all paper materials, as complete removal of lignin at the end of the papermaking process can result in excessive cellulose loss in the cellulose fibers or some undesirable degradation of the mechanical properties of the cellulose fibers.

[0048] In the context of this invention, the term "endogenous lignin" is used to mean the residual lignin content found in paper material at the end of the papermaking process.

[0049] For example, skilled papermaking materials, i.e., paper or cardboard, produced from pulp obtained by treating wood chips with high-temperature aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, have a low endogenous lignin content (less than 10 weight percent, and sometimes as low as 2 ÷ 6 weight percent). This is because the aggressive chemical pulping process in which it is produced breaks down lignin molecules into smaller soluble fragments while isolating cellulose fibers, thus removing most of the lignin. Papermaking materials with finer grain can have a relatively high endogenous lignin content. For example, newspapers can often contain 18 ÷ 30 weight percent lignin.

[0050] As used herein in connection with the present invention, the term “exogenous lignin” is used to mean lignin incorporated into an additive coating that can be applied to a plug element containing a paper material having a particular endogenous lignin content. Exogenous lignin is provided in an isolated form, extracted, and separated from other components of the plant material from which it originates. Thus, exogenous lignin is provided exogenously from any cellulosic plant material present. In other words, the term “exogenous lignin” refers to a distinct and different lignin source for any lignin that is essentially provided within the paper material. The same definition of “exogenous” applies in relation to hemicellulose.

[0051] After the application of exogenous lignin to the paper material of the plug element, the "overall lignin content" in the plug element is understood to be the sum of a) the endogenous lignin content present in the plug element before the application of exogenous lignin and b) the amount of exogenous lignin applied to the paper material.

[0052] As part of the papermaking process, fillers may be applied to the pulp fibers before the formation of the web. Fillers used in the papermaking process are typically inorganic particulate matter, usually in a size range of 0.1 to 10 micrometers, which can impart specific desirable properties to the paper material. For example, fillers may affect the structure, appearance (e.g., brightness and opacity), density, tensile strength, and other measurable properties of the paper material. Examples of commonly used papermaking fillers include clay, limestone, chalk, talc, calcined stone, rutile (titanium dioxide), calcium sulfate, and amorphous silica.

[0053] The paper material used in the manufacture of the plug element of the aerosol generating article according to the present invention may contain one or more of the papermaking fillers described above.

[0054] The paper material preferably does not contain cellulose acetate fibers or any other fibers formed from non-biodegradable polymers.

[0055] In plug elements, the paper material is typically in the form of a sheet, which is assembled or otherwise processed to form a rod shape. As used herein in relation to the present invention, the term "assembled" means that the sheet is compressed or shrunk substantially laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the plug element.

[0056] Alternatively, the web or paper material sheet may be wound to form a substantially cylindrical, hollow tubular element. The thickness of the hollow tubular element may be adjusted by varying the number of windings or folds.

[0057] A plug element may comprise a single sheet of paper material that is assembled or otherwise processed to form a rod shape. Alternatively, a plug element may comprise two or more sheets that are assembled or otherwise processed together to form a rod shape. For example, two or more sheets of paper material may be placed on top of each other and assembled or otherwise processed at once to form a plug element. Two or more sheets of paper material may also be assembled or otherwise processed independently, parallel to each other, and then combined to form a plug element.

[0058] The plug element may include multiple sheets of paper material stacked on top of each other. The resulting stack may have a thickness of up to 10 millimeters. The stack may be cut into rod-shaped elements to form a plug element for use in the aerosol generating article according to the present invention.

[0059] Before being formed into rods or hollow tubular elements, the web or paper material sheets may be textured. Textured web or paper material sheets can, advantageously, facilitate the assembly of the sheets into rods.

[0060] As used herein, the term “textured sheet” means a sheet that has been crimped, embossed, debossed, perforated, or otherwise deformed. Thus, a textured paper material may include multiple spaced indentations, protrusions, perforations, or a combination thereof.

[0061] As used herein, the term “crumpled sheet” is intended to be synonymous with the term “wrinkled sheet” and means a sheet having multiple substantially parallel ridges or undulations. Plug elements formed by collecting crumpled sheets of paper material preferably have multiple ridges or undulations substantially parallel to the cylindrical axis of the plug element. This is advantageous as it facilitates the assembly of crumpled sheets of paper material to form a rod. However, it is recognized that crumpled paper material sheets to be included in plug elements of aerosol-generating articles described herein may, in an alternative or additional manner, have multiple substantially parallel ridges or undulations arranged at acute or obtuse angles to the longitudinal axis of the plug element. Generally, providing multiple ridges or undulations increases the surface area of ​​the plug element formed from one of such crumpled sheets, which may improve the filtration efficiency of the plug by facilitating contact between the aerosol or smoke flowing through the plug element and the additive coating.

[0062] In certain embodiments, the paper material sheet used to form the plug elements described herein may be textured substantially over its entire surface. For example, the crumpled paper material sheet used to form the plug elements described herein may include a number of substantially parallel ridges or wavy patterns substantially evenly spaced across the entire width of the sheet.

[0063] The process of assembling or winding sheets of paper material to form a plug element has the advantage that, by adjusting the number of folds or how closely the sheets are assembled, it is possible to ensure that the plug element exhibits the necessary resistance to mechanical deformation so that it can withstand being grasped by a consumer during smoking in an aerosol-generating article.

[0064] As briefly described above, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of at least 10 grams / square meter. Preferably, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of at least 15 grams / square meter. More preferably, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of at least 20 grams / square meter. Even more preferably, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of at least 30 grams / square meter.

[0065] The paper material sheet may have a basis weight of 200 grams / square meter or less. Preferably, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of 180 grams / square meter or less. More preferably, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of 160 grams / square meter or less. Even more preferably, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of 120 grams / square meter or less. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the paper material sheet may have a basis weight of 100 grams / square meter or less.

[0066] The basis weight of the paper material sheet may be selected based on a balance between the ability of the plug element to withstand compressive loads during use and the need to maintain a certain degree of flexibility in the paper material sheet so that it can be formed into the desired shape. Furthermore, the basis weight of the paper material sheet may be selected so that the plug element can withstand deformation during storage, transport, and use of the aerosol-generating article.

[0067] As briefly described above, the paper material sheet may have a maximum thickness of 800 micrometers. Preferably, the paper material sheet has a thickness of 600 micrometers or less. More preferably, the paper material sheet has a thickness of 600 micrometers or less. Even more preferably, the paper material sheet has a thickness of 500 micrometers or less.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, the paper material sheet has a thickness of 300 micrometers or less, preferably 200 micrometers or less, and more preferably 100 micrometers or less.

[0069] The paper material sheet may have a thickness of at least about 10 micrometers. Preferably, the paper material sheet has a thickness of at least 15 micrometers. More preferably, the paper material sheet has a thickness of at least 20 micrometers. Even more preferably, the paper material sheet has a thickness of at least 30 micrometers.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, the paper material sheet has a thickness of at least 40 micrometers, preferably at least 50 micrometers, and more preferably at least 60 micrometers.

[0071] The thickness of the sheet may be selected to ensure a certain degree of flexibility in the sheet in order to allow one or more of the following processes: crumpling, bundling, pleating, and folding.

[0072] The plug element may have a weight of approximately 100 milligrams or less, approximately 75 milligrams or less, or approximately 50 milligrams or less.

[0073] The plug element may have a weight of at least about 10 milligrams, at least about 15 milligrams, or at least about 20 milligrams.

[0074] The plug element may have a weight of approximately 10 milligrams to 100 milligrams, approximately 10 milligrams to 75 milligrams, or approximately 10 milligrams to 50 milligrams.

[0075] The plug element may have a weight of approximately 15 milligrams to 100 milligrams, approximately 15 milligrams to 75 milligrams, or approximately 15 milligrams to 50 milligrams.

[0076] The plug element may have a weight of approximately 20 milligrams to 100 milligrams, approximately 20 milligrams to 75 milligrams, or approximately 20 milligrams to 50 milligrams.

[0077] The plug element may have an average weight per unit length of approximately 20 milligrams / millimeter or less, approximately 15 milligrams / millimeter or less, or approximately 10 milligrams / millimeter or less.

[0078] When used herein with reference to the present invention, the average weight per unit length of a plug element is equal to the weight of the plug element divided by the length of the plug element. For example, if a plug element has a weight of 25 milligrams and a length of 5 millimeters, the average weight per unit length of the plug element is 5 milligrams / millimeter.

[0079] The plug element may have an average weight per unit length of at least about 2 milligrams / millimeter, at least about 3 milligrams / millimeter, or at least about 4 milligrams / millimeter.

[0080] The plug element may have an average weight per unit length of approximately 2 milligrams / mm to approximately 20 milligrams / mm, approximately 2 milligrams / mm to approximately 15 milligrams / mm, or approximately 2 milligrams / mm to approximately 10 milligrams / mm.

[0081] The plug element may have an average weight per unit length of approximately 3 milligrams / mm to approximately 20 milligrams / mm, approximately 3 milligrams / mm to approximately 15 milligrams / mm, or approximately 3 milligrams / mm to approximately 10 milligrams / mm.

[0082] The plug element may have an average weight per unit length of approximately 4 milligrams / mm to approximately 20 milligrams / mm, approximately 4 milligrams / mm to approximately 15 milligrams / mm, or approximately 4 milligrams / mm to approximately 10 milligrams / mm.

[0083] In a plug element for use in an aerosol generating article according to the present invention, the additive coating may cover at least a portion of the outer surface of at least one side of the paper material sheet. Preferably, the additive coating covers at least a portion of the outer surfaces on both sides of the paper material sheet.

[0084] The additive coating may be applied to a portion of the outer surface of at least one side of the paper material sheet. Preferably, the additive coating is applied to a portion of the outer surface on both sides of the paper material sheet.

[0085] Alternatively, the additive coating may be applied to substantially all of the outer surfaces of at least one side of the paper material sheet. Preferably, the additive coating may be applied to substantially all of the outer surfaces of at least one side of the paper material sheet.

[0086] Therefore, in the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention, the additive coating can be applied to a paper material to form a defined layer on at least a portion of the outer surface of at least one side of the paper material. In some embodiments, the additive coating may be applied to a paper material to form a defined layer on at least a portion of the outer surfaces on both sides of the paper material. For example, this can be achieved by applying the additive coating to the paper material by a conventional printing process (e.g., gravure printing or flexographic printing) or by a well-known coating process (e.g., curtain coating, reverse gravure, semi-flexographic, rod coating, blade coating, comma coating, slot die coating).

[0087] Applying an additive coating to the external surface of paper materials is advantageous because it maximizes contact between the additive coating and the mainstream smoke or aerosol passing through downstream elements during use. This, in turn, maximizes the ability of the additive coating to reduce phenols and other undesirable compounds in the smoke or aerosol.

[0088] However, depending on the porosity of the paper material and due to the paper material's natural tendency to absorb liquids such as water, applying an additive coating to a paper material can typically result in at least a portion of the additive coating penetrating the paper material, such that at least a portion of the volume of the paper material is immersed in the additive coating. This can occur particularly when the additive coating is provided in the form of an aqueous solution or dispersion.

[0089] Therefore, in the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention, the additive coating may, alternatively or additionally, be applied to the paper material to impregnate at least a portion of the volume of the paper material, rather than forming a defined layer on at least a portion of the outer surface of at least one side of the paper material. In such cases, the coating additive does not form a defined layer on the outer surface of the paper material. Instead, the coating additive is absorbed into the paper material and, upon drying, forms a deposit on the fibrous fraction of the paper material (i.e., on the individual cellulose fibers contained in the paper material). For example, at least partial impregnation of the paper material with the additive coating may be achieved by techniques such as dipping and pressing, spray coating, comma coating, or by using a conventional or film-type size press or blade applicator.

[0090] The deposition of such additive coatings on the cellulose fibers of the paper material, combined with the inherent porosity of the paper material, is advantageous in that it ensures that the mainstream smoke or aerosol passing through the downstream element comes into contact with the additive coating during use, and this interaction promotes the reduction of phenols and other undesirable compounds in the smoke or aerosol.

[0091] The plug element may contain at least 1 weight percent of additive coating. Preferably, the plug element contains at least 2 weight percent of additive coating on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 3 weight percent of additive coating, more preferably at least 4 weight percent of additive coating, and more preferably at least 5 weight percent of additive coating.

[0092] The plug element may include, on a dry weight basis, up to 15 weight percent of additive coating, preferably up to 12 weight percent of additive coating, and more preferably up to 10 weight percent of additive coating.

[0093] The additive coating includes at least one additive for reducing phenol. That is, the additive coating includes at least one additive having the ability to capture or otherwise convert at least a portion of the phenol and phenol derivatives produced in conjunction with the heating or combustion of the aerosol generating substrate. Preferably, the additive coating includes at least one additive for reducing other undesirable compounds from mainstream aerosols such as carbon monoxide.

[0094] The additive coating is preferably biodegradable so that the cellulose-based filter material, including the combination of the additive coating and the paper material, is biodegradable.

[0095] According to the present invention, the additive coating contains at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the additive coating contains at least 6 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 8 weight percent of exogenous lignin, more preferably at least 10 weight percent of exogenous lignin, more preferably at least 12 weight percent of exogenous lignin, and more preferably at least 15 weight percent of exogenous lignin.

[0096] The additive coating preferably contains up to 50 weight percent exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis, more preferably up to 45 weight percent exogenous lignin, more preferably up to 40 weight percent exogenous lignin, more preferably up to 35 weight percent exogenous lignin, and even more preferably up to 30 weight percent.

[0097] For example, the additive coating may consist of 5% to 50% exogenous lignin by dry weight, or 6% to 50% exogenous lignin, or 8% to 50% exogenous lignin, or 10% to 50% exogenous lignin, or 12% to 50% exogenous lignin, or 15% to 50% exogenous lignin, or 5% to 45% exogenous lignin, or 6% exogenous lignin by dry weight. Exogenous lignin of 10% to 45% by weight, or 8% to 45% by weight, or 10% to 45% by weight, or 12% to 45% by weight, or 15% to 45% by weight, or 5% to 40% by weight, or 6% to 40% by weight, or 8% to 40% by weight, Lignin, or 10% to 40% by weight exogenous lignin, or 12% to 40% by weight exogenous lignin, or 15% to 40% by weight exogenous lignin, or 5% to 35% by weight exogenous lignin, or 6% to 35% by weight exogenous lignin, or 8% to 35% by weight exogenous lignin, or 10% to 35% by weight exogenous lignin, or 12% to 35% by weight It may also contain 1% exogenous lignin, or 15% to 35% by weight exogenous lignin, or 5% to 30% by weight exogenous lignin, or 6% to 30% by weight exogenous lignin, or 8% to 30% by weight exogenous lignin, or 10% to 30% by weight exogenous lignin, or 12% to 30% by weight exogenous lignin, or 15% to 30% by weight exogenous lignin.

[0098] Lignin provides numerous active functional groups capable of capturing phenols containing acetyl groups. Therefore, by incorporating lignin into paper materials, the amount of phenol in the mainstream aerosol as it passes from the aerosol-generating substrate to the downstream plug element is reduced.

[0099] For the purposes of the present invention, exogenous lignin may be extracted from any plant source. For example, exogenous lignin may be extracted from straw pulp or wood pulp.

[0100] In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the exogenous lignin may be in the form of acetylated lignin. Acetylated lignin is a form of modified lignin that is modified to increase the number of acetyl groups. As a result of the increase in the number of acetyl groups, the use of acetylated lignin may further improve the ability of lignin to reduce phenol from mainstream aerosols.

[0101] While we do not wish to be bound by theory, the introduction of acetyl groups is also understood to affect the wettability of paper materials. In fact, the esterification reaction that occurs between acetyl groups and at least some hydroxyl groups in cellulose molecules changes the properties of at least some cellulose fibers from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. Thus, paper materials coated with an additive coating containing acetylated lignin may have a reduced tendency to absorb moisture from smoke or aerosols flowing through the plug element. This may counteract the effect observed in some conventional cellulose acetate filters, often referred to as "dry smoke," which is desirable in that the smoke or aerosol delivered to the consumer has a significantly reduced moisture content and may therefore be perceived as undesirable dryness under certain conditions. Furthermore, increasing the contact angle of the paper material, for example, by increasing the contact angle of the paper material to more than 90 degrees, preferably more than 105 degrees, may advantageously reduce the paper material's ability to capture nicotine from smoke or aerosols.

[0102] In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the exogenous lignin may be in the form of organosolublignin. Organosolublignin is lignin produced using organosolub pulping technology, which uses an aqueous organic solvent to solubilize the lignin. The use of organosolublignin is desirable due to its high purity and low ash content.

[0103] In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the exogenous lignin may be pale, nearly white, or white lignin. Such lignin is typically lighter than standard lignin, which is yellow or brown. The use of pale, nearly white, or white lignin may be advantageous because the exogenous lignin has a color similar to that of the fibrous material to which the additive coating is applied. Thus, the exogenous lignin is not visible within the cellulosic filter material, so that the overall appearance of the cellulosic filter material may resemble that of a conventional filter for a smoking article.

[0104] Suitable processes for producing pale, nearly white, or white lignin will be known to those skilled in the art. An example of a suitable process is described in EP3707194A1.

[0105] As briefly described above, in the aerosol generating article according to the present invention, the overall lignin content in the plug element is at least 2% by weight, preferably at least 3% by weight, more preferably at least 4% by weight, and even more preferably at least 5% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0106] The overall lignin content in the plug element may be up to 20 weight percent on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the overall lignin content in the plug element is up to 18 weight percent, more preferably up to 15 weight percent, and even more preferably up to 12 weight percent on a dry weight basis. In some embodiments, the overall lignin content in the plug element is up to 10 weight percent on a dry weight basis.

[0107] For example, the overall lignin content in the plug element is 2% to 20% by weight, preferably 3% to 20% by weight, more preferably 4% to 20% by weight, and even more preferably 5% to 20% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0108] For example, the overall lignin content in the plug element is 2% to 18% by weight, preferably 3% to 18% by weight, more preferably 4% to 18% by weight, and even more preferably 5% to 18% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0109] For example, the overall lignin content in the plug element is 2% to 15% by weight, preferably 3% to 15% by weight, more preferably 4% to 15% by weight, and even more preferably 5% to 15% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0110] For example, the overall lignin content in the plug element is 2% to 12% by weight, preferably 3% to 12% by weight, more preferably 4% to 12% by weight, and even more preferably 5% to 12% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0111] For example, the overall lignin content in the plug element is 2% to 10% by weight, preferably 3% to 10% by weight, more preferably 4% to 10% by weight, and even more preferably 5% to 10% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0112] In place of, or in addition to, exogenous hemicellulose, the additive coating may contain at least one exogenous polysaccharide.

[0113] At least one exogenous polysaccharide advantageously provides additional active functional groups, such as acetyl groups, which are particularly effective in capturing phenols and other undesirable gaseous compounds generated from the aerosol-generating substrate. Therefore, including exogenous polysaccharides in the additive coating, in addition to lignin, further reduces the levels of phenols and other undesirable gaseous compounds in the mainstream aerosol as it passes from the aerosol-generating substrate to the downstream element.

[0114] At least one exogenous polysaccharide can effectively bind to lignin within the additive coating, potentially providing an additive coating with improved temperature stability. Furthermore, the presence of lignin is thought to reduce the crystallinity and glass transition temperature of the polysaccharide, resulting in an increased ability of the polysaccharide to capture and store gas from mainstream aerosols and an increased rate of gas absorption.

[0115] At least one exogenous polysaccharide may contain one or more plant-derived polysaccharides. Preferably, at least one exogenous polysaccharide contains plant-derived starch. For example, the additive coating may contain exogenous hemicellulose, corn starch, potato starch, or a combination thereof. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the additive coating contains hemicellulose. In another preferred embodiment, at least one exogenous polysaccharide contains corn starch.

[0116] In other preferred embodiments, at least one exogenous polysaccharide comprises a modified starch such as acetylated starch or oxidized starch. In other preferred embodiments, at least one polysaccharide comprises a sugar or an acetylated sugar.

[0117] Similar to what is described above in relation to acetylated lignin, it is understood that the addition of acetyl groups to starch or sugar molecules further affects the wettability of paper materials. While we do not wish to be bound by theory, by reacting with some of the hydroxyl groups in cellulose molecules, acetyl groups may contribute to shifting the properties of cellulosic fibers in paper materials from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, such as increasing the contact angle of the paper material to a value greater than 90 degrees. This may be advantageous as it may reduce the tendency of plug elements to absorb moisture and capture nicotine from passing smoke or aerosols.

[0118] The additive coating preferably contains at least 20 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 30 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, more preferably at least 40 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, and more preferably at least 50 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide.

[0119] The additive coating preferably contains at least one exogenous polysaccharide in a dry weight of up to 90 weight percent, more preferably at least one exogenous polysaccharide in a dry weight of up to 85 weight percent, and more preferably at least one exogenous polysaccharide in a dry weight of up to 80 weight percent.

[0120] For example, the additive coating contains, on a dry weight basis, at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 20% to 90% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 30% to 90% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 40% to 90% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 50% to 90% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 20% to 85% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 30% to 85% by weight It may also contain polysaccharides, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 40% to 85% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 50% to 85% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 20% to 80% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 30% to 80% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 40% to 80% by weight, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in an amount of 50% to 80% by weight.

[0121] The cellulose-based filter material preferably contains at least 1 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 2 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, more preferably at least 5 weight percent of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, and even more preferably at least 6 weight percent of at least one polysaccharide.

[0122] The cellulose-based filter material preferably contains, on a dry weight basis, at least 15% by weight of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, more preferably at least 12% by weight of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, more preferably at least 10% by weight of at least one exogenous polysaccharide, and more preferably at least 8% by weight of at least one exogenous polysaccharide.

[0123] For example, cellulose-based filter materials contain, on a dry weight basis, at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 1 to 15 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 1 to 12 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 1 to 10 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 1 to 8 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 2 to 15 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 2 to 12 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 2 to 10 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 2 to 8 weight percent It may also contain exogenous polysaccharides, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 5 to 15 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 5 to 12 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 5 to 10 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 5 to 8 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 6 to 15 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 6 to 12 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 6 to 10 weight percent, or at least one exogenous polysaccharide in 6 to 8 weight percent.

[0124] The weight ratio of at least one exogenous polysaccharide to exogenous lignin in the additive coating is preferably at least 2, more preferably at least 2.5, more preferably at least 3, more preferably at least 3.5, and more preferably at least 4. The weight ratio of at least one exogenous polysaccharide to exogenous lignin in the additive coating may be up to 6.

[0125] The additive coating preferably contains exogenous hemicellulose. The additive coating preferably contains at least 5% by weight of exogenous hemicellulose on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 6% by weight of exogenous hemicellulose, more preferably at least 8% by weight of exogenous hemicellulose, and more preferably at least 10% by weight of exogenous hemicellulose.

[0126] The additive coating preferably contains up to 50 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose on a dry weight basis, more preferably up to 45 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, more preferably up to 40 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, more preferably up to 35 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, and even more preferably up to 30 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose.

[0127] For example, the additive coating may consist of 5% to 50% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 6% to 50% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 8% to 50% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 10% to 50% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 5% to 45% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 6% to 45% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 8% to 45% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 10% to 45% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 5% to 40% by weight exogenous hemicellulose, or 6% to 40% by weight exogenous hemicell It may contain rose, or 8 to 40 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 10 to 40 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 5 to 35 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 6 to 35 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 8 to 35 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 10 to 35 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 5 to 30 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 6 to 30 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 8 to 30 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose, or 10 to 30 weight percent exogenous hemicellulose.

[0128] Hemicellulose provides numerous active functional groups capable of capturing phenol and other undesirable gaseous compounds generated from aerosol-generating substrates. Therefore, including hemicellulose in addition to lignin in cellulosic filtration materials further reduces the levels of phenol and certain other undesirable gaseous compounds in the mainstream aerosol as it passes from the aerosol-generating substrate through the downstream plug element.

[0129] For the purposes of the present invention, exogenous hemicellulose may be extracted from any plant source. For example, exogenous hemicellulose may be extracted from straw pulp or wood pulp. Lignin and hemicellulose may be extracted from the same plant source.

[0130] In the aerosol generating article according to the present invention, the overall content of hemicellulose in the plug element is at least 15% by weight, preferably at least 16% by weight, more preferably at least 18% by weight, and even more preferably at least 20% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0131] The overall hemicellulose content in the plug element may be up to 30 weight percent on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is up to 28 weight percent, more preferably up to 26 weight percent, and even more preferably up to 24 weight percent on a dry weight basis. In some embodiments, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is up to 22 weight percent on a dry weight basis.

[0132] For example, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is 15% to 30% by weight, preferably 16% to 30% by weight, more preferably 18% to 30% by weight, and even more preferably 20% to 30% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0133] For example, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is 15% to 28% by weight, preferably 16% to 28% by weight, more preferably 18% to 28% by weight, and even more preferably 20% to 28% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0134] For example, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is 15% to 26% by weight, preferably 16% to 26% by weight, more preferably 18% to 26% by weight, and even more preferably 20% to 26% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0135] For example, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is 15% to 24% by weight, preferably 16% to 24% by weight, more preferably 18% to 24% by weight, and even more preferably 20% to 24% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0136] For example, the overall hemicellulose content in the plug element is 15% to 22% by weight, preferably 16% to 22% by weight, more preferably 18% to 22% by weight, and even more preferably 20% to 22% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0137] The combined amount of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in the additive coating is at least 10% by weight, more preferably at least 12% by weight, more preferably at least 14% by weight, more preferably at least 16% by weight, and more preferably at least 18% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0138] The combined amount of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in the additive coating is preferably up to 50% by weight, more preferably up to 45% by weight, more preferably up to 40% by weight, more preferably up to 35% by weight, and more preferably up to 30% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0139] For example, the combined amount of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in the additive coating may be 10% to 50% by weight, or 12% to 45% by weight, or 14% to 40% by weight, or 16% to 35% by weight, or 18% to 30% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0140] The combined amount of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in the cellulosic filtration material is preferably at least 1% by weight, more preferably at least 1.5% by weight, more preferably at least 2% by weight, and more preferably at least 2.5% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0141] The combined amount of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in the cellulosic filtration material is preferably up to 10% by weight, more preferably up to 8% by weight, more preferably up to 6% by weight, and more preferably up to 4% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0142] For example, the combined amount of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in a cellulosic filter material may be 1% to 10% by weight, or 1.5% to 8% by weight, or 2% to 6% by weight, or 2.5% to 4% by weight, on a dry weight basis.

[0143] Alternatively, the additive coating may further contain at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative, such as sucrose isobutyric acid acetate.

[0144] At least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative advantageously provides additional active functional groups, such as acetyl and carboxymethyl groups, which are particularly effective in capturing phenol and other undesirable gaseous compounds generated from the aerosol-generating substrate. Therefore, including additional monosaccharide or disaccharide derivatives in the additive coating, in addition to lignin or lignin / polysaccharide mixtures, further reduces the levels of phenol and other undesirable gaseous compounds in the mainstream aerosol as it passes from the aerosol-generating substrate to the downstream element.

[0145] Monosaccharide or disaccharide derivatives have also been found to advantageously improve the hydrophobicity and temperature stability of cellulosic filter materials.

[0146] Preferably, the additive coating contains, on a dry weight basis, at least 20 weight percent of at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative, more preferably at least 30 weight percent of at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative, more preferably at least 40 weight percent of at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative, and more preferably at least 50 weight percent of at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative.

[0147] The additive coating preferably contains, on a dry weight basis, at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of up to 90 weight percent, more preferably at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of up to 85 weight percent, and more preferably at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of up to 80 weight percent.

[0148] For example, the additive coating contains, on a dry weight basis, at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 20% to 90% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 30% to 90% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 40% to 90% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 50% to 90% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 20% to 85% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 30% to 85% by weight The material may also contain derivatives, or at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 40% to 85% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 50% to 85% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 20% to 80% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 30% to 80% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 40% to 80% by weight, or at least one monosaccharide derivative or disaccharide derivative in an amount of 50% to 80% by weight.

[0149] Alternatively, or additionally, the additive coating may further include at least one crosslinking agent. Preferably, at least one crosslinking agent provides effective crosslinking of lignin and polysaccharides (if present).

[0150] Therefore, the inclusion of at least one crosslinking agent increases the viscosity of the additive coating, which in turn makes it easier to apply to fibers. The inclusion of at least one crosslinking agent also improves the ability of the additive coating to bond together regenerated cellulose fibers in fibrous materials. Advantageously, the inclusion of at least one crosslinking agent can improve the hydrophobicity and temperature stability of cellulosic filter materials. Certain crosslinking agents may further provide active functional groups for capturing phenol and other undesirable gaseous compounds generated from aerosol-generating substrates. This can further reduce the levels of phenol and other undesirable gaseous compounds in the mainstream aerosol as it passes from the aerosol-generating substrate to the downstream element.

[0151] Suitable crosslinking agents include, but are not limited to, acetic anhydride, succinic anhydride, pyridine, triacetin, or combinations thereof.

[0152] The additive coating preferably contains at least 0.1 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 0.2 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent, more preferably at least 0.3 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent, and more preferably at least 0.5 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent.

[0153] The additive coating preferably contains at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of up to 10 weight percent, more preferably up to 15 weight percent, and more preferably up to 2 weight percent, on a dry weight basis.

[0154] For example, the additive coating may contain, on a dry weight basis, at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.1 to 10 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.2 to 10 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.3 to 10 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.5 to 10 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.1 to 5 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.2 to 5 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.3 to 5 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.5 to 5 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.1 to 2 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.2 to 2 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.3 to 2 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.5 to 2 weight percent.

[0155] The cellulose-based filter material preferably contains at least 0.001 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent on a dry weight basis, more preferably at least 0.005 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent, more preferably at least 0.01 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent, and more preferably at least 0.02 weight percent of at least one crosslinking agent.

[0156] The cellulose-based filter material preferably contains at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of up to 3 weight percent, more preferably up to 2 weight percent, more preferably up to 11 weight percent, and more preferably up to 0.1 weight percent, on a dry weight basis.

[0157] For example, the cellulose-based filter material may contain, on a dry weight basis, at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.001 to 3 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.005 to 2 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.01 to 0.1 weight percent, or at least one crosslinking agent in an amount of 0.02 to 0.05 weight percent.

[0158] To prepare the additive coating, lignin is preferably combined with other optional components of the additive coating and formed with water into a slurry. The slurry may be heated to induce any desired reaction between the components of the additive coating.

[0159] The additive coating can be applied to the paper material in any preferred manner.

[0160] The additive coating is preferably applied to the paper material before the paper material is formed inside the plug element.

[0161] Accordingly, the present invention further provides a method for producing a cellulosic filtration material for forming a plug element of a downstream element of an aerosol generating article according to the present invention, as described above. The method comprises the steps of: providing a paper material; forming an additive solution in water containing at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin and optionally one or more polysaccharides on a dry weight basis; applying the additive coating solution to the paper material; forming a plug element comprising the coated paper material; and drying the coated paper material, wherein the total lignin content in the plug element is at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

[0162] The additive coating solution is formed by combining the dry components of the additive coating and dispersing or dissolving them in water. The dry components include, as described above, exogenous lignin, optionally one or more polysaccharides, and optionally one or more crosslinking agents. The additive coating solution may optionally be heated before being applied to the paper material, for example, to induce any necessary reactions between the components of the additive coating.

[0163] For example, in the process of applying an additive coating solution to a paper material, the additive coating solution may be applied to the paper material (typically in sheet form) by a well-known printing process such as gravure printing or flexographic printing, or by a well-known coating process such as curtain coating, reverse gravure, semi-flexographic, rod coating, blade coating, comma coating, or slot die coating. These processes can advantageously enable the formation of a defined layer of additive coating on at least a portion of the outer surface of one or both sides of the paper material.

[0164] The additive coating solution may also be applied to the paper material (typically in sheet form) by an impregnation process, either by immersing the paper material in a bath of the additive coating solution or by spraying the additive coating solution onto the paper material, allowing the additive coating solution to be absorbed at least partially into the paper material. Depending on the degree to which the paper material is hydrophilic or hydrophobic, the additive coating solution may penetrate more or less into the paper material, or form more or less deposits of the additive coating on the outer surface of at least one side of the paper material.

[0165] Alternatively, in the process of applying the additive coating solution to the paper material, the additive coating solution may be applied to the paper material by injecting the additive coating solution into the plug element after the paper material has been processed and formed into a rod shape, or by immersing the formed plug element in a bath of additive coating.

[0166] After the additive coating is applied to the paper material, the thus treated paper material is preferably dried by any suitable means, including conventional heating or microwave heating. Any curing of the additive coating may also be carried out during this drying process.

[0167] The drying step of the coated paper material, which may optionally include curing the coated paper material, may include heating the coated paper material using a conventional heater. Alternatively, or additionally, the drying step of the coated paper material, and optionally curing step, may include heating the coated paper material by microwave heating. Drying and optional curing of the additive coating solution is performed to evaporate water from the solution and result in curing of the additive coating or curing of the additive coating, or both.

[0168] Methods for forming paper material sheets into rod-shaped plug elements are generally known to those skilled in the art and may involve assembling or winding the sheet material.

[0169] In the aerosol generating article according to the present invention, the downstream element preferably includes a plug element of the cellulose-based filter material described above, surrounded by a wrapper, such as a paper wrapper.

[0170] For example, a continuous web of paper material coated with an additive coating (i.e., a continuous web of processed paper material) may be drawn out and passed between a pair of overlapping embossing or crimping rolls.

[0171] The textured web resulting from the processed paper material is preferably not moistened (for example, by being supplied into a forming cone, such as those used in cigarette manufacturing machines) before being assembled and compressed laterally. Some existing manufacturing processes involve a wetting step in which water is sprayed onto the paper material for use in aerosol generating articles. However, in the context of the present invention, such a wetting step is preferably avoided because the addition of water may recrystallize the cellulose in the paper material, and therefore reduce the plug element's ability to absorb flue gas and phenol. The paper wrapper may be rolled around the assembled and compressed web in a forming cone, and the overlapping edges of the paper wrapper may be joined together by applying adhesive to a first edge of the wrapper and then folding the other edge into contact with the first edge. The overlapping edges of the paper wrapper may be joined together by a heated roller that both removes the liquid and sets the adhesive. The resulting rod may be cut into segments of a predetermined length by a rotary cutter.

[0172] The wrapper surrounding the cellulosic filter material may have a basis weight of at least 50 grams / square meter (gsm). If the downstream element is located at the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article, this may help provide the aerosol-generating article with the desired hardness. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to use a rigid wrapper, for example, a wrapper having a basis weight of at least about 80 grams / square meter (gsm), or at least about 100 gsm, or at least about 110 gsm.

[0173] The downstream element containing the cellulose-based filter material preferably has an average radial hardness of at least 75 percent, more preferably at least 80 percent, and more preferably at least 85 percent. The downstream element preferably has a radial hardness of less than 100 percent, more preferably less than 95 percent. This makes it possible to provide an aerosol-generating article with a downstream end having a hardness satisfactory to consumers.

[0174] As used herein, the term “radial hardness” refers to resistance to compression in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The radial hardness of an aerosol-generating article around a filter can be determined by applying a load across the article at the filter's location, transverse to the article's longitudinal axis, and by measuring the average (mean) diameter of the article when compressed. Radial hardness is given by:

number

[0175] To determine the hardness of a portion of an aerosol article (such as a filter), the aerosol-generating articles should be aligned parallel to each other in a plane, and the same portion of each aerosol-generating article being tested should be subjected to a set load for a set duration. This test is performed using the well-known DD60A Densimeter apparatus (manufactured and commercially available by Heinr. Borgwaldt GmbH (Germany)), which is equipped with a measuring head for aerosol-generating articles such as cigarettes and also comes with an aerosol-generating article container.

[0176] The standard operating procedure for such a device involves applying an overall load of 2 kg for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds (while the load is still applied to the smoking article), the pressure on the load-applying cylindrical rod is determined and then used to calculate the hardness from the equation described above. The temperature is maintained within the range of 22 degrees Celsius ± 2 degrees. The above test is called the DD60A test. The standard method for measuring filter hardness is when the aerosol-generating article has not yet been consumed. Additional information regarding the measurement of mean radial hardness can be found, for example, in U.S. Patent Application No. 2016 / 0128378.

[0177] As mentioned above, downstream elements containing cellulosic filtration materials offer the advantage of improved biodegradability compared to conventional cellulose acetate segments.

[0178] The downstream element preferably contains substantially no cellulose acetate.

[0179] As briefly described above, the downstream element, including the plug element, is provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate and aligned axially with the aerosol generating substrate.

[0180] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating article is essentially formed from an aerosol generating substrate and the aforementioned downstream elements provided in a manner that abuts a rod of the aerosol generating substrate. For example, the aerosol generating substrate may be in the form of a cylindrical rod of shredded tobacco material surrounded by a wrapper, and the downstream elements may be attached to a rod wrapped with a strip of chipping paper to form a mouthpiece of the aerosol generating article.

[0181] In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises one or more additional elements provided downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate and axially aligned with the aerosol-generating substrate. The downstream elements, including a plug element and any further elements provided downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate and axially aligned with the aerosol-generating substrate, form the downstream section of the aerosol-generating article.

[0182] In some preferred embodiments, the downstream element, which includes a plug element, is a mouthpiece element.

[0183] The aerosol generating article may be equipped with a mouthpiece at its downstream end, oral end, or proximal end, and the mouthpiece consists only of a plug element.

[0184] Alternatively, the aerosol generating article may be provided with a mouthpiece at its downstream, oral, or proximal end, the mouthpiece comprising a plug element and one or more further elements aligned axially with end to end touching each other. The plug element and the one or more further elements may be formed of the same material. Alternatively, the one or more further elements may be formed of a material other than that of the plug element.

[0185] The parameters or characteristics described herein with respect to plug elements may be equally applicable to plug elements used as one of several components of a mouthpiece.

[0186] Advantageously, the aerosol generating article according to the present invention, in which the downstream element is a mouthpiece element, provides an acceptable visual and tactile experience for the consumer due to the density and rigidity of the plug element. Furthermore, in the aerosol generating article according to the present invention, in which the downstream element is a mouthpiece element, the cellulosic filtration material has the ability to efficiently reduce undesirable compounds (e.g., phenol) from the aerosol generated from the substrate, with little to no effect on the taste perceived by the consumer during use of the aerosol generating article. Thus, the aerosol generating article according to the present invention, in which the plug element is a mouthpiece element, provides a more sustainable alternative to aerosol generating articles containing a cellulose acetate filter segment as the mouthpiece filter segment.

[0187] The mouthpiece element may have low particle phase filtration efficiency, or may have substantially no particle phase filtration efficiency. While having the ability to prevent substrate material from the aerosol-generating substrate from reaching the consumer's mouth during use, a mouthpiece element with low particle phase filtration efficiency has a reduced impact on the delivery of aerosol species to the consumer. This is particularly advantageous in aerosol-generating articles where the aerosol-generating substrate is heated rather than burned.

[0188] In a preferred embodiment, the particle phase filtration efficiency of the plug element is less than about 30 percent, and more preferably less than about 20 percent.

[0189] In some embodiments, the mouthpiece element may have an RTD of about 25 mmH2O or less, about 20 mmH2O or less, or about 15 mmH2O or less. In such embodiments, the mouthpiece element may have an RTD of at least about 10 mmH2O.

[0190] The mouthpiece element may have an RTD of approximately 10 mmH2O to 25 mmH2O, approximately 10 mmH2O to 20 mmH2O, or approximately 10 mmH2O to 15 mmH2O.

[0191] The mouthpiece element preferably has a substantially circular cross-section.

[0192] Preferably, the mouthpiece element has substantially the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article.

[0193] The length of the mouthpiece may be at least approximately 3 millimeters, or at least approximately 5 millimeters.

[0194] The length of the mouthpiece element may be approximately 11 millimeters or less, or approximately 9 millimeters or less.

[0195] The length of the mouthpiece element may be approximately 3 mm to 11 mm, or approximately 3 mm to 9 mm.

[0196] The length of the mouthpiece element may be approximately 5 mm to 11 mm, or approximately 5 mm to 9 mm.

[0197] For example, the length of the mouthpiece element may be approximately 7 millimeters.

[0198] The length of the mouthpiece element may be selected based on the desired overall length of the aerosol-generating article.

[0199] The mouthpiece element may be surrounded by a plug wrap.

[0200] The mouthpiece element may not be ventilated to prevent air from entering the aerosol-generating item along the mouthpiece element.

[0201] The mouthpiece element may be connected by a chipping wrapper to one or more adjacent components of the aerosol-generating article.

[0202] The aerosol generating article may define an oral end cavity at its downstream end. For example, the mouthpiece element itself may be in the form of a hollow tubular element. Alternatively, the mouthpiece may include the aforementioned non-hollow plug element immediately upstream of the hollow tubular segment provided at the downstream end of the mouthpiece. As a further alternative, the oral end cavity may be defined by an outer wrapper of the mouthpiece extending beyond the downstream end of the aforementioned plug element.

[0203] In some embodiments, the plug element may be an additional element provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate other than the mouthpiece element. That is, the aerosol generating article comprises a mouthpiece, and the plug element is provided between the aerosol generating substrate and the mouthpiece of the aerosol generating article.

[0204] For example, the downstream element may be a support element provided immediately downstream of the aerosol generating substrate, preferably adjacent to the aerosol generating substrate. One such support element is adapted to provide structural strength to the aerosol generating article. Advantageously, the support element is configured to resist the downstream movement of the aerosol generating substrate during the insertion of the heating element of the aerosol generating device into the aerosol generation.

[0205] In some embodiments, the downstream element, including a plug element, may form part of an aerosol cooling element provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate, which is adapted to facilitate the cooling of aerosols generated during use of the aerosol generating article before reaching the downstream end of the aerosol generating article.

[0206] The aerosol cooling element preferably has low draw resistance. That is, the aerosol cooling element preferably provides low resistance to the air passage through the aerosol generating article. It is preferable that the aerosol cooling element does not substantially affect the draw resistance of the aerosol generating article.

[0207] The aerosol cooling element may comprise multiple channels extending along its longitudinal axis. These multiple longitudinal channels may be defined by a paper material that has undergone one or more of the following processes: crimping, pleating, gathering, and folding, to form the channels. Alternatively, the multiple longitudinal channels may be defined by a single sheet that has undergone one or more of the following processes: crimping, pleating, gathering, and folding, to form the multiple channels. Alternatively, the multiple longitudinally extending paths may be defined by multiple sheets that have undergone one or more of the following processes: crimping, pleating, gathering, and folding, to form the multiple paths.

[0208] For example, the aerosol cooling element may be formed from an aggregate of paper material sheets having a specific surface area of ​​approximately 10 square millimeters to approximately 100 square millimeters per milligram. In some embodiments, the aerosol cooling element may be formed from an aggregate of paper material sheets having a specific surface area of ​​approximately 35 square millimeters per milligram.

[0209] At least one of the support element and the aerosol cooling element may be in the form of a hollow tubular element. In some embodiments, both the support element and the aerosol cooling element are in the form of a hollow tubular element, which may differ in length, inner diameter, or both.

[0210] In the aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention, such hollow tubular elements provide an unrestricted flow channel. This means that the hollow tubular elements provide a negligible level of RTD. As used herein in relation to the present invention, the term “negligible level of RTD” is used to describe an RTD of less than 1 mmH2O per 10 mm of length of the hollow tubular substrate element, less than 0.4 mmH2O per 10 mm of length of the hollow tubular substrate element, or less than 0.1 mmH2O per 10 mm of length of the hollow tubular substrate element. Therefore, the flow channel should not contain any components that would obstruct the airflow in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the flow channel is substantially empty.

[0211] The hollow tubular element may have an overall length of at least about 10 millimeters, at least about 12 millimeters, or at least about 15 millimeters.

[0212] The hollow tubular element may have a total length of approximately 30 mm or less, 25 mm or less, or approximately 23 mm or less.

[0213] The hollow tubular element may have an overall length of approximately 10 mm to 30 mm, approximately 10 mm to 25 mm, or approximately 10 mm to 23 mm. The hollow tubular element may have an overall length of approximately 12 mm to 30 mm, approximately 12 mm to 25 mm, or approximately 12 mm to 23 mm. The hollow tubular element may have an overall length of approximately 12 mm to 30 mm, approximately 12 mm to 25 mm, or approximately 12 mm to 23 mm.

[0214] The total length of the hollow tubular element may be selected based on the desired total length of the aerosol-generating article.

[0215] In some embodiments, the ventilation zone may be provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0216] For example, cooling of the smoke flow generated during the combustion of an aerosol-generating substrate can be achieved by providing a ventilation zone along the mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating article.

[0217] As another example, sufficient cooling of the aerosol flow generated as the aerosol generating substrate heats up and drawn out through the hollow tubular element as described above can be achieved by providing a ventilation zone along the hollow tubular element itself. While we do not wish to be bound by theory, the temperature reduction resulting from introducing cooler outside air into the aerosol generating article downstream of the aerosol generating element through the ventilation zone may have a favorable effect on the nucleation and growth of aerosol particles.

[0218] The ventilation zone may include, for example, a plurality of perforations provided through the tubular wall of a hollow tubular element. The ventilation zone may comprise at least one row of circumferential perforations. The ventilation zone may comprise two rows of periphery perforations. For example, the perforations may be formed online during the manufacture of the aerosol-generating article. Each circumferential row of perforations comprises 8 to 30 perforations.

[0219] In some embodiments, the downstream section of the aerosol generating article may include, in a continuous order, a support element, an aerosol cooling element, and a mouthpiece. Preferably, one or more of the support element, aerosol cooling element, and mouthpiece are in the form of the plug element described above.

[0220] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises an upstream section located upstream of the aerosol-generating substrate. The upstream section is preferably located immediately upstream of the aerosol-generating substrate. The upstream section preferably extends from the upstream end of the aerosol-generating article to the upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate. The upstream section preferably includes an upstream element located immediately upstream of the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0221] If the aerosol-generating substrate contains shredded tobacco, such as tobacco cut filler, the upstream section or its components may additionally help prevent the loss of loose tobacco particles from the upstream end of the article.

[0222] The upstream section or its upstream element may also provide some degree of additional protection to the aerosol-generating substrate during storage, by covering at least to some extent the upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate which may otherwise be exposed. In the case of an aerosol-generating article intended to be inserted into a cavity in an aerosol generator so that the aerosol-generating substrate can be externally heated within the cavity, the upstream section or its upstream element may advantageously facilitate the insertion of the upstream end of the article into the cavity.

[0223] The upstream elements of the upstream section may be made of any material suitable for use in an aerosol generating article. The upstream elements may be made of the same material used for one of the other components of the aerosol generating article, such as a mouthpiece, aerosol cooling element, or support element, the geometric shapes and functions of which are described above. Preferred materials for the upstream elements include filter materials, ceramics, polymer materials, cellulose acetate, cardboard, zeolites, or aerosol generating substrates.

[0224] In a preferred embodiment, the upstream element may include a plug element comprising a cellulosic filter material including a paper material and an additive coating applied to the paper material, wherein the additive coating contains at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis, and the overall lignin content in the plug element is at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

[0225] For example, the upstream element may be formed from the same cellulosic filtration material as the downstream element described above. From an environmental standpoint, this is advantageous in that a larger portion of the aerosol-generating article as a whole is more easily decomposable. Furthermore, from a manufacturing standpoint, it is advantageous to form different components of the same aerosol-generating article from the same material, as adjustments to the settings of existing equipment are generally not required.

[0226] The upstream section or its upstream element preferably has an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article. Preferably, the outer diameter of the upstream section or its upstream element is about 6 mm to about 8 mm, and more preferably about 7 mm to about 7.5 mm. Preferably, the upstream section or its upstream element has an outer diameter of about 7.1 mm.

[0227] Preferably, the upstream section or upstream element has a length of about 2 mm to about 8 mm, more preferably about 3 mm to about 7 mm, and more preferably about 4 mm to about 6 mm. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the upstream section or upstream element has a length of about 5 mm. The length of the upstream section or upstream element can be advantageously varied to provide the desired total length of the aerosol-generating article.

[0228] The upstream section is preferably surrounded by a wrapper such as a plug wrap. The wrapper surrounding the upstream section is preferably a rigid plug wrap, for example, a plug wrap having a basis weight of at least about 80 grams / square meter (gsm), or at least about 100 gsm, or at least about 110 gsm. This provides increased structural rigidity to the upstream section.

[0229] The upstream section is preferably connected by an outer wrapper to the rods of the aerosol generating substrate and, optionally, to at least a portion of the downstream section.

[0230] The aerosol-generating article may be a flammable smoking article. A flammable smoking article typically comprises a cylindrical rod of tobacco cut filler enclosed in a paper wrapper, and a cylindrical filter axially aligned end-to-end with the wrapped tobacco rod. The cylindrical filter typically includes one or more plug elements of fibrous filter material enclosed in a paper plug wrapper. The rolled tobacco rod and the filter are typically joined by a strip of chipping wrapper that encloses the entire length of the filter and adjacent portions of the rolled tobacco rod. In the flammable smoking article according to the present invention, the cylindrical filter comprises a downstream element including plug elements having the characteristics described above.

[0231] An aerosol generating article may be an aerosol generating article (heat-activated aerosol generating article) that generates an aerosol upon heating. A heat-activated aerosol generating article typically comprises a cylindrical rod of an aerosol generating substrate enclosed by a paper wrapper, and a downstream section of the aerosol generating substrate downstream of the rod. The downstream section typically includes at least one hollow tubular element immediately downstream of the rod of the aerosol generating substrate, and a mouthpiece.

[0232] The aerosol-generating article preferably has an overall length of 40 mm to 80 mm, or 40 mm to about 70 mm, or 40 mm to about 60 mm, or 45 mm to about 80 mm, or about 45 mm to about 70 mm, or 45 mm to about 60 mm, or 50 mm to 80 mm, or 50 mm to about 70 mm, or about 50 mm to about 60 mm. In an exemplary embodiment, the overall length of the aerosol-generating article is about 45 mm.

[0233] The aerosol-generating article preferably has a substantially circular cross-section.

[0234] The aerosol-generating article preferably has an outer diameter of about 5 mm to about 12 mm, or about 6 mm to about 12 mm, or about 7 mm to about 12 mm, or about 5 mm to about 10 mm, or about 6 mm to about 10 mm, or about 7 mm to about 10 mm, or about 5 mm to about 8 mm, or about 6 mm to about 8 mm, or about 7 mm to about 8 mm. In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating article has an outer diameter of less than 7 mm.

[0235] The overall RTD of the aerosol-generating article is preferably at least 10 mmH2O, more preferably at least 15 mmH2O, more preferably at least 20 mmH2O, more preferably at least 25 mmH2O, and more preferably at least 30 mmH2O.

[0236] The overall RTD of the aerosol-generating article is preferably 70 mmH2O or less, more preferably 60 mmH2O or less, more preferably 55 mmH2O or less, more preferably 50 mmH2O or less, and more preferably 45 mmH2O or less.

[0237] For example, the overall RTD of an aerosol-generating article could be 10 mmH2O to 70 mmH2O, or 15 mmH2O to 60 mmH2O, or 20 mmH2O to 55 mmH2O, or 25 mmH2O to 45 mmH2O, or 30 mmH2O to 45 mmH2O.

[0238] As described above, the aerosol generating article according to the present invention comprises an aerosol generating substrate. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating article comprises a rod of the aerosol generating substrate surrounded by a rod plug wrap.

[0239] Preferably, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has a length of at least 8 millimeters, more preferably at least 9 millimeters, and more preferably at least 10 millimeters. Preferably, the length of the rod of the aerosol generating substrate is less than 16 millimeters, more preferably less than 15 millimeters, and more preferably less than 14 millimeters. For example, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate may have a length of 8 to 16 millimeters, or 9 to 15 millimeters, or 10 to 14 millimeters. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has a length of about 12 millimeters.

[0240] The ratio of the length of the rod of the aerosol generating substrate to the total length of the aerosol generating article is preferably at least 0.10, more preferably at least 0.15, more preferably at least 0.20, and more preferably at least 0.25. Preferably, the ratio of the length of the rod of the aerosol generating substrate to the total length of the aerosol generating article is less than 0.50, more preferably less than 0.45, more preferably less than 0.40, and more preferably less than 0.35. For example, the ratio of the length of the rod of the aerosol generating substrate to the total length of the aerosol generating article may be 0.1 to 0.5, or 0.15 to 0.45, or 0.2 to 0.4, or 0.25 to 0.35.

[0241] The rod of the aerosol generating substrate preferably has an outer diameter that is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the aerosol generating article.

[0242] Preferably, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has an outer diameter of at least 5 mm, more preferably at least 6 mm, and more preferably at least 7 mm. Preferably, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has an outer diameter of less than 12 mm, more preferably less than 10 mm, and more preferably less than 8 mm. For example, the outer diameter may be between 5 mm and 12 mm, or between 6 mm and 10 mm, or between 7 mm and 8 mm. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has an outer diameter of about 7.1 mm.

[0243] The rod of the aerosol generating substrate preferably has a substantially uniform cross-section along its length. It is particularly preferable that the rod of the aerosol generating substrate has a substantially circular cross-section.

[0244] The aerosol-generating substrate may have a density of at least about 150 milligrams / cubic centimeter, at least about 175 milligrams / cubic centimeter, at least about 200 milligrams / cubic centimeter, or at least or about 250 milligrams / cubic centimeter.

[0245] The aerosol generating substrate may have a density of approximately 500 milligrams / cubic centimeter or less, approximately 450 milligrams / cubic centimeter or less, approximately 400 milligrams / cubic centimeter or less, or approximately 350 milligrams / cubic centimeter or less.

[0246] The RTD of the aerosol generating substrate rod may be at least about 4 mmH2O, at least about 5 mmH2O, or at least about 6 mmH2O.

[0247] The RTD of the aerosol generating substrate rod may be approximately 10 mmH2O or less, approximately 9 mmH2O or less, or approximately 8 mmH2O or less.

[0248] The aerosol generating substrate may be a solid aerosol generating substrate. Suitable types of materials for use in the aerosol generating substrate are described below and include, for example, homogenized tobacco materials such as tobacco cut filler and cast leaf, aerosol generating films, and gel compositions.

[0249] The aerosol generating substrate preferably includes an aerosol-forming agent. Suitable aerosol-forming agents include, for example, polyhydric alcohols (e.g., triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, propylene glycol, glycerin, etc.), esters of polyhydric alcohols (e.g., glycerol mono-, di-, or triacetate, etc.), aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids (e.g., dimethyl dodecanediate, dimethyl tetradecanediate, etc.), and combinations thereof.

[0250] The aerosol-forming body preferably contains one or more of glycerin and propylene glycol. The aerosol-forming body may consist of glycerin, propylene glycol, or a combination of glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0251] In certain embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate preferably contains at least 5 weight percent of aerosol-forming material on a dry weight basis of the aerosol generating substrate, more preferably at least 10 weight percent on a dry weight basis, and even more preferably at least 15 weight percent on a dry weight basis. In such embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate preferably contains 30 weight percent or less of aerosol-forming material on a dry weight basis of the aerosol generating substrate, more preferably 25 weight percent or less on a dry weight basis, and more preferably 20 weight percent or less on a dry weight basis. For example, the aerosol-forming material content of the aerosol generating substrate may be 5 weight percent to 30 weight percent, or 10 weight percent to 25 weight percent, or about 15 weight percent to about 20 weight percent on a dry weight basis. Therefore, in such embodiments, the aerosol-forming material content is relatively low.

[0252] In other embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate preferably contains at least 40 weight percent of aerosol forming material on a dry weight basis of the aerosol generating substrate, more preferably at least 45 weight percent on a dry weight basis, and more preferably at least 50 weight percent on a dry weight basis. In such embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate preferably contains 80 weight percent or less of aerosol forming material on a dry weight basis of the aerosol generating substrate, more preferably 75 weight percent or less on a dry weight basis, and more preferably 70 weight percent or less on a dry weight basis. For example, the aerosol forming material content of the aerosol generating substrate may be 40 weight percent to 80 weight percent, or 45 weight percent to 75 weight percent, or 50 weight percent to 70 weight percent on a dry weight basis. Therefore, in such embodiments, the aerosol forming material content is relatively high.

[0253] In some preferred embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate includes tobacco material. For example, the aerosol generating substrate may include shredded tobacco material. For example, the shredded tobacco material may be in the form of cut fillers, as will be described in more detail below. Alternatively, the shredded tobacco material may be in the form of shredded sheets of homogenized tobacco material. Preferred homogenized tobacco materials for use in the present invention are described below.

[0254] In the context of this specification, the term “cut filler” is used to refer to a blend of shredded plant material, such as tobacco plant material comprising one or more of the following: leaf laminas, processed stems and veins, and homogenized plant material.

[0255] The cut filler suitable for use in the present invention may generally be similar to the cut filler used in conventional smoking articles. The cutting width of the cut filler may preferably be 0.3 mm to 2.0 mm, or 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm, or 0.6 mm to 0.9 mm.

[0256] Preferably, the strands have a length of about 10 mm to about 40 mm, and the strands are then arranged to form a rod of aerosol generating substrate.

[0257] The cut filler is preferably immersed in an aerosol-forming body. Immersion of the cut filler can be carried out by spraying or by other suitable application methods. Preferably, the aerosol-forming body in the cut filler comprises one or more glycerol and propylene glycol. The aerosol-forming body may consist of glycerol, or propylene glycol, or a combination of glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0258] In other preferred embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate comprises homogenized plant material, preferably homogenized tobacco material.

[0259] As used herein, the term “homogenized plant material” encompasses any plant material formed by the aggregation of plant particles. For example, a sheet or web made of homogenized tobacco material for an aerosol generating substrate of the present invention may be formed by aggregating particles of tobacco material obtained by crushing, grinding, or pulverizing a plant material and optionally one or more thin layers of tobacco leaves and / or tobacco leaf stems. Homogenized plant material can be produced by molding, extrusion, papermaking processes, or any other suitable process known in the art.

[0260] Homogenized plant material can be provided in any preferred form.

[0261] In some embodiments, the homogenized plant material may be in the form of one or more sheets. As used herein in relation to the present invention, the term “sheet” refers to a layered element having a width and length substantially greater than its thickness.

[0262] The homogenized plant material may be in the form of multiple pellets or granules.

[0263] Homogenized plant material may be in the form of multiple strands, strips, or shreds. As used herein, the term “strand” refers to an elongated element of the material having a length substantially greater than its width and thickness.

[0264] The aerosol-forming content of the homogenized tobacco material is preferably within the range defined above for aerosol-generating substrates having a relatively low aerosol-forming content.

[0265] In other preferred embodiments, the aerosol generating substrate is in the form of an aerosol generating film comprising a cellulosic film-forming agent, nicotine, and an aerosol-forming agent. The aerosol generating film may further contain a cellulosic reinforcing agent. The aerosol generating film may further contain water, preferably less than 30% by weight.

[0266] As used herein, the term “film” is used to describe a solid layered element having a thickness less than its width or length. A film may be self-supporting.

[0267] In the context of the present invention, the term "cellulose-based film-forming agent" is used to refer to a cellulose polymer having the ability to form a continuous film, either by itself or in the presence of an auxiliary thickener. Preferably, the cellulose-based film-forming agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), ethylcellulose (EC), hydroxyethyl methylcellulose (HEMC), hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), and combinations thereof. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cellulose-based film-forming agent is HPMC.

[0268] The aerosol-forming material content of the aerosol-generating film is within the range defined above for aerosol-generating substrates having a relatively high aerosol-forming material content.

[0269] Aerosol-generating films suitable for use as an aerosol-generating substrate in an aerosol-generating article according to the present invention are described in WO-A-2020 / 207733 and WO-A-2022 / 074157.

[0270] Preferably, the aerosol generating film contains 0.5% to 10% by weight of nicotine, or 1% to about 8% by weight of nicotine, or about 2% to about 6% by weight of nicotine, on a dry weight basis.

[0271] The aerosol generating film may be a substantially tobacco-free aerosol generating film.

[0272] In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol-generating substrate may include a gel composition comprising nicotine, at least one gelling agent, and an aerosol-forming body. The gel composition is preferably substantially free of tobacco.

[0273] The preferred weight range of nicotine in the gel composition is the same as that defined above in relation to the aerosol generating film.

[0274] A suitable gel composition for use as an aerosol generating substrate in an aerosol generating article according to the present invention is described in WO-A-2021 / 170642.

[0275] The gel composition preferably contains at least 50 weight percent, more preferably at least 60 weight percent, and more preferably at least 70 weight percent, of aerosol-forming material on a dry weight basis. The gel composition may contain up to 80 weight percent of aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-forming material in the gel composition is preferably glycerol.

[0276] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol generating article further includes one or more elongated susceptor elements within a rod of the aerosol generating substrate. For example, one or more elongated susceptor elements may be arranged substantially along their longitudinal axis within the aerosol generating rod and may be in thermal contact with the aerosol generating substrate.

[0277] As used herein in relation to the present invention, the term "susceptor element" refers to a material capable of converting electromagnetic energy into heat.

[0278] A susceptor element suitable for use in the aerosol generating substrate of the aerosol generating article according to the present invention is described in WO-A-2021 / 170673.

[0279] Preferably, the rod of the aerosol generating substrate is surrounded by a wrapper. The wrapper may be a paper wrapper or a non-paper wrapper.

[0280] Suitable paper wrappers for use in specific embodiments of the present invention are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, cigarette papers and filter plug wrappers. Suitable non-paper wrappers for use in specific embodiments of the present invention are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, sheets of homogenized tobacco material.

[0281] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an aerosol generating system is provided comprising an aerosol generating article according to the first aspect of the present invention and an aerosol generating device configured to heat the aerosol generating substrate of the aerosol generating article.

[0282] The aerosol generator includes means for heating the aerosol generating substrate to a temperature sufficient to generate aerosols from the aerosol generating substrate. Preferably, the aerosol generator comprises a housing defining a cavity configured to receive an aerosol generating article, and means for heating the aerosol generating substrate to a temperature sufficient to generate aerosols from the aerosol generating substrate when the aerosol generating article is received in the cavity.

[0283] The aerosol generator could be a handheld aerosol generator.

[0284] An aerosol generator can be an electrically operated aerosol generator.

[0285] The aerosol generator may include a power supply and control electronics.

[0286] The aerosol generator may include a battery and control electronics.

[0287] The aerosol generator may be configured to internally heat the aerosol generating substrate. That is, the aerosol generator may be configured to supply heat to the aerosol generating substrate from a position inside the aerosol generating article.

[0288] For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol generator includes a heater element configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating element when an aerosol generating article is received into the cavity of the aerosol generator.

[0289] In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises a susceptor element provided at a position within the aerosol-generating element, the aerosol-generating device comprises an inductor coil positioned on or within the housing, and the power supply of the aerosol-generating device is connected to the inductor coil and configured to provide a high-frequency oscillating current to the inductor coil. This generates an alternating magnetic field that induces a voltage within the susceptor element. The induced voltage causes a current to flow within the susceptor element, which in turn causes Joule heating of the susceptor element, which then heats the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating device may have the ability to generate a varying electromagnetic field having a magnetic field strength (intensity of the H field) of from 1 to 5 kiloamperes per meter (kA m), preferably from 2 to 3 kA / m, such as about 2.5 kA / m.

[0290] The aerosol-generating device may be configured to externally heat the aerosol-generating substrate. That is, the aerosol-generating device may be configured to supply heat to the aerosol-generating substrate from a position external to the aerosol-generating article. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device comprises a heater element positioned around the perimeter of a cavity and configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article from outside the aerosol-generating element of the aerosol-generating article.

[0291] Hereinafter, embodiments will be further described with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0292] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0293] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of another aerosol-generating article according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0294] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of another aerosol-generating article according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0295] The aerosol generating article 1000 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an aerosol generating element 1002 in the form of a substantially cylindrical rod 1004 of shredded tobacco surrounded by a wrapper 1006. Further, the aerosol generating article 1000 comprises a substantially cylindrical mouthpiece 1008 including a segment 1010 of a cellulosic filter material surrounded by a plug wrap 1012.

[0296] The mouthpiece 1008 is attached to the aerosol generating element 1002 by a strip 1014 of tipping paper. Perforations 1016 formed through the tipping paper and the plug wrap are provided to allow ventilation air to enter into the segment 1010 when the consumer sucks on the mouthpiece 1008 during use. The aerosol generating article 1000 has a length of 70 millimeters and an outer diameter of 7.6 millimeters.

[0297] The segment 1010 is in the form of a plug element comprising a paper material and an additive coating applied to the paper material, the additive coating containing at least 5 weight percent exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis.

[0298] The aerosol generating article 10 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a rod 12 of an aerosol generating substrate 12 and a downstream section 14 located downstream of the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate. Further, the aerosol generating article 10 comprises an upstream section 16 located upstream of the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate. Thus, the aerosol generating article 10 extends from an upstream end or distal end 18 to a downstream end or proximal end or mouth-side end 20 and has an overall length of about 45 millimeters.

[0299] The downstream section 14 includes a support element 22 located immediately downstream of the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate, and the support element 22 is aligned with the rod 12 in the longitudinal direction. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the upstream end of the support element 18 abuts against the downstream end of the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate. In addition, the downstream section 14 includes an aerosol cooling element 24 located immediately downstream of the support element 22, and the aerosol cooling element 24 is aligned with the rod 12 and the support element 22 in the longitudinal direction. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the upstream end of the aerosol cooling element 24 abuts against the downstream end of the support element 22. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the support element 22 and the aerosol cooling element 24 together define an intermediate hollow section 50 of the aerosol generating article 10.

[0300] The support element 22 includes a first hollow tubular segment 26. The first hollow tubular segment 26 is provided in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube made of a filter material. The first hollow tubular segment 26 defines an internal cavity 28 that extends entirely from the upstream end 30 of the first hollow tubular segment 20 to the downstream end 32 of the first hollow tubular segment 20. The internal cavity 28 is substantially empty, and therefore substantially unlimited airflow is possible along the internal cavity 28.

[0301] The first hollow tubular segment 26 has a length of approximately 8 millimeters, an outer diameter of approximately 7.25 millimeters, and an inner diameter of approximately 1.9 millimeters. Therefore, the thickness of the peripheral wall of the first hollow tubular segment 26 is approximately 2.67 millimeters.

[0302] The aerosol cooling element 24 comprises a second hollow tubular segment 34. The second hollow tubular segment 34 is provided in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube made of a filter material. The second hollow tubular segment 34 defines an internal cavity 36 that extends all the way from the upstream end 38 of the second hollow tubular segment 34 to the downstream end 40 of the second hollow tubular segment 34. The internal cavity 36 is substantially empty, and therefore substantially unlimited airflow is possible along the internal cavity 36.

[0303] The second hollow tubular segment 34 has a length of approximately 8 millimeters, an outer diameter of approximately 7.25 millimeters, and an inner diameter of approximately 3.25 millimeters. Therefore, the thickness of the peripheral wall of the second hollow tubular segment 34 is approximately 2 millimeters. Thus, the ratio between the inner diameter of the first hollow tubular segment 26 and the inner diameter of the second hollow tubular segment 34 is approximately 0.75.

[0304] The aerosol-generating article 10 includes a ventilation zone 60 provided along the second hollow tubular segment 34. More specifically, the ventilation zone is provided approximately 2 millimeters from the upstream end of the second hollow tubular segment 34. The ventilation level of the aerosol-generating article 10 is approximately 25 percent.

[0305] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the downstream section 14 further includes a mouthpiece element 42 located downstream of the intermediate hollow section 50. More specifically, the mouthpiece element 42 is positioned immediately downstream of the aerosol cooling element 24. As shown in the drawing of Figure 2, the upstream end of the mouthpiece element 42 abuts against the downstream end 40 of the aerosol cooling element 18.

[0306] The mouthpiece element 42 is provided in the form of a cylindrical plug element 44 comprising a paper material and an additive coating applied to the paper material, the additive coating comprising at least 5% by weight of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis.

[0307] The mouthpiece element 42 has a length of approximately 12 millimeters and an outer diameter of approximately 7.25 millimeters.

[0308] Rod 12 contains one of the aerosol-generating substrates of the type described above.

[0309] The rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate has an outer diameter of approximately 7.25 millimeters and a length of approximately 12 millimeters.

[0310] The aerosol generating article 10 further comprises an elongated susceptor 46 within the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate. More specifically, the susceptor 46 is disposed substantially along the longitudinal axis within the aerosol generating substrate so as to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod 12. As shown in the drawing of Figure 2, the susceptor 46 is positioned radially centrally within the rod and extends effectively along the longitudinal axis of the rod 12. More specifically, the susceptor 46 is in thermal contact with the aerosol generating substrate. The susceptor 46 extends along the entire length of the rod 12 from the upstream end to the downstream end. In practice, the susceptor 46 has substantially the same length as the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0311] More specifically, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the susceptor 46 is provided in the form of a strip, having a length of about 12 millimeters, a thickness of about 60 micrometers, and a width of about 4 millimeters.

[0312] The upstream section 16 includes an upstream element 48 located immediately upstream of the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate, and the upstream element 48 is aligned with the rod 12 in the longitudinal direction. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the downstream end of the upstream element 48 abuts against the upstream end of the rod 12 of the aerosol generating substrate. This advantageously prevents the susceptor 46 from detaching. Furthermore, this ensures that consumers cannot accidentally come into contact with the heated susceptor 46 after use.

[0313] The upstream element 48 includes a segment 50 of material in the form of a cylindrical plug of filtration material and a first wrapper 52 surrounding the segment 50 of material. The segment 50 of material has a length of approximately 5 millimeters. The RTD of the segment 50 of material is approximately 30 millimeters of H2O.

[0314] The aerosol generating article 10 further comprises a coupling wrapper 54 that attaches the upstream element 48 to the remaining components of the aerosol generating article. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a single coupling wrapper 54 is illustrated that surrounds and holds together the upstream element 48, the rod 12, and the downstream section 14 to form the aerosol generating article.

[0315] However, it will be apparent that alternative configurations are possible where two or more coupling wrappers are employed to assemble the different components of the aerosol-generating article. For example, a first coupling wrapper can be used to attach the support element 22 to the aerosol cooling element 24, and then the resulting assembly can be attached to the upstream section 16 and the rod 12 by a second coupling wrapper. Next, the resulting combination of components can be attached to the mouthpiece element 42 by a tipping wrapper. As shown in the drawing of FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating article 10 further comprises a wrapper 70 surrounding the rod 12 of the aerosol-generating substrate. The wrapper 70 is separate and different from the first wrapper 52 surrounding the segment 50 of material. Neither the first wrapper 52 nor the wrapper 70 contains metal foil.

[0316] In the aerosol-generating article 10 of FIG. 2, one or more of the first hollow tubular segment 26 of the support element 22, the second hollow tubular segment 34 of the aerosol cooling element 24, and the segment 50 of material of the upstream element 48 may be made of the same material according to the invention used in the mouthpiece element 42.

[0317] The aerosol-generating article 100 shown in FIG. 3 comprises a rod 112 of the aerosol-generating substrate and a downstream section 114 located downstream of the rod 112 of the aerosol-generating substrate. In addition, the aerosol-generating article 100 comprises an upstream section 116. Thus, the aerosol-generating article 100 extends from an upstream or distal end 118 that substantially coincides with the upstream end of the upstream section 116 to a downstream or mouth-side end 120 that coincides with the downstream end of the downstream section 114. The downstream section 114 includes a hollow tubular element 122 and a mouthpiece element 150. The upstream section 116 includes an upstream plug element 124.

[0318] The aerosol-generating article 10 has an overall length of about 45 millimeters and an outer diameter of about 7.2 mm.

[0319] The aerosol generating substrate rod 112 contains shredded tobacco material. The aerosol generating substrate rod 112 contains 150 milligrams of shredded tobacco material containing 13 to 16 weight percent glycerin. The density of the aerosol generating substrate is approximately 300 mg per cubic centimeter. The ready-to-drink (RTD) of the aerosol generating substrate rod 112 is approximately 6 to 8 mmH2O. The aerosol generating substrate rod 112 is individually packaged with a plug wrap (not shown).

[0320] The hollow tubular element 122 is located immediately downstream of the rod 112 of the aerosol generating substrate, and is aligned with the rod 112 in the longitudinal direction. The upstream end of the hollow tubular element 122 abuts against the downstream end of the rod 112 of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0321] The hollow tubular element 122 defines the hollow section of the aerosol-generating article 110. The hollow tubular element 122 does not substantially contribute to the overall RTD of the aerosol-generating article. More specifically, the RTD of the hollow tubular element 122 is approximately 0 mmH2O.

[0322] As shown in Figure 3, the hollow tubular element 122 is provided in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube made of cardboard. The hollow tubular element 122 defines an internal cavity that extends throughout from the upstream end to the downstream end of the hollow tubular element 122. The internal cavity is substantially empty, and therefore allows for substantially unrestricted airflow along the internal cavity.

[0323] The hollow tubular element 122 has a length of approximately 21 millimeters, an outer diameter of approximately 7.2 millimeters, and an inner diameter of approximately 6.7 millimeters. Therefore, the thickness of the peripheral wall of the hollow tubular element 122 is approximately 0.25 millimeters.

[0324] The aerosol-generating article 100 includes a ventilation zone 160 provided along a hollow tubular element 122. The ventilation zone 160 includes a circumferential row of openings or perforations surrounding the hollow tubular element 122. The perforations of the ventilation zone 160 extend through the walls of the hollow tubular element 122 to allow fluid to enter the internal cavity from the outside of the article 100. The ventilation level of the aerosol-generating article 10 is approximately 16 percent.

[0325] On the rod 112 of the aerosol generating substrate and the downstream section 14 located downstream of the rod 12, the aerosol generating article 100 has an upstream section 140 located upstream of the rod 112. Thus, the aerosol generating article 10 extends from a distal end 116 substantially coinciding with the upstream end of the upstream section 140 to a mouth end or downstream end 118 substantially coinciding with the downstream end of the downstream section 114.

[0326] As briefly described above, the upstream section 116 includes an upstream plug element 124 located immediately upstream of the rod 112 of the aerosol generating substrate, and the upstream plug element 124 is aligned with the rod 112 in the longitudinal direction. The downstream end of the upstream plug element 124 abuts against the upstream end of the rod 112 of the aerosol generating substrate. The upstream plug element 124 has a wall thickness of about 1 mm and is provided in the form of a hollow cylindrical plug of filtration material defining an internal cavity. The upstream element 124 has a length of about 5 mm. The outer diameter of the upstream plug element 124 is about 7.1 mm. The inner diameter of the upstream plug element 42 is about 5.1 mm.

[0327] The mouthpiece element 150 extends from the downstream end of the hollow tubular element 122 to the downstream end or oral end of the aerosol generating article 100. The mouthpiece element 150 has a length of approximately 7 mm. The outer diameter of the mouthpiece element 150 is approximately 7.2 mm.

[0328] The mouthpiece element 150 is provided in the form of a cylindrical plug element comprising a paper material and an additive coating applied to the paper material, the additive coating comprising at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis.

[0329] In the aerosol generating article 100 shown in Figure 3, the plug element 124 of the upstream section 116 may be made of the same material according to the present invention used in the mouthpiece element 150.

[0330] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers representing amounts, quantities, percentages, etc., are understood to be modified in all cases by the term “approximately.” Furthermore, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum values, as well as any intermediate ranges contained within them, whether or not they are specifically enumerated herein. Thus, in this context, numerical value A is understood as A ± 5% of A. In this context, numerical value A may be considered to include numerical values ​​that fall within the general standard error range for the measurement of the characteristic that numerical value A modifies. In some examples used in the appended claims, numerical value A may deviate by the percentages enumerated above, as long as the amount of deviation from A does not substantially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the invention described in the claims. Furthermore, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum values, as well as any intermediate ranges contained within them, whether or not they are specifically enumerated herein.

Claims

1. Aerosol-generating article, Aerosol generating substrate and A downstream element provided downstream of the aerosol generating substrate and aligned axially with the aerosol generating substrate, wherein the downstream element is Paper materials, and A downstream element comprising a plug element containing a cellulosic filter material including an additive coating applied to the aforementioned paper material, An aerosol-generating article wherein the additive coating contains at least 5 weight percent of exogenous lignin on a dry weight basis, and the total lignin content in the plug element is at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

2. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 1, wherein the additive coating further comprises at least 5% by weight of exogenous hemicellulose on a dry weight basis.

3. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 2, wherein the total amount of the combination of exogenous lignin and exogenous hemicellulose in the additive coating is at least 15 percent by weight on a dry weight basis.

4. The aerosol-generating article according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the weight ratio of exogenous lignin to exogenous hemicellulose in the additive coating is 0.25 to 4 on a dry weight basis.

5. The aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the additive coating further comprises at least one polysaccharide.

6. The aerosol generating article according to claim 5, wherein the at least one polysaccharide is selected from corn starch, potato starch, chitin, chitosan, and combinations thereof.

7. The aerosol generating article according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the additive coating comprises at least 20 weight percent of the at least one polysaccharide.

8. The aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the weight ratio of the at least one polysaccharide to exogenous lignin in the additive coating is at least 2 on a dry weight basis.

9. The aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the additive coating further comprises at least one crosslinking agent.

10. The aerosol generating article according to claim 9, wherein the at least one crosslinking agent is selected from acetic anhydride, succinic anhydride, pyridine, triacetin, and combinations thereof.

11. The aerosol generating article according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the additive coating comprises at least 0.1 weight percent of the at least one crosslinking agent on a dry weight basis.

12. The aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the cellulose-based filter material comprises at least 1 weight percent of the additive coating.

13. The aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the plug element is substantially free of cellulose acetate.

14. The aerosol generating article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the downstream element is a mouthpiece filter segment including the plug element and a filter wrapper surrounding the plug element.

15. A method for producing a cellulose-based filter material for forming a plug element of an aerosol generating article according to claim 1, wherein the method is The process of providing paper materials, A step of forming an additive-coated solution in water containing at least 5% by weight of exogenous lignin and optionally one or more polysaccharides, on a dry weight basis; The steps include applying the additive coating solution to the paper material, The process of drying the coated paper material and optionally hardening it, The process includes forming a plug element containing the covered paper material, A method wherein the total lignin content in the plug element is at least 2 weight percent of the plug element.

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