Tobacco Sheet

Abstract

A tobacco sheet that includes a tobacco material and a binder, the arithmetic average surface roughness Sa of at least one surface being 5–30 μm.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tobacco sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Many techniques have been proposed for non-combustible smoking articles that inhale flavor components generated by heating a tobacco sheet (for example, Patent Document 1). Known methods for producing tobacco sheets include the casting method (also called the slurry method) and the papermaking method. The casting method is generally a method in which necessary components are mixed to prepare a slurry, the slurry is placed on a substrate, a wet sheet (coating film) having a certain thickness is formed using a blade, and the wet sheet is dried to obtain a tobacco sheet. The papermaking method is generally a method in which water-soluble components are extracted from tobacco leaves, separated into an extract and a residue, the residue is beaten and defibrated to form a fibrous material, formed into a sheet in the same manner as papermaking, the sheet is dried, and the extract is added again to the dried sheet to produce a tobacco sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5292410 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The sheet produced by the papermaking method is composed of fibrous tobacco leaf residue, and therefore has excellent strength, but the surface smoothness is not sufficient. In addition, the sheet produced by the casting method dries a wet sheet that is rich in moisture, and air bubbles are generated on the surface due to steam generation during drying. Furthermore, the smoothness is not sufficient due to the wet sheet end becoming sparse during the process of moisture evaporation and wet sheet shrinkage. In addition, in these methods, fibers are added to ensure strength, but the fibers become entangled to form lumps, which also impair the smoothness of the sheet surface. Usually, tobacco sheets are processed, such as molded and cut, to be used for smoking articles. During this processing, if the surface smoothness of the tobacco sheet is not sufficient, problems such as the sheet being damaged when it comes into contact with a processing device occur. In view of such circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a tobacco sheet with excellent processability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventors have found that a tobacco sheet having a specific surface roughness can solve the above problems. That is, the above problems are solved by the present invention described below. (1) A tobacco sheet comprising a tobacco material and a binder, the tobacco sheet having at least one surface having an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of 5 to 30 μm. (2) The sheet according to (1), which is a pressure-molded sheet. (3) The sheet according to (1) or (2), wherein the blending amount of the binder is 6% by dry weight or less, based on the dry weight of the tobacco sheet. (4) The tobacco sheet according to (1), wherein the arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of both surfaces is 5 to 30 μm. (5) The sheet according to any one of (1) to (4), having a tensile elongation of 5 to 15%. (6) A non-combustion heating smoking article comprising the tobacco sheet or a material derived therefrom according to any one of (1) to (5) above. (7) Step 1 of kneading at least a tobacco material, a binder, and a medium to prepare a mixture; Step 2, extruding the mixture through a die or extrusion process to prepare a wet sheet; Step 3: drying the wet wipes; The method for producing a sheet according to any one of (1) to (5), comprising: (8) The method according to (7), wherein the step 2 includes preparing a laminate sheet in which a wet sheet is present between two base films. (9) The manufacturing method according to (7) or (8), wherein the step 1 includes kneading at least a tobacco material, a binder, and a medium in a single-shaft or multi-shaft kneader. (10) The method according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein the mixture contains 20 to 80% by weight of the medium based on the total amount of the mixture. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The present invention can provide a tobacco sheet with excellent processability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing an example of a tobacco segment using a tobacco sheet [Diagram 2] A schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a non-combustion heating type smoking system. [Diagram 3] Schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The present invention will be described in detail below. In the present invention, "X to Y" includes the extreme values ​​X and Y. 1. Tobacco sheets A tobacco sheet is a sheet used in smoking articles, and contains at least a tobacco material and a binder.

[0009] (1) Binder A binder is an adhesive for binding tobacco materials together or between tobacco materials and other components. In the present invention, known binders can be used. Examples of such binders include polysaccharides such as guar gum and xanthan gum, and cellulose derivatives such as CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose), and HPC (hydroxypropylcellulose). The upper limit of the binder content is preferably 6% by weight or less in dry weight (weight excluding water mixed in, the same applies below) relative to the dry weight of the tobacco sheet, and the lower limit is preferably 1% by weight or more, more preferably 3% by weight or more. If the amount of binder exceeds the upper limit or is less than the lower limit, the above-mentioned effect may not be fully achieved.

[0010] The binder may be a polysaccharide, a protein, or a synthetic polymer. Specific examples of the binder are shown below. In the present invention, these binders may be used in combination.

[0011] 1) Polysaccharide 1-1) Cellulose derivatives [Cellulose ethers] Methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethylethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose, trityl cellulose, cyanoethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, aminoethyl cellulose [Cellulose esters] Organic acid esters: cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose benzoate, cellulose phthalate, cellulose tosyl Inorganic acid esters: cellulose nitrate, cellulose sulfate, cellulose phosphate, cellulose xanthogenate

[0012] 1-2) Naturally derived polysaccharides [Plant-derived] Guar gum, Tara gum, Roasted bean gum, Tamarind seed gum, Pectin, Gum arabic, Tragacanth gum, Karaya gum, Gatti gum, Arabinogalactan, Amas seed gum, Cassia gum, Psyllium seed gum, Artemisia seed gum [Algae derived] Carrageenan, agar, alginic acid, propylene glycol alginate, furcellan, fukuronori extract [Microbial origin] Xanthan gum, Gellan gum, Curdlan, Pullulan, Agrobacterium succinoglycan, Welan gum, Macrophomopsis gum, Rhamsan gum [Crustacean origin] Chitin, chitosan, glucosamine [Starches] Starch, sodium starch glycolate, pregelatinized starch, dextrin

[0013] 2) Protein Wheat gluten, rye gluten

[0014] 3) Synthetic polymers Polyphosphoric acid, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone

[0015] (2) Tobacco materials The tobacco material is a material derived from tobacco, and specifically includes dried tobacco leaves that have been chopped, or leaf tobacco pulverized material. Leaf tobacco pulverized material is particles obtained by pulverizing leaf tobacco. The leaf tobacco pulverized material can have a particle size D90 of, for example, 20 to 1000 μm, preferably 50 to 500 μm. The average particle size D50 of the leaf tobacco pulverized material can be preferably 20 to 1000 μm, more preferably 50 to 500 μm. The pulverization can be performed using a known pulverizer, and can be either dry pulverization or wet pulverization. Therefore, leaf tobacco pulverized material is also called leaf tobacco particles. In the present invention, the particle size is determined by a laser diffraction / scattering method, and specifically, it is measured using a laser diffraction type particle size distribution measuring device (for example, HORIBA LA-950). The type of tobacco is not limited, and flue-cured tobacco, Burley, Orient, native tobacco, and other Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana rustica varieties can be used. The amount of tobacco material in the tobacco sheet is not particularly limited, but is preferably 50 to 95% by weight, more preferably 60 to 90% by weight, in dry weight.

[0016] (3) Aerosol-generating substrate The tobacco sheet may contain an aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating substrate is a material that vaporizes when heated and cools to generate an aerosol, or generates an aerosol by atomization. Any known aerosol-generating substrate may be used, and examples thereof include polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol (PG), triethyl citrate (TEC), triacetin, and the like, each of which has a boiling point of more than 100°C. The amount of the aerosol-generating substrate in the tobacco sheet is preferably 1 to 40% by weight, more preferably 10 to 20% by weight, in terms of dry weight (weight excluding water contained therein, the same applies below). If the amount of the aerosol-generating substrate exceeds the upper limit, it may be difficult to manufacture the tobacco sheet, and if it is less than the lower limit, the smoke sensation may be reduced.

[0017] (4) Emulsifier The tobacco sheet may contain an emulsifier. The emulsifier enhances the affinity between the lipophilic aerosol-generating substrate and the hydrophilic tobacco material. Thus, the addition of an emulsifier is effective, particularly when a lipophilic aerosol-generating substrate is used. Any known emulsifier can be used, and examples of such emulsifiers include emulsifiers having an HLB value of 8 to 18. The amount of emulsifier is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 3 parts by weight, more preferably 1 to 2 parts by weight, on a dry weight basis, relative to 100 parts by weight of the tobacco sheet.

[0018] (5) Textiles In one embodiment, the tobacco sheet of the present invention does not contain tobacco-derived fibers and fibers derived from materials other than tobacco (e.g., cellulose). In this embodiment, it is possible to avoid undesirable effects on the smoking taste, such as unpleasant flavors, caused by these fibers. However, since it is not realistic to completely eliminate fibers, the amount of the fibers in the tobacco sheet is preferably 1.0% by weight or less, more preferably 0.5% by weight or less, on a dry weight basis. In another embodiment, the tobacco sheet of the present invention contains tobacco-derived fibers or fibers derived from materials other than tobacco in a total amount of 0.5 to 2.0% by weight. In this embodiment, the strength of the tobacco sheet is improved by the fibers, and the tobacco sheet has an excellent balance between the smoking taste and strength. In the present invention, the tobacco-derived fibers refer to pulp made by beating tobacco raw materials using a grinder or the like, and are different from the tobacco materials described above.

[0019] (6)Fragrance The tobacco sheet may contain a flavoring. A flavoring is a substance that provides an aroma or flavor. The flavoring may be a natural flavoring or a synthetic flavoring. A single type of flavoring may be used as the flavoring, or a mixture of multiple types of flavorings may be used. Any flavoring that is generally used in smoking articles may be used as the flavoring, and specific examples will be described later. The flavoring may be contained in the sheet for smoking articles in an amount that allows the smoking article to provide a preferred aroma or flavor, and for example, the amount is preferably 1 to 30% by weight, more preferably 2 to 20% by weight, in the tobacco sheet.

[0020] The type of the fragrance is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting a good fragrance sensation, the following may be used: acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, balsam of Peru oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronella, citronella oleracea ... lonerol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, konjac oil, coriander oil, cumin aldehyde, davana oil, delta-decalactone, gamma-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-Dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid, la , 4-Hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, Sodium 4-Hydroxyundecanoate, Immortelle Absolute, β-Ionone, Isoamyl Acetate, Isoamyl Butyrate, Isoamyl Phenylacetate, Isobutyl Acetate, Isobutyl Phenylacetate, Jasmine Absolute, Cola Nut Tincture, Labdanum Oil, Lemon Terpeneless Oil, Licorice Extract, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Robe Dioscorea officinalis root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, paramethoxybenzaldehyde, methyl 2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, tsammi fruit, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, gamma-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, delta-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, omega-pentadecane Calactone, Peppermint Oil, Petitgrain Paraguay Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenethyl Phenylacetate, Phenylacetic Acid, Piperonal, Plum Extract, Propylguaethol, Propyl Acetate, 3-Propylidenephthalide, Prune Juice, Pyruvic Acid, Raisin Extract, Rose Oil, Rum, Sage Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Spearmint Oil, Styrax Absolute, Marigold Oil, Tea Distillate, Alpha-Terpineol, Terpinyl Acetate, 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-Tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, gamma-undecalactone, gamma-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p -menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), sugar (sucrose, fructose, etc.), cocoa powder, carob powder, coriander powder, licorice powder, orange peel powder, rose pip powder, chamomile flower powder, lemon verbena powder, peppermint powder, leaf powder, spearmint powder, black tea powder, natural plant flavors (e.g., jasmine oil, lemon oil, vetiver oil, lovage oil), esters (e.g., menthyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, etc.), alcohols (e.g., phenylethyl alcohol, cis-6-nonen-1-ol, etc.). These flavors may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] (7) Characteristics and form of tobacco sheets 1) Arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa At least one surface of the tobacco sheet has an Sa of 5 to 30 μm. Sa is an index of surface roughness, and when the tobacco sheet of the present invention has an Sa in the above range, it has excellent processability and reduces chipping from the surface. From this viewpoint, Sa is more preferably 10 to 25 μm, and further preferably 10 to 20 μm. It is preferable that both surfaces of the tobacco sheet of the present invention have an Sa in the above range. Sa is measured by a known method, but it is preferable to measure it using a microscope (for example, VK-X100 manufactured by KEYENCE) according to the following procedure. 1) Set the focal position at the lowest part of the sheet 2) Set the focal position on the highest part of the sheet 3) Divide the sections obtained in 1) and 2) above, and take images while shifting the focus little by little. 4) Measure the height from the difference between the focal position of each part and the focal position of the lowest part. 5) Calculate the roughness from the height data at each position (automatically calculate using the measuring instrument software if necessary) and calculate the arithmetic surface roughness Sa.

[0022] 2) Thickness The thickness of the tobacco sheet is not limited, but in one aspect it is preferably 20 to 2000 μm, more preferably 100 to 1500 μm, and even more preferably 100 to 1000 μm.

[0023] 3) Mechanical properties The tobacco sheet has a tensile elongation of preferably 2.0% or more, more preferably 3.0% or more, and even more preferably 5.0% or more. The upper limit of the tensile elongation is not limited, but is usually about 15% or less. The tobacco sheet also has a tensile stress of preferably 2.0 N / mm or more, more preferably 2.5 N / mm or more, and even more preferably 3.0 N / mm or more.

[0024] 4) Ease of use The smoothness of the tobacco sheet affects the handling of the product. For example, a smoking article using a tobacco sheet with poor smoothness may generate fine powder, so-called "flakes," during or after use, which may cause problems in handling, such as adhesion to clothing. However, the tobacco sheet of the present invention has excellent smoothness, and thus can suppress the occurrence of such problems.

[0025] (8) Tobacco segment From the tobacco sheet, a tobacco segment for use in a smoking article can be manufactured. In one embodiment, the tobacco segment comprises a cylindrical wrapper, and a tobacco sheet is spirally packed in the wrapper (see FIG. 1(A)). In the figure, 20A is the tobacco segment, 1 is the tobacco sheet, and 22 is the wrapper, which is usually paper. The tobacco segment is preferably rod-shaped, and its length can be about 15 to 80 mm, and its diameter can be about 5 to 10 mm. Furthermore, the tobacco segment 20A shown in FIG. 1(A) can be cut to have an aspect ratio (length / diameter) of about 0.5 to 1.2 (see FIG. 1(B)).

[0026] In another embodiment, the tobacco segment 20A comprises a cylindrical wrapper 22, and a tobacco sheet 1 that is folded and packed inside the wrapper. The ridges generated by the folding are approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the segment (see FIG. 1(C)). The tobacco segment 20A is preferably rod-shaped, and may have a length of about 15 to 80 mm and a diameter of about 5 to 10 mm. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the tobacco sheet 1 has been previously subjected to a surface wrinkling process such as pleating or crimping.

[0027] In another embodiment, the tobacco segment 20A includes a cylindrical wrapper 22, and a cut piece 1c of a tobacco sheet is filled in the wrapper (see FIG. 1(D)). The tobacco segment 20A is preferably rod-shaped, and may have a length of about 15 to 80 mm and a diameter of about 5 to 10 mm. The size of the cut piece is not limited, but may have a longest side of about 2 to 20 mm and a width of about 0.5 to 1.5 mm, for example.

[0028] In another embodiment, the tobacco segment 20A includes a cylindrical wrapper 22 and strand-type shreds filled in the wrapper (see FIG. 1(E)). The strand-type shreds are filled so that their longitudinal direction is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the wrapper 22. The width of the strand-type shreds may be about 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

[0029] In another embodiment, the tobacco segment 20A includes a tubular wrapper 22 and a tobacco shred filler randomly packed within the wrapper. The tobacco shred is cut and is different from strand-type shred.

[0030] 2. Manufacturing method The tobacco sheet may be produced by any method, but is preferably produced by a method comprising the following steps: Step 1 involves kneading at least a tobacco material, a binder, and a medium to prepare a mixture. Step 2: spreading or extruding the mixture through a die to prepare a wet sheet. Step 3: drying the wet wipes. A sheet formed by applying pressure in this manner is called a "pressure-formed sheet", and as described below, "pressure-formed sheets" include "laminated sheets" and "extruded sheets". A laminated sheet is a sheet obtained by pressing a mixture with a roller one or more times to a target thickness and then drying to a target moisture content. An extruded sheet is a sheet obtained by extruding a mixture through a T-die or the like to a target thickness and then drying to a target moisture content. In a pressure-formed sheet, pressing and extrusion may be combined. For example, the mixture may be extruded and then further pressed to form a sheet.

[0031] (1) Process 1 In this process, the tobacco material, the binder, and the medium are kneaded together. If necessary, an aerosol-generating base material, an emulsifier, or a flavoring may be added. The amount of each component is adjusted so as to achieve the aforementioned amount. The medium is preferably mainly composed of a water-soluble organic solvent having a boiling point of less than 100°C, such as water or ethanol, and more preferably water or ethanol.

[0032] This step can be carried out by kneading the components, but is preferably carried out through 1) grinding the raw material (eg, single leaves), 2) preparing a wet powder, and 3) kneading. 1) Crushing It is preferable to crush the raw material and then finely grind it using a grinder (e.g., ACM-5, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron). The particle size D90 after fine grinding is preferably 20 to 1000 μm. The particle size is measured using a laser diffraction type particle sizer such as Mastersizer (manufactured by Malvern).

[0033] 2) Preparation of wet powder A binder and, if necessary, additives such as flavorings and lipids are added to the ground tobacco raw material (e.g., leaf tobacco particles) and mixed. This mixing is preferably a dry blend, and therefore a mixer is preferably used as a mixer. Next, a medium such as water and, if necessary, an aerosol-generating base such as glycerin are added to the dry blend and mixed in a mixer to prepare a wet powder (powder in a wet state). The amount of the medium in the wet powder can be 20 to 80% by weight, preferably 20 to 40% by weight, but is appropriately adjusted in step 2. For example, when compression is performed in step 2, the amount of the medium can be 20 to 50% by weight, and when extrusion is performed, the amount can be 20 to 80% by weight. The solid content concentration of the wet powder is preferably 50 to 90% by weight.

[0034] 3) Mixing The wet powder is kneaded using a kneader (e.g., DG-1 manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd.) Kneading is preferably carried out until the medium is distributed throughout the mixture, for example, until the color of the mixture is visually uniform.

[0035] (2) Process 2 In this step, the mixture (wet powder) is pressed or extruded through a die to prepare a wet sheet. For example, the mixture is sandwiched between two substrate films and passed through a pair of rollers using a calendaring device (e.g., manufactured by Yuri Roll Machine Co., Ltd.) until a predetermined thickness (more than 100 μm) is reached, and pressed to obtain a laminate in which a wet sheet is present between two substrate films. As the substrate film, a non-adhesive film such as a fluorine-based polymer film is preferred. Pressing with a roller can be performed multiple times. In addition, the mixture (wet powder) can be extruded through a die (preferably a T-die) with a predetermined gap to form a wet sheet on the substrate. As the substrate, known materials such as a glass plate, a metal plate, and a plastic plate can be used. A known extruder can be used for extrusion.

[0036] (3) Process 3 In this step, the wet sheet is dried. For example, in lamination, this step can be carried out by the following procedure. 1) One of the substrate films is peeled off. 2) The laminate is dried using a ventilated dryer. The drying temperature may be room temperature, but is preferably 50 to 100°C, and the drying time can be 1 to 2 minutes. 3) Next, the remaining substrate film is peeled off, and the tobacco sheet is obtained by further drying under the above conditions. By drying in this manner, it is possible to prevent the tobacco sheet from adhering to other substrates. The tobacco sheet obtained in this manner is also called a "laminate sheet". The laminate sheet has a smooth surface, which is preferable because it can suppress the occurrence of chipping when it comes into contact with other members. In addition, this method is suitable for producing a sheet of 300 μm or less.

[0037] In the case of extrusion molding, the wet sheet on the substrate is dried by air drying or heating. The drying conditions are as described above. The tobacco sheet obtained in this manner is also called an "extruded sheet." Extruded sheets are preferable because they have a smooth surface and can prevent chipping when they come into contact with other materials. This method is suitable for producing sheets with a thickness of 200 μm or more.

[0038] 3. Smoking articles Examples of smoking articles include flavor inhalation articles that allow users to inhale and enjoy flavors, and smokeless tobacco (smokeless smoking articles) that allow users to directly inhale the product into the nasal cavity or oral cavity and enjoy flavors. Flavor inhalation articles can be broadly divided into combustion-type smoking articles, typified by conventional cigarettes, and non-combustion-type smoking articles. The tobacco sheet of the present invention is suitable for flavor inhalation articles.

[0039] Examples of the combustion type flavor inhalation article include cigarettes, pipes, kiseru, cigars, and cigarillos.

[0040] The non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article may be heated by a heating device separate from the article, or may be heated by a heating device integrated with the article. In the former flavor inhalation article (separate type), the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article and the heating device are collectively referred to as a "non-combustion heating type smoking system." An example of a non-combustion heating type smoking system will be described below with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0041] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing an example of a non-combustion heating-type smoking system, and shows a state before a heater 12 is inserted into a tobacco segment 20A of a non-combustion heating-type flavor inhalation article 20. During use, the heater 12 is inserted into the tobacco segment 20A. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the non-combustion heating-type flavor inhalation article 20.

[0042] 2, the non-combustion heating smoking system includes a non-combustion heating flavor inhalation article 20 and a heating device 10 that heats the tobacco segment 20A from the inside. However, the non-combustion heating smoking system is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

[0043] The heating device 10 shown in Fig. 2 includes a body 11 and a heater 12. Although not shown, the body 11 may include a battery unit and a control unit. The heater 12 may be an electric resistance heater, and is inserted into the tobacco segment 20A to heat the tobacco segment 20A.

[0044] The tobacco sheet of the present invention is highly effective when the tobacco segments 20A are heated from the inside, as shown in Fig. 2. In such a heating method, the tobacco sheet and the heater are in direct contact with each other, which has traditionally tended to cause chipping. However, in the tobacco sheet of the present invention, chipping is unlikely to occur even in such a case, so the tobacco sheet of the present invention is more effective in an internal heating method. However, the embodiment of the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 20 is not limited to this, and in another embodiment, the tobacco segments 20A are heated from the outside.

[0045] The heating temperature by the heating device 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 400° C. or less, more preferably 50 to 400° C., and even more preferably 150 to 350° C. The heating temperature refers to the temperature of the heater 12 of the heating device 10.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3, the non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation article 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as "flavor inhalation article 20") has a cylindrical shape. The circumferential length of the flavor inhalation article 20 is preferably 16 mm to 27 mm, more preferably 20 mm to 26 mm, and even more preferably 21 mm to 25 mm. The overall length (horizontal length) of the flavor inhalation article 20 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 40 mm to 90 mm, more preferably 50 mm to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 mm to 60 mm.

[0047] The flavor inhalation article 20 is composed of a tobacco segment 20A, a filter portion 20C forming a mouthpiece, and a connecting portion 20B connecting these together.

[0048] The tobacco segment 20A is cylindrical, and its total length (length in the axial direction) is, for example, preferably 5 to 100 mm, more preferably 10 to 50 mm, and even more preferably 10 to 25 mm. The cross-sectional shape of the tobacco segment 20A is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, circular, elliptical, polygonal, etc.

[0049] The tobacco segment 20A comprises a tobacco sheet or material derived therefrom 21 and a wrapper 22 wrapped around it. The wrapper 22 may also be the tobacco sheet 1 of the present invention.

[0050] The filter section 20C has a cylindrical shape. The filter section 20C has a rod-shaped first segment 25 filled with cellulose acetate fiber and a rod-shaped second segment 26 similarly filled with cellulose acetate fiber. The first segment 25 is located on the tobacco segment 20A side. The first segment 25 may have a hollow portion. The second segment 26 is located on the mouthpiece side. The second segment 26 is solid. The first segment 25 is composed of a first filling layer (cellulose acetate fiber) 25a and an inner plug wrapper 25b wound around the first filling layer 25a. The second segment 26 is composed of a second filling layer (cellulose acetate fiber) 26a and an inner plug wrapper 26b wound around the second filling layer 26a. The first segment 25 and the second segment 26 are connected by an outer plug wrapper 27. The outer plug wrapper 27 is adhered to the first segment 25 and the second segment 26 by a vinyl acetate emulsion adhesive or the like.

[0051] The length of the filter portion 20C can be, for example, 10 to 30 mm, the length of the connecting portion 20B can be, for example, 10 to 30 mm, the length of the first segment 25 can be, for example, 5 to 15 mm, and the length of the second segment 26 can be, for example, 5 to 15 mm. These lengths of the individual segments are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate depending on the manufacturing suitability, the required quality, the length of the tobacco segment 20A, etc.

[0052] For example, the first segment 25 (center hole segment) is composed of a first packed layer 25a having one or more hollow portions, and an inner plug wrapper 25b that covers the first packed layer 25a. The first segment 25 has a function of increasing the strength of the second segment 26. The first packed layer 25a of the first segment 25 is packed with, for example, cellulose acetate fibers at a high density. A plasticizer containing triacetin is added to the cellulose acetate fibers in an amount of, for example, 6 to 20% by weight based on the weight of the cellulose acetate, and the fibers are hardened. The hollow portion of the first segment 25 has an inner diameter of, for example, φ1.0 to φ5.0 mm.

[0053] The first packed layer 25a of the first segment 25 may be configured with, for example, a relatively high fiber packing density, or may be equivalent to the fiber packing density of the second packed layer 26a of the second segment 26 described later. Therefore, during inhalation, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow portion, and almost no air or aerosol flows through the first packed layer 25a. For example, when it is desired to reduce the loss of aerosol components due to filtration in the second segment 26, the length of the second segment 26 can be shortened and the first segment 25 can be lengthened accordingly.

[0054] Replacing the shortened second segment 26 with the first segment 25 is effective for increasing the delivery amount of the aerosol components. Since the first packed layer 25a of the first segment 25 is a fiber packed layer, the feel from the outside during use does not cause discomfort to the user.

[0055] The second segment 26 is composed of a second packed layer 26a and an inner plug wrapper 26b that covers the second packed layer 26a. The second segment 26 (filter segment) is packed with cellulose acetate fibers at a general density and has general filtering performance for filtering aerosol components.

[0056] The filtering performance for filtering the aerosol (mainstream smoke) emitted from the tobacco segment 20A may be different between the first segment 25 and the second segment 26. At least one of the first segment 25 and the second segment 26 may contain a flavoring. The filter portion 20C may have any structure, and may have a structure having a plurality of segments as described above, or may be composed of a single segment. The filter portion 20C may also be composed of one segment. In this case, the filter portion 20C may be composed of either the first segment or the second segment.

[0057] The connecting part 20B has a cylindrical shape. The connecting part 20B has a cardboard tube 23 formed into a cylindrical shape using, for example, cardboard. The connecting part 20B may be filled with a cooling material for cooling the aerosol. An example of the cooling material is a sheet of a polymer such as polylactic acid, which can be folded and filled. Furthermore, a support part for suppressing the position of the tobacco segment 20A from fluctuating may be provided between the tobacco segment 20A and the connecting part 20B. The support part may be made of a known material such as a center hole filter like the first segment 25.

[0058] The wrapper 28 is wrapped around the tobacco segment 20A, the connecting portion 20B, and the filter portion 20C in a cylindrical shape to integrally connect them. A vinyl acetate emulsion adhesive is applied to the entire or nearly entire surface of one surface (inner surface) of the wrapper 28, except for the vicinity of the ventilation hole portion 24. The ventilation hole portion 24 is formed by laser processing from the outside after the tobacco segment 20A, the connecting portion 20B, and the filter portion 20C are integrated by the wrapper 28.

[0059] The ventilation hole section 24 has two or more through holes penetrating the connecting section 20B in the thickness direction. The two or more through holes are formed so as to be radially arranged when viewed from an extension line of the central axis of the flavor inhalation article 20. In this embodiment, the ventilation hole section 24 is provided in the connecting section 20B, but may be provided in the filter section 20C. In addition, in this embodiment, the two or more through holes of the ventilation hole section 24 are arranged in one row at a certain interval on one ring, but may be arranged in two rows at a certain interval on two rings, or one or two rows of the ventilation hole section 24 may be arranged discontinuously or irregularly. When a user holds the mouthpiece in his / her mouth and inhales, outside air is taken into the mainstream smoke through the ventilation hole section 24. However, the ventilation hole section 24 may not be provided. EXAMPLES

[0060] [Example 1] Tobacco leaves were ground using a grinder (ACM-5, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron) to obtain leaf tobacco particles with a D90 of 204 μm and a D50 of 66 μm. D90 and D50 were measured using a Mastersizer (manufactured by Malvern). Leaf tobacco particles and Sunrose F20HC (cellulose ether, manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.) as a binder were dry-blended using a mixer. Next, glycerin as an aerosol-generating base material and water as a medium were added to the dry blend, and the mixture was mixed in a mixer to prepare a wet powder. The composition of each component is shown in Table 1.

[0061] The wet powder was kneaded six times at room temperature using a kneader (DG-1, manufactured by Dalton Co., Ltd.) to obtain a mixture. A T-die was used as the die, and the screw rotation speed was set to 38.5 rpm.

[0062] The wet powder was sandwiched between two Teflon (registered trademark) films (NITOFLON (R) No. 900UL manufactured by Nitto Denko Corporation) and rolled in four stages using a calendaring device (manufactured by Yuri Roll Machinery Co., Ltd.) until the desired thickness (more than 100 μm) was reached, to prepare a 105 μm-thick laminate having a layer structure of film / wet sheet / film. The roll gaps of the first to fourth stages were 650 μm, 330 μm, 180 μm, and 5 μm, respectively. The roll gap of the fourth stage was thicker than the thickness of the final sheet obtained, because the sheet released from the pressure between the rollers expanded to near the final thickness.

[0063] One Teflon (registered trademark) film was peeled off from the laminate, and the sheet was dried at 80° C. for 1 to 2 minutes using a forced air dryer. The other film was then peeled off, and the wet sheet was dried under the same conditions to produce and evaluate the tobacco sheet of the present invention.

[0064] [Table 1-1]

[0065] In the weight of wet powder in Table 1, the tobacco leaf grinding material, glycerin, and binder indicate the dry weight, while the water indicates the total weight of the feed weight and the weight of water contained in the tobacco leaf grinding material, glycerin, and binder.

[0066] [Examples 2 and 4] Tobacco sheets were produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Sunrose F30MC and Sunrose F20LC were used as the binder instead of Sunrose F20HC (cellulose ether manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.).

[0067] [Example 3] A tobacco sheet was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Sunrose F30MC was used as the binder instead of Sunrose F20HC (cellulose ether manufactured by Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.), the amount of Sunrose F30MC was changed as shown in Table 3, and the amount of glycerin was changed to 15.5 DB weight% in terms of the charge weight ratio.

[0068] [Comparative Example 1] Tobacco leaf particles having a D90 of 204 μm and a D50 of 66 μm were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The same components and pulp as in Example 1 were mixed in a mixer to obtain a mixture. A tobacco sheet was produced by a casting method using the mixture according to a conventional method.

[0069] [Table 1-2]

[0070] [Comparative Example 2] A tobacco sheet was produced by a papermaking method according to a standard method. Specifically, the water-soluble components of the tobacco raw material were extracted with water, the extraction residue was mixed with pulp and water, and the mixture was beaten using a grinder, a sheet was formed using a papermaking machine, the sheet was dried, and the extract and glycerin were added to the sheet. The tobacco sheet was evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1. The composition of the sheet is shown in Table 2. The evaluation results of the tobacco sheet produced in the above example are shown in Table 3.

[0071] [Table 2]

[0072] [Table 3]

[0073] The evaluation method is explained below. [Volume of overflow] A non-combustion internal heating smoking system as shown in FIG. 2 was prepared. The tobacco sheets prepared in each example were cut to prepare shreds. The shreds were filled into a wrapper 22 having a length of 12 mm and a diameter of 7 mm at 70% by volume to prepare a tobacco segment 20A. The system was subjected to a smoking test using a smoking machine (14 puffs, CIR conditions, constant heating at 350°C). After the smoking test, the shreds were gently removed from the tobacco segment 20A. Then, the wrapper 22 was filled again with new shreds at 70% by volume to perform a second smoking test. In this way, a total of 20 smoking tests were performed, and the volume of the total shreds remaining in the wrapper 22 was measured.

[0074] [Surface roughness] Measurements were performed using a microscope (Keyence VK-X100) according to the following procedure. 1) Set the focal position at the lowest part of the sheet 2) Set the focal position on the highest part of the sheet 3) Divide the sections obtained in 1) and 2) above, and take images while shifting the focus little by little. 4) Measure the height from the difference between the focal position of each part and the focal position of the lowest part. 5) Calculate the roughness from the height data at each position (automatically calculated by the measuring instrument software) and calculate the arithmetic surface roughness Sa.

[0075] [Tensile strength, elongation] The obtained sheet was cut to a width of 15 mm and a length of 180 mm, and measured using a tensile strength tester (Strograph ES, Toyo Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) under conditions of ROAD RANGE: 25 and SPEED RANGE: 50, and the tensile strength was evaluated in terms of tensile stress. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Tobacco Sheet 1c Cut pieces of tobacco sheets 10 Heating device 11. Body 12 Heater 20 Non-combustion heating type flavor inhalation products 20A Tobacco Segment 20B Connecting part 20C Filter section 21 Tobacco sheets or materials derived therefrom 22 Rapper 23 Paper tube 24 Ventilation hole section 25 First Segment 25a 1st packed bed 25b Inner plug wrapper 26 Second Segment 26a 2nd packed bed 26b Inner plug wrapper 27 Outer plug wrapper 28 Rapper

Claims

1. A pressure-molded tobacco sheet for a non-combustion heating smoking article, comprising a tobacco material and a binder, and having an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of 7.4 to 15.3 μm on at least one surface.

2. 2. The sheet according to claim 1, wherein the binder is present in an amount of 6% or less by dry weight based on the dry weight of the tobacco sheet.

3. 3. The sheet according to claim 2, wherein the blending amount of the binder is 3% by dry weight or more based on the dry weight of the tobacco sheet.

4. The tobacco sheet according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa of both surfaces is 7.4 to 15.3 μm.

5. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a tensile elongation of 5 to 15%.

6. A non-combustion heating type smoking article comprising the tobacco sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or a material derived therefrom.

7. Step 1: preparing a mixture by kneading at least a tobacco material, a binder, and a medium; Step 2, extruding the mixture through a die or extrusion process to prepare a wet sheet; Step 3: drying the wet wipes; The method for producing the sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein step 2 includes preparing a laminate sheet in which the wet sheet is present between two substrate films.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein step 1 comprises kneading at least a tobacco material, a binder, and a medium in a single-shaft or multi-shaft kneader.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the mixture contains 20 to 80% by weight of the medium based on the total amount of the mixture.

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