JP2026504195A - Aerosol-forming materials containing botanical materials - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating material comprising a tobacco material, a non-tobacco botanical material, a binder, and an aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-generating material can be configured for use in an aerosol-generating element for an aerosol delivery device. Aerosol-generating elements and aerosol delivery devices comprising the aerosol-generating material are also provided. Such devices utilize electrically generated heat or a combustion-based ignition source to heat the aerosol-generating material and provide an inhalable substance in the form of an aerosol.

Description

The present disclosure relates to aerosol generating elements containing aerosol-generating materials and methods for making the same. The disclosure also relates to consumables containing aerosol generating elements for use in combustion or non-combustion aerosol delivery systems, as well as non-combustion and combustion aerosol delivery systems.

Smoking devices, such as cigarettes, cigars, and the like, combust tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Alternatives to these types of devices emit inhalable aerosols or vapors by releasing compounds from a substrate material through heating without combustion. These may be referred to as non-combustion smoking devices, aerosol-generating assemblies, or non-combustion aerosol-delivery systems. One example of such a product is a heating device that releases components by heating, rather than burning, a solid aerosolizable material. This solid aerosolizable material may, in some cases, contain tobacco material. The heating volatilizes at least one component of the material, typically forming an inhalable aerosol. These products may also be referred to as heat-not-burn devices, tobacco heating devices, or tobacco heating products (THPs). A variety of different configurations are known for volatilizing at least one component of a solid aerosolizable material.

Another example is a hybrid e-cigarette/tobacco heating product device, also known as an e-cigarette hybrid device. These hybrid devices contain a liquid source (which may or may not contain nicotine) that is vaporized by heating to produce an inhalable vapor or aerosol. These devices also contain a solid aerosolizable material (which may or may not contain tobacco material), the components of which are entrained in the inhalable vapor or aerosol to produce the inhalation vehicle.

Certain such tobacco heating products and e-cigarette hybrid devices suffer from inconsistent performance characteristics. For example, some devices suffer from inconsistent release of inhalable material, improper dosing of the base aerosol-forming material, or poor sensory characteristics.

(Summary of the Invention)
The present disclosure relates to aerosol generating elements and aerosol delivery devices that utilize electrically generated heat or a combustion-based ignition source to heat aerosol-generating materials to provide inhalable substances in the form of aerosols for human consumption.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating material for use in an aerosol delivery device, the aerosol-generating material comprising: tobacco material in particulate form, present in the aerosol-generating material in an amount of about 20% to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; non-tobacco botanical material selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, and combinations thereof; a binder in an amount of 0 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; and an aerosol former material.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is in particulate form and is present in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is in the form of an extract and is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the binder is selected from the group consisting of alginate, seaweed hydrocolloid, cellulose ether, starch, gum, dextran, carrageenan, povidone, pullulan, zein, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the binder is a cellulose ether selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the binder is carboxymethylcellulose.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material is selected from the group consisting of water, polyhydric alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, waxes, cannabinoids, terpenes, sugar alcohols, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material includes a polyhydric alcohol.

In some embodiments, the polyhydric alcohol is present in an amount of about 15 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the polyhydric alcohol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, triacetin, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of an extruded sheet comprising: about 20 to about 70% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; about 20 to about 30% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 6 to about 25% by weight of binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine and is present in an amount of about 20 to about 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of an extruded sheet comprising: tobacco material in granular form in an amount ranging from about 25 to about 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and a binder in an amount ranging from about 6 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of a cast sheet comprising: about 24 to about 36% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; about 20 to about 30% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 8 to about 12% by weight of binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of a reconstituted paper sheet comprising: about 70 to about 90% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 5 to about 15% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of a reconstituted paper sheet comprising: tobacco material in granular form in an amount ranging from about 70 to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in a beaded form and includes: about 32 to about 72 weight percent tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; about 16 to about 24 weight percent non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 0.6 to about 1 weight percent binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in beaded form and further comprises: tobacco material in granular form in an amount ranging from about 32 to about 72% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; a binder in an amount ranging from about 0.6 to about 1% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and rice flour in an amount ranging from about 16 to about 24% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the water content of the aerosol-forming material is about 12 to about 21% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of nicotine.

In another aspect, there is provided an aerosol-generating element comprising the aerosol-generating material disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is blended with additional tobacco material that has characteristics different from the particulate tobacco material that comprises the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the additional tobacco material comprises reconstituted tobacco, tobacco lamina, fine cut tobacco, cut rag tobacco, or combinations thereof.

In a further aspect, there is provided a consumable product for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery device that includes an aerosol generating element as disclosed herein.

In yet another aspect, there is provided a non-combustion aerosol delivery system including a consumable product disclosed herein and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device includes an aerosol generating device configured to generate an aerosol from the consumable product when the consumable product is used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

In yet another aspect, a combustion aerosol delivery system is provided that includes the consumable and combustion aerosol delivery device disclosed herein.

This disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following embodiments:

Embodiment 1: An aerosol-forming material for use in an aerosol delivery device, comprising: tobacco material in particulate form, present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 20% to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; non-tobacco botanical material selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, and combinations thereof; a binder in an amount of 0 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and an aerosol former material.

Embodiment 2: The aerosol-forming material of embodiment 1, wherein the non-tobacco botanical material is in particulate form and is present in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 30 weight percent, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 3: The aerosol-forming material of embodiment 1, wherein the non-tobacco botanical material is in the form of an extract and is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 4: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of alginate, seaweed hydrocolloid, cellulose ether, starch, gum, dextran, carrageenan, povidone, pullulan, zein, and combinations thereof.

Embodiment 5: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the binder is a cellulose ether selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and combinations thereof.

Embodiment 6: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the binder is carboxymethyl cellulose.

Embodiment 7: The aerosol-generating material of any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the aerosol former material is selected from the group consisting of water, polyhydric alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, waxes, cannabinoids, terpenes, sugar alcohols, and combinations thereof.

Embodiment 8: The aerosol-generating material of any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the aerosol former material comprises a polyhydric alcohol.

Embodiment 9: The aerosol-forming material of embodiment 8, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is present in an amount of about 15 to about 25 wt.%, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 10: The aerosol-forming material of embodiment 8, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, triacetin, and combinations thereof.

Embodiment 11: The aerosol-forming material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in the form of an extruded sheet, comprising: from about 20 to about 70% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; from about 20 to about 30% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and from about 6 to about 25% by weight of a binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 12: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine and is present in an amount of about 20 to about 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 13: The aerosol-generating material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in the form of an extruded sheet, comprising: tobacco material in granular form in an amount ranging from about 25 to about 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; and a binder in an amount ranging from about 6 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material.

Embodiment 14: The aerosol-forming material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in the form of a cast sheet, comprising: from about 24 to about 36% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; from about 20 to about 30% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and from about 8 to about 12% by weight of binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 15: The aerosol-forming material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in the form of a reconstituted paper sheet, comprising: about 70 to about 90% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 5 to about 15% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 16: The aerosol-forming material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in the form of a reconstituted paper sheet, comprising: about 70 to about 90% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 17: The aerosol-forming material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in beaded form, comprising: from about 32 to about 72 wt. % tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; from about 16 to about 24 wt. % non-tobacco botanical material present in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and from about 0.6 to about 1 wt. % binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 18: The aerosol-generating material of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10 in beaded form, further comprising: tobacco material in granular form in an amount ranging from about 32 to about 72% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; a binder in an amount ranging from about 0.6 to about 1% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material; and rice flour in an amount ranging from about 16 to about 24% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-generating material.

Embodiment 19: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 18, wherein the water content of the aerosol-forming material is from about 12 to about 21% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Embodiment 20: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine.

Embodiment 21: The aerosol-forming material of any one of embodiments 1 to 20, wherein the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of nicotine.

Embodiment 22: An aerosol-generating element comprising the aerosol-generating material of any one of embodiments 1 to 21.

Embodiment 23: The aerosol-generating element of embodiment 22, wherein the aerosol-generating material is blended with an additional tobacco material having characteristics different from the particulate tobacco material comprising the aerosol-generating material.

Embodiment 24: The aerosol-generating element of embodiment 23, wherein the additional tobacco material comprises reconstituted tobacco, tobacco lamina, fine cut tobacco, cut rag tobacco, or a combination thereof.

Embodiment 25: A consumable for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, comprising the aerosol generating element of embodiment 22.

Embodiment 26: A non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising the consumable of embodiment 25 and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol generating device configured to generate an aerosol from the consumable when the consumable is used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.

Embodiment 27: A combustion aerosol delivery system comprising the consumable of embodiment 25 and a combustion aerosol delivery device.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the above-described embodiments, as well as combinations of any two, three, four, or more features or elements described in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are expressly combined in a particular embodiment herein. This disclosure is to be read in its entirety such that it should be seen that any separable features or elements of the disclosed invention are intended to be combinable in any of its various aspects and embodiments, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Having thus described aspects of the present disclosure in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a process for preparing a reconstituted paper sheet according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an aerosol generation element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate portion of an aerosol generating element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 illustrates a cross section of an example consumable product according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the article of FIG. 4. FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional elevation view of a consumable according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the article of FIG. 6. FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of an example of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. These embodiments are described so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. References to "dry weight percent" or "dry weight basis" refer to weight based on dry ingredients (i.e., all ingredients other than water). References to "wet weight" refer to the weight of the mixture, including water. Unless otherwise indicated, references to the "weight percent" of a material reflect the total wet weight (i.e., including water) of the material.

As described below, the present disclosure generally relates to aerosol-generating materials, elements, and consumables, as well as methods of making the same. Combustion and non-combustion aerosol delivery systems including the aerosol-generating materials, elements, and consumables are also provided. The aerosol-generating elements include aerosol-generating materials. The aerosol-generating materials, elements, and consumables described herein are capable of generating an aerosol when, for example, heated, irradiated, or otherwise energized. The aerosol-generating materials may be in the form of, for example, a sheet that may or may not contain nicotine.

Aerosol-Generating Materials As described below, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to aerosol-generating materials for use in aerosol delivery devices. The aerosol-generating materials may comprise a variety of materials, alone or in combination, and may take a variety of forms (e.g., cast or extruded, or paper process sheets, beads, and the like). The aerosol-generating materials of the present disclosure generally include tobacco materials; non-tobacco botanical materials; binders, and aerosol-former materials. The non-tobacco botanical materials may take the form of particulate materials, extracts, or combinations thereof. Each of the components of the aerosol-generating materials (i.e., tobacco materials, non-tobacco botanical materials, binders, and aerosol-former materials) is further described herein below.

Tobacco Material The aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein include tobacco material. The tobacco material can vary in species, form, and type. Generally, tobacco material is obtained from harvested plants of the genus Nicotiana. Exemplary Nicotiana species include N. tabacum, N. rustica, N. alata, N. arentzii, N. excelsior, N. forgettiana, N. glauca, N. glutinosa, N. gossei, N. kawakamii, and N. japonica. N. knightiana, N. langsdorffi, N. otophora, N. setchelli, N. sylvestris, N. tomentosa, N. tomentosiformis, N. undulata, N. x sanderae, N. africana, N. amplexicaulis, N. benavidesii, N. N. bonariensis, N. debneyi, N. longiflora, N. maritina, N. megalosiphon, N. occidentalis, N. paniculata, N. plumbaginifolia, N. raimondii, N. rosulata, N. simulans, N. stocktonii, N. N. suaveolens, N. umbratica, N. velutina, N. wigandioides, N. acaulis, N. acuminata, N. attenuata, N. benthamiana, N. cavicola, N. clevelandii, N. cordifolia, N. corymbosa, N. fragrans, N. N. goodspeedii, N. linearis, N. miersii, N. nudicaulis, N. obtusifolia, N. occidentalis subsp. hersperis, N. pauciflora, N. petunioides, N. quadrivalvis, N. repanda, N. rotundifolia, N. Examples of other types of plants that are representative of the Nicotiana species include N. solanifolia and N. spegazzinii. Various representatives of other types of plants from the Nicotiana species are described in Goodspeed, The Genus Nicotiana, (Chonica Botanica) (1954); U.S. Patent No. 4,660,577 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al.; U.S. Patent No. 5,387,416 to White et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,025,066 to Lawson et al.; U.S. Patent No. 7,798,153 to Lawrence, Jr. and U.S. Patent No. 8,186,360 to Marshall et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Details of various types of tobacco, growing practices, and harvesting practices are set forth in Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (eds.) (1999), which is incorporated herein by reference.

Nicotiana species from which suitable tobacco material can be obtained can be derived using genetic modification or breeding techniques (e.g., tobacco plants can be genetically engineered or bred to increase or decrease the production, characteristics, or attributes of a component). See, for example, the types of genetic modifications of plants described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,539,093 to Fitzmaurice et al.; 5,668,295 to Wahab et al.; 5,705,624 to Fitzmaurice et al.; 5,844,119 to Weigl; 6,730,832 to Dominguez et al.; 7,173,170 to Liu et al.; 7,208,659 to Colliver et al. and 7,230,160 to Benning et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0236434 to Conkling et al.; and PCT Publication No. WO 2008/103935 to Nielsen et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference. See also the types of cigarettes described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,660,577 to White et al.; 5,387,416 to White et al.; and 6,730,832 to Dominguez et al.

Nicotiana species, in some embodiments, can be selected for the content of various compounds present therein. For example, plants can be selected based on the plants producing relatively large amounts of one or more compounds that are desirable to isolate therefrom. In certain embodiments, Nicotiana species plants (e.g., Galpao commun tobacco) are particularly thriving due to their abundance of compounds on the surface of their leaves. Tobacco plants can be grown outdoors in greenhouses, growth chambers, or fields, or can be grown hydroponically.

Various parts or portions of a plant of the Nicotiana species can be included in the substrates disclosed herein. For example, virtually all of the plant (e.g., the whole plant) can be harvested and used as is. Alternatively, various parts or pieces of the plant can be harvested or separated for further use after harvesting. For example, flowers, leaves, stems, stalks, roots, seeds, and various combinations thereof can be isolated for further use or processing. In some embodiments, the tobacco material comprises tobacco leaves (lamina). The substrates disclosed herein can include processed tobacco parts or pieces, including cured and aged tobacco in essentially natural lamina and/or stem form. In certain embodiments, the tobacco material comprises a solid tobacco material selected from the group consisting of lamina and stem. The tobacco used in the substrate most preferably comprises tobacco lamina or a mixture of tobacco lamina and stem, at least a portion of which has been smoked. The tobacco portion may be in a processed form, such as processed tobacco stems (e.g., cut-rolled stems, cut-rolled expanded stems, or cut-puffed stems) or volume-expanded tobaccos (e.g., puffed tobaccos, such as dry ice expanded tobacco (DIET)). See, for example, the tobacco expansion processes described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,340,073 to de la Burde et al.; 5,259,403 to Guy et al.; and 5,908,032 to Poindexter et al.; and 7,556,047 to Poindexter et al., all of which are incorporated by reference. Additionally, the substrate may incorporate fermented tobacco. See also the types of tobacco processing techniques described in PCT Publication WO 2005/063060 to Atchley et al., which is incorporated by reference herein.

Tobacco material is typically used in what can be described as a particulate form, such as shredded, ground, granulated, pulp, or powder form. In some embodiments, tobacco material is used in the form of pieces or particles having an average particle size between 1.4 millimeters and 25 microns. In some cases, tobacco particles may be sized to pass through a screen mesh to obtain the required particle size range. If desired, an air classification device may be used to ensure that small sized tobacco particles of the desired size or size range can be collected. If desired, variously sized pieces of granulated tobacco may be mixed together.

The manner in which tobacco material is provided in a pulverized or powder-type form may vary. Preferably, plant parts or pieces are milled, ground, crushed, or pulverized into a fine particle form using crushing, milling, or similar equipment and techniques. The plant or its parts may be subjected to external force or pressure (e.g., by pressing or by rolling). When subjected to such processing conditions, the plant or its parts may have a moisture content that approximates its natural moisture content (e.g., the moisture content is that immediately after harvest), a moisture content achieved by adding moisture to the plant or its parts, or a moisture content obtained from drying the plant or its parts. For example, powdered, crushed, crushed, pulped, or milled pieces of the plant or its parts may have a moisture content of less than about 25 weight percent, often less than about 20 weight percent, and frequently less than about 15 weight percent. Most preferably, the plant material is in a relatively dry form during crushing or milling using equipment such as a hammer mill, cutter head, air-controlled mill, or the like. For example, tobacco parts or pieces may be crushed or milled when their moisture content is less than about 15 percent by weight, or less than about 5 percent by weight.

In preparing aerosol-generating materials, harvested Nicotiana plants are typically subjected to a curing process. The tobacco materials incorporated into the aerosol-generating materials disclosed herein are generally appropriately cured and/or aged. Details of various types of curing processes for various types of tobacco are described in Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (eds.) (1999). Examples of techniques and conditions for curing flue-cured tobacco are described in Nestor et al., Beitrage Tabakforsch. Int., 20, 467-475 (2003), and U.S. Patent No. 6,895,974 to Peele, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Representative techniques and conditions for air-curing tobacco are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,650,892 to Groves et al.; Roton et al., Beitrage Tabakforsch. Int., 21, 305-320 (2005), and Staaf et al., Beitrage Tabakforsch. Int., 21, 321-330 (2005), which are incorporated herein by reference. Certain types of tobacco can be subjected to alternative types of curing processes, such as bake-curing or sun-curing.

In certain embodiments, tobacco materials that can be used include flue-cured or Virginia (e.g., K326), burley, sun-cured (e.g., Indian Kurnool and Oriental tobaccos, including Katerini, Prelip, Komotini, Xanthi, and Yambol tobaccos), Maryland, dark, dark-fired, dark air-cured (e.g., Madole, Passanda, Cubano, Jatin, and Bezuki tobaccos), light air-cured (e.g., North Wisconsin and Galpao tobaccos), Indian air-cured, and other tobaccos. cured), Red Russian, and Rustica tobaccos, as well as various other rare or specialty tobaccos, and various blends of any of the aforementioned tobaccos.

The tobacco material may have a so-called "blend" form. For example, the tobacco material may include a mixture of flucure, burley (e.g., Malawi burley tobacco), and Oriental tobacco (e.g., tobacco composed of or derived from tobacco lamina, or a mixture of tobacco lamina and tobacco stem) parts or pieces. For example, a typical blend may incorporate, on a dry weight basis, about 30 to about 70 parts burley tobacco (e.g., lamina, or lamina and stem) and about 30 to about 70 parts flucure tobacco (e.g., stem, lamina, or lamina and stem). Other exemplary tobacco blends incorporate, on a dry weight basis, about 75 parts flucure tobacco, about 15 parts burley tobacco, and about 10 parts Oriental tobacco; or about 65 parts flucure tobacco, about 25 parts burley tobacco, and about 10 parts Oriental tobacco; or about 65 parts flucure tobacco, about 10 parts burley tobacco, and about 25 parts Oriental tobacco. Other exemplary tobacco blends incorporate, on a dry weight basis, about 20 to about 30 parts Oriental tobacco and about 70 to about 80 parts Flu-cured tobacco.

Tobacco materials used in the present disclosure can be subjected to, for example, fermentation, bleaching, and the like. If desired, the tobacco material can be irradiated, sterilized, or otherwise subjected to controlled heat treatment. Such treatment processes are described in detail, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 8,061,362 to Mua et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. In certain embodiments, the tobacco material can be treated with water and an additive capable of inhibiting the reaction of asparagine to form acrylamide upon heating of the tobacco material (e.g., an additive selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, histidine, alanine, methionine, cysteine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, phenylalanine, valine, arginine, compositions incorporating divalent and trivalent cations, asparaginase, certain non-reducing sugars, certain reducing agents, phenolic compounds, certain compounds having at least one free thiol group or functional group, oxidizing agents, oxidation catalysts, natural plant extracts (e.g., rosemary extract), and combinations thereof). See, for example, the types of treatment processes described in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 8,434,496, 8,944,072, and 8,991,403 to Chen et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In certain embodiments, this type of treatment is useful when the original tobacco material is subjected to heating in the aforementioned processes.

In some embodiments, the type of tobacco material is initially selected to be visibly lighter in color (e.g., whitened or bleached) than other tobacco materials to some extent. Tobacco pulp can be whitened in certain embodiments according to any means known in the art. For example, bleached tobacco material produced by various whitening methods employing various bleaching or oxidizing agents and oxidation catalysts can be used. Exemplary oxidizing agents include peroxides (e.g., hydrogen peroxide), chlorites, chlorates, perchlorates, hypochlorites, ozone, ammonia, potassium permanganate, and combinations thereof. Exemplary oxidation catalysts are titanium dioxide, manganese dioxide, and combinations thereof. Processes for treating tobacco with bleaching agents are described, for example, in Daniels, Jr., "Bleaching of Tobacco Pulp," in ... U.S. Patent Nos. 787,611 to Oelenheinz; 1,086,306 to Delling; 1,437,095 to Rosenhoch; 1,757,477 to Hawkinson; 2,122,421 to Baier; 2,148,147 to Baier; 2,170,107 to Baier; 2,274,649 to Baier; 2,770,239 to Prats et al.; 3,612,065 to Rosen; Nos. 3,851,653 to Rosen; 3,889,689 to Rosen; 3,943,940 to Minami; 3,943,945 to Rosen; 4,143,666 to Rainer; 4,194,514 to Campbell; 4,366,823, 4,366,824, and 4,388,933 to Rainer et al.; 4,641,667 to Schmekel et al.; 5,713,376 to Berger; 9,339,058 to Byrd Jr. et al.; 9,420,825 to Beeson et al.; and Byrd Jr. No. 9,950,858 to Bjorkholm et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2012/0067361 to Bjorkholm et al.; 2016/0073686 to Crooks; 2017/0020183 to Bjorkholm; and 2017/0112183 to Bjorkholm, and PCT Published Application Nos. WO 1996/031255 to Giolvas and WO 2018/083114 to Bjorkholm.

In some embodiments, the whitened tobacco material can have an ISO brightness of at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 65%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, or at least about 80%. In some embodiments, the whitened tobacco material can have an ISO brightness ranging from about 50% to about 90%, from about 55% to about 75%, or from about 60% to about 70%. ISO brightness can be measured according to ISO 3688:1999 or ISO 2470-1:2016.

In some embodiments, whitened tobacco materials can be characterized as lighter in color (e.g., "white") compared to untreated tobacco materials. White is often defined with reference to the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity diagram. Whitened tobacco materials, in certain embodiments, can be characterized as being closer to pure white on the chromaticity diagram than untreated tobacco materials.

Tobacco materials may be processed to remove at least a portion of the nicotine present. Suitable methods for extracting nicotine from tobacco materials are known in the art. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine. "Substantially free" means that only trace amounts are present in the tobacco material. For example, in certain embodiments, the tobacco material can be characterized as having less than 0.001% by weight nicotine, or less than 0.0001% or even 0% by weight nicotine, calculated as the free base and based on the total weight of the tobacco material.

The amount of tobacco material present in the aerosol-forming material may vary depending on the physical form of the aerosol-forming material (e.g., extruded sheets, cast sheets, beads, reconstituted paper sheets, and the like) and the particular application. Generally, the amount of tobacco material present is at least about 20% by weight and up to about 90% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. For example, the tobacco material may be present in an amount of about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, or about 55% to about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, or about 90% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 20 to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 25 to about 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 70 to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 32 to about 72% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 24 or 25% to about 36% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 46 to about 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 20 to about 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In certain embodiments, the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine. In certain embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of less than 0.01% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Tobacco-Derived Materials In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material further comprises a tobacco extract, such as an aqueous tobacco extract, added as a component of the aerosol-forming material or added separately (e.g., impregnated into the aerosol-forming material during preparation or after formation). As used herein, "tobacco extract" refers to an isolated component of tobacco material extracted from solid tobacco pulp by a solvent (e.g., water) that contacts the tobacco material during an extraction process. Various extraction techniques for tobacco material can be used to provide tobacco extracts and tobacco solid materials. See, for example, the extraction process described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0247640, which is incorporated herein by reference. Other exemplary techniques for extracting tobacco components are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,144,895 to Fiore; U.S. Patent No. 4,144,895 to Osborne, Jr.; and U.S. Patent No. 4,144,895 to Osborne, Jr., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,677 to Reid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,847 to Wildman, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,147 to Brummer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,346 to Brummer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,059 to Brummer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,682 to Muller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,428 to Keritsis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,016 to Soga, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,911 to Poulose, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,911 to Niven, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,889 to Bernasek et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,618 to Clapp et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,484 to Clapp et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,771 to Fagg et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,286 to Roberts et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,593 to Fagg et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,540 to Grubbs et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,540 to White et al. Nos. 5,060,669 to Fagg; 5,065,775 to White et al.; 5,074,319 to White et al.; 5,099,862 to White et al.; 5,121,757 to White et al.; 5,131,414 to Fagg; 5,131,415 to Munoz et al.; 5,148,819 to Fagg; Kram No. 5,197,494 to Smith et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,354 to Smith et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,008 to Fagg; U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,999 to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,694 to Raymond et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,050 to Gonzalez-Parra et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,879 to Teague; U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,879 to Newton No. 5,360,022 to Clapp et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,325 to Clapp et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,169 to Brinkley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,584 to Lauterbach; U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,859 to Kierulff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,767 to Mua et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,782 to Thompson.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises tobacco extract, in aqueous or dry powder form, in an amount of about 1 to about 5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Non-Tobacco Botanicals The aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein include non-tobacco botanical materials. As used herein, the term "botanical material" or "botanical" refers to any plant or fungal-derived material, including plant material in its natural form and plant material derived from natural plant material, such as extracts or isolates from plant material or processed plant material (e.g., plant material that has been subjected to heat, fermentation, chemical, or other treatment processes that may alter the chemical or biological properties of the material). For purposes of this disclosure, "botanical material" includes, but is not limited to, "herbal material," which refers to seed-bearing plants that do not permanently develop woody tissue and are often valued for their medicinal or sensory properties (e.g., tea or herbal teas). Reference to botanical material as "non-tobacco" is intended to exclude tobacco material (i.e., does not include any Nicotiana species). The botanical materials used in this disclosure may include, without limitation, any of the compounds and sources described herein, including mixtures thereof. Certain botanical materials of this type are sometimes referred to as dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, "phytochemicals," or "functional foods."

Non-limiting examples of botanical ingredients include, but are not limited to, acai berry (Euterpe oleracea martius), acerola (Malpighia glabra), alfalfa, allspice, angelica root, anise (e.g., star anise), annatto seed, apple (Malus domestica), apricot oil, bacopa monniera, basil (Ocimum basilicum), bee balm, beetroot, bergamot, blackberry (Morus nigra), and others. nigra), black cohosh, black pepper, black tea, blueberry, boldo (Peumus boldus), borage, lily of the valley, cacao, calamus root, cam (Mircaria dubia), cannabis/hemp, caraway seed, catnip, catuaba, cayenne, cayenne pepper, chaga mushroom, chamomile, cherry, chervil, chocolate, cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), citrongrass (Cymbopogon citrus), clary sage, clove, palm (Cocos nucifera) nucifera), coffee, comfrey leaves and root, coriander seed, cranberry, dandelion, echinacea, elderberry, elderflower, endo (Anethum graveolens), evening primrose, eucalyptus, fennel, feverfew, garlic, ginger (Zingibar officinale), ginkgo, ginseng, wolfberry, goldenseal, grapeseed, grapefruit, grapefruit rosé (Citrus paradisi), graviola (Annona muricata), green tea, gutkola, hawthorn, hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa). sabdariffa), honeybush, gynostemma, birch, jambu (Spilanthes oleracea), jasmine (Jasminum officinale), juniper berry (Juniperus communis), lavender, lemon (Citrus limon), licorice, lilac, Yamabushitake mushroom, maca (Lepidium meyenii), marjoram, milk thistle, mint (mantle), oolong tea, orange (Citrus sinensis), sinensis), oregano, papaya, pennyroyal, peppermint (Mentha piperita), potato peels, quince, red clover, rooibos (red or green), rosehips (Rosa canina), rosemary, sage, St. John's wort, salvia (Salvia officinalis), savory, saw palmetto, silybum marianum, slippery elm bark, sorghum bran high tannin, sorghum grain high tannin, spearmint (Mentha spicata) spicata), spirulina, sumac bran, thyme, turmeric, uva-ursi, valerian, vanilla, wild yam root, wintergreen, withania somnifera, yacon root, yellow dock, yerba mate, and yerba santa.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, ginger, lavender, jasmine, clove, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material comprises eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is present in granular form. The non-tobacco botanical material in granular form may have a range of particle sizes. For example, in some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material has a particle size of about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm. In some cases, the non-tobacco botanical material particles may be sized to pass through a screen mesh to obtain the required particle size range. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in granular form comprises eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in granular form is selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, ginger, lavender, jasmine, cloves, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in granular form is selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is present in the form of an extract. As used herein, "botanical extract" refers to an isolated component of a botanical material extracted from a solid botanical material by a solvent (e.g., water, alcohol, or the like) that contacts the solid botanical material during an extraction process. Various extraction techniques for solid botanical materials can be used to provide a botanical material extract. In some embodiments, the botanical extract is an extract of angelica root, caraway seed, cinnamon, clove, coriander seed, elderberry, elderflower, ginger, jasmine, lavender, lilac, peppermint (Mentha piperita), quince, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in extract form includes eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in extract form is selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, aerosol-generating materials prepared from particulate (e.g., milled) botanical material provide superior aromatic characteristics compared to aerosol-generating materials prepared from extracts. In particular, in certain embodiments, the low amounts of eucalyptus-specific compounds present in eucalyptus extracts resulted in a lower perceived aromatic characteristics of aerosol-generating materials including the extract compared to materials prepared from milled eucalyptus. Therefore, in certain embodiments, it may be beneficial to utilize particulate (e.g., milled) botanical material in an aerosol-generating material.

The amount of non-tobacco botanical material present may vary based on the physical form of the aerosol-forming material (e.g., extruded sheets, cast sheets, beads, reconstituted paper sheets, and the like) and the particular application. Generally, the amount of non-tobacco botanical material present is less than about 50% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. For example, the non-tobacco botanical material may be present in an amount of about 0.1%, about 0.5%, about 1%, about 5%, about 10%, about 20%, or about 25% to about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 45%, or about 50% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is in granular form and is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 15 to about 40% by weight or about 20 to about 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in granular form is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 16 to about 24% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in granular form is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 20 to about 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in granular form is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 5 to about 15% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material is present as an extract in place of or in addition to any non-tobacco botanical material in particulate form. In some embodiments, the non-tobacco botanical material in extract form is present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 0.5 to about 5%, or about 0.5 to about 3%, e.g., about 0.5 to about 1.5%, or about 1.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Binder The aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein include a binder. The binder (or combination of binders) is used in an amount sufficient to provide the aerosol-forming material with the desired physical attributes and physical integrity. The amount of binder utilized can vary based on the physical form of the aerosol-forming material (e.g., extruded sheets, cast sheets, beads, reconstituted paper sheets, and the like) and the particular application. Typically, the amount of binder present is up to about 25% by weight, with certain embodiments characterized by a binder content of at least about 0.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the binder is present in an amount ranging from about 0.6 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material, for example, about 0.6%, about 1%, about 1.5%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, about 10%, about 11%, or about 12% to about 15%, about 20%, or about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the binder is present in an amount ranging from about 0.6 to about 1% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the binder is present in an amount ranging from about 6 to about 25% by weight, for example, about 8 to about 12%, based on the total weight of the substrate.

Typical binders can be organic or inorganic, or a combination thereof. Examples of typical binders include povidone, sodium alginate, pectin, gums, carrageenan, pullulan, zein, cellulose derivatives, and the like, and combinations thereof. In some implementations, a combination or blend of two or more binder materials may be used. Other examples of binder materials are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,839 to Jakob et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,887 to Raker et al., which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

In some embodiments, the binder is selected from the group consisting of alginates, carrageenans and other seaweed hydrocolloids, exudate gum hydrocolloids, cellulose ethers, starches, gums, dextran, povidone, pullulan, zein, or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the binder is a cellulose ether (including carboxyalkyl ethers), which refers to a cellulose polymer in which the hydrogen of one or more hydroxyl groups in the cellulose structure has been replaced with an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, or aryl group. Non-limiting examples of such cellulose derivatives include methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose ("HPC"), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ("HPMC"), hydroxyethyl cellulose, and carboxymethylcellulose ("CMC"). Suitable cellulose ethers include hydroxypropyl cellulose, such as Klucel H from Aqualon Co.; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, such as Methocel K4MS from DuPont; hydroxyethyl cellulose, such as Natrosol 250 MRCS from Aqualon Co.; methylcellulose, such as Methocel A4M, K4M, and E15 from DuPont; and sodium carboxymethylcellulose, such as Aqualon Co. Examples of suitable binders include CMC 7HF, CMC 7LF, and CMC 7H4F manufactured by Epson Corporation. In some embodiments, the binder is one or more cellulose ethers (e.g., a single cellulose ether or a combination of several cellulose ethers, such as a combination of two or three). In some embodiments, the binder is a cellulose ether selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and combinations thereof. In embodiments where the substrate comprises multiple cellulose ethers, it should be understood that the stated weight basis of the binder reflects the total weight of the combination of cellulose ethers relative to the total wet weight of the substrate. In some embodiments, the binder is carboxymethyl cellulose.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein include one or more fillers, which may include materials such as calcium carbonate, starch, wood fiber, pulp, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, crushed seashells, inert materials, and the like.

When present, the amount of filler can vary. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises one or more fillers in an amount of up to about 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the substrate. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises one or more fillers in an amount of about 0 to about 25% by weight, e.g., about 0.1%, about 1%, or about 5% to about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, or about 25%, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises about 3 to about 5%, about 5 to about 15%, or about 15 to about 25%, e.g., about 16 to about 24%, of fillers in an amount of about 10% to about 25%, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the one or more fillers comprise starch, including native and modified starches. As used herein, "starch" may refer to pure starch from any source, modified starch, or starch derivatives. Starch is typically present in granular form almost exclusively in green plants and in various types of plant tissues and organs (e.g., seeds, leaves, rhizomes, roots, tubers, sprouts, fruits, grains, and stems). Starch can vary in composition and granular shape and size. Often, starches from different sources have different chemical and physical characteristics. Specific starches can be selected for inclusion in beads based on the starch material's ability to impart particular sensory properties to the beads. Starches from a variety of sources can be used. For example, primary sources of starch include cereal grains (e.g., rice, wheat, and corn) and root vegetables (e.g., potato and cassava). Other examples of starch sources include acorns, arrowroot, arracacha, bananas, barley, beans (e.g., broad beans, lentils, mung beans, peas, chickpeas), breadfruit, buckwheat, canna, chestnut, colacasia, dogtooth violet, kudzu, malanga, millet, oats, okara, taro, sago palm, sorghum, sweet potato, quinoa, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, water chestnut, and yam. Suitable starches include, but are not limited to, corn starch, rice starch, and modified food starches. Certain starches are modified starches. Modified starches have undergone one or more structural modifications, often designed to alter their high thermal properties. Some starches have been developed through genetic modification and are considered "modified" starches. Other starches are obtained and subsequently modified. For example, modified starches can be starches that have been subjected to chemical reactions such as esterification, etherification, oxidation, acid-catalyzed depolymerization (thinning) or oxidation in the presence of a base, bleaching, transglycosylation and depolymerization (e.g., dextrinization in the presence of a catalyst), cross-linking, enzyme treatment, acetylation, hydroxypropylation, and/or partial hydrolysis. Other starches are modified by heat treatments such as pregelatinization, dextrinization, and/or cold water swelling processes. Specific modified starches include monostarch phosphate, distarch glycerol, distarch phosphate esterified with sodium trimetaphosphate, distarch phosphate phosphate, acetylated distarch phosphate, starch acetate esterified with acetic anhydride, starch acetate esterified with vinyl acetate, acetylated distarch adipate, acetylated distarch glycerol, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl distarch glycerol, and starch sodium octenylsuccinate.

In some embodiments, the one or more fillers comprise corn starch, rice starch or rice flour, modified food starch, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more fillers are rice starch or rice flour. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises about 16 to about 24% rice flour by total weight of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the one or more fillers comprise a cellulose material, such as cellulose pulp. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises about 1 to about 10% cellulose pulp, for example, about 1, about 2, about 3, about 4, or about 5% to about 6, about 7, about 8, about 9, or about 10% cellulose pulp, based on the total weight of the substrate. The source of the pulp may vary. In some embodiments, the cellulose pulp is the material remaining after extraction of water-soluble substances from plant material, such as tobacco or non-tobacco botanical material.

In some embodiments, the one or more fillers comprise wood fiber. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more fillers comprise, on a dry weight basis, about 0 to about 5%, e.g., about 0%, about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, or about 5%, wood fiber or wood-derived fiber. In other embodiments, the substrate is substantially or completely free of wood fiber or wood pulp. By "substantially free" of wood fiber or pulp, it is meant that no wood fiber or pulp has been intentionally added, beyond trace amounts that may be naturally present, for example, in botanicals or other plant materials. For example, certain embodiments may be characterized as having less than 0.1 dry weight percent, or less than 0.01 dry weight percent, or less than 0.001 dry weight percent, or 0 dry weight percent wood fiber or pulp, based on the total dry weight of the substrate.

In some embodiments, the one or more fillers include inorganic or inert materials, such as, but not limited to, chitosan, carbon (graphite, diamond, fullerenes, graphene), quartz, granite, diatomaceous earth, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, clay, crustaceans, and other seashells, or combinations thereof.

Water The moisture (e.g., water) content of the aerosol-forming material may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material contains from about 0% to about 30% water. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is dried to remove at least a portion of the water present during preparation. In some embodiments, after drying, the aerosol-forming material contains from about 3 to about 21% water, based on the total weight of the substrate. In some embodiments, after drying, the aerosol-forming material contains from about 8 to about 10% or from about 12 to about 18% water, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, after drying, the aerosol-forming material contains from about 15 to about 21% water, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. The moisture content of the aerosol-forming material can be determined, for example, by Karl Fischer titration or gas chromatography/thermal conductivity detection (GC-TCD).

Aerosol-Forming Materials The aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein include aerosol-forming materials, which may also be referred to as humectants. Suitable aerosol-forming materials include, but are not limited to, water, polyhydric alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, waxes, terpenes, sugar alcohols, tobacco extracts, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may include water, polyhydric alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, waxes, terpenes, sugar alcohols, tobacco extracts, or any combination thereof. Each of the polyhydric alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, waxes, terpenes, and sugar alcohols is further described herein below.

The amount of aerosol former material present in the aerosol-generating material may vary. For example, in certain embodiments, a sufficient amount of aerosol former material is used to result in the production of a visible mainstream aerosol that resembles in many respects the appearance of cigarette smoke. The amount of aerosol former material present may depend on factors such as the number of puffs desired per aerosol-generating element. Generally, the aerosol-generating material includes a relatively large weight percentage of aerosol former material (e.g., one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol) that enables the generation of an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material upon heating.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises at least about 1 wt.%, at least about 10 wt.%, at least about 15 wt.%, at least about 20 wt.%, at least about 25 wt.%, at least about 30 wt.%, at least about 35 wt.%, at least about 40 wt.%, at least about 45 wt.%, at least about 50 wt.%, at least about 55 wt.%, or at least about 60 wt.%, based on the total weight of the substrate. Exemplary ranges of total aerosol-forming material include from about 15% to about 60 wt.%, e.g., from about 15% to about 55% or from about 15% to about 25%, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises from about 1%, 5%, 10%, 12%, or 13% by weight to about 18%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 45%, 55%, 65%, 75%, or 80% by weight of the aerosol former material (all calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material comprises from about 1-80%, 1-50%, 5-35%, 10-25%, 15-25%, 12-20%, or 13-18% by weight of the aerosol former material (all calculated on a dry weight basis).

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols. Examples of polyhydric alcohols include glycerol, propylene glycol, and other glycols, such as 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, and triethylene glycol. In some embodiments, the polyhydric alcohol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, triacetin, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the polyhydric alcohol is a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. Glycerol and propylene glycol may be present in various ratios, with either component being the majority depending on the intended application. In some embodiments, glycerol and propylene glycol are present in a weight ratio of about 3:1 to about 1:3. In some embodiments, glycerol and propylene glycol are present in a weight ratio of about 3:1, about 2:1, about 1:1, about 1:2, or about 1:3. In some embodiments, glycerol and propylene glycol are present in a weight ratio of about 1:1.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises one or more polysorbates. Examples of polysorbates include polysorbate 60 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate; Tween® 60) and polysorbate 80 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate; Tween® 80). The type of polysorbate used, or the combination of polysorbates used, depends on the intended desired effect, as different polysorbates offer different attributes due to their molecular size. For example, polysorbate molecules increase in size from polysorbate 20 to polysorbate 80. Using smaller sized polysorbate molecules creates a lower vapor volume but allows for deeper lung penetration. This may be desirable when in public places where users may not want to create a large stream of "smoke" (i.e., vapor). Conversely, if a dense vapor capable of conveying tobacco aroma components is desired, larger polysorbate molecules may be used. An additional benefit of using the polysorbate family of compounds is that polysorbates reduce the heat of vaporization of mixtures in which they are present.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more sorbitan esters. Examples of sorbitan esters include sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate (Span® 60), sorbitan monooleate (Span® 20), and sorbitan tristearate (Span® 65).

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more fatty acids. The fatty acids may include short-chain, long-chain, saturated, unsaturated, straight-chain, or branched-chain carboxylic acids. Fatty acids generally include _C4 to _C28 aliphatic carboxylic acids. Non-limiting examples of short-chain or long-chain fatty acids include butyric acid, propionic acid, valeric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more fatty acid esters. Examples of fatty acid esters include alkyl esters, monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglycerides. Examples of monoglycerides include monolaurin and glycerol monostearate. Examples of triglycerides include triolein, tripalmitin, tristearate, glycerol tributyrate, and glycerol trihexanoate.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more waxes. Examples of waxes include carnauba, beeswax, and candelilla, which are known to stabilize aerosol particles, improve palatability, or reduce throat irritation.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more terpenes. As used herein, the term "terpene" refers to hydrocarbon compounds produced by plants biosynthetically from isopentenyl pyrophosphate. Non-limiting examples of terpenes include limonene, pinene, farnesene, myrcene, geraniol, fennel, and cembrene.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises one or more sugar alcohols. Examples of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, erythritol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt, and xylitol. Sugar alcohols may act as flavor enhancers for certain flavor compounds, such as menthol and other volatiles, and generally improve the mouthfeel, texture, throat impact, and other sensory characteristics of the resulting aerosol.

In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises glycerol, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixtures, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, propylene carbonate, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the aerosol former material comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of glycerol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerol in an amount of about 15 to about 25% by weight, based on the total wet weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerol in an amount of about 15 to about 25% by weight, based on the total dry weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Active Ingredients In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises one or more active ingredients. As used herein, "active ingredient" refers to one or more substances belonging to any of the following categories: API (active pharmaceutical substance), food additive, natural medicine, and naturally occurring substances capable of exerting a beneficial effect on humans. Exemplary active ingredients include any ingredient known to affect one or more biological functions in the body, or affect the structure or any function of the human body (e.g., providing a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, an energizing effect, an antipyretic or analgesic effect, or another beneficial effect on the body), such as ingredients that have pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. In some embodiments, the active ingredient may be of the type commonly referred to as a dietary supplement, nutraceutical, "phytochemical," or "functional food." These types of additives are sometimes defined in the art to include substances typically available from naturally occurring sources (e.g., botanical materials) that provide one or more beneficial biological effects (e.g., health-promoting, disease-preventing, or other medicinal effects) but that are not classified or regulated as drugs.

Non-limiting examples of active ingredients include those in the categories of synthetic organic compounds, proteins and peptides, polysaccharides and other sugars, lipids, inorganic compounds, and diffusion sequences with therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic activity. Non-limiting examples of active ingredients include those in the categories of botanical ingredients, stimulants (e.g., caffeine and guarana), amino acids (e.g., taurine, theanine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan), and/or pharmaceutical, nutritional, and medicinal ingredients (e.g., vitamins such as B6, B12, and C, and/or cannabinoids, e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)), antioxidants, and nicotine ingredients. The specific choice of active ingredient will vary depending on the desired flavor, texture, and desired characteristics of the particular product.

The specific percentage of active ingredient(s) present will vary depending on the desired properties of the particular product. Typically, the active ingredient(s) or combination(s) thereof will be present at a total concentration of at least about 0.001% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, e.g., in the range of about 0.001% to about 20%. In some embodiments, the active ingredient(s) or combination(s) of active ingredients will be present at a concentration of about 0.1% w/w to about 10% by weight, e.g., about 0.5% w/w to about 10%, about 1% to about 10%, about 1% to about 5% by weight, etc., based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the active ingredient or combination of active ingredients may be present in an amount of from about 0.001%, about 0.01%, about 0.1%, or about 1% up to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material, for example, about 0.001%, about 0.002%, about 0.003%, about 0.004%, about 0.005%, about 0.006%, about 0.007%, about 0.008%, about 0.009%, about 0.01%, about 0.02%, about 0.03%, about 0.04%, about 0.05%, or up to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. %, about 0.06%, about 0.07%, about 0.08%, about 0.09%, about 0.1%, about 0.2%, about 0.3%, about 0.4%, about 0.5%, about 0.6%, about 0.7%, about 0.8%, or about 0.9% to about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, about 10%, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 14%, about 15%, about 16%, about 17%, about 18%, about 19%, or about 20% by weight. Further suitable ranges for particular active ingredients are provided herein below.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises a nicotine component. By "nicotine component" is meant any suitable form of nicotine (e.g., free base or salt) to provide systemic absorption of at least a portion of the nicotine present. The source of nicotine may vary and may be naturally derived or synthetic. Most preferably, the nicotine is naturally occurring and obtained as an extract of Nicotiana species (e.g., tobacco). The nicotine may have the enantiomeric forms S-(-)-nicotine, R-(+)-nicotine, or a mixture of S(-)-nicotine and R-(+)-nicotine. Most preferably, the nicotine is in the form of S-(-)-nicotine (e.g., substantially all in the form of S(-)-nicotine) or a racemic mixture primarily or predominantly composed of S-(-)-nicotine (e.g., a mixture composed of about 95 parts by weight of S-(-)-nicotine and about 5 parts by weight of R-(+)-nicotine). Most preferably, the nicotine is used in a substantially pure or essentially pure form. Highly preferred nicotine used has a purity of greater than about 95 percent by weight, more preferably greater than about 98 percent, and most preferably greater than about 99 percent.

Typically, the nicotine component is selected from the group consisting of nicotine free base and nicotine salts. In some embodiments, the nicotine is in its free base form. The nicotine may be tobacco-derived (e.g., tobacco extract) or non-tobacco-derived (e.g., synthetically or otherwise obtained). In various embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may include a nicotine component. In various embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may be free of a nicotine component. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may include a non-tobacco-derived nicotine component.

Typically, the nicotine component (calculated as the free base), when present, is at a concentration of at least about 0.001% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, e.g., at a concentration ranging from about 0.001% to about 10%. In some embodiments, the nicotine component is present at a concentration of from about 0.1% w/w to about 10% by weight, e.g., about 0.1% w/w, about 0.2%, about 0.3%, about 0.4%, about 0.5%, about 0.6%, about 0.7%, about 0.8%, or about 0.9% to about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, or about 10% by weight, calculated as the free base and relative to the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the nicotine component is present at a concentration of about 0.1% w/w to about 3% by weight, calculated as the free base and based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material, such as about 0.1% w/w to about 2.5%, about 0.1% to about 2.0%, about 0.1% to about 1.5%, or about 0.1% to about 1% by weight. These ranges may also apply to other active ingredients described herein.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming materials of the present disclosure can be characterized as being completely free or substantially free of nicotine components. "Substantially free of nicotine components" means that nicotine components are not intentionally added beyond the trace amounts that may be naturally present, for example, in botanical materials or tobacco materials milled without nicotine. For example, certain embodiments can be characterized as having less than 0.001% by weight nicotine, calculated as the free base, or less than 0.0001% or even 0% by weight nicotine.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises tobacco extract. In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may contain 5-60% by weight of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some cases, the aerosol-forming material may contain from about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% by weight to about 60%, 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%, or 30% by weight of tobacco extract (calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the aerosol-forming material may contain 10-50%, 15-40%, or 20-35% by weight of tobacco extract. The tobacco extract may contain nicotine in a concentration such that the aerosol-forming material contains from 1%, 1.5%, 2%, or 2.5% by weight to about 10%, 8%, 6%, 5%, 4.5%, or 4% by weight of nicotine (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element may contain 1-10% by weight, 2.5-8% by weight, or 2-6% by weight of nicotine. In some cases, there may be no nicotine in the aerosol-generating element other than that obtained from the tobacco extract.

In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises one or more cannabinoids. As used herein, the term "cannabinoid" refers to a diverse class of natural or synthetic compounds that act at intracellular cannabinoid receptors (e.g., CB1 and CB2) to alter neurotransmitter release in the brain. Cannabinoids are cyclic molecules that exhibit certain properties, such as the ability to readily cross the blood-brain barrier. Cannabinoids may occur naturally from plants such as cannabis (phytocannabinoids), from animals (endocannabinoids), or artificially produced (synthetic cannabinoids). Cannabis species express at least 85 different phytocannabinoids, including cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol and cannabinodiol, and other cannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabinodiol (CBDL), cannabicyclol ( They may be divided into subclasses including cannabinoids (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), cannabinerolic acid, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol propyl variant (CBNV), cannabiditriol (CBO), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), and tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCV A).

In some embodiments, the cannabinoid is selected from the group consisting of cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabinodiol (CBDL), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), cannabinerolic acid, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol propyl variant (CBNV), cannabiditriol (CBO), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCV A), and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid comprises at least tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In some embodiments, the cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In some embodiments, the cannabinoid includes at least cannabidiol (CBD). In some embodiments, the cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD). In some embodiments, the CBD is synthetic CBD. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid (e.g., CBD) is added to the aerosol-generating material in the form of an isolate. An isolate is an extract from a plant, such as cannabis, in which the active ingredient (in this case, a cannabinoid such as CBD) is present at a high degree of purity, for example, greater than 95%, greater than 96%, greater than 97%, greater than 98%, or even as high as 99%. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid is a highly pure CBD isolate, and the amount of any other cannabinoid in the substrate is about 1% or less by weight of the substrate, for example, about 0.5% or less by weight of the substrate, for example, about 0.1% or less by weight of the substrate, for example, about 0.01% or less by weight of the substrate. The selection of cannabinoids and the specific percentages thereof that may be present in the disclosed substrates will vary depending on the desired properties of the aerosol-forming material.

In some embodiments, the cannabinoid (such as CBD) is present in the aerosol-forming material at a concentration of at least about 0.001% by weight of the aerosol-forming material, for example, at a concentration in the range of about 0.001% to about 2% by weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid (such as CBD) is present in the aerosol-forming material at a concentration of about 0.1% to about 1.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid (such as CBD) is present at a concentration of about 0.4% to about 1.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Alternatively, or in addition to cannabinoids, the active ingredient may include cannabimimetics, a class of compounds derived from plants other than cannabis that exert biological effects on the endocannabinoid system similar to cannabinoids. Examples include yangonin, alpha-amyrin or beta-amyrin (also classified as terpenes), cyanidin, curcumin (turmeric), catechin, quercetin, salvinorin A, N-acylethanolamines, and N-alkylamide lipids. Such compounds may be used in the same amounts and ratios as described herein for cannabinoids.

In some embodiments, the active ingredients include nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD). In some embodiments, the active ingredients include nicotine, cannabidiol (CBD), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

Active ingredients suitable for use in the present disclosure can also be classified as terpenes, many of which are associated with biological effects such as sedative effects. Terpenes have the general formula ( _C5H8 ) _{n and} are understood to include monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes. Terpenes can be acyclic, monocyclic, or bicyclic in structure. Some terpenes exert an entourage effect when used in combination with cannabinoids or cannabimimetics. Examples include beta-caryophyllene, linalool, limonene, beta-citronellol, linalyl acetate, pinene (alpha or beta), geraniol, carvone, eucalyptol, menthone, iso-menthone, piperitone, myrcene, beta-borvonene, and germacrene, which may be used alone or in combination.

In some embodiments, the terpene is a terpene derivable from a phytocannabinoid-producing plant, such as a plant from the lineage of the Cannabis sativa species, such as hemp. Suitable terpenes in this regard include so-called "C10" terpenes, which are those terpenes containing 10 carbon atoms, and so-called "C15" terpenes, which are those terpenes containing 15 carbon atoms. In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises multiple terpenes. For example, the active ingredient may comprise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more terpenes as defined herein. In some embodiments, the terpene is selected from pinene (alpha and beta), geraniol, linalool, limonene, carvone, eucalyptol, menthone, iso-menthone, piperitone, myrcene, beta-borvonene, germacrene, and mixtures thereof. Terpenes and/or cannabinoids may be present in the aerosol-forming material as active ingredients, as aerosol former materials, or as flavoring ingredients. The amount of terpenes and/or cannabinoids present may vary accordingly based on their intended purpose.

The active ingredient may be a component of the aerosol-forming material, or may be impregnated or otherwise incorporated separately into the aerosol-forming material. For example, impregnation may occur during preparation of the aerosol-forming material, after formation of the aerosol-forming material, or both.

Acid In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises an acid. The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monobasic acid, a dibasic acid, and a tribasic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may contain at least one carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha-hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha-keto acid.

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

In some embodiments, the acid is lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid.

In certain embodiments, the aerosol-forming material includes nicotine and further includes an acid. In such embodiments, the presence of the acid may stabilize the nicotine species dissolved in the slurry from which the aerosol-forming material is formed. The presence of the acid may reduce or substantially prevent evaporation of the nicotine during drying of the slurry, thereby reducing nicotine loss during manufacture. The presence of the acid may also improve the flavor of the aerosol when nicotine is present. For example, the perceived harshness of nicotine may be reduced by the presence of the acid.

Flavoring Substances In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material comprises a flavoring substance. As used herein, reference to a "flavoring substance" refers to a compound or ingredient that can be aerosolized and delivered to a user and that provides a sensory experience in terms of taste and/or aroma. They may take any suitable form, e.g., a liquid such as an oil, a solid such as a powder, or a gaseous form. Flavoring substances may be natural or synthetic, and the flavor characteristics imparted thereby may be described as, but are not limited to, fresh, sweet, herbal, confectionery, floral, fruity, or spicy. Some examples of flavoring substances include, but are not limited to, aloe vera, aniseed, apple, Asian spice, bacopa monniera (bacopa monniera), and the like. monniera), basil, bay leaf, red shiso, bergamot, berries, betel nut, blueberry, bourbon, camphene, cannabis, caraway, cardamom, caraway, cascarilla, cassia, blackcurrant, celery, chamomile, cherry, cherry blossom, chives, coriander, cinnamon, citrus fruits, clementine, cloves, cocoa, coffee, cognac, coriander, cranberry, cucumber, cumin, turmeric, damien, dragon fruit, Drambuie, Durian, elderflower, eucalyptus, eugenol, fennel, fenugreek, flax, geranium, gin, ginger, ginkgo, grape, guayusa, hazel, hemp, hibiscus, honeybush, honey essence, hydrangea, Indian spice, jasmine, juniper, khat, lavender, bay laurel, lemon, lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon oil, lemon peel, licorice, lime, limonene, mace, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf white bark magnolia leaf), mango, maple, marjoram, matcha, yerba mate, menthol, mint, myrtle, mulberry, snuff, nutmeg, olive, orange blossom, orange oil, orange peel, oregano, papaya, paprika, peach, peppermint, chili pepper, pimento, pine, rhubarb, rooibos, rosemary, rosehip, rose oil, rum, saffron, sage, sandalwood, scotch, shisha, spearmint, strawberry, tarragon, tea such as green tea or black tea, tequila, terpenes, thyme, tobacco, tropical fruits, turmeric, valerian, vanilla, verbena, wasabi, whiskey, wintergreen, withania somnifera, yerba mate mate), yerba santa, ylang ylang, and combinations thereof.

Flavoring substances may further include flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulators, and trigeminal sensates. As used herein, "trigeminal sensates" refers to flavoring agents that exert an effect on the trigeminal nerve and produce sensations including heat, cold, tingling, and the like. Non-limiting examples of trigeminal sensate flavoring agents include capsaicin, citric acid, menthol, Sichuan buttons, erythritol, and cubol. A suitable heat-acting agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol or WS-3 (N-ethyl-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanecarboxamide).

Further non-limiting examples include flavorings and flavor packages of the type and characteristics traditionally used in flavoring cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco. See also Leffingwell et al., "Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products," R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1972), incorporated herein by reference. Flavoring agents may include components such as terpenes, terpenoids, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and the like. Syrups, such as high fructose corn syrup, can also be used. Some examples of plant-derived compositions that may be suitable are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,107,453 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0152265, both to Dube et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The selection of such additional ingredients will vary based on factors such as the sensory characteristics desired in the smoking article, their affinity for the substrate material, their solubility, and other physicochemical properties. The present disclosure is intended to encompass any such additional ingredients readily apparent to those skilled in the art of tobacco and tobacco-related or tobacco-derived products. See, for example, Gutcho's *Tobacco Flavoring Substances and Methods*, Noyes Data Corp. (1972) and Leffingwell et al.'s *Tobacco Flavoring for Smoking Products* (1972), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. It should be noted that reference to flavoring substances should not be limited to any single flavoring substance mentioned above, but may, in fact, represent a combination of one or more flavoring substances. Additional flavoring substances, flavoring agents, additives, and other potential enhancing components are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15/707,461 to Phillips et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the flavoring substances include cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and/or red berry flavoring components. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring includes flavoring components extracted from tobacco.

The flavoring substance may be a component of the aerosol former material or may be separately impregnated into the aerosol-forming material. Impregnation may occur during preparation of the aerosol-forming material, after formation of the aerosol-forming material, or both.

The amount of flavoring substance present may vary, and when present, is generally less than about 30%, or less than about 20% by weight of the aerosol-forming material. For example, the flavoring substance may be present in an amount of about 0.1%, about 0.5%, about 1%, or about 5% to about 10%, about 20%, or about 30% by weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Colorant: In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material includes a colorant. The addition of a colorant can change the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material. The presence of a colorant can enhance the visual appearance of the aerosol-generating material and/or the aerosol-generating element including the substrate. By adding a colorant to the aerosol-generating material, the aerosol-generating material can be color-matched to other parts of the aerosol-generating element or other components of the article including the aerosol-generating material.

Various colorants may be used depending on the desired color of the aerosol-forming material. The color of the aerosol-forming material may be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown, or black. Other colors are contemplated herein. Natural or synthetic colorants may be used, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food-grade colorants, and pharmaceutical-grade colorants. In certain embodiments, the colorant is caramel, which may impart a brown appearance to the substrate. In such embodiments, the color of the aerosol-forming material may resemble the color of other components (such as tobacco material) in the aerosol-generating element that contains the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the addition of the colorant to the aerosol-generating material renders it visually indistinguishable from the other components.

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

Other Components In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material may further include a flame-retardant material, conductive fibers or particles for heat conduction/induction, or any combination thereof. One example of a flame-retardant material is ammonium phosphate. In some embodiments, other flame-retardant materials and additives may be included in the aerosol-forming material, including organophosphorus compounds, borax, hydrated alumina, graphite, potassium, silica, tripolyphosphate, dipentaerythritol, pentaerythritol, and polyols. Other flame-retardant materials, such as nitrogen-containing phosphonates, monoammonium phosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, ammonium bromide, ammonium borate, ethanolammonium borate, ammonium sulfamate, halogenated organic compounds, thiourea, and antimony oxide, may also be used. In each aspect of the flame retardant, flame retardant, and/or scorch inhibitor materials used in the aerosol-forming material and/or other components (alone or in combination with each other and/or other materials), the desired property is freedom from and resistance to undesirable outgassing or melting-type behavior. Various techniques and methods for incorporating tobacco into smoking articles, particularly smoking articles designed to intentionally not combust substantially all of the tobacco within those smoking articles, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,874 to Brooks et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,647,932 to Cantrell et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,371 to Robinson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,549 to Banerjee et al.; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0215167 to Crooks et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The aerosol-generating material may include conductive fibers or particles for heating by thermal conduction or induction. In some embodiments, the conductive fibers or particles may be arranged in a substantially linear and parallel pattern. In some embodiments, the conductive fibers or particles may have a substantially random configuration. In some embodiments, the conductive fibers or particles may be comprised of one or more of an aluminum material, a stainless steel material, a copper material, a carbon material, and a graphite material. In some embodiments, one or more conductive fibers or particles having different Curie temperatures may be included in the aerosol-generating material to facilitate inductive heating at various temperatures.

In still other implementations, the aerosol-generating material may include various types of inorganic fibers (e.g., fiberglass, metal wire/screen, etc.) and/or (organic) synthetic polymers. In various implementations, these "fibrous" materials could be non-structured (e.g., randomly distributed) or structured (e.g., wire mesh).

Form of the Aerosol-Forming Material The form of the aerosol-forming material may vary, including extruded sheets, cast sheets, paper reconstituted sheets, beads, shreds, or granules, and the like.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in sheet form, such as a cast, extruded, or reconstituted paper sheet. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material in sheet form is a flat sheet. In some embodiments, the flat sheet is layered, such as a series of overlapping layers. In some embodiments, the flat sheet may be bound, crimped, pressed, and/or otherwise held together. In some embodiments, the flat sheet may be further reduced into cut lugs or strips for insertion into an aerosol-generating material-containing segment of an aerosol delivery device. The flat sheet may be gathered or rolled into a rod for insertion into an aerosol-generating material-containing segment of an aerosol delivery device. In some embodiments, the flat sheet may be shredded. The aerosol-generating material in sheet form may be continuous. For example, in a cast or extruded sheet, the aerosol-generating material may comprise or be a continuous sheet of material. The sheet may be cut into strips, such as about 20 to 30 cut strips per inch, and used as a consumable or cigarette filler. The sheet may be chopped to form a chopped sheet and collected into strands or bundles for use in consumables or cigarettes as described herein below. The sheet may take the form of a wrapper or may be collected to form a collected sheet as described herein below.

The thickness of an aerosol-generating material in sheet form may vary. As used herein, the term "thickness" when used with respect to an aerosol-generating material refers to the shortest distance between a first surface and a second surface. In embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material is in the form of a sheet, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is the shortest distance between a first plane of the sheet and a second plane of the sheet opposite the first plane of the sheet. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 10 mm. Suitably, the thickness may range from about 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.15 mm to about 5 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.3 mm. In some embodiments, a flat sheet has a thickness of about 0.3 mm to about 0.8 mm. An aerosol-generating material may include multiple layers, and the thicknesses described herein refer to the combined thickness of those layers. The thickness values specified herein are average values for the thickness in question. In some cases, the thickness may vary by 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, or 1% or less.

In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in beaded form. By "beaded form," it is meant that the aerosol-generating material is in the form of granules or pellets that can have any of a variety of cross-sectional shapes, including round, spherical, oval, or irregular. The beaded material is typically flowable, allowing the beaded material to be easily deposited within an outer housing used in an aerosol-delivery device, such as those disclosed herein below. In some embodiments, the beads are rounded or spherical. The size of the beads may vary. In some embodiments, the beads are between 8 and 16 mesh (mean particle size distribution of 0.149 mm and bead weight of 25 to 26 milligrams). In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material in beaded form delivers a sharper flavor at the end of the heating session. In some embodiments, the beaded aerosol-generating material provided superior delivery of eucalyptol when prepared with milled eucalyptus compared to beaded material prepared with eucalyptus extract. Thus, in certain embodiments, it may be beneficial to provide an aerosol-generating material in beaded form that includes milled eucalyptus.

Preparation of the Aerosol-Generating Material Extruded Sheet Preparation In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in the form of an extruded sheet. Typically, aerosol-generating materials in extruded sheet form are prepared using extrusion techniques. As a non-limiting illustrative example, the extruded sheets disclosed herein may be prepared by combining the individual components of the aerosol-generating material (e.g., milled tobacco, milled botanical or botanical extract, binder, water, and at least a portion of the aerosol-forming material) to form a dough or agglomerate and extruding the dough. The manner in which the various components are combined may vary. For example, the above-mentioned components, which may be in liquid or dry solid form, may be mixed in a pre-processing step before mixing with any remaining ingredients, or may simply be mixed together with all other liquid or dry ingredients. Any individual component of the aerosol-generating material may be added to any other aerosol-generating material component, either individually or in any combination. In some embodiments, additional ingredients may be added to form the dough before extrusion (e.g., flavoring substances and the like).

The various components of the aerosol-forming material may be contacted, combined, or mixed together using any mixing technique or device known in the art. Any mixing method that brings the aerosol-forming material components into intimate contact can be used, such as a mixing device featuring an impeller or other structure that allows for agitation. Examples of mixing devices include casing drums, conditioning cylinders or drums, liquid spray devices, cone-type blenders, ribbon blenders, plowshare-type mixers available from Littleford Day, Inc. as FKM130, FKM600, FKM1200, FKM2000, and FKM3000, Hobart mixers, and the like. See, for example, the type of methodology described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,325 to Solomon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,855 to Korte et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,654 to Williams, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Techniques and methods for blending mixtures will be apparent to those skilled in the art. See, for example, the type of methodology described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,325 to Solomon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,855 to Korte et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,654 to Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,440 to Ridgway et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,524 to Bolder et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The dough or agglomerates are then extruded. Extrusion can be carried out using extruders such as screw, auger, injection molding, sieve, basket, roll, and ram-type extruders, which force the agglomerates through an appropriately sized and shaped die aperture. In some embodiments, the dough is extruded into sheet form in a twin-screw extruder using a 0.8 mm thick x 1.25 inch wide die. In some embodiments, the dough is extruded into sheet form and then rolled between cylinders (size press). In some embodiments, delivery of certain aromatic components (e.g., D-limonene, anethole, and estragole) is superior in extruded sheets prepared from particulates (i.e., milled botanicals) when prepared by a process including extrusion rolling compared to those prepared without rolling, those prepared using a paper reconstitution process, or those prepared using botanical extracts. In certain embodiments, delivery of numerous aroma compounds specific to eucalyptus is superior (e.g., greater botanical/flavor amplitude and better consistency) for sheets prepared from eucalyptus milled by the extrusion/rolling process. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the roll-extrusion process, which utilizes less water in the composition and dries the sheet at a lower temperature, retains more of the volatile aromatic compounds present in the botanical material. Thus, in some embodiments, it may be beneficial to provide the aerosol-generating material in extruded sheet form, as prepared by a method comprising extruding and rolling a dough comprising the ingredients set forth hereinabove.

The sheet may optionally be dried to remove at least a portion of the liquid content (e.g., water). The final moisture content may be about 8 to about 21% moisture by weight on a wet basis. Additionally, flavoring substances, extracts, aerosol former materials, and the like, may be added to the sheet after drying. In some embodiments, the cast sheet may be reduced or shredded into cut rags or strips, or collected into a rod or rolled.

Cast Sheet Preparation In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in sheet form and a cast sheet technique is used to create a flat sheet. By way of non-limiting example, the band cast sheets disclosed herein may be prepared by combining the individual aerosol-generating material components (e.g., milled tobacco, milled botanical or botanical extract, binder, water, and at least a portion of the aerosol-forming material) to form a slurry (10-20% w/v) that can be cast or dispensed onto a surface (e.g., a moving stainless steel belt or a Mylar carrier sheet, etc.). The cast slurry may then undergo one or more drying and/or doctoring steps to result in a cast sheet of relatively consistent thickness. Other examples of casting and papermaking techniques are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,519 to Keritsis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,484 to Clapp et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,906 to Young et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,854 to Kiernan et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,864 to Young et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,864 to Sohn et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. No. 5,143,097 to Brinkley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,942 to Brinkley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,076 to Brinkley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,838 to Young et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,698 to Litzinger et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,237 to Young; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,706 to Kumar.

The cast sheet may optionally be dried to remove at least a portion of the liquid content (e.g., water). The final moisture content may be about 8-15% wet weight on a wet basis. Additionally, flavoring substances, extracts, aerosol former materials, and the like, may be added to the sheet after drying. In some embodiments, the cast sheet may be reduced into cut rags or strips, or may be collected into a rod or rolled.

Preparation of Reconstituted Paper Sheets In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is in sheet form and prepared using paper processing techniques. Paper processing techniques generally involve hot water extraction (60-90°C) of non-tobacco botanical and tobacco materials (e.g., tobacco leaves, stems, waste, or dust) for a period of time, followed by mechanical separation of the pulp material and extract. The tobacco botanical pulp material is then refined, optionally combined with cellulose pulp, and formed into a base sheet on a Fourdrinier wire, and the resulting sheet is treated with at least a portion of the concentrated extract mixed with an aerosol-forming agent. A typical reconstituted paper process according to non-limiting embodiments is presented in Figure 1. Referring to Figure 1, the botanical materials disclosed herein are extracted with water to form spent pulp and an aqueous extract. Similarly, tobacco materials are extracted to form an extract and tobacco pulp. Typically, a suspension of pulp and water resulting from the extraction of tobacco and/or botanical materials is subjected to a separation step, such as centrifugation and/or filtration, to form a thin extract containing soluble materials and solids containing unrefined fibers for each of the tobacco and botanical materials. The thin tobacco and/or botanical extract may then be concentrated, for example by vacuum evaporation or other means, to an extract of >20% solids (w/v). Optionally, one or more aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein may be added to the extract, the pulp, or both, and thoroughly mixed to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Water and, optionally, pre-pulped wood fibers may be added to the solids, and these materials may be further refined to fibrillate the tobacco and botanical fibers. In some embodiments, a binder, as described herein, is added. The refined pulp may then be passed through a Fourdrinier screen to produce a nonwoven web or paper. The web may then be dried to a moisture content of 45-55%. The concentrated extract, optionally containing an aerosol former material, may then be added to the original web to reduce the web to 8-10% moisture. Optionally, an inert filter aid may be added to the pulp before web formation on a Fourdrinier screen.

Preparation of Beads In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is in the form of beads. Typically, aerosol-forming materials in the form of beads are prepared using a combination of extrusion and spheronization techniques. As a non-limiting example, the beaded aerosol-forming materials disclosed herein may be prepared by combining individual aerosol-forming material components (e.g., milled tobacco, milled botanical or botanical extract, binder, and at least a portion of the aerosol-forming material) with water to form agglomerates, extruding the agglomerates into fine, fibrous strands, and then spheronizing the extruded strands into spheres or other rounded shapes.

The manner in which the various ingredients are combined may vary. For example, the above-mentioned ingredients, which may be in liquid or dry solid form, may be mixed in a pre-processing step and then mixed with any remaining ingredients, or may simply be mixed together with all other liquid or dry ingredients. Any individual component of the aerosol-forming material may be added to any other aerosol-forming material component, either individually or in any combination. In some embodiments, additional ingredients (e.g., fillers, flavoring substances, and the like) may be added to form a slurry prior to extraction.

The various components of the aerosol-forming material may be contacted, combined, or mixed together using any mixing technique or device known in the art. Any mixing method that brings the aerosol-forming material components into intimate contact can be used, such as a mixing device featuring an impeller or other structure that allows for agitation. Examples of mixing devices include casing drums, conditioning cylinders or drums, liquid spray devices, cone-type blenders, ribbon blenders, plowshare-type mixers available from Littleford Day, Inc. as FKM130, FKM600, FKM1200, FKM2000, and FKM3000, Hobart mixers, and the like. See, for example, the type of methodology described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,325 to Solomon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,855 to Korte et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,654 to Williams, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Techniques and methods for blending mixtures will be apparent to those skilled in the art. See, for example, the type of methodology described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,325 to Solomon et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,855 to Korte et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,654 to Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,440 to Ridgway et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,524 to Bolder et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The agglomerates are then extruded. Extrusion can be carried out using extruders such as screw, sieve, basket, roll, and ram-type extruders, which force the agglomerates through an appropriately sized perforated screen. Any suitable shape can be used. In some embodiments, the agglomerates are extruded into fine, fibrous rods. The extrudate is then processed in a spheronizer or marumerizer (e.g., Model Q 120T or QJ 230T, Fuji Paudal, Japan) at an appropriate rotation speed (e.g., 1200 RPM) for an appropriate time (e.g., 10 minutes). For example, spheronization can be carried out using a rotating friction plate that rounds the extrudate particles.

The beads may optionally be dried to remove at least a portion of the liquid content (e.g., water). The resulting beads may be dried in a fluidized bed dryer, apron dryer, rotary dryer, flash dryer, tray dryer, or plow mixer. The final moisture content may be 3-21% moisture by weight on a wet basis.

Following optional drying, the variously sized beads can be processed through a series of screens to provide the desired size range, such as those mentioned above (e.g., about 8 to about 16 mesh). Additionally, flavoring substances, extracts, aerosol-forming materials, and the like, can be added to the beads after drying.

Adding an Aerosol-Forming Agent to an Aerosol-Generating Material In various embodiments, an aerosol-generating material may be associated with an aerosol-forming agent material by impregnating the aerosol-generating material with the aerosol-forming agent material during preparation of the aerosol-generating material, after formation of the aerosol-generating material, or both. For example, in some embodiments, a portion of the aerosol-forming agent material (e.g., glycerol or propylene glycol) is added to a slurry used to form the aerosol-generating material, e.g., during fabrication of a sheet or bead, and a second portion of the aerosol-forming agent material (e.g., glycerol or propylene glycol) is added to the sheet or bead as a top dressing (e.g., by spraying) to form the final aerosol-generating material. In other embodiments, the entire aerosol-forming agent material is added to a slurry used to form the aerosol-generating material during fabrication of the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, additional aerosol-forming agent material may be impregnated into or onto the aerosol-generating material by adding additional aerosol-forming agent material to the aerosol-generating material-forming slurry or as a top dressing on the aerosol-generating material. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, numerous permutations of methods for dosing the aerosol former material with the aerosol-generating material are possible depending on the particular aerosol-generating material, shape, and the like, and therefore, any such modifications are contemplated herein.

Aerosol-Generating Element In another aspect, an aerosol-generating element is provided. The aerosol-generating element comprises the aerosol-generating material disclosed herein. The aerosol-generating element may take any suitable form, such as a shredded sheet, a corrugated sheet, a sheet crimped and gathered into a cylindrical rod, or a plurality of beads. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element comprises a crimped and gathered sheet or corrugated sheet of aerosol-generating material formed into a rod, the rod having a wrapping material surrounding the rod.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element comprises the aerosol-generating material disclosed herein in flat sheet form. In some embodiments, the flat sheet may be further reduced into cut lugs or strips for insertion into an aerosol-generating-material-containing segment of an aerosol delivery device. In some embodiments, the flat sheet may be bundled, crumpled, crimped, and/or otherwise gathered into layers.

In some embodiments, the flat sheet is layered, for example, into a series of overlapping layers. FIG. 2 is an illustration of a perspective schematic view of an aerosol-generating element according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 2 shows an aerosol-generating element 104 having an aerosol-generating material 110 including a series of overlapping layers 130 of aerosol-generating material in sheet form 120. Referring to the above description, in the illustrated embodiment, the aerosol-generating material sheet 120 includes layers. In various embodiments, the term "overlapping layers" may include bundled, crumpled, crinkled, and/or gathered layers, in which the individual layers may not be clearly defined.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of an aerosol generating element according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 3 shows an aerosol generating element 104 having an aerosol-generating material 110 including a series of overlapping layers 130 of aerosol-generating material sheets 120. In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the overlapping layers 130 is substantially surrounded around its outer surface by a first cover layer 132. In various embodiments, the first cover layer 132 may be constructed via a casting process such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,385 to Seymour et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the overlapping layers 130 and the first cover layer 132 is substantially surrounded around its outer surface by a second cover layer 134. While the composition of the second cover layer 134 may vary, in the illustrated embodiment, the second cover layer 134 comprises a metal foil material, such as an aluminum foil material. In other embodiments, the second cover layer may comprise other materials, including, but not limited to, copper, tin, gold, alloy, ceramic, or other thermally conductive amorphous carbon-based materials, and/or any combination thereof. The illustrated embodiment further includes a third cover layer 136 that substantially surrounds the outer surfaces of the overlapping layer 130, the first cover layer 132, and the second cover layer 134. In the illustrated embodiment, the third cover layer 136 comprises a paper material, such as conventional cigarette wrapping paper. In various embodiments, the paper material may include rag fibers, such as non-wood plant fibers, and may include flax, hemp, sisal, rice straw, and/or esparto fibers.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element 104 comprises the aerosol-generating material 110, optionally in sheet form 120, and further comprises additional tobacco material (e.g., reconstituted or laminar tobacco). For the avoidance of doubt, this additional tobacco material is separate and distinct from the tobacco material present in the aerosol-generating material 110 and does not form part of the aerosol-generating material 110. Instead, this additional tobacco material is physically combined with the aerosol-generating material 110. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element 104 comprises from about 10 to about 100% by weight of the aerosol-generating material 110, with the remainder of the element comprising or consisting of tobacco material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is present in the aerosol-generating element 104 in an amount of from about 50 to about 90% by weight, or from about 60 to about 90% by weight, or from about 70 to about 90% by weight, or from about 80 to about 90% by weight of the aerosol-generating element 104. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 114 is present in the aerosol-generating element 104 in an amount of about 5-40% by weight, 5-30% by weight, 5-25% by weight, 10-25% by weight, or 10-20% by weight. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element 104 consists of, or consists essentially of, the aerosol-generating material 110 and tobacco material.

Any suitable form of tobacco material may be used, such as tobacco, tobacco derivatives, extended tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. The tobacco material may include one or more of ground tobacco, tobacco fiber, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stems, reconstituted tobacco, and/or tobacco extract.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 110 is present as a shredded sheet blended with the tobacco material. In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material 110 is present as a plurality of beads blended with the tobacco material. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is finely cut and/or shredded, e.g., the aerosol-forming material 110 and the tobacco material are in a similar form. In some embodiments, the tobacco material comprises reconstituted tobacco, tobacco lamina, fine cut tobacco, cut rag tobacco, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the tobacco material is Charlotte shred tobacco.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 110 is shredded and blended with other materials, such as a substrate, instead of or in addition to tobacco to form the aerosol-generating element 104. Suitable substrates are described further herein below.

Support In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material described herein may be present on or in a support to form a substrate (which in some embodiments is synonymous with the term "consumable"). In such embodiments, the support serves as a scaffold upon which a layer of aerosol-generating material is formed, facilitating manufacturing. The support may provide rigidity to the layer of aerosol-generating material and facilitate handling. The support may be any suitable material that can be used to support the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the support may be formed from a material selected from metal foil, paper, carbon paper, greaseproof paper, ceramic, carbon allotropes such as graphite and graphene, plastic, cardboard, wood, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the support may include or consist of a tobacco material, such as a sheet of reconstituted tobacco. In some embodiments, the support may be formed from a material selected from metal foil, paper, cardboard, wood, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the support comprises paper. In some embodiments, the support itself may be a laminate structure including layers of materials selected from the preceding list. In some embodiments, the support may function as a flavor support. For example, the substrate may be impregnated with flavoring substances or with tobacco extract.

The thickness of the support may vary. In some embodiments, the thickness of the support layer may range from about 10 μm, 15 μm, 17 μm, 20 μm, 23 μm, 25 μm, 50 μm, 75 μm, or 0.1 mm to about 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, or 0.5 mm. The support may include multiple layers, and the thicknesses described herein refer to the combined thickness of those layers.

In some embodiments, the substrate may be magnetic. This functionality may be used to secure the substrate to an assembly during use or to generate a particular shape of aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating substrate may include one or more magnets that can be used to secure the substrate to an induction heater during use.

In some embodiments, the support may be substantially or entirely impermeable to gases and/or aerosols. This prevents the passage of aerosols or gases through the support layer, thereby ensuring a controlled flow and delivery to the user. This may also be used, for example, to prevent condensation or other buildup of gases/aerosols on the surface of a heater provided in the aerosol generation assembly during use. Consumption efficiency and hygiene may therefore be improved in some cases.

In some embodiments, the surface of the support that contacts the aerosol-generating material may be porous. For example, in some embodiments, the support comprises paper. Porous supports such as paper are particularly suitable for the present invention; the porous (e.g., paper) layer contacts the aerosol-generating layer and forms a strong bond. The aerosol-generating material is formed by drying a gel, and without being bound by theory, it is believed that the slurry from which the gel is formed partially impregnates the porous support (e.g., paper) such that the support partially bonds to the gel as the gel hardens and forms crosslinks. This provides a strong bond between the gel and the support (and between the dried gel and the support).

Furthermore, surface roughness can contribute to the strength of the bond between the aerosol-generating material and the substrate. The roughness of the paper (for the surface in contact with the substrate) may suitably be in the range of 50 to 1000 Bekk seconds, suitably 50 to 150 Bekk seconds, suitably 100 Bekk seconds (measured at air pressure intervals of 50.66 to 48.00 kPa). A Bekk smoothness tester is an instrument used to determine the smoothness of a paper surface; air at a specified pressure is leaked between a smooth glass surface and a paper sample; the time (in seconds) for a fixed volume of air to infiltrate between these surfaces is the "Bekk smoothness."

Conversely, the surface of the support facing away from the aerosol-generating material may be configured to contact the heater, with a smoother surface providing more efficient heat transfer. Thus, in some cases, the support is positioned with a rougher surface facing the aerosol-generating material and a smoother surface facing away from the aerosol-generating material.

In some specific embodiments, the support may be a paper-backed foil; the paper layer contacts the aerosol-generating material layer, providing the properties discussed in the previous paragraph. The foil backing is substantially impermeable and provides aerosol flow path control. The metal foil backing may also serve to conduct heat to the aerosol-generating material.

In another embodiment, the foil layer of the paper-backed foil contacts the aerosol-generating material. The foil is substantially impermeable, thereby preventing water provided to the aerosol-generating material from being absorbed by the paper, which could weaken its structural integrity.

In some embodiments, the support is formed from or includes a metal foil, such as aluminum foil. The metal support may allow for better conduction of thermal energy to the aerosol-generating material. Additionally or alternatively, the metal foil may function as a susceptor in an induction heating system. In certain embodiments, the support includes a metal foil layer and a support layer, such as cardboard. In these embodiments, the metal foil layer may have a thickness of less than 20 μm, for example, from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, suitably about 5 μm.

In some embodiments, the support may have a thickness of between about 0.017 mm and about 2.0 mm, suitably between about 0.02 mm, 0.05 mm, or 0.1 mm and about 1.5 mm, 1.0 mm, or 0.5 mm.

Consumables In another aspect of the present disclosure, articles (also referred to herein as consumables) are provided. Consumables are articles intended to be consumed, in part or in whole, during use by a user. Consumables may include or consist of the aerosol-generating elements described herein (e.g., aerosol-generating material 110, e.g., in sheet form 120). Consumables may also include one or more other elements, such as filters or aerosol modifiers. Consumables may also include a heating element that emits heat during use to generate aerosol from the aerosol-generating element. The heating element may, for example, include a combustible material or a susceptor that can be heated by transmission through a changing magnetic field.

A susceptor is a material that can be heated by transmission with a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The heating material can be a conductive material, such that transmission with a changing magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material can be a magnetic material, such that transmission with a changing magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The heating material can be both conductive and magnetic, and therefore can be heated by both heating mechanisms.

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

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

Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by passing a changing magnetic field through the object. The magnetic material can be viewed as containing many atomic-scale magnets, or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field passes through such a material, the magnetic dipoles become aligned with the field. Thus, when a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field generated by an electromagnet, passes through a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the changing applied field. This reorientation of the magnetic dipoles generates heat in the magnetic material.

When an object is both conductive and magnetic, passing a changing magnetic field through it can induce both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating within the object. Furthermore, the use of magnetic materials can enhance the magnetic field and thus the Joule heating.

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

The delivery systems described herein can be implemented as combustion aerosol delivery systems or non-combustion aerosol delivery systems.

Combustion Aerosol Delivery System An aspect of the present invention provides a combustion aerosol delivery system in which a constituent aerosol-generating material (e.g., 110, e.g., aerosol-generating material 120 in sheet form) of the aerosol delivery system (or elements thereof) is combusted or ablated during use to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user. In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a thin cigar, and a cigar.

Non-Combustion Aerosol Delivery Device Aspects of the present invention provide a non-combustion aerosol delivery system that includes an article described herein (i.e., an aerosol-generating material (e.g., 110 or 120), an element (e.g., 104), or a consumable) and a heater configured to heat rather than burn the aerosol-producing article. A non-combustion aerosol delivery system may also be referred to as an aerosol generating assembly. A non-combustion aerosol delivery device may also be referred to as an aerosol generating apparatus.

In some cases, during use, the heater may heat the aerosol-generating material to a temperature equal to or less than 350°C, for example, to a temperature between 120°C and 350°C, rather than burning it. In some cases, the heater may heat the aerosol-generating element to between 140°C and 250°C, or between 220°C and 280°C, rather than burning it. In some cases, during use, substantially all of the aerosol-generating material is less than about 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm from the heater. In some cases, the material is positioned between about 0.010 mm and 2.0 mm, suitably between about 0.02 mm and 1.0 mm, and suitably between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, from the heater. These minimum distances may in some cases reflect the thickness of the support supporting the aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the surface of the aerosol-generating material may be in direct contact with the heater.

The heater is configured to heat, rather than burn, the aerosol product, and thus the aerosol generating element. In some cases, the heater may be a thin-film, electrically resistive heater. In other cases, the heater may include an induction heater or the like. The heater may be a combustible or chemical heat source that undergoes an exothermic reaction to generate heat during use. The aerosol generating assembly may include multiple heaters. The heater(s) may be powered by a battery.

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

In some cases, the aerosol generating assembly may be a non-burning heating device. Non-burning heating devices are disclosed in International Patent Application Publication No. WO2015/062983, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In some cases, the aerosol-generating assembly may be an e-cigarette hybrid device. That is, it may contain a solid aerosol-generating element and a liquid aerosol-generating material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include nicotine. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include tobacco material. In some cases, the aerosol-generating material may include tobacco material and a separate nicotine source. The separate aerosol-generating elements may be heated by separate heaters, and the same heater, or in some cases, a downstream aerosol-generating material, may be heated by hot aerosol generated from an upstream aerosol-generating element. E-cigarette hybrid devices are disclosed in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2016/135331, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The aerosol product (which may also be referred to herein as an article, cartridge, or consumable) may be adapted for use in a THP, a vape device, or another aerosol generating device. In some cases, the article may further include a filter and/or a cooling element (as previously described). In some cases, the aerosol product may be surrounded by a wrapping material, such as paper.

The aerosol-producing article may further include ventilation apertures. These may be located in the sidewalls of the article. In some cases, ventilation apertures may be located within the filter and/or cooling element. These apertures may draw cooling air into the article during use, where it can mix with the heated volatile components, thereby cooling the aerosol.

Ventilation enhances the production of visible heated volatiles from an article when it is heated during use. The heated volatiles become visible through the process of cooling the heated volatiles, such that supersaturation of the heated volatiles occurs. The heated volatiles then undergo droplet formation, commonly known as nucleation, and ultimately, the size of the aerosol particles of the heated volatiles increases through further condensation of the heated volatiles and coalescence of newly formed droplets from the heated volatiles.

In some cases, the ratio of cooled air to the sum of heated volatiles and cooled air, known as the ventilation ratio, is at least 15%. A ventilation ratio of 15% makes the heated volatiles visible by the methods described above. The visibility of the heated volatiles allows the user to confirm that volatiles are being produced and enhances the sensory experience of the smoking experience.

In another embodiment, the ventilation ratio is between 50% and 85% to provide additional cooling to the heated volatile components. In some cases, the ventilation ratio may be at least 60% or 65%.

In some cases, the aerosol-generating elements may be included in an article/assembly in sheet form, as described herein above. In some cases, the aerosol-generating elements may be included in a flat sheet. In some cases, the aerosol-generating elements may be included as a flat sheet, as a bundle or collection of sheets, as a crimped sheet, or as a rolled sheet (i.e., in the form of a rod or tube), each as described herein above. In some such cases, the aerosol-generating material of these embodiments may be included in the aerosol product article/assembly as a sheet, such as a sheet surrounding a rod of aerosol-generating material (e.g., tobacco). In some other cases, the aerosol-generating elements may be formed as a sheet, which may then be shredded and incorporated into the article. In some cases, the shredded sheet may be mixed with cut rag tobacco and incorporated into the article.

In some cases, the first and second aerosol-generating materials described herein may both be formed as sheets, then shredded and mixed together to form the aerosol-generating element. The components may then be incorporated into an article. In some cases, the shredded sheets may be mixed with cut rag tobacco and incorporated into an article.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material is formed as a foam on a substrate. The aerosol-generating foam may be continuous or discontinuous, e.g., consisting of individual portions of foam on a substrate.

Figures 4 and 5 are partial cutaway cross-sectional and perspective views, respectively, of an example aerosol product article 101 according to a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure. Article 101 is adapted for use with a device having a power source and a heater. Article 101 of this embodiment is particularly suited for use with device 1 shown in Figures 8-10, described below. During use, article 101 can be removably inserted into the device shown in Figure 7 at insertion portion 20 of device 1.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, an example article 101 takes the form of a substantially cylindrical rod, including the body of an aerosol generating element 103 and a filter assembly 105 in the form of a rod. The aerosol generating element 103 comprises an aerosol-generating material (e.g., 110) described herein. In some embodiments, it may be included in sheet form (e.g., 120). In some embodiments, it may be included in the form of chopped sheets. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating element 103 described herein may be incorporated in both sheet form and chopped form.

The filter assembly 105 includes three segments: a cooling segment 107, a filter segment 109, and a mouthpiece segment 111. The article 101 has a first end 113, also known as the mouthpiece or proximal end, and a second end 115, also known as the distal end. The body of the aerosol generating element 103 is positioned toward the distal end 115 of the article 101. In one embodiment, the cooling segment 107 is positioned adjacent to the body of the aerosol generating element 103, between the body of the aerosol generating element 103 and the filter segment 109, such that the cooling segment 107 is in a tangential relationship with the aerosol generating element 103 and the filter segment 109. In other embodiments, there may be a gap between the body of the aerosol generating element 103 and the cooling segment 107, and between the body of the aerosol generating element 103 and the filter segment 109. The filter segment 109 is positioned between the cooling segment 107 and the mouthpiece segment 111. The tipping segment 111 is positioned adjacent to the filter segment 109 toward the proximal end 113 of the article 101. In one example, the filter segment 109 is in abutting relationship with the tipping segment 111. In one embodiment, the overall length of the filter assembly 105 is between 37 mm and 45 mm, and more preferably, the overall length of the filter assembly 105 is 41 mm.

In one embodiment, the rod of the aerosol generating element 103 is between 34 mm and 50 mm in length, suitably between 38 mm and 46 mm in length, suitably 42 mm in length.

In one embodiment, the overall length of the article 101 is between 71 mm and 95 mm, suitably between 79 mm and 87 mm, suitably 83 mm.

The axial end of the body of the aerosol generating element 103 is visible at the distal end 115 of the article 101. However, in other embodiments, the distal end 115 of the article 101 may include an end member (not shown) that covers the axial end of the body of the aerosol generating element 103.

The body of the aerosol generating element 103 is joined to the filter assembly 105 by an annular tipping paper (not shown) positioned substantially around the periphery of the filter assembly 105 so as to surround the filter assembly 105 and extend partially along the length of the body of the aerosol generating element 103. In one embodiment, the tipping paper is made from 58 GSM standard tipping base paper. In one embodiment, the tipping paper has a length of between 42 mm and 50 mm, suitably 46 mm.

In one embodiment, the cooling segment 107 is an annular tube and is positioned therearound, defining an internal cavity. The cavity provides a chamber for the flow of heated volatile components generated from the body of the aerosol generating element 103. The cooling segment 107 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation that remains rigid enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacturing and during use while the article 101 is inserted into the device 1. In one embodiment, the wall thickness of the cooling segment 107 is approximately 0.29 mm.

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

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

The cooling segment 107 is made of paper, meaning that it is composed of a material that does not produce compounds of concern, e.g., toxic compounds, when used adjacent to the heater of the device 1. In one embodiment, the cooling segment 107 is manufactured from a spirally wound paper tube that provides a hollow interior chamber but still maintains mechanical rigidity. A spirally wound paper tube can meet the tight dimensional accuracy requirements of high-speed manufacturing processes with respect to tube length, outer diameter, roundness, and straightness.

In another embodiment, cooling segment 107 is a recess created in stiff plug wrap or tipping paper. The stiff plug wrap or tipping paper is manufactured to be sufficiently stiff to withstand the axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacturing and use when article 101 is inserted into device 1.

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

In some embodiments, a capsule (not shown) may be provided in the filter segment 109. It may be located substantially in the center of the filter segment 109, both across the diameter of the filter segment 109 and along the length of the filter segment 109. In other cases, it may be offset in one or more dimensions. The capsule, if present, may contain a volatile component such as a flavoring substance or aerosol former material.

The density of the cellulose acetate tow material of the filter segment 109 controls the pressure drop across the filter segment 109, which in turn controls the resistance to suction of the article 101. Therefore, the selection of the material for the filter segment 109 is important in controlling the resistance to suction of the article 101. Furthermore, the filter segment performs a filtering function in the article 101.

In one embodiment, the filter segment 109 is made of 8Y15 grade filter tow material, which provides filtering for heated volatile materials, but also reduces the size of condensed aerosol droplets resulting from the heated volatile materials.

The presence of the filter segment 109 provides an insulating effect by providing additional cooling to the heated volatile components exiting the cooling segment 107. This additional cooling effect reduces the contact temperature of the user's lips on the surface of the filter segment 109. In one embodiment, the filter segment 109 is between 6 mm and 10 mm in length, suitably 8 mm.

The tipping segment 111 is an annular tube positioned around the tipping segment 111 and defining a cavity therein. The cavity provides a chamber for heated volatile components flowing from the filter segment 109. The tipping segment 111 is hollow to provide a chamber for aerosol accumulation that remains rigid enough to withstand axial compressive forces and bending moments that may occur during manufacturing and use while an article is inserted into the device 1. In one embodiment, the wall thickness of the tipping segment 111 is approximately 0.29 mm. In one embodiment, the length of the tipping segment 111 is between 6 mm and 10 mm, suitably 8 mm.

The mouthpiece segment 111 may be manufactured from a spirally wound paper tube that provides a hollow interior chamber but still maintains critical mechanical rigidity. A spirally wound paper tube can meet the tight dimensional accuracy requirements of high-speed manufacturing processes with respect to tube length, outer diameter, roundness, and straightness. The mouthpiece segment 111 also provides the function of preventing any liquid condensation that accumulates at the outlet of the filter segment 109 from coming into direct contact with the user.

It should be understood that in one embodiment, the mouthpiece segment 111 and the cooling segment 107 may be formed from a single tube, with the filter segment 109 positioned within the tube separating the mouthpiece segment 111 and the cooling segment 107.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, there are shown partial cutaway cross-sectional and perspective views of an embodiment of article 301 having an aerosol generation element 303, a filter assembly 305, a cooling segment 307, a filter segment 309, a mouthpiece segment 311, a proximal end 313, a distal end 315, and a ventilation region 317. The reference numbers in Figures 6 and 7 are identical to the reference numbers shown in Figures 3 and 4, except that they are increased by 200.

In the embodiment of the article shown in Figures 6 and 7, a ventilation region 317 is provided in the article 301 to allow air to flow from the exterior of the article 301 to the interior of the article 301. In one embodiment, the ventilation region 317 takes the form of one or more ventilation holes 317 formed through the outer layer of the article 301. The ventilation holes may be positioned in the cooling segment 307 to assist in cooling the article 301. In one embodiment, the ventilation region 317 includes one or more rows of holes, preferably with each row of holes arranged circumferentially along the article 301 in a cross section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the article 301.

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

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

In one embodiment, the row of ventilation holes 317 is positioned at least 11 mm from the proximal end 313 of the article, suitably between 17 mm and 20 mm from the proximal end 313 of the article 301. The location of the ventilation holes 317 is positioned so that the user does not block the ventilation holes 317 when the article 301 is in use.

By providing a row of ventilation holes 17 mm to 20 mm from the proximal end 313 of the article 301, it is possible to position the ventilation holes 317 on the outside of the device 1 when the article 301 is fully inserted into the device 1, as seen in Figures 9 and 10. By positioning the ventilation holes on the outside of the device, unheated air can enter the article 301 from outside the device 1 through the ventilation holes to help cool the article 301.

The length of the cooling segment 307 is such that when the item 301 is fully inserted into the device 1, the cooling segment 307 is partially inserted into the device 1. The length of the cooling segment 307 serves a first function of providing physical clearance between the heater arrangement of the device 1 and the heat-sensitive filter arrangement 309, and a second function of allowing the ventilation holes 317 to be positioned in the cooling segment while also being positioned outside the device 1 when the item 301 is fully inserted into the device 1. As can be seen in Figures 9 and 10, the majority of the cooling element 307 is positioned within the device 1. However, there is a portion of the cooling element 307 that extends outward from the device 1. This portion of the cooling element 307 that extends outward from the device 1 is where the ventilation holes 317 are located.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 8-10, an embodiment of device 1 is shown that is configured to heat an aerosol generating element to volatilize at least one component of the aerosol generating element, typically to form an inhalable aerosol. Device 1 is a heating device that releases compounds by heating, rather than burning, the aerosol generating element.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the first end 3 is sometimes referred to herein as the mouthpiece or proximal end 3 of the device 1, and the second end 5 is sometimes referred to herein as the distal end 5 of the device 1. The device 1 has an on/off button 7 that allows the device 1 as a whole to be switched on and off as desired by the user.

Device 1 includes a housing 9 for positioning and protecting various internal components of device 1. In the illustrated embodiment, housing 9 includes a unibody sleeve 11 that encompasses the periphery of device 1, capped with a top panel 17 that generally defines the "top" of device 1 and a bottom panel 19 that generally defines the "bottom" of device 1. In another embodiment, the housing includes a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of opposing face panels in addition to the top panel 17 and bottom panel 19.

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

The top panel 17 of the device 1 has an opening 20 at the mouthpiece 3 of the device 1, through which an article 101, 301 containing an aerosol-generating element may be inserted into and removed from the device 1 by a user during use.

Positioned or secured within the housing 9 are the heater arrangement 23, control circuitry 25, and power supply 27. In this embodiment, the heater arrangement 23, control circuitry 25, and power supply 27 are laterally adjacent (i.e., adjacent when viewed from the end), with the control circuitry 25 generally positioned between the heater arrangement 23 and the power supply 27, although other locations are possible.

The control circuitry 25 may include a controller, such as a microprocessor arrangement, configured and arranged to control the heating of the aerosol generating elements within the articles 101, 301, as discussed further below.

Power source 27 may be, for example, a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Examples of suitable batteries include, for example, lithium-ion batteries, nickel batteries (such as nickel-cadmium batteries), alkaline batteries, and/or the like. Battery 27 is electrically coupled to heater arrangement 23 to provide power when needed and under the control of control circuit 25 to heat the aerosol-generating elements within the article (to volatilize the aerosol-generating material without burning the aerosol-generating elements, as discussed).

An advantage of positioning the power source 27 laterally adjacent to the heater arrangement 23 is that a physically larger power source 25 can be used without making the device 1 as a whole excessively long. As will be appreciated, a physically larger power source 25 generally has a higher capacity (i.e., the total electrical energy it can deliver, often measured in ampere-hours or the like) and therefore may provide a longer battery life for the device 1.

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

In one particular embodiment, the heater arrangement 23 is supported by a stainless steel support tube and includes a polyimide heating element. The heater arrangement 23 is dimensioned so that when the article 101, 301 is inserted into the device 1, substantially the entire body of the aerosol generating element 103, 303 of the article 101, 301 is inserted into the heater arrangement 23.

Each heating element may be configured to heat selected zones of the aerosol-forming material independently, for example sequentially (over time, as discussed above) or together (simultaneously), as desired.

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

The housing 59 may further include various internal support structures 37 for supporting all of the internal components, as well as the heating arrangement 23.

Device 1 further includes a collar 33 extending around opening 20 and projecting therefrom into the interior of housing 9, and a generally tubular chamber 35 positioned between collar 33 and one end of vacuum sleeve 31. Chamber 35 further includes a cooling structure 35f, which in this example includes a plurality of cooling fins 35f spaced along the exterior surface of chamber 35 and each configured circumferentially along the exterior surface of chamber 35. When inserted into device 1 over at least a portion of the length of hollow chamber 35, there is an air gap 36 between hollow chamber 35 and article 101, 301. Air gap 36 extends over at least a portion of cooling segment 307 and around the entire circumference of article 101, 301.

The collar 33 includes a plurality of ridges 60 arranged circumferentially around the periphery of the opening 20 and projecting into the opening 20. The ridges 60 provide space within the opening 20 such that the opening span of the opening 20 at the location of the ridges 60 is less than the opening span of the opening 20 without the ridges 60. The ridges 60 are configured to engage items 101, 301 inserted into the device 1 to assist in securing the items within the device 1. The open spaces (not shown) defined by adjacent pairs of ridges 60 and items 101, 301 form ventilation paths around the exterior of the items 101, 301. These ventilation paths allow hot steam escaping from the items 101, 301 to exit the device 1 and allow cooling air to flow into the device 1 around the items 101, 301 within the gap 36.

In operation, the article 101, 301 is removably inserted into the insertion portion 20 of the device 1, as shown in Figures 8-10. With particular reference to Figure 9, in one embodiment, the body of the aerosol generating element 103, 303 positioned toward the distal end 115, 315 of the article 101, 301 is entirely received within the heater arrangement 23 of the device 1. The proximal end 113, 313 of the article 101, 301 extends from the device 1 and acts as a mouthpiece assembly for the user.

During operation, the heater arrangement 23 heats the article 101, 301, causing at least one component of the aerosol generating element to volatilize from the body of the aerosol generating element 103, 303.

The primary flow path for heated volatile material from the body of the aerosol generating element 103, 303 is axially through the article 103, 301, through the chamber in the cooling segment 107, 303, through the filter segment 109, 309, and through the mouthpiece segment 111, 311 to the user. In one embodiment, the temperature of the heated volatile components generated from the body of the aerosol generating element is between 60°C and 250°C, which may be higher than acceptable user inhalation temperatures. As the heated volatile material passes through the cooling segment 107, 307, it cools, and some of the volatile material condenses on the inner surface of the cooling segment 107, 307.

In the embodiment of article 301 shown in Figures 6 and 7, cooling air can enter cooling segment 307 through ventilation holes 317 formed in cooling segment 307. This cooling air mixes with the heated volatile components to provide additional cooling to the heated volatile components.

As discussed in detail above, while the aerosol delivery device and/or aerosol generating element according to the present disclosure may take on various embodiments, the use of the aerosol delivery device and/or aerosol generating element by a consumer is likewise within the scope. The foregoing description of the use of the aerosol delivery device and/or aerosol generating element is applicable to the various embodiments described through minor modifications that will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the further disclosure provided herein. However, the description of use is not intended to limit the use of the articles of the present disclosure, but is provided to comply with all necessary requirements of the disclosure herein.

Methods for Generating Aerosols Another aspect of the present disclosure provides methods for generating aerosols using the non-combustion aerosol delivery systems described herein. In some embodiments, the methods include heating the aerosol-generating material to a temperature less than or equal to 350°C. In some embodiments, the methods include heating the aerosol-generating material to a temperature of about 220°C to about 280°C. In some embodiments, the methods include heating at least a portion of the aerosol-generating material to a temperature of about 220°C to about 280°C during an operation of use. As used herein, a "operation of use" refers to a single period of use of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system by a user. An operation of use begins when power is first supplied to at least one heating unit present in the heating assembly.

The device will be ready for use after a period of time has elapsed from the start of a use operation. The use operation ends when power is no longer supplied to any of the heating elements in the aerosol generating device. The end of the use operation may coincide with the point at which the smoking article is depleted (the point at which the total particulate matter yield (mg) in each puff would be considered unacceptably low by the user). The operation will have a duration of multiple puffs. The operation may have a duration of 7 minutes, 6 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes 30 seconds, or less than 4 minutes or 3 minutes 30 seconds. In some embodiments, the use operation may have a duration of 2 to 5 minutes, 3 to 4.5 minutes, 3.5 to 4.5 minutes, or suitably 4 minutes. The operation may be initiated by the user activating a button or switch on the device, initiating a temperature increase in at least one heating element.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Aspects of the present invention will be more fully described by the following examples, which are set forth to illustrate certain aspects of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting thereof.

Example 1: Extruded Sheet Aerosol-Generating Material with Milled Botanicals and Milled Tobacco (Screw Extrusion Process)
A total of eight batches (20 lb each) of extruded sheet aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients set forth in Table 1 below were prepared in a matrix format using either regular tobacco or non-nicotine tobacco (milled tobacco that has been processed to extract substantially all of the nicotine), and fennel, rooibos, star anise, or eucalyptus as milled botanicals. The actual ingredients and percentages varied depending on the desired properties of the final product.

The milled tobacco, milled botanicals, and carboxymethyl cellulose were metered into a mixer (Model FM 130 D Littleford Precision Plow Mixer) and mixed at medium speed (100-125 rpm) for 5 minutes. Water was added, followed by glycerol, and the combination was mixed at medium speed for approximately 1 minute, or until pea-like clumps were observed. The chopper motor was run for approximately 5 seconds, and then the mixture was mixed at low speed and discharged into a receiver. The mixture was transferred to an extrusion hopper and subsequently fed into a twin-screw extruder (Model ZSK25 Coperion) equipped with a 0.3 mm thick x 1.25 inch wide die and extruded into sheet form. The extruder was operated with the following settings:
a. Screw speed 100 RPM
b. 135°F (11 barrel zone)
c. Die plate A: 140°F
d. Exit die plate B: 130°F
e. Liquid Pump 4 lb/hr (mixed water and glycerol)
f. Feeder: 12 lb/hr (dry ingredient mix)
g. Dryer temperature after extrusion: 170°F

The extruded sheets were then laid flat on a rack and dried to a moisture content of 15±3%.

Example 2: Extruded Sheet Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Botanical Extracts and Milled Tobacco A total of eight batches (10 lb each) of extruded sheet aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients set forth in Table 2 below were prepared as described in Example 1, except using a 0.8 mm thick x 1.25 inch wide die. The sheets were prepared in a matrix format using regular tobacco or non-nicotine tobacco (milled tobacco processed to extract substantially all of the nicotine), and fennel, rooibos, star anise, or eucalyptus as the botanical extract. The actual ingredients and percentages varied depending on the desired properties of the final product. The extruded sheets were then laid flat on a rack and dried to a moisture content of 18±3%.

Example 3: Extruded Sheet Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Milled Botanicals and Milled Tobacco (Roll Process)
A total of eight batches (10 lb each) of extruded sheet aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients set forth below in Table 3 were prepared in a matrix format using regular tobacco or non-nicotine tobacco (milled tobacco that has been processed to extract substantially all of the nicotine), and fennel, rooibos, star anise, or eucalyptus as milled botanicals. The actual ingredients and percentages varied depending on the desired properties of the final product.

Milled tobacco, botanical extract, carboxymethylcellulose, and glycerol were combined with enough water so that the water constituted 12-15% w/v of the combined composition. After mixing, the mixture was discharged into a receiving vessel and extruded into a sheet form, which was then rolled between cylinders (size press) to provide a sheet 140-180 mm thick. The sheet was dried at low temperature (maximum 60°C) to a final moisture content of approximately 10-18%.

Example 4: Extruded Sheet Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Botanical Extract and Milled Tobacco (Roll Process)
A total of eight batches (10 lb each) of extruded sheet aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients were prepared according to the procedure of Example 3, but using the formulations set forth in Table 4. Batches were prepared in a matrix format using regular tobacco or non-nicotine tobacco (milled tobacco that has been processed to extract substantially all of the nicotine), and fennel, rooibos, star anise, or eucalyptus as the botanical extract. The actual ingredients and percentages varied depending on the desired properties of the final product.

Example 5 Cast Sheet Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Milled Botanicals and Milled Tobacco A total of eight batches (20 lb each) of cast sheet aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients set forth in Table 5 below were prepared in a matrix format using regular tobacco or non-nicotine tobacco (milled tobacco that has been processed to extract substantially all of its nicotine), and fennel, rooibos, star anise, or eucalyptus as the milled botanicals. The actual ingredients and percentages varied depending on the desired properties of the final product.

A binder solution (2% w/v) was first prepared by hydrating CMC with 1 L of water in a high-shear mixer for 15 minutes. An equal amount of pre-refined cellulose pulp slurry (4% w/v) was then added and mixed at high shear for 5 minutes. Milled tobacco and milled botanicals were then slowly added and mixed for 10 minutes. Finally, glycerol was added and mixed for an additional 5 minutes to form the final slurry. The slurry was then cast onto a 22-inch wide stainless steel conveyor belt using a set of casting knives with a 1-3 mm gap opening. The cast material or film was subsequently dried into a flat sheet by conveying the film through a 200-foot convection tunnel dryer containing multiple heating zones (e.g., ranging from 80-100°C) to a final moisture content of approximately 8-12%.

Example 6 Beaded Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Milled Botanicals and Milled Tobacco A total of eight batches (10 lb each) of beaded aerosol-forming material were prepared in a matrix format (using regular tobacco or non-nicotine tobacco (milled tobacco that has been processed to extract substantially all of the nicotine), and fennel, rooibos, star anise, or eucalyptus as the milled botanicals) containing the ingredients set forth in Table 6 below. The actual ingredients and percentages varied depending on the desired properties of the final product.

Milled tobacco, milled botanicals, and carboxymethylcellulose were weighed into a mixer (Model FM 130 D Littleford Precision Plow Mixer) and mixed at medium speed for 5 minutes. Water (amount dependent on the binder used) was added, followed by glycerol, and the combination was mixed at medium speed for approximately 1 minute, or until pea-shaped clumps were observed. The chopper motor was run for approximately 5 seconds, and then the mixture was mixed at low speed and discharged into a receiving vessel. The mixture was extruded using a 1.5 mm dome screen die on an Osaka Multi-Gran MG-55 extruder (Fuji Paudal Co., Ltd.) to obtain multigrain (hair-like) shaped rods. The extrudate rods were subsequently transferred to a Model QJ-230T-2 Fuji Paudal Co., Ltd. laboratory marumerizer. The marumerizer rotating bowl was used to reshape the rods into rounded beads. The rods were spheronized (time may vary from about 19 seconds to about 2 minutes) to obtain beads, which were dried at 65°C for 30-45 minutes to achieve a target moisture content of about 6% ± 3%. The resulting beads were screened between 8-16 mesh (average particle size distribution was 0.149 mm, bead weight was 25-26 milligrams).

Example 7 Beaded Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Botanical Extract and Milled Conventional Tobacco A total of four batches (10 lb each) of beaded aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients set forth in Table 7 were prepared in the same manner as in Example 6, except that the milled botanicals were replaced with botanical extracts.

Example 8 Beaded Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Botanical Extract and Milled Non-Nicotine Tobacco A total of four batches (10 lb each) of beaded aerosol-forming material containing the ingredients set forth in Table 8 were prepared as described in Example 7, except that the milled tobacco was replaced with non-nicotine tobacco.

The beads were then dried at 65°C for 30-45 minutes, yielding beads with a target moisture content of approximately 6% ± 3%.

Example 9 Paper Reconstituted Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Milled Eucalyptus and Milled Tobacco Aerosol-forming materials were prepared using the formulations in Table 9. Reconstituted sheets using traditional tobacco and botanical materials as inputs were prepared according to the following procedure. Flue-cured tobacco stem and lamina components were hammer milled to particles smaller than 5 mm to improve extraction efficiency. The milled stem and lamina were then mixed to achieve a ratio of 20% tobacco stem to 80% tobacco lamina. Botanical eucalyptus was milled to particles smaller than 5 mm as described above. In separate vessels, the milled tobacco stem and lamina and the milled eucalyptus were then mixed with water to form slurries (e.g., about 10% w/v). Each slurry was heated to 60-70°C and held with stirring for up to 2.0 hours. Each slurry was then separated into its solid/fiber (used material) and thin extract (WEL) components by mechanical means (centrifugation and/or filtration). Both fiber components were subsequently mixed with cellulose pulp (wood pulp), refined into a pulp using a rotary disk refiner, and then further diluted to a 1% (w/v) pulp. This pulp was cast onto a Fourdrinier wire to form a base web/mat or base sheet.

Separately, the tobacco WEL was vacuum evaporated at 60-65°C and 55 psi to yield a concentrated extract (CEL) with a 25-30% (w/v) solids content. The CEL was then mixed with the botanical eucalyptus WEL and glycerol in an amount of approximately 15-20% by weight based on the weight of the original feed material. The CEL was then painted or sprayed onto the base web to yield a 42% hot water solubles content in the final sheet. As used herein, the term "hot water solubles (HWS)" generally refers to the amount of tobacco and botanical tobacco material extract contained in the final sheet, which typically includes sugars, proteins, amino acids, organic acids, polyphenols, flavonoids, waxes, TSNAs, nitrates, nitrites, trace metals, heavy metals, and added glycerol. The final sheet was then tunnel dried at 300-325°C for approximately 5-10 minutes.

The final aerosol-forming material contained approximately 20% glycerol by total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Example 10 Paper Reconstituted Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Milled Star Anise and Milled Tobacco An aerosol-forming material was prepared as in Example 9, but using the formulation in Table 10 (milled star anise was substituted for milled eucalyptus). The final aerosol-forming material contained approximately 20% glycerol by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Example 11 Paper Reconstituted Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Eucalyptus Pulp and Milled Tobacco An aerosol-forming material was prepared as in Example 9, but using the formulation in Table 11 (milled eucalyptus was replaced with pre-extracted eucalyptus fiber). Therefore, the WEL was not generated from the botanical ingredients. The final aerosol-forming material contained approximately 20% glycerol by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Example 12 Paper Reconstituted Aerosol-Forming Material Comprising Star Anise Pulp and Milled Tobacco An aerosol-forming material was prepared as in Example 11, but using the formulation in Table 12 (eucalyptus fiber was replaced with star anise fiber). The final aerosol-forming material contained approximately 20% glycerol by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material.

Example 13: Preparation of Aerosol-Generating Elements The aerosol-generating materials of Examples 1-12 were converted into aerosol-generating consumables. Each consumable element was prepared by blending 30% by weight of the aerosol-generating material (Examples 13A-13HHH, shown in Table 13 below) with 70% separate paper reconstituted tobacco (control, no botanicals). Samples of the control reconstituted tobacco sheet and the aerosol-generating materials of Examples 1-5 and 9-12 were each separately cut/converted into cut filler tobacco (1-2 x 4-6 mm strips), blended at a 70/30 ratio, and incorporated into consumables (traditional cigarettes). A sample of the cut filler control tobacco was similarly blended at a 70/30 ratio with the aerosol-generating material of Examples 6-8 to produce a conventional cigarette consumable.

Example 14 Aerosol Chemistry Evaluation Consumables containing the aerosol-generating elements of Example 13 having eucalyptus and star anise as botanical materials (milled and extract; 32 samples as listed in Table 14) were evaluated for aerosol chemistry under both ISO and HCl-m smoking regimes (Table 15). All samples were conditioned for 48 hours under ISO standards and smoked in a Hyper device using the base profile. The resulting smoked samples were analyzed for concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs).

Results: Emission data collected under smoking regimes showed that substrates containing botanical extracts provided higher levels of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and TSNAs than those containing milled botanical materials. On average, substrates containing non-nicotine tobacco contributed to increased NKK values, as seen in both eucalyptus and star anise samples. On average, toxic levels were reduced in paper reconstituted substrates compared to other substrate types, with the exception of acrolein (acrolein levels were reduced in the various substrate samples evaluated (cart sheet, extruded sheet, beaded; both eucalyptus and star anise) compared to paper reconstituted substrates).

Claims (27)

1. An aerosol-generating material for use in an aerosol delivery device, comprising:
tobacco material in particulate form present in the aerosol-forming material in an amount of about 20% to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
a non-tobacco botanical material selected from the group consisting of eucalyptus, rooibos, star anise, fennel, and combinations thereof;
An aerosol-forming material comprising: 0 to about 25 weight percent of a binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and an aerosol-former material. The aerosol-forming material of claim 1, wherein the non-tobacco botanical material is in particulate form and is present in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-forming material of claim 1, wherein the non-tobacco botanical material is in the form of an extract and is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of alginate, seaweed hydrocolloid, cellulose ether, starch, gum, dextran, carrageenan, povidone, pullulan, zein, and combinations thereof. The aerosol-forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the binder is a cellulose ether selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, and combinations thereof. The aerosol-forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the binder is carboxymethyl cellulose. The aerosol-generating material described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the aerosol-forming material is selected from the group consisting of water, polyhydric alcohols, polysorbates, sorbitan esters, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, waxes, cannabinoids, terpenes, sugar alcohols, and combinations thereof. The aerosol-generating material according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the aerosol former material comprises a polyhydric alcohol. The aerosol-forming material of claim 8, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is present in an amount of about 15 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-generating material of claim 8, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, triacetin, and combinations thereof. about 20 to about 70% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
11. The aerosol-forming material of any one of claims 1 to 10, in the form of an extruded sheet, comprising: about 20 to about 30% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in particulate form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 6 to about 25% by weight of a binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-forming material of claim 11, wherein the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine and is present in an amount of about 20 to about 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. about 25 to about 70% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
11. The aerosol-forming material of any one of claims 1 to 10, in the form of an extruded sheet, comprising: non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to about 3 weight percent, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and a binder in an amount of about 6 to about 25 weight percent, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. about 24 to about 36% by weight of tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
11. The aerosol-forming material of any one of claims 1 to 10, in the form of a cast sheet, comprising: about 20 to about 30% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in particulate form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 8 to about 12% by weight of a binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. 11. The aerosol-forming material of any one of claims 1 to 10, in the form of a reconstituted paper sheet, comprising: about 70 to about 90% by weight of tobacco material in particulate form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 5 to about 15% by weight of non-tobacco botanical material present in particulate form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. 11. The aerosol-forming material of any one of claims 1 to 10, in the form of a reconstituted paper sheet, comprising: tobacco material in granular form in an amount ranging from about 70 to about 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract, present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. about 32 to about 72 weight percent tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
11. The aerosol-forming material of any one of claims 1 to 10, in beaded form, comprising: about 16 to about 24 weight percent of non-tobacco botanical material present in particulate form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material; and about 0.6 to about 1 weight percent of a binder, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. about 32 to about 72 weight percent tobacco material in granular form, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
a non-tobacco botanical material in the form of an extract present in an amount ranging from about 1.5 to about 3 weight percent, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
a binder in an amount of about 0.6 to about 1 weight percent based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming materials;
further comprising rice flour in an amount of about 16 to about 24% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material;
The aerosol-forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 10, in the form of beads. The aerosol-forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the water content of the aerosol-forming material is from about 12 to about 21% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol-forming material. The aerosol-forming material described in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the tobacco material is substantially free of nicotine. The aerosol-forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the aerosol-forming material is substantially free of nicotine. An aerosol-generating element comprising the aerosol-generating material described in any one of claims 1 to 21. The aerosol-generating element of claim 22, wherein the aerosol-generating material is blended with an additional tobacco material having characteristics different from those of the particulate tobacco material comprising the aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating element of claim 23, wherein the additional tobacco material comprises reconstituted tobacco, tobacco lamina, fine cut tobacco, cut rag tobacco, or a combination thereof. A consumable for use in a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, the consumable comprising the aerosol generating element described in claim 22. A non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising the consumable of claim 25 and a non-combustion aerosol delivery device, wherein the non-combustion aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol generating device configured to generate an aerosol from the consumable when the consumable is used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device. A combustion aerosol delivery system comprising the consumable product of claim 25 and a combustion aerosol delivery device.