HK1055658A - Smokable filler material containing a fruit material - Google Patents

Description

Smokable filler material containing fruit material

The present invention relates to a tobacco (smokable) filler material, particularly, but not exclusively, a tobacco filler material for cigarettes.

Filler materials suitable for use as tobacco substitute materials have been proposed for many years, but relatively little research has been conducted using materials derived from fruit. Where fruit is used, it is usually a minor additive ingredient to provide sugars and amino acids or as a structure-forming agent, see for example british patent specification No. 1412878. The main organic combustible substance, i.e. the main combustible substance in the latter, is selected from chaff, straw, wheat bran or nut material, i.e. waste products of cereals or nuts.

The present invention can provide a smokable filler material, wherein the fruit material constitutes the smokable filler material or one of the main combustible materials of the smokable filler material.

The invention can also be used with or without additional tobacco material, whether tobacco shreds or reconstituted tobacco shred sheets.

Further, such smokable filler materials have tobacco properties that enable the product manufacturer to select the appropriate flavourant and packaging to provide an acceptable smoke flavour and aroma.

According to the present invention, smoke derived from smokable filler material may be effective to reduce the absorption of certain smoke constituents by the smoker.

The present invention provides a smokable filler material comprising a non-combustible inorganic filler, a binder and a fruit material as the major organic combustible material.

The inorganic filler material preferably comprises 30 to 90% by weight of the dry material.

The smokable filler material produced by the casting process preferably comprises inorganic filler material in the range 50-80% by weight of the dry material, more preferably > 60% by weight, even more preferably > 70% by weight.

In addition, the smokable filler material produced by the extrusion process preferably comprises 30-70% by weight of the dry materials of inorganic filler material, more preferably 35-60%, even more preferably 45-55% and more preferably about 50% by weight of the dry materials of inorganic filler material.

The binder preferably comprises 3 to 25 wt% of the dry material, more preferably such binder comprises 5 to 15 wt%, more preferably less than 12 wt%, or even more preferably less than 10 wt% of the dry material. Such binders may preferably comprise about 7.5% by weight of the dry material.

The fruit material preferably comprises from 2 to 50% by weight of the dry material, more preferably from 5 to 15% by weight, even more preferably 10% by weight or more, and may preferably be about 12.5% by weight of the smokable filler material prepared by the casting process. For smokable filler materials prepared by extrusion processes, the fruit material preferably comprises from 2 to 50% by weight of the dry material. More preferably the fruit material comprises 10-30% by weight of the dry material, even more preferably about 20% by weight.

The smokable filler material prepared by the casting process may preferably comprise 10-20% fruit, 10% sodium alginate, 70% chaff and 10% glycerine. An acceptable filler material can be produced using 7.5% sodium alginate with a corresponding increase in fruit content.

The smokable filler material prepared by the extrusion process may preferably comprise 10-20% fruit, 20% starch, 50% chaff, 10% hydroxypropyl cellulose and 0-10% glycerol.

The non-combustible inorganic filler material is preferably an inorganic filler selected from silicates or aluminosilicates, such as perlite,Vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, talc or colloidal silica; or a metal oxide, metal salt or hydroxide such as magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate or alumina. The preferred inorganic filler is a low density material, suitably < 5g/cm³Preferably less than 4g/cm³And more preferably < 3g/cm³. Mixtures of these fillers are also acceptable.

The smokable filler material may also contain an organic filler. Preferably, they are inert or relatively inert when present alone, i.e., do not readily sustain combustion, but can become more readily combustible in the mixture. I.e., organic filler material that remains combustible. Suitable organic fillers include insoluble alginates such as calcium or magnesium alginate, calcium pectinate or alginate, and also unmodified cellulose such as treated or untreated wood pulp or alpha-cellulose and the like. Mixtures of inert organic and inorganic fillers may also be used.

The organic filler content is preferably 0 to 40%. Such organic fillers help to improve the soot characteristics of the smokable filler material. It may preferably comprise a combustible organic material having a naturally low nitrogen content, i.e. less than 0.25%, more preferably less than 0.2% and even more preferably less than 0.1% dwb of total nitrogen.

Preferred binders are organic binders such as alginates, gums, cellulose (modified or natural), pectin or pectin binders, or group I or group II metal salts of such binders such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose or sodium alginate.

More preferred binders are seaweed binders, including soluble alginates such as ammonium alginate, sodium calcium alginate, calcium ammonium alginate, potassium alginate, triethanolamine alginate and propylene glycol alginate. The algal binder according to the present invention provides excellent tobacco mechanism and flavor characteristics to the smokable filler material.

Cellulosic binders include, for example, cellulose derivatives such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose or cellulose ethers. These adhesives are preferably used in extrusion processes.

Other organic binders include gums such as gum arabic, ghatti gum, tragacanth gum, karaya gum, locust bean gum, acacia gum, guar gum, quince seed or fucoidan gum, or gels such as agar, agarose, carrageenan. Pectin and pectin-containing materials may also be used as binders. Starch may also be used as an organic binder. Other suitable gums can be selected by reference to a manual, such as the Industrial Gum (scientific Press) by Whrster. Inorganic non-combustible binders, such as some cements and the like, such as portland cement, may also be used, as may combinations of the above materials.

If the binder is an alginate, especially a monovalent alginate, it is desirable to keep the pH of the slurry at a level below 5 or above 3, i.e. 3-5, during the processing stage in order to improve the binding properties of the alginate. This can be achieved by balancing the contents of fruit material and inorganic filler or by neutralizing the slurry by adding acidic substances such as citric acid or basic substances such as sodium carbonate.

The fruit material is suitably one or more derivatives derived from fruit, such as whole fruit, dried fruit, fruit pulp, fruit concentrate, i.e. fruit residue from a fruit juice factory, fruit paste, jam, powdered extract or liquid extract of fruit. If a liquid extract is used, it is preferred that the extract is not a pure sugar derived from fruit. Mixtures of each of these materials are also acceptable. For some fruit derivatives, granulation of the fruit mass by, for example, mixing the fruit juice or pulp with an inorganic filler, drying and grinding is also preferred for ease of processing.

Fruits with a low sugar content, i.e. 70% or less, are preferred. It has also been found to be advantageous to have high sugar content fruits from which sugar is removed, so that when such fruit material is added, the sugar content is preferably less than 20%.

The fruit material is advantageously selected from the group consisting of seedless small fruits, citrus fruits, berry fruits, or processed fruit materials such as dried powders or dietary fibers. Preferably the fruit material selected has a low nitrogen content, preferably < 1.8% dwb, more preferably < 1.0% dwb, even more preferably < 0.6% dwb. The fruit is suitably selected from one or more of the following: pineapple, mango, raisin, apple, banana, apricot, lemon, peach, kiwi or grape. The first three are particularly preferred. In the present invention, seeds from these materials are not considered at this stage.

Each fruit powder or concentrate can be mixed with water until completely dissolved. The pulp from the fruit is suitably percolated so as to finely split it and then to leave this fibre relatively intact. The fibres may be separated from the liquid if desired in order to vary the ratio of fibres to liquid. If dried fruit is used, it is preferred that the fruit is boiled in water. If high sugar fruits are used, they are preferably boiled and diafiltered to remove a proportion of the organic acids and sugars and then mixed to produce a homogeneous mixture or paste.

Preferred aerosol generating agents comprise aerosol forming agents such as glycerol and/or other aerosol forming compounds, as described in our co-pending PCT application WO96/07336. Including polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, esters such as triethyl citrate, triacetin or triethylene glycol diacetate (TEGDA) or high boiling alkanes. Other suitable aerosol formers are well known to those skilled in the art.

The aerosol generating agent is preferably incorporated into the filler material at a level of from 0 to 30%. For smokable filler materials prepared by drum casting, the aerosol generating agent more preferably comprises from 5 to 15% by weight of the dry material, even more preferably about 10% by weight. For smokable filler materials prepared by extrusion processes, the aerosol generating means more preferably comprises 0-10% by weight of the dry materials, even more preferably 3-5% by weight or less. The aerosol generating agent is pumped into the barrel of the extruder. It is also desirable to use a plasticizer which, if the same as one of the suitable aerosol-generating agents listed, may be present in an appropriate amount, i.e. it is not the primary aerosol-generating material. Each additional ingredient, with the exception of the filler, fruit and binder, is selected according to the properties of the final material.

Other flavour materials such as coffee, cocoa, caramel, root derived flavours such as ginger or licorice, tobacco dust or tobacco extract may also be added to the smokable filler material in an amount of < 10% by weight, preferably < 5% by weight of the dry material.

The smokable filler material is preferably prepared by mixing all of the powdered material (excluding the binder), adding water, and then gradually introducing the binder while applying high shear to the mixture. Further water may then be added to achieve the desired viscosity.

The viscosity of the final slurry is preferably 60,000-. The final viscosity will depend on the casting process (drum or plate), extrusion process or papermaking process used.

The final slurry is suitable for casting, and then it can be stored, dried, and then shredded to produce a filamentary smokable filler material.

Smokable filler materials may also be produced by extrusion processes, in which the extruded material may be foamed or non-foamed. Suitable expanding or blowing agents are described in our co-pending PCT application WO96/07336. The contents of which in relation to the swelling agent are incorporated herein by reference. Suitable expansion agents include starch, amylose or other polysaccharides, including cellulose derivatives, solid foaming agents, inorganic salts, organic acids that can provide gaseous species in situ, organic foaming agents, inorganic foaming agents, and volatile liquid foaming agents. The swelling agent may partially replace the inorganic filler. The amount of swelling agent may be from 0 to 40% by weight of the dry material, preferably less than 30% by weight, more preferably about 20% by weight. For such intumescent systems, water is the most commonly preferred volatile intumescent agent. Other bulking agents are well known. The smokable filler material is preferably prepared by mixing all of the powdered material (including the binder) and then pumping water and glycerine into the barrel of the extruder. The extruded material may be a rod, strip, filament or sheet material, which is then chopped to provide the filler material. Winding or twisting the strips or filaments may provide air passageways if the material being extruded does not allow air to enter or smoke to pass through. If desired, other co-current processing techniques can be used to improve pressure drop if the extrudate is rod-shaped. Various extruded forms are described in our co-pending PCT application, which is incorporated herein by reference. The smokable filler material may also contain a burn additive to enhance the burn properties of the filler material. Depending on the nature of the filler, the combustion additive is either a combustion promoter or a flame retardant. Suitable combustion additives may be selected from one or more group I or group II metal salts such as acetates, citrates and other combustion promoters known to the skilled person. Suitable flame retardants include magnesium hydroxide, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, or magnesium chloride, among others.

The tobacco filler material may also contain a soot improver, which is preferably present in the filler at 0-5%. Suitable soot modifiers include one or more selected from mica, perlite, clay, vermiculite, kaolin, talc, bentonite, and soot modifiers such as disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium carbonate or diammonium hydrogen phosphate and the like.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is also provided a smoking article comprising a rod of smokable filler material wrapped in a wrapper.

The smokable filler material may comprise 100% of the rod material wrapped in the wrapper, and the smokable filler material of the present invention may also be mixed with tobacco shreds or pieces of tobacco, such as reconstituted sheet material or the like. The preferred amount of tobacco material in such a mixture is not more than 40% and more preferably < 30% by weight of the final mixture.

Suitable packaging materials may be paper packaging materials or substantially non-combustible packaging materials, such as described in international patent application WO96/07336. This application is incorporated herein by reference as it relates to substantially non-combustible packaging materials. The packaging material therein preferably contains at least 65% inorganic particulate filler material, such as the inorganic substances described above.

Conventional cellulose pulp packaging materials may have a permeability of 2-300CU and preferably below 100 CU. The packaging material may also be a low full-filled paper as disclosed in our european patent application 0404580 and containing less than 14% magnesium oxide or hydroxide or the like.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and readily put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the following examples.

Example 1

One general approach is described below.

Initially, water, glycerin and chaff were thoroughly mixed using a Silverson mixer until a uniform slurry was obtained. The fruit powder or concentrate is separately mixed with a small amount of water and stirred until completely dissolved. If dry fruit is used, the fruit is cooked in boiling water for 20-30 minutes and then mixed in a food processor until a uniform paste is obtained. Depending on the sugar content of the fruit, the organic acids and sugars can be removed by diafiltration.

This fruit paste or fruit solution is added to the hull slurry and mixed. Depending on the alginate binder used, it is important to control the pH, since it has been found that a low pH has an adverse effect on the adhesion of the sodium or ammonium alginate binder, resulting in a poorer quality sheet material which, after shredding, cannot satisfactorily pass through the cigarette making machine due to the reduced strength.

Finally, the binder is added gradually to the mixture, and more water may be added if desired. The ideal final viscosity of the slurry should be 150000 and 250000 centipoise.

In the following examples, the slurry was cast on a drum casting machine to produce a uniform sheet. The resulting sheet was stored at about 60% relative humidity for 24 hours prior to shredding using a Hauni tobacco shredder or paper type shredder. After drying the filamentary material for 48 hours, the material can be formed into cigarettes on a cigarette making machine.

Example 2

As a representative sample, 3 types of fruits were used to prepare the tobacco filler material. Pineapple concentrate (75 ° BRIX) from HAX limited (london), powdered mango extract from Key Ingredients limited (chertenham), raisins (whole fruit) from Tesco supermarket were each suitably processed into cast sheets and chopped. The proportions of each material are: 7.5% of fruit material, 12.5% of sodium alginate adhesive, 70% of coarse chaff inorganic filler and 10% of glycerol aerosol.

Each shredded material was then prepared into 24.70mm diameter 64mm long cigarettes with 20mm cellulose acetate filters and a 5CU wrapper containing 0.55% potassium citrate combustion improver. This cigarette structure was directly comparable to the control, commercially available King Size, full-scent, virgine subtype cigarette.

Such a cigarette is smoked under standardized mechanical smoking conditions, i.e. a volume of 35ml of smoke lasting two seconds per minute. Statistically relevant numbers of cigarettes were performed (see proctor. C. analysis, 10 months 1988, Vol. 133, 1509-1513). In this case, 5 cigarettes per platform on one hole were used and the average of 4 holes was taken.

The main smoke emissions are given in table 1 below, with the emissions being reduced compared to the control cigarette (see table 2).

TABLE 1

Effect of fruit type on Primary Aerosol Release

Cigarette code	Dry weight of fuel (g)	Amount of flue gas	TPM (mg/cigarette)	Water (mg/cigarette)	Carbon monoxide (mg/cigarette)	Nicotine (mg/cigarette)	NFDPM (mg/cigarette)	Glycerol (mg/cigarette)	NHFDPM (mg/cigarette)
										Pineapple mango raisin control	1.111.171.210.78	5.76.36.38.0	11.2310.429.8321.63	4.743.963.034.81	4.405.404.5015.00	---1.42	6.496.476.8015.40	5.896.355.75-	0.60.121.0515.40

NFDPM dry particulate matter without nicotine (TPM-NFDPM water + nicotine)

NHFDPM ═ dry particulate material free of nicotine and humectant (NFDPM-NHFDPM ═ glycerol)

TABLE 2

Reduction achieved (%)

Cigarette code	Reduction in percentage					Dilution (W + G/TPM) (%)
							TPM	Water (W)	NFDPM	Carbon monoxide	NHFDPM
	Pineapple mango raisin 238SE555	485255-	11837-	616260-	716468-							979989-	95998922

W is water

G-glycerol

Example 3

Other prepared experimental mixtures included the following samples.

TABLE 3

	Fuel (%)	Sodium alginate (%)	Glycerol (%)	Chaff (%)
					Spray-dried tobacco vacuum-dried dark tea bamboo basket seed vacuum-dried pineapple (I) pineapple concentrate 75 Brix (II) apple concentrate 75 Brix strawberry concentrate 75C Brix banana concentrate 68C Brix rosemary dried powder pineapple concentrate 75 Brix (III) vacuum-dried mango-dried raisin	20202020202020207.57.57.2	7.57.57.57.57.57.57.57.512.512.512.5	1010101010101010101010	62.562.562.562.562.562.562.562.5707070

As can be seen from all the examples, the use of the smokable filler material of the present invention has the significant advantage of smoke release. In particular, the table shows that the primary and secondary aerosol emissions have significant dilution.

Further, this material can also be well implemented in the context of conventional cigarette manufacture, and therefore, no modification of existing equipment is required.

Low smoke of nitrogen-containing compounds is obtained and, surprisingly, smoke with a low content of dry particulate matter can also be obtained. Despite the high content of non-combustible inorganic fillers, a basic aerosol can be produced comprising mainly glycerol and water.

The final product also provided a low nitrogen and average ammonia nitrogen product (see Table 4)

TABLE 4

Average total nitrogen for drum cast sheet&Ammonia

Description of the samples	Total nitrogen (% dwb)	Average Ammonia nitrogen (% dwb)
			Cured raisin extracted from tobacco SE555 pineapple I tomato tea bamboo basket seed strawberry pineapple II apple banana mango rosemary pineapple III cured raisin	2.000.060.300.040.020.020.010.050.180.070.020.090.02	0.0160.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.00

Example 4

The general method of extrusion is described below:

a dry mixture was prepared from chaff (50%), dried fruit or powdered fruit (20%), pregelatinized starch (20%) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (10%), and this mixture was then filled into an extruder and water and glycerin (3-5%) were pumped into the extruder. The extruder sleeve is heated point-by-point along the sleeve to produce temperatures in the heated extruder zone, with typical temperatures being 70, 100, 110, 120, and 130 degrees celsius. The pressure of the extruder die is generally about 30 bar and should in any case be less than 100 bar. The screw of the extruder should be designed to impart sufficient energy to the mixture as the material exits the extruder die to produce a blown extrudate. The extrudate formed is of tubular or foamed sheet type. The ideal pipe produced has a very small diameter hole passing vertically through the center.

The extrudate exiting the extruder die may be removed by a suitable stripping system.

Claims (52)

1. A smokable filler material comprising a non-combustible inorganic filler, a binder, and fruit material as the main organic combustible fuel material.

2. A smokable filler material according to claim 1, wherein said inorganic filler material is in the range of 30-90% by weight of the dry materials.

3. A smokable filler material according to claim 2, wherein said inorganic filler material is in the range of 50-80% by weight of the dry materials.

4. A smokable filler material according to claim 3, wherein said inorganic filler material is more than 60% by weight of the dry materials.

5. A smokable filler material according to claim 4, wherein said inorganic filler material is more than 70% by weight of the dry materials.

6. A smokable filler material according to claim 2, wherein said inorganic filler is in the range of 30-70% by weight of the dry materials.

7. A smokable filler material according to claim 6, wherein said inorganic filler material is in the range of 35-60% by weight of the dry materials.

8. A smokable filler material according to claim 7, wherein said inorganic filler material is in the range of 45-55% by weight of the dry materials.

9. A smokable filler material according to claim 8, wherein said inorganic filler material is about 50% by weight of the dry materials.

10. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said binder is in the range 3-25% by weight of the dry materials.

11. A smokable filler material according to claim 10, wherein said binder is in the range of 5-15% by weight of the dry materials.

12. A smokable filler material according to claim 11, wherein said binder is less than 12% by weight of the dry materials.

13. A smokable filler material according to claim 12, wherein said binder is less than 10% by weight of the dry materials.

14. A smokable filler material according to claim 13, wherein said binder is about 7.5% by weight of the dry materials.

15. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fruit material is in the range 2-50% by weight of the dry materials.

16. A smokable filler material according to claim 15, wherein said fruit material is in the range of 5-15% by weight of the dry materials.

17. A smokable filler material according to claim 16, wherein said fruit material is 10% or more by weight of the dry materials.

18. A smokable filler material according to claim 17, wherein said fruit material is about 12.5% by weight of the dry materials.

19. A smokable filler material according to claim 15, wherein said fruit material is in the range 10-30% by weight of the dry materials.

20. A smokable filler material according to claim 19, wherein said fruit material is about 20% by weight of the dry materials.

21. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said non-combustible inorganic filler is selected from the group consisting of silicates or aluminosilicates, metal oxides, metal salts or metal hydroxides.

22. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said inorganic filler is a low density material.

23. A smokable filler material according to claim 22, wherein said inorganic filler has a density less than 5g/cm³。

24. A smokable filler material according to claim 23, wherein said density is less than 3g/cm³。

25. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said smokable filler material comprises organic filler.

26. A smokable filler material according to claim 25, wherein said organic filler is selected from the group consisting of insoluble alginates, calcium pectinates, alginic acid or unmodified cellulose.

27. A smokable filler material according to any one of claims 25 or 26, wherein said organic filler is in the range of 0-40%.

28. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said smokable filler material comprises a combustible organic material having a natural low nitrogen content.

29. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said binder is an organic binder.

30. A smokable filler material according to claim 29, wherein said organic binder is selected from the group consisting of alginates, gums, cellulose (modified or natural), pectin or pectin-containing binders, or group I or group II metal salts of these binders.

31. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fruit material is one or more of a plurality of fruit derivatives.

32. A smokable filler material according to claim 31, wherein said fruit material is one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: whole fruit, dried fruit, fruit pulp, fruit concentrate.

33. A smokable filler material according to either one of claims 31 or 32, wherein said fruit material has a low sugar content of 70% or less.

34. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fruit material is selected from the group consisting of coreless small fruits, citrus fruits, berry fruits, or processed fruit materials.

35. A smokable filler material according to claim 34, wherein said fruit material has a low nitrogen content.

36. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said fruit material is selected from one or more of the following fruits: pineapple, mango, raisin, apple, banana, apricot, lemon, peach, kiwi or grape.

37. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said smokable filler material comprises an aerosol generating agent.

38. A smokable filler material according to claim 37, wherein said aerosol generating means is incorporated in said filler material at a level of 0-30%.

39. A smokable filler material according to claim 38, wherein said aerosol generating means is in the range 5-15%.

40. A smokable filler material according to claim 39, wherein said aerosol generating means is about 10% by weight of the dry materials.

41. A smokable filler material according to claim 38, wherein said aerosol generating means is incorporated in said filler material at a level of 0-10%.

42. A smokable filler material according to claim 41, wherein said content is in the range 3-5%.

43. A smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said filler is produced by a casting process.

44. A smokable filler material according to any one of claims 1-42, wherein said filler is produced by an extrusion process.

45. A smokable filler material according to claim 44, wherein said smokable filler material comprises an expanding agent.

46. A smokable filler material according to claim 45, wherein said expanding agent is in the range of 0-40% by weight of the dry materials.

47. A smokable filler material according to claim 46, wherein said expanding agent is less than 30% by weight of the dry materials.

48. A smokable filler material according to claim 47, wherein said expanding agent is about 20% by weight of the dry materials.

49. A smoking article comprising a rod of smokable filler material wrapped with a wrapper, said smokable filler material being a smokable filler material according to any one of the preceding claims.

50. A smoking article according to claim 49, wherein the smokable filler material is mixed with tobacco shreds or a tobacco-containing sheet material.

51. A smoking article according to claim 50, in which the tobacco thread or tobacco-containing sheet material is not more than 40% by weight of the final mixture.

52. A smoking article according to claim 49, wherein the wrapper is a paper wrapper or a substantially non-combustible wrapper.