This invention relates to a method for preparing expanded tobacco stems, characterized in that the method contains steps as follows: purification, stem expansion, hypoxia heat retention (hypoxia heat retention refers to heating the expanded stems at hypoxia environment and maintaining the temperature), natural stacking, sorting, and packaging. An expanded tobacco stem product prepared according to this method has uniform size and color. Taste is modest and plain when it is combusted, which does not affect the original taste flavour. Expansion volume, the ratio of the expanded stems to the total stems, and quality are stable, which can be used as adsorption material. More important, expanded tobacco stems made from stems of different origin, texture and year according to this method have uniform odor component, which can not be acquired by other expansion technologies. This technology has met the requirement for product fabrication.

Certain embodiments include a screen assembly of a vessel, where the screen assembly includes a plurality of fixed elements and a retainer, and the retainer includes a ring, a plurality of wedges disposed about the ring, and a plurality of keyholes at spaced locations about the ring. Each keyhole includes a bore and a slot extending from the bore into an adjacent wedge of the plurality of wedges, the slots have a width less than the bores, and the retainer may receive the fixed elements through the bores and may be rotated in a relation with the plurality of fixed elements to bring the plurality of fixed elements into simultaneous engagement with the wedges.

An article for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision system, wherein the article includes an aerosol-generating material prepared from one or more botanical materials, wherein at least one of the botanical materials has a fill value of greater than about 6 mL/g.

Certain embodiments include a screen assembly of a vessel, where the screen assembly includes a plurality of fixed elements and a retainer, and the retainer includes a ring, a plurality of wedges disposed about the ring, and a plurality of keyholes at spaced locations about the ring.

Each keyhole includes a bore and a slot extending from the bore into an adjacent wedge of the plurality of wedges, the slots have a width less than the bores, and the retainer may receive the fixed elements through the bores and may be rotated in a relation with the plurality of fixed elements to bring the plurality of fixed elements into simultaneous engagement with the wedges.

Certain embodiments include a screen assembly of a vessel, where the screen assembly includes a plurality of fixed elements and a retainer, and the retainer includes a ring, a plurality of wedges disposed about the ring, and a plurality of keyholes at spaced locations about the ring. Each keyhole includes a bore and a slot extending from the bore into an adjacent wedge of the plurality of wedges, the slots have a width less than the bores, and the retainer may receive the fixed elements through the bores and may be rotated in a relation with the plurality of fixed elements to bring the plurality of fixed elements into simultaneous engagement with the wedges.

Protective head gear includes an exterior layer configured to cover at least a portion of a person's head, and an energy absorbing layer adjacent to at least a portion of the exterior layer for absorbing at least a portion of an impact force upon the exterior layer. At least a portion of the energy absorbing layer may include a compliant foam material and a frangible glass foam material. The frangible material may be enclosed in a container. The protective head gear may additionally include an interior layer adjacent at least a portion of the energy absorbing layer. The interior layer may comprise compliant foam or fabric.

A heat-not-burn aerosol generating substrate is disclosed. The substrate internally has a porous and loose structure, crystal blocks and plant fiber filaments coexist in the porous and loose structure, gaps exist between the crystal blocks, and the gaps are not uniformly and irregularly distributed in a space. When the heat-not-burn aerosol generating substrate is heated, aerosol generated can pass through the gaps, so as to be sucked by a smoker. In the present disclosure, a heat-not-burn aerosol generating product includes a heat-not-burn aerosol generating substrate and a packaging material for wrapping the heat-not-burn aerosol generating substrate. The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing method for a heat-not-burn aerosol generating substrate. The manufacturing method includes the following steps: providing raw material components for manufacturing the heat-not-burn aerosol generating substrate, and making the raw material components into a paste-like material; molding the paste-like material through a molding process; and evaporating moisture of the paste-like material through a baking process.

A protective helmet having a protective shell with an interior surface and an exterior surface. A padding layer is affixed to the interior surface. The padding layer comprises a compliant material and a frangible material, such as glass foam. At least the frangible material is enclosed in a container. A detection circuit detects compromise of the frangible material, and outputs an indicator in the event the compromise is detected. The detection circuit may include a frangible wire configured to break in the event the frangible material is compromised. The indicator may include an LED, and/or radio-frequency signals. The radio-frequency signal may include an identifier for the helmet. The padding layer may include a plurality of pads each containing compliant material and frangible material. The plurality of pads may include one or more fasteners for releaseably affixing the pads to the interior surface of the protective shell.

A method of treating cut stem tobacco material by expanding the cut stem to provide a first expanded tobacco material having a fill value at least about 10% greater than the fill value of the untreated cut stem tobacco material; intermittently contacting the first expanded tobacco material with a heated surface to provide a second expanded tobacco material with a moisture content of from 0 to about 10% OV and a fill value at least 5% greater than the fill value of the first expanded tobacco material; and (c) adjusting the moisture content of the second expanded tobacco material from about 5% to about 30% OV to provide an expanded product, wherein the fill value of the expanded product is at least 50% greater than the fill value of the untreated cut stem tobacco material when measured at a normalized moisture content of 14.5% OV.

A method of treating cut stem tobacco material by expanding the cut stem to provide a first expanded tobacco material having a fill value at least about 10% greater than the fill value of the untreated cut stem tobacco material, intermittently contacting the first expanded tobacco material with a heated surface to provide a second expanded tobacco material with a moisture content of from 0 to about 10% OV and a fill value at least 5% greater than the fill value of the first expanded tobacco material; and (c) adjusting the moisture content of the second expanded tobacco material from about 5% to about 30% OV to provide an expanded product, wherein the fill value of the expanded product is at least 50% greater than the fill value of the untreated cut stem tobacco material when measured at a normalized moisture content of 14.5% OV.