Hydrophobic smoking article tube

Abstract

A smoking article tube includes an elongated tube having a mouthpiece segment at a first end and an empty smokable material cavity defined by a second end of the elongated tube opposing the first end. A hydrophobic tube region includes hydrophobic groups covalently bonded to the elongated tube.

Claims

1. A smoking article tube comprising: an elongated tube having a mouthpiece segment at a first end of the elongated tube and an empty smokable material cavity defined by a second end of the elongated tube opposing the first end; and a hydrophobic tube region comprising hydrophobic groups covalently bonded to the elongated tube.

2. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region only defines the smokable material cavity.

3. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece segment comprises a filter element and the hydrophobic tube region defines only the mouthpiece segment.

4. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic groups are covalently bonded to an inner surface of the elongated tube.

5. The smoking article tube according to any claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic groups are covalently bonded to an outer surface of the elongated tube.

6. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region has a water contact angle of at least about 90 degrees.

7. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region exhibits a Cobb measurement value (at 60 seconds) of about 40 g/m.sup.2 or less.

8. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region has a basis weight in a range from about 10 to about 50 g/m.sup.2, and the hydrophobic group has a basis weight in a range from about 0.1 to about 5 g/m.sup.2.

9. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region comprises cellulosic material and the hydrophobic group is covalently bonded to cellulosic material by reacting in-situ a fatty acid halide with the cellulosic material.

10. The smoking article tube according to claim 9, wherein the fatty acid halide is palmitoyl chloride, stearoyl chloride, behenoyl chloride, or a mixture of palmitoyl chloride and stearoyl chloride.

11. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region comprises fatty acid esters of cellulose.

12. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic group is covalently bonded to the hydrophobic tube region by chromatogeny.

13. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic tube region is produced by a process comprising the steps of: applying a liquid composition comprising a fatty acid halide to at least one surface of the hydrophobic tube region, maintaining the surface at a temperature of about 120 C. to about 180 C., wherein the fatty acid halide reacts in situ with protogenic groups of material in the hydrophobic tube region resulting in the formation of fatty acid esters.

14. The smoking article tube according to claim 13, wherein the process comprises applying a liquid composition comprising stearoyl chloride or palmitoyl chloride to at least one surface of the hydrophobic tube region at a temperature of about 120 C. to about 180 C., wherein hydroxyl groups in cellulosic material of the hydrophobic tube region reacts in-situ with the stearoyl chloride or palmitoyl chloride.

15. The smoking article tube according to claim 13, wherein the process comprises applying the liquid composition to a surface region of the hydrophobic tube region at a rate of in a range from about 0.1 to about 3 grams per square meter to render the surface region hydrophobic.

16. A container containing a plurality of smoking article tubes according to claim 1.

17. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece segment comprises a filter element, and the filter element comprises a flavorant.

18. The smoking article tube according to claim 17, wherein the flavorant comprises a liquid flavorant.

19. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the elongated tube does not contain tobacco.

20. The smoking article tube according to claim 1, wherein the empty smokable material cavity is configured to receive tobacco, or a pre-portioned tube of tobacco.

Description

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an illustrative smoking article tube with a charge of tobacco being inserted into the empty smokable cavity.

(2) The smoking article tube is depicted in FIG. 1 and illustrate one or more embodiments of a smoking article tube or components of MYO smoking articles described above. The schematic drawing is not necessarily to scale and is presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawing depicts one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

(3) Referring now to FIG. 1, an illustrative smoking article tube 10 with a charge of tobacco 40 being inserted into the empty smokable cavity 20, is depicted. The smoking article tube 10 has a generally cylindrical shape defined by an elongated tube 15 having a first end 12 and an opposing second end 14. A mouthpiece segment 30 is at the first end 12 and an empty smokable material cavity 20 is defined by a second end 14 of the elongated tube 15. A hydrophobic tube region 25 comprises hydrophobic groups covalently bonded to the elongated tube 15. The mouthpiece segment 30 can include a filter element 35.

(4) The exemplary embodiments described above are not limiting. Other embodiments consistent with the exemplary embodiments described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art.