METHOD OF PRODUCING AN AEROSOL-GENERATING ELEMENT

Abstract

A method of producing an aerosol-generating element for an aerosol-generating article or system is provided, the method including the steps of: preparing a matrix polymer solution including a matrix-forming polymer in water; adding a plurality of aerosol-generating formulation components to the matrix polymer solution to form an aerosol-generating solution, in which the aerosol-generating formulation components include a polyhydric alcohol and at least one alkaloid or cannabinoid, and in which the aerosol-generating solution includes at least 0.5 percent by weight of the at least one alkaloid or cannabinoid; forming a discrete portion of the aerosol-generating solution; adding the discrete portion of the aerosol-generating solution to a cross-linking solution of multivalent cations to cross-link the matrix-forming polymer; and removing the aerosol-generating element from the cross-linking solution and drying the aerosol-generating element.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A method of producing an aerosol-generating element for an aerosol-generating article or system, the method comprising the steps of: preparing a matrix polymer solution comprising a matrix-forming polymer in water; adding a plurality of aerosol-generating formulation components to the matrix polymer solution to form an aerosol-generating solution, wherein the aerosol-generating formulation components comprise a polyhydric alcohol and at least one alkaloid or cannabinoid, and wherein the aerosol-generating solution comprises at least 0.5 percent by weight of the at least one alkaloid or cannabinoid; forming a discrete portion of the aerosol-generating solution; adding the discrete portion of the aerosol-generating solution to a cross-linking solution of multivalent cations to cross-link the matrix-forming polymer; and removing the aerosol-generating element from the cross-linking solution and drying the aerosol-generating element.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol-generating formulation components further comprise an acid.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of forming the discrete portion of the aerosol-generating solution comprises forming a droplet of the aerosol-generating solution, and wherein the droplet is dropped into the cross-linking solution from a height of at least 10 cm.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the viscosity of the aerosol-generating solution is at least 5000 mPa.Math.s.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol-generating formulation components are added sequentially to the matrix polymer solution.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol-generating solution further comprises at least 20 percent by weight of the polyhydric alcohol.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is glycerin, propylene glycol, or a combination of glycerin and propylene glycol.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the aerosol-generating solution further comprises at least 0.5 percent by weight of nicotine.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the matrix-forming polymer comprises alginate, and wherein the matrix polymer solution comprises at least 45 percent by weight of water.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the cross-linking solution comprises at least 20 percent by weight of a polyhydric alcohol, and wherein the polyhydric alcohol in the cross-linking solution is the same as the polyhydric alcohol in the aerosol-generating solution.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a concentration of the polyhydric alcohol in the cross-linking solution is within 20 percent of a concentration of the polyhydric alcohol within the aerosol-generating solution.

26. The method according to claim 15, wherein during the drying step, the water content of the aerosol-generating element is reduced to less than 20 percent by weight.

27. The method according to claim 15, wherein after the drying step, the aerosol-generating element has a polyhydric alcohol content of at least 60 percent by weight.

28. An aerosol-generating element produced by the method according to claim 15, the aerosol-generating element comprising at least 60 percent by weight of polyhydric alcohol, at least 0.5 percent by weight of nicotine, and at least 0.5 percent by weight of acid.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0197] An aerosol-generating solution is formed from a mixture of the following components:

TABLE-US-00001 Component % by weight Glycerin 43.6 Sodium alginate 2.1 Nicotine 1.2 Levulinic acid 1.4 Water 51.7

[0198] In an initial step, the sodium alginate is added to the water to form a matrix polymer solution. The nicotine is then added, followed by the glycerin and finally the levulinic acid.

[0199] The resultant aerosol-generating solution is extruded through a 5 millimetre nozzle to form a plurality of droplets, which are then dropped from a height of 30 centimetres into a cross-linking solution having the following composition, at room temperature:

TABLE-US-00002 Component % by weight Glycerin 42.9 Water 52.1 Calcium chloride 5.0

[0200] The droplets are left in the cross-linking solution for a period of 25 minutes before being removed and dried at 25 degrees Celsius for 12 hours, in a tray dryer. The resultant dried aerosol-generating elements are in the form of solid, spherical beads having a diameter of about 4.6 mm. Each bead has a weight of approximately 65 mg, a water activity of 0.4 and the following composition:

TABLE-US-00003 Component % by weight Glycerin 76.8 Alginate 3.8 Nicotine 2.4 Levulinic acid 2.1 Water 14.4 Calcium chloride 0.5