Tobacco substrate

Abstract

A smoking article (10) incorporates a tobacco substrate including tobacco having a tobacco density of 150 mg/cm.sup.3 or less and a hardness of 60% or greater. The tobacco substrate can include a tobacco aerogel (20).

Claims

1. A smoking article comprising a tobacco substrate, the tobacco substrate comprising an organic aerogel defining a continuous element having an open poor structure with void space of 75% or greater; and tobacco dispersed in the organic aerogel.

2. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the tobacco substrate having a tobacco density of about 150 mg/cm.sup.3 or less and a hardness of 60% or greater.

3. A smoking article according to claim 2 wherein the aerogel comprises at least about 5 wt % tobacco.

4. A smoking article according to claim 2 wherein the open pore structure comprises a polysaccharide or protein.

5. A smoking article according to claim 2 wherein the open pore structure has a density of less than about 0.35 g/cm.sup.3.

6. A smoking article according to claim 2 wherein the open pore structure is a plurality of particles.

7. A smoking article according to claim 2 wherein the open pore structure comprises a functional material that captures or converts smoke constituents.

8. A tobacco substrate comprising: an organic aerogel defining a continuous element having an open pore structure with void space of 75% or greater; and tobacco dispersed in the organic aerogel.

9. A tobacco substrate according to claim 8 wherein the aerogel has a density of less than about 0.35 g/cm.sup.3.

10. A tobacco substrate according to claim 8 wherein the aerogel comprises at least about 5 wt % tobacco.

11. A tobacco substrate according to claim 8 wherein the continuous element forms the tobacco substrate.

12. A tobacco substrate according to claim 8 wherein the aerogel comprises a functional material that captures or converts smoke constituents.

13. A tobacco substrate according to claim 8 wherein the aerogel is plurality of particles.

14. A tobacco substrate according to claim 8 wherein the aerogel comprises a polysaccharide or protein.

15. The tobacco substrate of claim 8, wherein the tobacco substrate includes 40% or less tobacco.

16. The tobacco substrate of claim 8, wherein the tobacco substrate is a cigarette rod element.

17. The tobacco substrate of claim 8, wherein the aerogel comprises a functional material comprising a flavorant.

Description

(1) The disclosure will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section view of a smoking article according to the present disclosure having a tobacco substrate formed of a tobacco aerogel;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross section view of a smoking article according to the present disclosure having a tobacco substrate formed of a plurality of tobacco aerogel particles dispersed in a tobacco rod;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram side view of an molding element;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram side view of another molding element.

(6) The smoking article 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 includes a tobacco substrate or tobacco rod 12 attached to an axially aligned filter 14. The filter 14 includes a filter plug 16 that can be formed of cellulose acetate wrapped in plug wrap 18. Tipping paper 19 joins the tobacco rod 12 to the axially aligned filter 14.

(7) Cigarette wrapper 13 surrounds the tobacco substrate which can include the tobacco aerogel 20 in FIG. 1 and tobacco cut filler 11 and tobacco aerogel particles 20 in FIG. 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a monolithic tobacco aerogel element 20 forming the structure of the tobacco substrate 12. The illustrated monolithic tobacco aerogel element 20 in FIG. 1 is a cylindrical element forming the tobacco substrate 12 of the smoking article 10.

(8) FIG. 2 illustrates the tobacco substrate 12 formed of a plurality of tobacco aerogel particles 20 dispersed in tobacco material or cut tobacco filler 11.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram side view of an molding element 30 that can be utilized in the formation of the tobacco aerogel 20. The tobacco gel can be disposed in the cavity 36 of the molding element 30. The cavity 36 is defined by side surfaces 32 and a bottom surface 34. A plurality of elongated channel forming members 40 are fixed to the bottom surface 34 and extend through a length of the tobacco aerogel 20. The elongated channel forming members 40 define a void space or channel through the tobacco aerogel 20 once the tobacco aerogel 20 is formed and removed from the cavity 36 of the molding element 30.

(10) The elongated channel forming members 40 can have any useful diameter such as, about 25 micrometers or less, or about 15 micrometers or less. Any useful number of channel forming members 40 can be disposed in the cavity 36 of the molding element 30 such as at least about 10 or at least about 20. The channel forming members 40 can extend along the entire length of the tobacco aerogel 20 or at least about 90% or at least about 75% of the length of the tobacco aerogel 20.

(11) FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram side view of another molding element 31. In this embodiment the elongated channel forming members 40 are movable relative to the cavity 36 of the molding element 30. The elongated channel forming members 40 are fixed to a support element 42 that is longitudinally movable relative to the cavity 36 of the molding element 30 along the length of the side surfaces 32 and moving toward and away from the bottom surface 34. The elongated channel forming members 40 extend through a length of the tobacco aerogel 20 and are described above. The elongated channel forming members 40 define a void space or channel through the tobacco aerogel 20 once the tobacco aerogel 20 is formed and removed from both the cavity 36 of the molding element 30 and the elongated channel forming members 40.