Smoking article mouthpiece including aerogel

Abstract

A smoking article (10) incorporates a mouthpiece (14), the mouthpiece includes an open pore structure converted from an organic gel and a functional material dispersed in the open pore structure, such as aerogel particles (20).

Claims

1. A smoking article comprising a mouthpiece, the mouthpiece comprising: non-crosslinked organic aerogel having an open pore structure converted from an organic gel, and a functional material dispersed in the open pore structure.

2. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the functional material comprises a material that captures or converts smoke constituents.

3. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the functional material comprises a flavourant material.

4. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the organic aerogel comprises cellulose acetate.

5. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the functional material comprises a sorbent or catalyst.

6. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the open pore structure is formed from a polymer comprising polystyrene or polylactic acid or cellulose material.

7. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece comprises a continuous aerogel element.

8. A smoking article according to claim 7 further comprising a plurality of open channels that extend through a length of the continuous aerogel element.

9. A smoking article according to claim 1 wherein the mouthpiece comprises a plurality of aerogel particles dispersed in a filtration element.

10. A smoking article according to claim 5 wherein the sorbent comprises activated carbon.

11. A method comprising: combining a functional material with a gelling agent and solvent to from a gel; removing the solvent from the gel to form an organic aerogel; and disposing the organic aerogel in a smoking article mouthpiece.

12. A method according to claim 11 further comprising forming a smoking article by combining a tobacco substrate with the smoking article mouthpiece.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the functional material comprises a material that captures or converts smoke constituents.

14. A method according to claim 11 further comprising: disposing the gel in a molding element; providing a plurality of elongate members through a length of the gel; forming the organic aerogel in the molding element by removing the solvent from the gel, wherein the organic aerogel comprises a plurality of open channels that extend through a length of the organic aerogel.

15. A smoking article filter element comprising an organic aerogel comprising cellulose acetate.

16. A smoking article filter element according to claim 15 wherein the organic aerogel further comprises a material that captures or converts smoke constituents, wherein the material is dispersed in the organic aerogel.

17. A smoking article filter element according to claim 15 wherein the organic aerogel further comprises a flavourant material dispersed in the organic aerogel.

18. A smoking article filter element according to claim 15 wherein the organic aerogel defines a continuous aerogel filter element that forms at least a portion of the smoking article filter element.

19. A smoking article filter element according to claim 15 wherein the organic aerogel defines a plurality of aerogel particles comprising functional material, the plurality of aerogel particles dispersed in the filter element.

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 mouthpiece filter element formed of aerogel;

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

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

(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 mouthpiece or mouthpiece filter element 14. The mouthpiece or mouthpiece filter element 14 includes a filtration element 16 that can be formed of aerogel 20 wrapped in plug wrap 18. Tipping paper 19 joins the tobacco rod 12 to the axially aligned filter 14. Cigarette wrapper 13 surrounds the tobacco substrate which includes tobacco cut filler 11.

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates a monolithic aerogel element 20 forming the structure of the mouthpiece filtration element 16. The illustrated monolithic aerogel mouthpiece filtration element 20 in FIG. 1 is a cylindrical element forming the mouthpiece or mouthpiece filter element 14 of the smoking article 10.

(8) FIG. 2 illustrates a plurality of aerogel particles 20 dispersed in the filtration element 16 that can be cellulose acetate tow, for example.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram side view of an molding element 30 that can be utilized in the formation of the aerogel 20. The 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 aerogel 20. The elongated channel forming members 40 define a void space or channel through the aerogel 20 once the 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 aerogel 20 or at least about 90% or at least about 75% of the length of the 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 aerogel 20 and are described above. The elongated channel forming members 40 define a void space or channel through the aerogel 20 once the aerogel 20 is formed and removed from both the cavity 36 of the molding element 30 and the elongated channel forming members 40.