Fibrous filtration material for electronic smoking article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10383369-B2
Application number	US-201715616457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2017
Priority date	Jun 7, 2017
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. Some aerosol delivery devices of the current disclosure include a reservoir having a liquid aerosol precursor composition, an electrical heater in fluid communication with the reservoir and configured to vaporize the liquid aerosol precursor composition to form an aerosol, and a filter operatively arranged relative to the electrical heater such that at least a portion of the formed aerosol passes therethrough, the filter being configured to selectively bind one or more undesirable impurities.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
a reservoir including a liquid aerosol precursor composition;
an electrical heater in fluid communication with the reservoir and configured to vaporize the liquid aerosol precursor composition and subsequently form an aerosol optionally including one or more target compounds; and
a filter comprising a cellulose-containing material and ion-exchanged fibers, the filter being operatively arranged relative to the heater such that at least a portion of the formed aerosol passes therethrough, the filter being configured to bind selectively one or more of the target compounds;
wherein the one or more target compounds comprise one or both of carbonyl-containing compounds and nitroso-containing compounds; and
wherein the ion-exchanged fibers include nucleophilic functional groups and electrophilic functional groups, said ion-exchanged fibers thus being configured to bind both the carbonyl-containing compounds and the nitroso-containing compounds optionally present in the aerosol.

2. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 1 , wherein the amount of cellulose-containing material in the filter ranges from about 1 to about 99% by weight based on the total weight of the filter.

3. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 1 , wherein the amount of ion exchanged fiber in the filter ranges from about 1 to about 99% by weight based on the total weight of the filter.

4. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 1 , wherein the cellulose-containing material comprises one or more of cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, nitrocellulose, cellulose sulfate, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and regenerated cellulose fibers.

5. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 4 , wherein the cellulose-containing material is cellulose acetate.

6. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 1 , wherein the nucleophilic functional groups are selected from a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, a tertiary amino group, a hydrazine group, a benzenesulfonyl hydrazine group and combinations thereof.

7. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 6 , wherein the nucleophilic functional groups are a primary amine group or a secondary amine group.

8. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 6 , wherein the nucleophilic functional groups are present in the ion exchanged fibers in an amount ranging from about 0.5 mmol/g to about 5 mmol/g.

9. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 6 , wherein the nucleophilic functional groups are present in the ion exchanged fiber in an amount of at least 20% by weight based on the total weight of the ion exchanged fiber.

10. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 1 , wherein the carbonyl-containing compounds comprise aldehydes, ketones, or combinations thereof.

11. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 10 , wherein the carbonyl-containing compounds are at least one aldehyde.

12. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 11 , wherein the aldehyde comprises at least one or more of acetaldehyde, acrolein, butyraldehyde, crotonaldehyde, formaldehyde, or propionaldehyde.

13. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 1 , wherein the nitroso-containing compounds comprise N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanal (NNA), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (iso-NNAL), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-butanoic acid (iso-NNAC), or combinations thereof.

14. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the heater and the reservoir are present in a housing.

15. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14 , wherein the filter is included within the housing downstream of the heater.

16. The aerosol delivery device of claim 14 , wherein the filter is positioned within a removable mouthpiece configured to engage a mouthend of the housing.

17. The aerosol delivery device as in claim 16 , wherein the mouthpiece is disposable.

18. A method for removing target compounds from a formed aerosol, the method comprising:
configuring a filter downstream from an electrical heater in an aerosol delivery device such that aerosol formed in the aerosol delivery device by heating of an aerosol precursor composition by the electrical heater is passed through the filter and one or more target compounds present in the aerosol is bound by the filter;
wherein the filter comprises a cellulose-containing material and ion-exchanged fibers;
wherein the target compounds comprise carbonyl-containing compounds, nitroso-containing compounds, or combinations thereof; and
wherein the ion-exchanged fibers include nucleophilic functional groups and electrophilic functional groups, said ion-exchanged fibers thus being configured to bind both the carbonyl-containing compounds and the nitroso-containing compounds present in the aerosol.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the carbonyl-containing compounds comprise aldehydes, ketones, or combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the carbonyl-containing compounds are at least one aldehyde.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the aldehyde comprises at least one or more of acetaldehyde, acrolein, butyraldehyde, crotonaldehyde, formaldehyde, or propionaldehyde.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the level of target compounds comprising one or more aldehydes is reduced by at least 50%, compared to the level of one or more aldehydes before contact with the filter.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the nitroso-containing compounds comprise N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanal (NNA), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (iso-NNAL), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)-butanoic acid (iso-NNAC), or combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the filter contacts the formed aerosol and adsorbs carbonyl-containing compounds in an amount ranging from about 0.2 μg to about 750 μg upon completion of use of the device.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein the filter contacts the formed aerosol and adsorbs nitroso-containing compounds in an amount ranging from about 0.5 ng to about 50 ng upon completion of use of the device.

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein removal of target compounds is determined by measuring a reduction in levels of target compounds present in the aerosol before contact with the filter and after contact with filter.

Assignees

• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Sebastian Andries Don
• Davis Michael F
• Eni Eni Sammy
• Rowe Jannell
• Hefner Tracy M

Classifications

• A24D3/10

  of cellulose or cellulose derivatives · CPC title

• A24F7/04

  with smoke filters · CPC title

• A24D3/12 Primary

  of ion exchange materials · CPC title

• A24F47/008 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24F47/00

  Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for · CPC title