Treated tobacco and processes for preparing the same, devices including the same and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016205992-A1
Application number	US-201414912400-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Aug 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments provides treated tobacco material having a pH of at least 9 and a moisture content of no more than 20% based on the dry weight of the tobacco. Embodiments also provide a process for treating tobacco material to increase its pH to at least 9, the process comprising applying a basic solution to the tobacco material to be treated, and drying the material to produce a treated tobacco material with a moisture content of no more than 20%. Embodiments also provide devices comprising the treated tobacco material, and uses of the treated tobacco material.

First claim

1 . A process for treating tobacco material to increase its pH to at least about 9 , the process comprising:
applying a basic solution to a tobacco material to be treated; removing ammonia; and drying the material to produce a treated tobacco material with a moisture content of no more than about 20 weight % based, upon the dry weight of the tobacco, the drying being carried out at from about 20° C. to about 85° C.

2 . A. process according to claim 1 , wherein the removal of ammonia and the drying of tobacco material are carried out simultaneously or consecutively.

3 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process comprises reducing the particle size of the tobacco material to from about 1 to about 3 mm, or from about 1 to about 2 mm.

4 . A process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the particle size of the tobacco material is reduced before applying a basic solution to the tobacco material.

5 . A process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the tobacco is sliced prior to the application of the basic solution, and the tobacco particle size is further reduced to a size of from about 1 to about 3 mm, or to a size of from about 1 to about 2 mm, following application of the basic solution.

6 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the basic solution comprises a base selected from the group consisting of: sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and sodium phosphate.

7 . A process as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the basic solution comprises sodium hydroxide.

8 ,. A process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the sodium hydroxide solution has a concentration in the range of from about 3.0 to about 9.0 mol/L.

9 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the treated tobacco material is dried to have a moisture content of from about 5 to about 20%. from about 8 to about 18%, or from about 10 to about 15% based on the dry weight of the tobacco.

10 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tobacco is not heated to a temperature above about one of 65° C., 60° C., 55° C., or 50° C. during the treatment process.

11 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is mixed or agitated during or after application of the basic solution.

12 . A treated tobacco material obtainable by a process to increase its pH to at least about 9, comprising:
applying a basic solution to a tobacco material to be treated; removing ammonia; and drying the material to produce a treated tobacco material with a moisture content of no more than about 20 weight % based upon the dry weight of the tobacco, the drying being carried out at from about 20° C. to about 85° C.

13 . A smokeless inhalation device, comprising:
a treated tobacco material, having a pH of at least about 9 prepared by applying a basic solution to a tobacco material to be treated, removing ammonia, and drying the material to produce a treated tobacco material with a moisture content of no more than about 20 weight % based upon the dry weight of the tobacco, the drying being carried out at from about 20° C. to about 85° C.

14 . A device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the device is configured to heat the treated tobacco material in use to volatilize nicotine.

15 . A device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the treated tobacco material is healed in use to a temperature no higher than about one of 80° C., 75° C., 70° C., 65° C., 60° C., or 55° C. to produce nicotine in an inhalable form.

16 . A device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein, the device provides a dose of inhalable nicotine of no less than about 0.01 mg per gram of tobacco and of no more than about 0.3 mg per gram of tobacco based on the ISO smoking regime.

17 - 19 . (canceled)

Assignees

• British American Tobacco Co

Inventors

• Bell Sally
• Forster Mark
• Phillips Jeremy

Classifications

• A24F40/20

  Devices using solid inhalable precursors · CPC title

• A24B15/287 Primary

  by inorganic substances only · CPC title

• A24B15/16

  of tobacco substitutes · CPC title

• A24F47/004

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A24B15/28 Primary

  by chemical substances · CPC title