Pouch material for smokeless tobacco and tobacco substitute products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024164433-A1
Application number	US-202418425256-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2024
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A melt-blown fabric for pouching smokeless tobacco or a smokeless tobacco substitute can include melt-blown polymer fibers. The fabric can have a basis weight of less than 10 gsm and a tensile strength of at least 4mJ in at least one predetermined direction. Method of making the fabric can include melt-blowing a polymeric material against a support surface and bonding the fibers or arranging them in a predetermined orientation. Pouched smokeless tobacco or tobacco substitute products including the fabrics provided herein can provide desirable flavor and tactile experience.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a pouch material for an oral product, the method comprising:
forming a composite polymer by compounding a filler and a polymer; and forming the pouch material by depositing fibers onto a support surface, the depositing including melt-blowing the fibers, centrifugal force spinning the fibers, or a combination of melt-blowing and centrifugal force spinning the fibers, the fibers including the filler and the polymer, the filler increasing a hydrophilic permittivity of the pouch material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming a composite polymer further includes pelletizing the filler and the polymer after the compounding.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the filler includes a colorant, and the forming a composite polymer includes compounding the colorant and the polymer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the pouch material includes forming a nonwoven fabric including the fibers.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming includes the melt-blowing.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the melt-blowing includes,
forming a polymer melt by melting the composite polymer, producing filaments by extruding the polymer melt through an extrusion die, and producing the fibers by
introducing a gas, and
drawing the filaments.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein
the melt-blowing is performed using a plurality of spinnerets, the producing filaments includes extruding the polymer melt through a plurality of polymer orifices, and the introducing includes introducing heated air through a plurality of air orifices, each of the plurality of air orifices surrounding a respective one of the plurality of polymer orifices to define a respective one of the plurality of spinnerets.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the producing the fibers includes producing fibers having diameters ranging from 0.5 microns to 100 microns.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
controlling fiber diameter by controlling a throughput of fibers, a temperature of the forming the polymer melt, a temperature of the heated air, a pressure of the heated air, a distance to the support surface, or any combination thereof.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a quantity of the plurality of spinnerets ranges from 10 spinnerets per square inch to 500 spinnerets per square inch.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the polymer orifices has a diameter less than or equal to 30 microns.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the polymer orifices has a diameter ranging from 150 microns to 400 microns.

13 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the melt-blowing further includes directing water vapor at the filaments to quench the filaments.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the support surface includes a carrier material.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pouch material has a basis weight ranging from 10 grams per square meter (gsm) to 30 gsm.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the forming the pouch material, spraying a surfactant onto the fibers.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a flavorant to the pouch material.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a sweetener to the pouch material.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the polymer includes an elastomer, and the forming the composite polymer includes compounding the filler and the elastomer.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the polymer includes a mouth-stable polymer and a mouth-dissolvible polymer, and the forming the composite polymer includes compounding the mouth-stable polymer, the mouth-dissolvible polymer, and the filler.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Carroll Andrew Nathan
• Black Shannon Maxwell
• Sun Yan Helen
• Burke William J

Classifications

• A24B15/186 Primary

  by coating with a coating composition, encapsulation of tobacco particles (encapsulation of additives other than tobacco : A24B15/283) · CPC title

• A24B13/00 Primary

  Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14) · CPC title

• A24B15/283

  by encapsulation of the chemical substances · CPC title

• D04H13/00

  Other non-woven fabrics · CPC title