Composite mesoporous/microporous materials and their use in smoking articles for removing certain gas phase constituents from tobacco smoke

• US 20050133054A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Luan, Zhaohua, Fournier, Jay A
• Granted Patent: US 8,439,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/364
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/246 Polycyclic aromatic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/28 by chemical substances
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/282 by indirect addition of the chemical substances, e.g. in the wrapper, in the case
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/287 by inorganic substances only
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/002 with additives, e.g. for flavouring preparing tobacco, e.g. flavouring, A24B
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/166 Silicic acid or silicates

Abstract

Cut filler compositions, cigarettes, methods for making cigarettes and methods for smoking cigarettes are provided, which involve the use of a composite mesoporous/microporous material. The composite material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke, preferably selectively. The composite material may also be used for removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke through sorption and/or catalysis. The composite material comprises channels interconnecting at least one mesoporous region and at least one microporous region. The mesopores of the composite material may further comprise a carbon lining and/or be further functionalized with a surfactant. Alternatively, the composite material may further comprise a metal, a metal oxide, or mixtures thereof.

Claims

1. A cut filler composition comprising tobacco and a composite mesoporous/microporous material, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke.

2. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of selectively removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke.

3. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one constituent is selected from the group consisting of aldehyde, carbon monoxide, 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, acrolein, acrylonitrile, hydrogen cyanide, o-toluidine, 2-naphtylamine, nitrogen oxide, benzene, N-nitrosonornicotine, phenol, catechol, benz(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene and mixtures thereof.

4. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke through sorption.

5. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke through catalysis.

6. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is present in an amount effective to remove at least 30% of at least one constituent from tobacco smoke.

7. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is present in an amount effective to remove at least 50% of at least one constituent from tobacco smoke.

8. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises a zeolite having an average pore size of less than about 20 Å

.

9. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises a zeolite selected from the group consisting of zeolite ZSM-5, zeolite A, zeolite X, zeolite Y, zeolite K-G, zeolite ZK-5, zeolite Beta, zeolite ZK-4, and mixtures thereof.

10. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises mesopores having an average pore size from about 20 Å

to about 500 Å

.

11. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises channels interconnecting at least one mesoporous region and at least one microporous region.

12. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the mesopores of the composite mesoporous/microporous material further comprise a carbon lining.

13. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material further comprises a metal, a metal oxide, or mixtures thereof.

14. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises at least one metal or metal oxide thereof selected from the group consisting of Group IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IIIA and IVA elements of the Periodic Table of Elements.

15. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises at least one metal or metal oxide thereof selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, zinc, titanium, vanadium, silver, palladium, and manganese.

16. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is further functionalized with a surfactant.

17. A cut filler composition of claim 1, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is further functionalized with an aminopropyl group.

18. A smoking article comprising a composite mesoporous/microporous material, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke.

19. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of selectively removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke.

20. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the at least one constituent is selected from the group consisting of aldehyde, carbon monoxide, 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, acrolein, acrylonitrile, hydrogen cyanide, o-toluidine, 2-naphtylamine, nitrogen oxide, benzene, N-nitrosonornicotine, phenol, catechol, benz(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, and mixtures thereof.

21. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke through sorption.

22. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke through catalysis.

23. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is present in an amount effective to remove at least 30% of at least one constituent from mainstream tobacco smoke.

24. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is present in an amount effective to remove at least 50% of at least one constituent from mainstream tobacco smoke.

25. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises a zeolite having an average pore size of less than about 20 Å

.

26. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises a zeolite selected from the group consisting of zeolite ZSM-5, zeolite A, zeolite X, zeolite Y, zeolite K-G, zeolite ZK-5, zeolite Beta, zeolite ZK-4, and mixtures thereof.

27. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises mesopores having an average pore size from about 20 Å

to about 500 Å

.

28. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises channels interconnecting at least one mesoporous region and at least one microporous region.

29. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the mesopores of the composite mesoporous/microporous material further comprise a carbon lining.

30. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material further comprises a metal, a metal oxide, or mixtures thereof.

31. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises at least one metal or metal oxide thereof selected from the group consisting of Group IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB, VB, VIIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IIIA and IVA elements of the Periodic Table of Elements.

32. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material comprises at least one metal or metal oxide thereof selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, zinc, titanium, vanadium, silver, palladium, and manganese.

33. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is further functionalized with a surfactant.

34. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is further functionalized with an aminopropyl group.

35. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the smoking article comprises up to about 300 mg of the composite mesoporous/microporous material.

36. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the smoking article comprises greater than about 10 mg of the composite mesoporous/microporous material.

37. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is in the form of a powder, granules, monolith or mixtures thereof.

38. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the smoking article is selected from the group consisting of cigarette, pipe, cigar and non-traditional cigarette.

39. A smoking article of claim 38, wherein the smoking article is a cigarette.

40. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is dispersed in a cut tobacco filler.

41. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is located in a paper wrapper.

42. A smoking article of claim 18, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is located in a filter portion.

43. A smoking article of claim 42, wherein the filter portion is a mono filter, a dual filter, a triple filter, a cavity filter, a recessed filter or a free-flow filter.

44. A smoking article of claim 42, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is incorporated into one or more filter parts selected from the group consisting of:

shaped paper insert, a plug, a space, cigarette filter paper, a cellulose acetate sleeve, a polypropylene sleeve, and a free-flow sleeve.

49. A method of smoking the cigarette of claim 39, comprising lighting or heating the cigarette to form smoke and drawing the smoke through the cigarette, wherein during the smoking of the cigarette, the composite mesoporous/microporous material removes at least one constituent from mainstream tobacco smoke.

45. A method of making a cigarette, comprising (i) adding at least one composite mesoporous/microporous material to a cut filler, wherein the composite mesoporous/microporous material is capable of removing at least one constituent from tobacco smoke;

(ii) providing the cut filler comprising the composite mesoporous/microporous material to a cigarette making machine to form a tobacco column; and

(iii) placing a paper wrapper around the tobacco column to form the cigarette.

46. A method of making a cigarette, the method comprising:

(i) providing a cut filler to a cigarette making machine to form a tobacco column;

(ii) placing a paper wrapper around the tobacco column to form a tobacco rod; and

(iii) attaching a cigarette filter to the tobacco rod using tipping paper to form the cigarette, wherein the cigarette filter comprises at least one composite mesoporous/microporous material capable of removing at least one constituent from mainstream tobacco smoke.

47. A method of making a cigarette, comprising

(i) providing the cut filler to a cigarette making machine to form a tobacco column;

and

(ii) placing a paper wrapper around the tobacco column to form a tobacco rod of the cigarette, wherein the paper wrapper comprises at least one composite mesoporous/microporous material that is capable of removing at least one constituent from sidestream tobacco smoke.

48. A method of making a cigarette filter, comprising incorporating at least one composite mesoporous/microporous material that is capable of removing at least one constituent from mainstream tobacco smoke into a cigarette filter.