TOBACCO-DERIVED CARBON MATERIAL

• US 20160174605A1
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Horvath, Bob, Dube, Michael Francis, Perfetti, Thomas Albert, Lehman, Rick
• Granted Patent: US 11,219,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/08 with lighting means pyrophoric compositions C06C15/00; lighters per se F23Q
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/22 Cigarettes with integrated combustible heat sources, e.g. with carbonaceous heat sources
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/06 Use of materials for tobacco smoke filters
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/163 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/05 Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/30 Active carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/318 characterised by the starting materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/336 characterised by gaseous activating agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/342 characterised by non-gaseous activating agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/12 Surface area

Abstract

A method of forming a carbon material from the stalk or roots of a plant of the Nicotiana species is provided herein, wherein the method includes i) receiving a tobacco material comprising at least one of a stalk material and a root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species; and ii) pyrolyzing the tobacco material to remove volatiles and to form a tobacco-derived carbon material. Optionally, the method can further include activating the tobacco-derived carbon material. The tobacco-derived carbon material can be incorporated into a tobacco product. A carbon material derived from pyrolyzing a tobacco material in the form of at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species is also provided herein.

Claims

1. A method of forming a carbon material from the stalk or roots of a plant of the Nicotiana species, comprising:

i) receiving a tobacco material comprising at least one of a stalk material and a root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species; and

ii) pyrolyzing the tobacco material to remove volatiles and to form a tobacco-derived carbon material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is formed by grinding at least one of the stalk material and the root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species to form a particulate material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises at least about 90 percent by dry weight of at least one of the stalk material and the root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises at least 40 dry weight percent carbon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tobacco-derived carbon material comprises an ash content of about 15% or less by dry weight.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein pyrolyzing the tobacco material results in a yield of the tobacco-derived carbon material of about 25 percent or greater based on the initial dry weight of the tobacco material.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the tobacco-derived carbon material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tobacco-derived carbon material is activated through at least one of alkali activation and steam activation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tobacco-derived carbon material is activated by fluxing a tobacco-derived char with an alkali metal compound in a mass ratio of about 1:

1 to about 3;

1 alkali metal compound/char at a temperature of greater than about 800°

C.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising incorporating the activated tobacco-derived carbon material into a tobacco product.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the tobacco product is a smoking article.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the smoking article comprises a filter element, and wherein the activated tobacco-derived carbon material is located within the filter element.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the activated tobacco-derived carbon material has a surface area of at least about 400 m²/g.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the activated tobacco-derived carbon material has a surface area of about 500 to about 1,200 m²/g.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating the tobacco-derived carbon material into a tobacco product.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tobacco product is in the form of a smoking article comprising a combustible fuel element adapted for lighting, wherein the fuel element comprises the tobacco-derived carbon material.

17. A carbon material derived from pyrolyzing a tobacco material in the form of at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species.

18. The carbon material of claim 17, wherein the tobacco material comprises at least about 90 percent by dry weight of at least one of the stalk material and the root material of the harvested plant of the Nicotiana species.

19. The carbon material of claim 17, wherein the tobacco material comprises at least 40 dry weight percent carbon.

20. The carbon material of claim 17, wherein the carbon material is activated.

21. The carbon material of claim 20, wherein the carbon material is activated through at least one of alkali activation and steam activation.

22. The carbon material of claim 20, wherein the activated carbon material has a surface area of at least about 400 m²/g.

23. The carbon material of claim 20, wherein the activated carbon material has a surface area of about 500 to about 1,200 m²/g.

24. A tobacco product incorporating the activated carbon material of claim 20.

25. The tobacco product of claim 24, wherein the tobacco product is a smoking article.

26. The tobacco product of claim 25, wherein the smoking article comprises a filter element, and wherein the activated tobacco-derived carbon material is located within the filter element.

27. A tobacco product incorporating the carbon material of claim 17.

28. The tobacco product of claim 27, wherein the tobacco product is in the form of a smoking article comprising a combustible fuel element adapted for lighting, wherein the fuel element comprises the carbon material.