Flavored carbon useful as filtering material of smoking article

Abstract

Flavored carbon useful as a filtering material of a smoking article such as a cigarette is made by applying liquid flavorant to activated carbon particles in a fluidized bed. The flavored carbon can be used to impart desired taste to mainstream smoke while removing one or more components from mainstream smoke.

1 . A process for making flavored carbon particles, the process comprising: 
 (i) introducing activated carbon particles into a vessel;    (ii) introducing a fluidizing gas into the vessel so as to fluidize the activated carbon particles; and    (iii) introducing a liquid flavorant into the vessel while the activated carbon particles are in a fluidized state, the liquid flavorant being absorbed and optionally adsorbed onto the activated carbon particles such that pores of the flavored carbon particles can preferentially remove at least one selected gaseous component from mainstream tobacco smoke.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the process is carried out in a batch or continuous manner to provide 0.1 to 20% by weight of flavorant on the activated carbon particles.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the process is carried out in a batch manner without heating the activated carbon particles while in the fluidized state.  
     
     
         4 . A process for making flavored carbon particles, the process comprising: 
 (i) introducing activated carbon particles into a vessel containing a plurality of compartments;    (ii) introducing a fluidizing gas into the vessel so as to fluidize the activated carbon particles such that the activated carbon particles pass sequentially through the compartments while in the fluidized state; and    (iii) introducing a liquid flavorant into the vessel while the activated carbon particles are in a fluidized state and at ambient temperature, the liquid flavorant being dripped onto an upper surface of the fluidized bed of the activated carbon particles in at least two of the compartments such that the liquid flavorant is absorbed and optionally adsorbed onto the activated carbon particles.    
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon has an average particle size from about 10 mesh to about 70 mesh.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon has an average particle size from about 0.2 mm to about 1 mm.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidizing gas is nitrogen.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes a gas exhaust conduit separated from the interior of the vessel by a filter, the process including periodic blowback of gas through the filter to clean activated carbon particles from the filter.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the process is carried out for 10 to 60 minutes.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising placing the flavored activated carbon particles in a cigarette filter.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising placing the flavored activated carbon particles in smoking material of a cigarette.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the activated carbon comprises at least about 80% micropores.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the flavored carbon has an average particle size from about 10 mesh to about 20 mesh.  
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the flavored carbon has an average particle size from about 0.2 mm to about 1 mm.  
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the cigarette filter comprises from about 10 mg to about 200 mg of the flavored carbon.  
     
     
         16 . A method of making a cigarette filter, the method comprising: 
 (i) providing flavored carbon particles produced according to the process of  claim 1 , and    (ii) incorporating the flavored carbon particles into a cigarette filter.    
     
     
         17 . A method of making a cigarette, said method comprising: 
 (i) providing a cut filler to a cigarette making machine to form a tobacco rod;    (ii) placing a paper wrapper around the tobacco rod;    (iii) providing a cigarette filter made by the process according to  claim 16;  and    (iv) attaching the cigarette filter to the tobacco rod to form the cigarette.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cigarette is for an electrical smoking system.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the activated carbon particles are at a temperature of 40° F. to 70° F. while in the fluidized state such that the liquid flavorant is impregnated into pores of the activated carbon particles without evaporation of the liquid flavorant.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein substantially all of the liquid flavorant introduced into the vessel is impregnated in the carbon particles.  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the activated carbon particles are at a temperature of 40° F. to 70° F. while in the fluidized state such that the liquid flavorant is impregnated into pores of the activated carbon particles without evaporation of the liquid flavorant.  
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein substantially all of the liquid flavorant introduced into the vessel is impregnated in the carbon particles.  
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected gaseous component is selected from the group consisting of 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, isoprene, propionaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzene, toluene, styrene, acetaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.  
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 16 , wherein the flavored carbon particles can preferentially remove at least one selected mainstream tobacco smoke gaseous component selected from the group consisting of 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, isoprene, propionaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzene, toluene, styrene, acetaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide from mainstream tobacco smoke.  
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the flavored carbon particles can preferentially remove at least one selected mainstream tobacco smoke gaseous component selected from the group consisting of 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, isoprene, propionaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzene, toluene, styrene, acetaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide from mainstream tobacco smoke.  
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the flavored carbon particles have a loading of 0.1 to 20% by weight of the flavorant.  
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the flavored carbon particles have a loading of 1 to 5% by weight of the flavorant.  
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the flavored carbon particles have a loading of 1 to 5% by weight of the flavorant.  
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid flavorant is applied onto the activated carbon particles at a flow rate of at least 10 g/min.  
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid flavorant is applied onto the activated carbon particles at a flow rate of 15 to 25 g/min.  
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid flavorant is dissolved in a carrier selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, water and glycerin.  
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the liquid flavorant is dissolved in a carrier selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, water and glycerin.  
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidizing of the activated carbon particles by the fluidizing gas is continued after the liquid flavorant has been applied to the activated carbon particles to promote distribution of the flavorant in the fluidized bed.  
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the fluidizing of the activated carbon particles by the fluidizing gas is continued after the liquid flavorant has been applied to the activated carbon particles to promote distribution of the flavorant in the fluidized bed.  
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the compartments are separated by partitions which include at least one opening, the openings in adjacent partitions being offset from each other to prevent the activated carbon particles from flowing directly from one compartment to the next compartment.  
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the residence time of the activated carbon particles in the compartments is 5 to 60 minutes.