Smokable filler materials

Abstract

The present invention provides an agglomerated tobacco filler material comprising dust and binder, the tobacco dust and binder being present at greater than 650 by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material, the material having a fill value substantially similar to the fill value of cut tobacco. The present invention further provides a method of making the agglomerated tobacco filler material of the present invention, and a smoking article incorporating said material.

1 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material comprising tobacco dust and binder, the amount of tobacco dust and binder being greater than 65% by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material, said agglomerated tobacco filler material having a fill value substantially similar to the fill value of cut tobacco.  
   
   
       2 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco dust and binder are present at more than about 70% by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material.  
   
   
       3 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 2 , wherein the tobacco dust and binder are present at more than about 75% by weight.  
   
   
       4 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 3 , wherein the tobacco dust and binder are present at more than about 80% by weight.  
   
   
       5 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 4 , wherein the tobacco dust and binder are present at more than about 85% by weight.  
   
   
       6 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 5 , wherein the tobacco dust and binder are present at more than about 90% by weight.  
   
   
       7 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material has a fill value in the range of about 4.40 cm 3 /g to about 5.50 cm 3 /g.  
   
   
       8 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 7 , wherein said fill value is in the range of about 4.90 cm 31  g to about 5.30 cm 3 /g.  
   
   
       9 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material has a granule size up to about 3.5 mm.  
   
   
       10 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 9 , wherein said granule size is at least 0.7 mm and not more than about 2.0 mm.  
   
   
       11 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 10 , wherein said granule size is in the range of about 0.8 mm to about 2.0 mm.  
   
   
       12 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material has a moisture content in the range of about 8% to about 18%.  
   
   
       13 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 12 , wherein said moisture content is in the range of about 10% to about 15.5%.  
   
   
       14 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material has a bulk density substantially similar to that of cut tobacco.  
   
   
       15 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 14 , wherein said bulk density is in the range 0.10 g/cm 3  to 0.33 g/cm 3 .  
   
   
       16 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 15 , wherein said bulk density is in the range 0.12 g/cm 3  to 0.25 g/cm 3 .  
   
   
       17 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according, to  claim 16 , wherein said bulk density is in the range 0.12 g/cm 3  to 0.14 g/cm 3 .  
   
   
       18 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 17 , wherein said bulk density is about 0.14 g/cm 3 .  
   
   
       19 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material comprises tobacco dust at more than about 70% by weight.  
   
   
       20 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 19 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material comprises tobacco dust at more than about 75% by weight.  
   
   
       21 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 20 , wherein said tobacco dust is present in the range of about 75% to about 95% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       22 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 21 , wherein said tobacco dust is present in the range of about 80% to about 90% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       23 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said binder is preferably present in the range of about 1% to about 15% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       24 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 23 , wherein said binder is present in the range of about 1.5% to about 8% by weight.  
   
   
       25 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 24 , wherein said binder is present in the range of about 3.0% to about 6% by weight.  
   
   
       26 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 25 , wherein said binder is about 5% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       27 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein when the binder is maltodextrin, said binder is present in the range of about 1% to about 30% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       28 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 27 , wherein when the binder is maltodextrin said binder is present at about 27% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       29 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of organic binders, such as an alginate, a gum, a cellulose (modified or natural), a pectin or pectinaceous binder, or the Group I or II metal salts of those binders, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC), or sodium alginate; or polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP).  
   
   
       30 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material comprises a humectant.  
   
   
       31 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 30 , wherein said humectant is one or more of glycerol, sorbitol, diethylene glycol and propylene glycol.  
   
   
       32 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 30  wherein said humectant is present in the range of 1% to about 5% by weight of the agglomerated material.  
   
   
       33 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material comprises inert fillers and/or flavourant material.  
   
   
       34 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 33 , wherein said inert filler material is one or more of the group consisting of silicates or alumino-silicates, such as perlite, vermiculite, diatomaceous earth, talc or colloidal silica; chalk, or metal oxides, metal salts or hydroxides such as magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate, calcium or magnesium carbonate or alumina.  
   
   
       35 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1 , wherein the loss after milling is less than about 45% by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material.  
   
   
       36 . A smoking article comprising a rod of smokable material wrapped in a wrapper, wherein said smokable material comprises agglomerated tobacco filler material according to  claim 1  blended with cut tobacco and/or reconstituted tobacco.  
   
   
       37 . A smoking article according to  claim 36 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material is present at up to about 25% by weight of the smokable material.  
   
   
       38 . A smoking article according to  claim 37 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material is present at up to about 20% by weight of smokable material.  
   
   
       39 . A smoking article according to  claim 38 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material is present in the range of about 2% to about 10% by weight of the smokable material.  
   
   
       40 . A smoking article according to  claim 39 , wherein said agglomerated tobacco filler material is present in the range of about 5% to about 6% by weight of the smokable material.  
   
   
       41 . A method of producing the agglomerated tobacco filler material of  claim 1 , wherein tobacco dust of particle size not more than 500 μm is fluidised in a stream of warn air and binder is applied to said fluidised tobacco dust, such dust an agglomerated tobacco filler material is produced having a fill value substantially similar to that of cut tobacco.  
   
   
       42 . An agglomerated tobacco filler material substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the Examples hereof.  
   
   
       43 . A smoking article substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the Examples hereof.  
   
   
       44 . A method of producing an agglomerated tobacco filler material comprising: 
 fluidizing tobacco dust in a fluidized bed;    spraying a binder onto the fluidizing tobacco dust to form a tobacco/binder mixture;    agglomerating the tobacco/binder mixture to form an agglomerated tobacco filler material; and,    drying said agglomerated tobacco filler material.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein said tobacco dust has a particle size less than 500μ diameter.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 44 , the tobacco dust having a bulk density of 0.3 cm 3 /g to 0.38 cm 3 /g.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 44 , said agglomerated tobacco filler material having a bulk density 0.10 cm 3 /g to 0.33 cm 3 /g.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 44 , said tobacco dust being greater than 70% by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 44 , said binder being from 1% to 15% by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 44 , said binder being maltodextrin, said maltodextrin being present at from 1% to 30% by weight of the agglomerated tobacco filler material.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 44 , said fluidizing being at less than 80° C.