Ultra-fine particle catalysts for carbonaceous fuel elements

Abstract

The present invention provides fuel elements comprising a carbonaceous material and a catalyst composition comprising ultrafine particles of a metal oxide and/or metal. The present invention additionally provides smoking articles demonstrating reduced amounts of carbon monoxide in the smoke-like aerosol produced by the smoking article. In a further aspect, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for the simultaneous resolution and quantification of a carbon monoxide content and a carbon dioxide content of a gaseous mixture.

1 . A fuel element comprising: 
 a carbonaceous material; and    at least one catalyst composition comprising ultrafine particles of a metal oxide, metal, or mixtures thereof.    
     
     
         2 . The fuel element of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide comprises ferric oxide.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel element of  claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises gold, copper, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, nickel, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The fuel element of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprises up to 5% by weight of the fuel element.  
     
     
         5 . The fuel element of  claim 1  wherein the ultrafine particles have an individual particle size up to about 1 micrometer.  
     
     
         6 . The fuel element of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrafine particles have an individual particle size of up to about 5 nanometers.  
     
     
         7 . The fuel element of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrafine particles have an individual particle size between about 2 and about 4 nanometers.  
     
     
         8 . A smoking article comprising: 
 a fuel element comprising a carbonaceous material and at least one catalyst composition comprising ultrafine particles of a metal oxide, metal, or mixtures thereof; and    a physically separate aerosol generating means comprising at least one aerosol forming material.    
     
     
         9 . The smoking article of  claim 8  wherein the metal oxide comprises ferric oxide.  
     
     
         10 . The smoking article of  claim 8 , wherein the catalyst composition is operable to convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide at temperatures between about 700° C. and about 950° C.  
     
     
         11 . A method for reducing carbon monoxide production of a fuel element comprising: 
 incorporating a catalyst composition into the fuel element, the catalyst composition comprising:    ultrafine particles of a metal oxide, metal, or mixtures thereof.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein incorporating a catalyst composition into the fuel element comprises wash coating, dipping, painting, or spraying the fuel element with the catalyst composition.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein incorporating a catalyst composition into the fuel element comprises placing the catalyst composition in an inner core of the fuel element wherein the inner core is surrounded by an outer shell comprising carbonaceous material.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein incorporating a catalyst composition into a fuel element comprises placing the catalyst composition on a substrate located behind the fuel element.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the substrate comprises an inert carbon material or a porous material.  
     
     
         16 . A method for simultaneously quantifying a carbon monoxide content and a carbon dioxide content of a gaseous mixture comprising: 
 injecting the gaseous mixture into a split single injector of a gas chromatogram;    resolving the carbon monoxide content of the gaseous mixture on a first chromatographic column and simultaneously resolving the carbon dioxide content of the gaseous mixture on a second chromatographic column; and    detecting and quantifying the resolved carbon monoxide content and carbon dioxide content with a mass spectrometer.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the gaseous mixture comprises smoke from a smoking article, mainstream smoke from a smoking article, smoke-like aerosol from a smoking article, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for simultaneously quantifying a carbon monoxide content and a carbon dioxide content of a gaseous mixture comprising: 
 a gas chromatograph comprising a split single injector and two chromatographic columns; and    a mass spectrometer.    
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein one of the chromatographic columns possesses the ability to resolve carbon monoxide from a gaseous mixture, and the remaining chromatographic column possesses the ability to resolve carbon dioxide from a gaseous mixture.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the temperature of the split single injector of the gas chromatograph is variable.