Smoking article with polymer-containing smokable materials

Abstract

The present disclosure teaches systems and methods for a polymer based smoking substitute material. Polyalkylene carbonates are clean burning polymers which have a range of glass transition temperatures and other properties. Cigarettes ( 10 ) having smokable material, wrapping material ( 14 ) and filter material ( 16 ) comprised of one or more polyalkylene carbonates are disclosed. These systems and methods will find industrial applicability in, for example, the tobacco products industry.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A smokable material comprising:
 tobacco and one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates;   wherein said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates aggregately comprise at least 5% of said material;   wherein at least one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates has a glass transition temperature between 10 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         2 . The smokable material of claim [0012] further comprising:
 nicotine; and   one or more flavorants.   
     
     
         3 . The smokable material of  claim 1  wherein one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates is polyethylene carbonate. 
     
     
         4 . The smokable material of  claim 1  wherein one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates is polypropylene carbonate. 
     
     
         5 . The smokable material of  claim 1  wherein one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates is copolymer comprising two or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates. 
     
     
         6 . A smoking article comprising:
 a rod, having a substantially cylindrical shape and smokable material contained within a wrapping material, the smokable material comprising:
 one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates; 
 nicotine; and 
 one or more flavorants; 
 wherein said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates aggregately comprise at least 5% of said smokable material. 
   
     
     
         7 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates is a copolymer comprising two or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates. 
     
     
         8 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates is polyethylene carbonate. 
     
     
         9 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates is polypropylene carbonate. 
     
     
         10 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein the wrapping material is comprised of one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates. 
     
     
         11 . The smoking article of  claim 6  further comprising a filter system having a filter element comprised of one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates. 
     
     
         12 . The smoking article of  claim 6  wherein one of said one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates has a glass transition temperature between 10 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         13 . A method of making a smoking article comprising:
 a) blending smokable material comprising tobacco and one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates having a glass transition between 10 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius, the one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates aggregately comprising at least 5% of the smokable material;   b) forming a rod having a substantially cylindrical shape; and   c) wrapping said rod in a wrapping material.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein step (a) comprises blending smokable material comprising tobacco and an aliphatic polyalkylene carbonate which is a copolymer comprising two or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates, the copolymer aggregately comprising at least 5% of the smokable material. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein step (a) comprises blending smokable material comprising tobacco and polyethylene carbonate, the polyethylene carbonate aggregately comprising at least 5% of the smokable material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein step (a) comprises blending smokable material comprising tobacco and polypropylene carbonate, the polypropylene carbonate aggregately comprising at least 5% of the smokable material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein step (c) comprises wrapping said rod in a wrapping material comprising one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 d) attaching a filter system having a filter element comprising one or more aliphatic polyalkylene carbonates. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein step (d) comprises attaching a filter system having a filter element comprising polyethylene carbonate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein step (d) comprises attaching a filter system having a filter element comprising polypropylene carbonate.