Aerosol-generating article comprising a hollow tube segment comprising polyhydroxyalkanoate

Abstract

An aerosol-generating article is provided for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the aerosol-generating article including: a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating substrate including at least 12 percent by weight of an aerosol former, and the rod having a length of from 5 millimetres to 50 millimetres; and a hollow tube segment with a support element and including fibrous filtration material, the hollow tube segment disposed immediately downstream of the rod and in longitudinal alignment with the rod, in which the fibrous filtration material includes fibres including a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer, and in which the hollow tube segment includes at least about 25 percent by weight of the PHA polymer or copolymer. A system including an aerosol-generating device and the aerosol-generating article is also provided.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An aerosol-generating article for producing an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the aerosol-generating article comprising:
 a rod of aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating substrate comprising at least 12 percent by weight of an aerosol former, and the rod having a length of from 5 millimetres to 50 millimetres; and   a hollow tube segment with a support element and comprising fibrous filtration material, the hollow tube segment disposed immediately downstream of the rod and in longitudinal alignment with the rod,   wherein the fibrous filtration material comprises fibres comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer, and   wherein the hollow tube segment comprises at least about 25 percent by weight of the PHA polymer or copolymer.   
     
     
         17 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibrous filtration material further comprises at least about 85 percent by weight of fibres comprising the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer. 
     
     
         18 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibrous filtration material further comprises at least about 90 percent by weight of fibres comprising the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibrous filtration material further comprises at least about 5 percent of fibres comprising cellulose acetate. 
     
     
         20 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 19 , wherein the fibrous filtration material further comprises at least about 10 percent of fibres comprising cellulose acetate. 
     
     
         21 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibres comprising the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer further comprise at least one biodegradable polymer selected from the group consisting of starch, polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutyrate adipate terephthalate (PBAT), thermoplastic starch and thermoplastic starch blends (TPS), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyglycolide (PGA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH/PVA), viscose, regenerated cellulose, polysaccharides, cellulose acetate with a degree of substitution (DS) of less than 2.1, polyamides, protein-based biopolymers, chitosan-chitin based biopolymers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one biodegradable polymer is one or more of PBAT, PCL, and PBS. 
     
     
         23 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibrous filtration material further comprises at least about 3 percent by weight of a plasticiser selected from triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate (TEGDA), ethylene vinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, starch, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibres comprising the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer have between 3.2 denier per filament and 5 denier per filament. 
     
     
         25 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibres comprising the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer or copolymer are crimped. 
     
     
         26 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein a resistance to draw (RTD) of the hollow tube segment is less than about 10 millimetres H 2 O. 
     
     
         27 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the hollow tube segment has a wall thickness of at least about 0.3 millimetres, or a wall thickness of less than or equal to about 1.5 millimetres, or both. 
     
     
         28 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein the hollow tube segment has a length of at least about 4 millimetres. 
     
     
         29 . The aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16 , wherein a dry radial hardness of the hollow tube segment is at least about 90 percent. 
     
     
         30 . A system comprising an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article according to  claim 16  for the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device being configured to heat rather than combust the aerosol-generating substrate.