Aerosol generation

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a consumable for use in an assembly for generating an inhalable medium. It also relates to an aerosol generating assembly including a consumable, a method of generating an inhalable medium, use of a vapor and/or aerosol and a kit.

1 . A consumable for use in an assembly for generating an inhalable medium, the consumable comprising:
 a liquid comprising an acid having a pH of at least 2 and less than 7; and   a solid nicotine-containing material having a pH of at least 7.   
     
     
         2 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprising an acid has a pH of from 4 to 5 or from 4.3 to 4.8. 
     
     
         3 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the difference between the pH of the solid nicotine-containing material and the pH of the liquid comprising an acid is from 3.0 to 5.5. 
     
     
         4 . A consumable for use in an assembly for generating an inhalable medium, the consumable comprising:
 a liquid comprising an acid having a pKa greater than 0.5; and   a solid nicotine-containing material having a pH of at least 7.   
     
     
         5 . The consumable according to  claim 4 , wherein the pKa of the acid is greater than 3, or is from 3.7 to 4.3. 
     
     
         6 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the solid nicotine-containing material is from 8 to 9.5 or from 8.5 to 9. 
     
     
         7 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the acid has a vapor pressure at 25° C. of from 0.1 Pa to 2.5 kPa. 
     
     
         8 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprising an acid comprises from 0.001 to 5% acid by weight. 
     
     
         9 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the solid nicotine-containing material comprises a tobacco material. 
     
     
         10 . The consumable according to  claim 9 , wherein the tobacco is cut rag or tobacco granules. 
     
     
         11 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , further comprising a carrier material that is impregnated with the liquid comprising an acid. 
     
     
         12 . The consumable according to  claim 11 , wherein the carrier material is a wicking material. 
     
     
         13 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the consumable is a cartridge and wherein the liquid comprising the acid is in a first chamber of the cartridge and the solid nicotine-containing material is in a second chamber of the cartridge. 
     
     
         14 . The consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the consumable is a rod comprising a first section comprising the liquid comprising the acid and a second section comprising the solid nicotine-containing material. 
     
     
         15 . The consumable according to  claim 14 , wherein the rod further comprises one of:
 a cooling section, or   a cooling section in the form of a tube.   
     
     
         16 . The consumable according to  claim 14 , wherein the rod further comprises one of:
 a filter section, or   a filter section comprising cellulose acetate filter material.   
     
     
         17 . An aerosol generating assembly comprising the consumable according to  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generating assembly is configured to form an inhalable medium by heating at least part of the consumable and to form one or more nicotine salts by reacting free nicotine from the solid nicotine-containing material with the acid. 
     
     
         18 . The aerosol generating assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the assembly is configured to heat the liquid comprising the acid to form at least one of a vapor or an aerosol comprising the acid, wherein the solid nicotine-containing material is contacted with the at least one of the vapor or the aerosol comprising the acid to entrain one or more components of the solid nicotine-containing material in the inhalable medium. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol generating assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the assembly is configured such that the solid nicotine-containing material is heated only by the at least one of the vapor or the aerosol. 
     
     
         20 . The aerosol generating assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the assembly is configured to heat the solid nicotine-containing material to form at least one of a vapor or an aerosol comprising nicotine, wherein the liquid comprising the acid is contacted with the at least one of a vapor or the aerosol comprising free nicotine from the solid nicotine-containing material so that the acid and the free nicotine react to form one or more nicotine salts. 
     
     
         21 . The aerosol generating assembly according to  claim 20 , wherein the solid nicotine-containing material is heated by a vapor or an aerosol formed by heating an aerosolizable liquid other than the liquid comprising the acid. 
     
     
         22 . A method of generating an inhalable medium using an aerosol generating assembly comprising the consumable according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 heating at least part of the consumable to form an inhalable medium comprising one or more components of the solid nicotine-containing material including free nicotine, wherein the free nicotine reacts with the acid to form one or more nicotine salts.   
     
     
         23 . Use of at least one of an acidic vapor or an aerosol to extract nicotine from a solid nicotine-containing material having a pH of more than 7, wherein a rate of nicotine extraction exceeds a rate of nicotine-salt formation in the solid nicotine-containing material, thereby providing an increased nicotine content in the at least one of the vapor or the aerosol as compared to using a neutral vapor or aerosol. 
     
     
         24 . A kit comprising:
 a liquid pod containing a liquid comprising an acid and having a pH of from at least 2 and less than 7; and   a nicotine-containing pod containing a solid nicotine-containing material having a pH of at least 7,   wherein the liquid pod and the nicotine-containing pod are configured for use in an assembly for use in generating an inhalable medium, the assembly being such that in use, an inhalable medium is generated by contacting the liquid in the form of at least one of a vapor or an aerosol with the solid nicotine-containing material to entrain one or more components of the solid nicotine-containing material.