A composition comprising an agglomerate comprising an aerosol-generating material and uses thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a composition comprising an agglomerate comprising a plurality of particles of an aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material and optionally an aerosol-former material. The compositions may be used to generate an aerosol. For example, the compositions may be used in combustible or non-combustible aerosol-provision systems. The invention also relates to aerosol-provision systems comprising the compositions, and methods of providing a composition.

1 . A composition comprising an agglomerate comprising a plurality of particles of an aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material. 
     
     
         2 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate has a BET surface area of at least about 100 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         3 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate is sufficiently porous to allow an airflow to be drawn through it. 
     
     
         4 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate comprises a binder. 
     
     
         5 . A composition as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the binder is included in an amount of from about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt %, based on the entire weight of the agglomerate. 
     
     
         6 . A composition as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of: starches, polysaccharides, pectins, celluloses, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose, and alginates. 
     
     
         7 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate has a size from about 1 mm to about 20 mm. 
     
     
         8 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the agglomerate consists essentially of the dried aerosol-generating material and an optional binder. 
     
     
         9 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material further comprises an aerosol-former material. 
     
     
         10 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the precursor material comprising from about 10 to about 95% by weight extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material. 
     
     
         11 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the precursor material comprising from about 1 to about 36 wt % aerosol-former material. 
     
     
         12 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the precursor material comprising from about 0 to about 40% by weight of an excipient. 
     
     
         13 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the dried aerosol-generating material comprising from about 99 to about 45% by weight dried extract from the flavour- or active-containing plant material. 
     
     
         14 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the dried aerosol-generating material comprising from about 1 to about 34% by weight of an aerosol-former material. 
     
     
         15 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the dried aerosol-generating material comprising from about 0 to about 25% by weight of an excipient. 
     
     
         16 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plant material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp. 
     
     
         17 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous extract. 
     
     
         18 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous tobacco extract. 
     
     
         19 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the dried aerosol-generating material comprising from about 40 to about 99% by weight tobacco solids. 
     
     
         20 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the dried aerosol-generating material having a water content of no more than about 5% (calculated on a wet weight basis). 
     
     
         21 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a moisture impermeable coating surrounding the aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         22 . A composition as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the coating surrounds the agglomerated aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         23 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a sorbent material. 
     
     
         24 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising heating material embedded within the agglomerate. 
     
     
         25 . A composition as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the heating material is heated by electrical resistance. 
     
     
         26 . A composition as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the heating material is a susceptor. 
     
     
         27 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , for use in an aerosol provision system. 
     
     
         28 . An article comprising one or more agglomerates comprising a plurality of particles of an aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material. 
     
     
         29 . An article, comprising the composition as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         30 . An article as claimed in  claim 28 , comprising a means to prevent or reduce the absorption of moisture by the dried aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         31 . An article as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the means is provided separately from the one or more agglomerates. 
     
     
         32 . An article as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the means comprises a film or wrapper comprising a moisture impermeable coating or a sorbent or desiccant material. 
     
     
         33 . A non-combustible aerosol-provision system comprising a composition as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         34 . A non-combustible aerosol-provision system as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the system is configured to heat the composition to form a vapour and/or aerosol. 
     
     
         35 . A non-combustible aerosol-provision system as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising a further aerosol-generating material which is to be heated to form an aerosol and/or vapour, optionally wherein the further aerosol-generating material is a liquid. 
     
     
         36 . A non-combustible aerosol-provision system as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the composition is heated by the aerosol and/or vapour generated from the further aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         37 . A non-combustible aerosol-provision system as claimed in  claim 35 , including a means for heating the further aerosol-generating material to form a vapour, but not including a separate means for heating the composition. 
     
     
         38 . A method for providing a composition comprising:
 drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material to form particles of a dried aerosol-generating material; and   adding a binder to the particles of dried aerosol-generating material before, during or after agglomerating the particles of dried aerosol-generating material.   
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the method comprises drying or curing the binder to form an agglomerate. 
     
     
         40 . A method as claimed in  claim 38 , comprising shaping the agglomerated particles.