High flavor load particle and method of preparing same

Abstract

The present invention relates to high flavor load particles and to methods of preparing same. The invention also relates to methods of using such particles to flavor tobacco products, including cigarettes and other conventional smoking articles.

1 . A spherical particle comprising a matrix material and at least one flavoring agent absorbed therein.  
   
   
       2 . The particle of  claim 1  wherein said matrix material is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, starch, gum, pectin and protein.  
   
   
       3 . The particle of  claim 2  wherein said matrix material is microcrystalline cellulose.  
   
   
       4 . The particle of  claim 1  wherein said particle further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, diatomaceous earch, silica, silicates, α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin and γ-cyclodextrin.  
   
   
       5 . The particle of  claim 1  wherein said flavoring agent is selected from the group consisting of menthol, vanillin, cocoa and licorice.  
   
   
       6 . The particle of  claim 1  wherein said particle further comprises an agent that promotes aerosolization.  
   
   
       7 . The particle of  claim 6  wherein said agent that promotes aerosolization is selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol and triethylene glycol.  
   
   
       8 . The particle of  claim 7  wherein the agent that promotes aerosolization is glycerin.  
   
   
       9 . The particle of  claim 8  wherein said particle is about 10% to about 40% (w/w) glycerin.  
   
   
       10 . The particle of  claim 1  wherein said particle further comprises a coating.  
   
   
       11 . The particle of  claim 10  wherein said coating is hydroxylpropylmethyl cellulose or carboxymethyl cellulose.  
   
   
       12 . The particle of  claim 1  wherein said particle is about 0.3 mm to about 10 mm in diameter.  
   
   
       13 . A spherical particle comprising a matrix material and an agent that promotes aerosolization absorbed therein.  
   
   
       14 . A method of preparing the particle of  claim 1  comprising: 
 (a) mixing a liquid comprising said flavoring agent and dry matrix material to form a dough-like paste;    (b) feeding the dough-like paste resulting from step (a) into an extruder and extruding the dough-like paste into rods;    (c) introducing the rods resulting from step (b) into a spheronizing unit so that said rods contact a spinning friction plate within said unit and are propelled against the inside wall of said unit by centrifugal force, whereby said rods are broken into smaller segments that, by centrifugal and gravitational forces, create a mechanically fluidized ring of particles of essentially uniform spherical shape; and    (d) drying the particles resulting from step (c).    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said method further comprises, after step (d), thin film coating the particles resulting from step (d).  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said extruder is a low-pressure extruder.  
   
   
       17 . An intermediate product comprising a dough-like paste comprising a mixture of a matrix material that absorbs fluid 2-5 times its weight in fluid and a liquid comprising a flavoring agent.  
   
   
       18 . A smokable article comprising at least one particle of  claim 1 , wherein said particle is positioned in said article such that said flavoring agent is released from said matrix material through non-pyrolysis steam entrainment.  
   
   
       19 . The article of  claim 18  wherein said article is a cigarette.  
   
   
       20 . The article of  claim 19  wherein said cigarette comprises a tobacco rod filler and a filter and said at least one particle is located between said filler and said filter.