Smoking articles comprising inner wrapping strips

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a cigarette comprising a tobacco rod having a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material, and one or more inner wrapping strips positioned between the tobacco rod and the outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along the tobacco rod. The inner wrapping strips comprise a binder in the form of an alkali metal salt and comprise a total alkali metal content of at least about 30,000 μg based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips. The total alkali metal content can be derived from the alkali metal salt binder alone or a combination of the alkali metal salt binder and a second alkali metal additive. The inner wrapping strips can exhibit an ignition temperature of at least about 625° C. and may comprise 1 to about 8 strips, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 10 mm.

1 . A cigarette comprising: 
 (a) a tobacco rod having a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material; and    (b) one or more inner wrapping strips positioned between said tobacco rod and said outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along said tobacco rod,    wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise a binder in the form of an alkali metal salt, and wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise a total alkali metal content of at least about 30,000 μg/g, based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips.    
     
     
         2 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the total alkali metal content of said one or more inner wrapping strips is at least about 32,000 μg/g.  
     
     
         3 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the total alkali metal content of said one or more inner wrapping strips is at least about 34,000 μg/g.  
     
     
         4 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the total alkali metal content of said one or more inner wrapping strips is at least about 36,000 μg/g.  
     
     
         5 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is an alkali metal salt of alginate or a cellulose derivative or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The cigarette of  claim 5 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting sodium alginate, potassium alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the binder is present in said one or more inner wrapping strips in an amount of about 2 to about 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips.  
     
     
         8 . The cigarette of  claim 7 , wherein the binder is present in said one or more inner wrapping strips in an amount of at least about 30 to about 40 weight percent.  
     
     
         9 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips further comprise a second alkali metal additive.  
     
     
         10 . The cigarette of  claim 9 , wherein the second alkali metal additive is selected from the group consisting of sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium oxalate, sodium malate, sodium chloride, and sodium levinulate.  
     
     
         11 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have an ignition temperature of at least about 625° C.  
     
     
         12 . The cigarette of  claim 11 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have an ignition temperature of at least about 650° C.  
     
     
         13 . The cigarette of  claim 12 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have an ignition temperature of at least about 675° C.  
     
     
         14 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the inner wrapping strips further comprise tobacco, wood pulp, glycerin, and water.  
     
     
         15 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have a basis weight of about 70 to about 125 g/m 2 .  
     
     
         16 . The cigarette of  claim 15 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have a basis weight of about 80 to about 100 g/m 2 .  
     
     
         17 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have a porosity of less than about 10 Coresta.  
     
     
         18 . The cigarette of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise 1 to about 8 strips, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 10 mm.  
     
     
         19 . The cigarette of  claim 18 , wherein said one or more inner wrapping strips comprise 2 to about 5 strips, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 6 mm.  
     
     
         20 . A cigarette comprising: 
 (a) a tobacco rod having a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material;    b) a filter element connected to the tobacco rod at one end of the tobacco rod; and    (b) a plurality of inner wrapping strips positioned between said tobacco rod and said outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along said tobacco rod,    wherein said inner wrapping strips comprise a binder in the form of an alkali metal salt and a second alkali metal additive, and wherein the amount of the alkali metal salt binder and the second alkali metal additive are selected so as to provide a total alkali metal content of at least about 32,000 μg/g, based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips.    
     
     
         21 . The cigarette of  claim 20 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting sodium alginate, potassium alginate, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         22 . The cigarette of  claim 20 , wherein the binder is present in said inner wrapping strips in an amount of about 2 to about 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the inner wrapping strips.  
     
     
         23 . The cigarette of  claim 20 , wherein the second alkali metal additive is selected from the group consisting of sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium oxalate, sodium malate, sodium chloride, and sodium levinulate.  
     
     
         24 . The cigarette of  claim 20 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have an ignition temperature of at least about 625° C.  
     
     
         25 . The cigarette of  claim 24 , wherein the inner wrapping strips have an ignition temperature of at least about 650° C.  
     
     
         26 . The cigarette of  claim 20 , wherein said inner wrapping strips comprise 2 to about 5 strips, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 6 mm.  
     
     
         27 . A cigarette comprising: 
 (a) a tobacco rod having a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material;    b) a filter element connected to the tobacco rod at one end of the tobacco rod; and    (b) a plurality of inner wrapping strips positioned between said tobacco rod and said outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along said tobacco rod, each strip having a width of about 2 to about 10 mm,    wherein said inner wrapping strips comprise an amount of alkali metal sufficient to enable the cigarette to exhibit a self-extinction rate of at least 75 percent according to ASTM E 2187-02b.