Smoking Articles Having Reduced Ignition Proclivity Characteristics

Abstract

Smoking articles having reduced ignition proclivity characteristics are disclosed. The smoking articles include a paper wrapper containing cellulosic fibers and filler particles. The paper wrappers are treated with a film-forming composition in order to reduce the ignition proclivity characteristics of the smoking articles. In one embodiment, the film-forming composition contains an alginate combined with a starch. In an alternative embodiment, the film-forming composition contains a film-forming material combined with filler particles. The filler particles may comprise kaolin clay, magnesium oxide, mica, alum, or mixtures thereof.

1 . A smoking article having reduced ignition proclivity characteristics comprising:
 a column comprising a smokable tobacco; and   a paper wrapper surrounding the column of the smokable tobacco, the paper wrapper including discrete areas treated with a film-forming composition, the treated areas being separated by untreated areas, the treated areas having characteristics sufficient to reduce ignition proclivity, the film-forming composition applied to the paper wrapper comprising a film-forming material and a polysaccharide.   
   
   
       2 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the film-forming material comprises an alginate and the polysaccharide comprises a starch. 
   
   
       3 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the film-forming material comprises the alginate in an amount of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of the treated areas and the starch in an amount from about 1% to about 20% by weight of the treated areas. 
   
   
       4 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the alginate comprises sodium alginate. 
   
   
       5 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the starch comprises an oxidized starch. 
   
   
       6 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the treated areas have a diffusion capacity of less than about 0.5 cm/s. 
   
   
       7 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the treated areas are printed onto the paper wrapper. 
   
   
       8 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the film-forming material comprises the alginate in an amount of from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the treated areas and the starch in an amount from about 3% to about 20% by weight of the treated areas. 
   
   
       9 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the treated areas comprise a plurality of discrete circumferential bands disposed longitudinally along the smoking article. 
   
   
       10 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the bands are spaced from each other at a distance of from about 5 mm to about 50 mm, the bands having a width of greater than about 3 mm. 
   
   
       11 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the treated areas have a permeability of less than about 30 Coresta. 
   
   
       12 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the paper wrapper has a basis weight of from about 18 gsm to about 60 gsm. 
   
   
       13 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the untreated areas of the paper wrapper have a permeability of greater than about 80 Coresta. 
   
   
       14 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a burn-promoting agent is applied uniformly over substantially the entire surface area of the paper wrapper. 
   
   
       15 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the burn-promoting agent comprises of an acetic acid salt, a citric acid salt, a malic acid salt, a lactic acid salt, a tartaric acid salt, a carbonic acid salt, a formic acid salt, a propionic acid salt, a glycolic acid salt, a fumaric acid salt, an oxalic acid salt, a malonic acid salt, a succinic acid salt, a nitric acid salt, a phosphoric acid salt, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       16 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the film-forming composition contains filler particles. 
   
   
       17 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the filler particles comprise magnesium oxide, mica, kaolin clay, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       18 . A smoking article having reduced ignition proclivity characteristics comprising:
 a column comprising a smokable tobacco; and   a paper wrapper surrounding the column of the smokable tobacco, the paper wrapper including discrete areas treated with a film-forming composition, the treated areas being separated by untreated areas, the treated areas having characteristics sufficient to reduce ignition proclivity, the film-forming composition applied to the paper wrapper containing filler particles, the filler particles comprising magnesium oxide, mica, kaolin clay, or mixtures thereof.   
   
   
       19 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the film-forming composition comprises an alginate. 
   
   
       20 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the film-forming composition further comprises a starch. 
   
   
       21 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 20 , wherein the film-forming material comprises the alginate in an amount of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of the treated area and the starch in an amount from about 1% to about 20% by weight of the treated area. 
   
   
       22 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles have an average particle size from about 0.0001 microns to about 5 microns. 
   
   
       23 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles have an average particle size from about 0.1 microns to about 3 microns. 
   
   
       24 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles comprise magnesium oxide. 
   
   
       25 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles comprise kaolin clay. 
   
   
       26 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles comprise mica. 
   
   
       27 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles are present within the film-forming composition in an amount from about 0.25% to about 15% by weight. 
   
   
       28 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the filler particles are present within the film-forming composition in an amount from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight. 
   
   
       29 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the untreated areas of the paper wrapper have a permeability of greater than about 60 Coresta. 
   
   
       30 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the treated areas have a permeability of less than about 40 Coresta. 
   
   
       31 . A smoking article as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the film-forming composition comprises a starch. 
   
   
       32 . A paper wrapper for a smoking article that provides the smoking article with reduced ignition proclivity characteristics comprising:
 a paper web designed to surround a smokable filler, the paper web including discrete areas treated with a film-forming composition, the treated areas being separated by untreated areas, the film-forming composition applied to the paper wrapper comprising an alginate combined with a starch, the treated areas having an inherent permeability of less than about 30 Coresta, and a diffusion capacity of less than about 0.4 cm/s, the paper web having a basis weight from about 18 gsm to about 60 gsm, the alginate being present in the film-forming composition amount from about 1% by weight to about 15% by weight, while the starch being present in the film-forming composition in an amount from about 1% by weight to about 20% by weight.   
   
   
       33 . A paper wrapper for a smoking article that provides the smoking article with reduced ignition proclivity characteristics comprising:
 a paper web designed to surround a smokable filler, the paper web including discrete areas treated with a film-forming composition, the treated areas being separated by untreated areas, the film-forming composition comprising a film-forming material combined with filler particles, the filler particles comprising magnesium oxide, mica, kaolin clay, alum, or mixtures thereof, the filler particles being present in the film-forming composition in an amount from about 0.25% by weight to about 15% by weight, the paper web having a basis weight from about 18 gsm to about 60 gsm.   
   
   
       34 . A paper wrapper as defined in  claim 33 , wherein the film-forming composition comprises an alginate. 
   
   
       35 . A paper wrapper as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the film-forming composition further comprises starch. 
   
   
       36 . A paper wrapper as defined in  claim 33 , wherein the filler particles comprise magnesium oxide. 
   
   
       37 . A paper wrapper as defined in  claim 33 , wherein the filler particles comprise kaolin clay. 
   
   
       38 . A paper wrapper as defined in  claim 33 , wherein the filler particles comprise mica. 
   
   
       39 . A paper wrapper for a smoking article that provides the smoking article with reduced ignition proclivity characteristics comprising:
 a paper web designed to surround a smokable filler, the paper web including discrete treated areas treated with a composition, the treated areas being separated by untreated areas, the composition comprising starch combined with filler particles, the filler particles comprising magnesium oxide, mica, kaolin clay, alum, or mixtures thereof, the filler particles being present in the composition in an amount from about 0.25% by weight to about 15% by weight, the paper web having a basis weight of from about 18 gsm to about 60 gsm.   
   
   
       40 . A process for producing a paper wrapper having reduced ignition proclivity characteristics when incorporated into a smoking article comprising:
 applying to the paper wrapper a film-forming composition at particular locations, the film-forming composition forming treated discrete areas on the wrapper, the discrete areas being separated by untreated areas, the film-forming composition comprising an aqueous composition, the film-forming composition containing an alginate and a starch, the treated areas reducing ignition proclivity of the smoking article incorporating the paper wrapper.   
   
   
       41 . A process as defined in  claim 40 , wherein the alginate is present in the film-forming composition applied to the paper wrapper in an amount from about 1% to about 15% by weight, while starch is present within the film-forming composition in an amount from about 1% to about 20% by weight. 
   
   
       42 . A process for producing a paper wrapper having reduced ignition proclivity characteristics when incorporated into a smoking article comprising:
 applying to the paper wrapper a film-forming composition at particular locations, the film-forming composition forming treated discrete areas on the wrapper, the discrete areas being separated by untreated areas, the film-forming composition comprising an aqueous composition, the film-forming composition containing a film-forming material and filler particles, the filler particles comprising magnesium oxide, mica, kaolin clay, or mixtures thereof, the treated discrete areas reducing ignition proclivity of the smoking article incorporating the paper wrapper.