Smoking articles enhanced to deliver additives incorporated within electroprocessed microcapsules and nanocapsules, and related methods

Abstract

A large variety of electroprocessed capsules can be produced to encapsulate a variety of additives within the subcompartments or substructures of the manufactured capsule. Furthermore, the manufactured capsules can be arranged within a filter of a smoking article during the manufacturing process. By modifying the various parameters that control the electrospraying or electrospinning processes, capsules can be manufactured that vary in composition, in substructural organization, and in dimension. A capsule produced by electrospraying comprises at least one polymeric material that encapsulates or supports the retention of at least one flavorant and/or non-flavorant within the capsule. A polymeric material provides a supporting structure for encapsulating at least one flavorant and/or non-flavorant additive. The capsules that can be produced by various electrospraying processes described below include microcapsules in a micro-scaled range, nanocapsules in a nano-scaled range, and various mixtures of microcapsules and nanocapsules.

1 . A filter of a smoking article, the filter comprising:
 an electroprocessed capsule that comprises   at least one flavorant and/or a non-flavorant additive; and   at least one polymer.   
     
     
         2 . The filter of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of electroprocessed capsules within filter material and/or plug wrap of the filter. 
     
     
         3 . The filter of  claim 2 , wherein the electroprocessed capsules are portions of an electrospun fiber having enlarged diameters with respect to the diameter of the electrospun fiber, and are spaced along and integral with the electrospun fiber. 
     
     
         4 . The filter of  claim 1 , wherein (i) the electroprocessed capsule has a substantially spherical cross-sectional shape, and an outer diameter from about 10 nanometers (nm) to about 50 micrometers (μm), (ii) the polymer stabilizes the retention of the flavorant and/or the nonflavorant additive in an initial unsmoked state, (iii) the polymer is a sacrificial polymer that loses structural integrity by heating and/or chemical decomposition, sufficient to release the flavor, and/or (iv) the electroprocessed capsule comprises a flavorant selected from the group consisting of menthol, eugenol, spearmint, peppermint, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, licorice, citrus flavor, fruit flavors, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The filter of  claim 3 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule has an outer diameter from about 10 nanometers (mm) to about 10 micrometers (μm), or from about 20 nanometers (mm) to about 3 micrometers (μm). 
     
     
         6 . The filter of  claim 1 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule is a core-shell electrosprayed capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant and/or nonflavorant that forms an inner core of the electroprocessed capsule; and   at least one polymer that forms an outer shell of the electroprocessed capsule encapsulating the flavorant and/or the nonflavorant.   
     
     
         7 . The filter of  claim 1 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule is a two-phase matrix electrosprayed capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant and/or non-flavorant additive that forms a dispersed phase; and   at least one sacrificial polymer that forms a continuous phase.   
     
     
         8 . The filter of  claim 1 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule is a copolymer micelle capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant and/or nonflavorant that forms an inner core of the capsule; and   a block copolymer comprising two or more subunits of block polymers, wherein at least one block polymer subunit of the block copolymer forms an outer shell of the capsule.   
     
     
         9 . The filter of  claim 8 , wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one block polymer subunit that forms fiber extensions emerging from the surface of the outer shell of the capsule. 
     
     
         10 . A smoking article comprising the filter of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An electroprocessed capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant; and   at least one polymer.   
     
     
         13 . The electroprocessed capsule of  claim 12 , wherein (i) electroprocessed capsule has a substantially spherical cross-sectional shape, and an outer diameter from about 10 nanometers (nm) to about 50 micrometers (μm), (ii) the polymer stabilizes the retention of the flavorant and an optional nonflavorant additive in an initial unsmoked state, (iii) the polymer is a sacrificial polymer that loses structural integrity by heating and/or chemical decomposition, sufficient to release the flavor, and/or (iv) the flavorant is selected from the group consisting of menthol, eugenol, spearmint, peppermint, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, licorice, citrus flavor, fruit flavors, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The electroprocessed capsule of  claim 12 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule is a core-shell electroprocessed capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant and an optional nonflavorant that forms an inner core of the electroprocessed capsule; and   at least one polymer that forms an outer shell of the electroprocessed capsule encapsulating the flavorant and/or the nonflavorant.   
     
     
         15 . The electroprocessed capsule of  claim 12 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule is a two-phase matrix electroprocessed capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant and an optional non-flavorant additive that forms a dispersed phase; and   at least one sacrificial polymer that forms a continuous phase.   
     
     
         16 . The electroprocessed capsule of  claim 12 , wherein the electroprocessed capsule is a copolymer micelle electroprocessed capsule comprising:
 at least one flavorant and an optional nonflavorant that forms an inner core of the capsule; and   a block copolymer comprising two or more subunits of block polymers, wherein at least one block polymer subunit of the block copolymer forms an outer shell of the capsule.   
     
     
         17 . The electroprocessed capsule of  claim 16 , wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one block polymer subunit that forms fiber extensions emerging from the surface of the outer shell of the capsule. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled)