Smoking article incorporating a conductive substrate

Abstract

The present invention provides a conductive substrate useful for Joule heating, such as in an electronic smoking article. Particularly, the invention provides a resistive heating element formed of a conductive substrate. The conductive substrate comprises an electrically conductive material and a carbonaceous additive, such as a binder material. The conductive substrate is carbonized in that it is subjected to calcining conditions to effectively reduce the carbonaceous additive to its carbon skeleton. It has been found that such carbonized substrate has surprisingly improved resistance properties in relation a substrate of the same formulation that is not carbonized. The carbonized substrate can include an aerosol precursor material. The formed resistive heating element can be included in an electronic smoking article to simultaneously provide resistive heating and aerosol formation with a single, unitary component.

1 .- 116 . (canceled) 
     
     
         117 . An aerosol precursor material, comprising one or more polyhydric alcohols in an amount of about 50% to about 98% by weight, based on the total weight of the aerosol precursor, nicotine, and one or more organic acids selected from the group consisting of levulinic acid, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         118 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein the one or more polyhydric alcohols are selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, and combinations thereof 
     
     
         119 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein the one or more organic acids comprises lactic acid. 
     
     
         120 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein the one or more organic acids comprises one or more of the following:
 about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of levulinic acid per one mole of nicotine;   about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of pyruvic acid per one mole of nicotine; and   about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of lactic acid per one mole of nicotine.   
     
     
         121 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein the one or more organic acids comprises about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of levulinic acid per one mole of nicotine and about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of lactic acid per one mole of nicotine. 
     
     
         122 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein the total amount of organic acid present is no more than equimolar to the total amount of nicotine present in the aerosol precursor material. 
     
     
         123 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein the one or more polyhydric alcohols comprises a first polyol present in an amount of about 50% to about 90% weight of the aerosol precursor material, and a second polyol present in an amount of about 2% to about 25% by weight of the aerosol precursor material. 
     
     
         124 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 123 , wherein the first polyol is glycerol and the second polyol is propylene glycol. 
     
     
         125 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , further comprising up to about 15% water by weight of the aerosol precursor material. 
     
     
         126 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 117 , wherein nicotine is present in an amount of about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol precursor material. 
     
     
         127 . An aerosol precursor material, comprising glycerol in an amount of about 50% to about 90% weight of the aerosol precursor material, propylene glycol in an amount of about 2% to about 25% by weight of the aerosol precursor material, nicotine in an amount of about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the aerosol precursor material, and about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of lactic acid per one mole of nicotine. 
     
     
         128 . The aerosol precursor material of  claim 127 , further comprising about 0.1 to about 0.5 moles of levulinic acid per one mole of nicotine. 
     
     
         129 . An aerosol delivery article, comprising a resistive heating element in electrical connection with an electrical power source, and further comprising a reservoir containing an aerosol precursor material according to  claim 117 , the resistive heating element positioned proximal to at least a portion of the aerosol precursor material such that heat from the resistive heating element can volatilize the aerosol precursor material. 
     
     
         130 . The aerosol delivery article of  claim 129 , wherein the aerosol delivery article delivers a wet total particulate matter (WTPM) amount of at least 1.0 mg for at least one puff when smoked under standard FTC smoking conditions of 2 second, 35 ml puffs. 
     
     
         131 . The aerosol delivery article of  claim 130 , wherein the aerosol delivery article delivers a wet total particulate matter (WTPM) amount of 1.0 mg to about 5.0 mg for at least one puff when smoked under standard FTC smoking conditions of 2 second, 35 ml puffs 
     
     
         132 . The aerosol delivery article of  claim 129 , wherein the resistive heating element has an electrical resistance of about 15 ohms or less. 
     
     
         133 . The aerosol delivery article of  claim 129 , further comprising a control component that actuates current flow from the electrical power source to the resistive heating element. 
     
     
         134 . A kit for a reusable aerosol delivery article, comprising: a reusable control unit comprising an electrical power source, a charging component adapted for use with the reusable control unit, and one or more disposable units, wherein each of the disposable units comprises a cartridge body with a distal end configured to engage the reusable control unit and an opposing, proximate end that includes a mouthpiece with an opening at a proximate end thereof, and further wherein each of the disposable units comprises a resistive heating element adapted for electrical connection with an electrical power source, and a reservoir containing an aerosol precursor material according to  claim 117 , the resistive heating element positioned proximal to at least a portion of the aerosol precursor material such that heat from the resistive heating element can volatilize the aerosol precursor material.