A composition comprising a coated aerosol-generating material and uses thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a composition comprising an aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material and optionally an aerosol-former material, and a moisture impermeable coating surrounding the aerosol-generating material. The compositions may be used to generate an aerosol. For example, the compositions may be used in combustible or non-combustible aerosol-provision systems. The invention also relates to aerosol-provision systems comprising the compositions, and methods of providing a composition.

1 . A composition comprising:
 an aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material, and   a moisture impermeable coating surrounding the aerosol-generating material.   
     
     
         2 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating decomposes upon heating to allow volatile components generated by heating the aerosol-generating material to be released. 
     
     
         3 . A composition as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating decomposes at a temperature at or above about 100° C. 
     
     
         4 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of: a polysaccharide or cellulosic material, or a derivative thereof; a gum; a protein material; a polyol matrix material; a wax; a wax ester; and a polymer. 
     
     
         5 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating completely encapsulates the aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         6 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating prevents or retards absorption of moisture by the aerosol-generating material from the surrounding environment. 
     
     
         7 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating has a thickness of from about 1 μm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         8 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is in the form of granules. 
     
     
         9 . A composition as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the granules have a particle size of from about 1 mm to about 4 mm. 
     
     
         10 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is in the form of agglomerates or tablets formed from particles. 
     
     
         11 . A composition as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the agglomerates or tablets have a size from about 3 mm to about 20 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein discrete particles, agglomerates or tablets of the aerosol-generating material are surrounded by the moisture impermeable coating. 
     
     
         13 . A composition as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the coatings of different discrete particles, agglomerates or tablets of the aerosol-generating material decompose at different temperatures or at different rates to control the release of volatile components generated by heating the dried aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         14 . A composition as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein different discrete particles or portions of the aerosol-generating material are surrounded by coatings of different thickness. 
     
     
         15 . A composition as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein different discrete particles or portions of the aerosol-generating material are surrounded by coatings of different coating materials. 
     
     
         16 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises an aerosol-former material. 
     
     
         17 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the precursor material comprising from about 10 to about 95% by weight extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material. 
     
     
         18 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the precursor material comprising from about 1 to about 36 wt % aerosol-former material. 
     
     
         19 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the precursor material comprising from 0 to about 40% by weight of an excipient. 
     
     
         20 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the aerosol-generating material comprising from about 45 to about 99% by weight dried extract from the flavour- or active-containing plant material. 
     
     
         21 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the aerosol-generating material comprising from about 1 to about 34% by weight aerosol-former material. 
     
     
         22 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the aerosol-generating material comprising from 0 to about 25% by weight of an excipient. 
     
     
         23 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plant material is selected from the group consisting of tobacco,  eucalyptus , star anise, cocoa and hemp. 
     
     
         24 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous extract. 
     
     
         25 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the extract from a flavour- or active-containing plant material is an aqueous tobacco extract. 
     
     
         26 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the aerosol-generating material comprising from about 40 to about 99% by weight tobacco solids. 
     
     
         27 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1 , the aerosol-generating material having a water content of no more than about 5% (calculated on a wet weight basis). 
     
     
         28 . A composition as claimed in  claim 1  for use in an aerosol provision system. 
     
     
         29 . An article comprising an aerosol-generating material comprising a dried precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material, and a moisture impermeable coating surrounding the aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         30 . An article as claimed in  claim 29 , comprising a film or wrapper comprising the moisture impermeable coating. 
     
     
         31 . An article as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating is deposited on a moisture permeable carrier. 
     
     
         32 . An article as claimed in  claim 29 , comprising the composition as claimed in any one of  claims 1 to 28 . 
     
     
         33 . A non-combustible aerosol-provision system comprising a composition as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         34 . A method of providing a composition comprising drying a precursor material comprising an extract from a flavour- and/or active-containing plant material to form an aerosol-generating material and applying a moisture impermeable coating surrounding the aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the precursor material is dried by spray-drying or freeze-drying. 
     
     
         36 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating is applied by a fluidised bed coating process. 
     
     
         37 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating is formed as part of the drying step. 
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the moisture impermeable coating forming material is included in the precursor material.