Wrapper for smoking article, smoking article, and method of making same, case VIII

Abstract

A wrapper for a smoking article which, when wrapped about a tobacco column, provides improved mainstream smoke taste and sidestream smoke odor subjectives. These objectives are attained by forming a cellulosic sheet containing a small amount, but less than about 2%, of activated carbon having absorbed onto the carbon a volatile flavorant.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a regular, reduced sidestream smoke or heavy weight cigarette paper or cigar wrapper which, when fabricated into a cigarette or cigar with a suitable tobacco column, statically burns at an acceptable rate, produces a light-colored, well-formed ash, which clings tightly without premature flaking and delivers both mainstream and sidestream smoke with a subjectively pleasant taste and aroma. More specifically, these desirable taste and aroma properties are achieved when certain defined levels of activated carbon, which contain certain levels of volatile flavors absorbed thereon, are incorporated into the sheet matrix of the cigarette paper or cigar wrapper or are applied to the surface (preferably on the inside-wire side-surface of the cigarette paper) which encloses the tobacco column. Flavors can be absorbed onto all or part of the carbon. Incorporation of the flavor-absorbed carbons into the sheet matrix to give desirable taste and aroma, as well as acceptable cigarette paper appearance, can be accomplished by maintaining a sheet carbon content of less than 2% carbon (preferably 1% or below) with the carbon particle size being such to totally pass through a 200 mesh screen (ASTM E-11 test) and preferably totally through 325 mesh screen.

The term, volatile flavorant, as used herein, pertains to a flavorant that volatilizes from the carbon at temperatures below the combustion temperature of the carbon, for example, at temperatures between about 50.degree. C. and 300.degree. C.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Olin Corporation U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,496, discloses a carbon-filled paper to wrap cigarettes and/or cigars, preferably used as an inner liner with regular cigarette paper or cigar wrapper as an outer wrap. The paper described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,496 contains at least 5% carbon, thus making the appearance of the paper unacceptable for use as a white cigarette paper.

______________________________________PARAMETERS OF THE INVENTION______________________________________Activated Carbon Content: A small amount up to less than 2%Preferred 0.1% to 1.0%Magnesium Hydroxide Content: 0.0% to 35%Preferred 0.0% to 20%Calcium Carbonate Content: 5.0% to 40%Preferred 10% to 30%Basis Weight: 20 gm/m.sup.2 to 100 gm/m.sup.2Preferred 25 gm/m.sup.2 to 65 gm/m.sup.2Porosity: 1 to 200 CorestaPreferred 5 to 125 CorestaFlavorants:Specific Vanillin, ethyl vanillin, 3 methyl pentanoic acid, ethyl valerate, isoamyl isovalerateGeneral Volatile, stable flavorants used in cigarette and cigar productionBurning Chemical: Alkali metal salts of or- ganic acids selected from the group consisting of citric, malic, lactic, glycolic, tartaric, fumaric, maleic, malonic, glutaric, adipic, acetic, and succinicBurning Chemical 0.5% to 6.0%Addition rate:Acid Addition: 0.0% to 10% organic or inorganic acid compatible with the alkali metal salt burning chemicalSugar Addition: 0.0% to 10% mono-, di-, tri-, or polysaccharidesSmoking Articles: Cigarettes, cigars, and the like______________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that by putting low levels (less than 2%) of finely pulverized activated carbon having volatile flavorants absorbed thereon into regular, reduced sidestream smoke or heavy weight cigarette papers or coated onto the surface of the cigarette paper, an enhancement in mainstream smoke taste and/or sidestream smoke aroma can be effected. With proper selection of both the carbon type and particle size, type flavorants and level of flavorant treatment of the carbon, cigarette and cigar products can be produced which have totally acceptable appearance (light gray-white for cigarettes and tan to brown for cigars), while possessing enhanced mainstream smoke taste and sidestream smoke aroma. The truly novel findings resulting from this invention are (1) the discovery that when certain particle sizes (very fine) of carbon incorporated at certain levels (below 2%) into cigarette type papers, totally acceptable appearance of cigarettes and cigars can be produced, and (2) at these levels of carbon(less than 2%), sufficient levels of certain volatile flavorants can be absorbed onto the carbon to effect significant enhancements of both mainstream smoke taste and sidestream smoke aroma as the cigarette/cigar product is smoked.

This development can be utilized with acid treatments of the carbon or total paper, as per Owens U.S. patent application Ser. No. 514,533, filed Apr. 26, 1990; Owens U.S. patent application Ser. No. 756,542, filed Sep. 9, 1991; Owens U.S. patent application Ser. No. 756,543, filed Sep. 9, 1991; and Owens U.S. patent application Ser. No. 756,544, filed Sep. 9, 1991; and with addition of sugars to give improved ash characteristics.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Typical results demonstrating the effects obtained in accordance with this invention are described in the following examples, which are illustrative of the invention only and are not in limitation thereof.

EXAMPLE I

Carbon Treatment

Two grams of ethyl vanillin dissolved in 2 grams of 95% ethyl alcohol were added to 8 grams of GX 248 activated carbon from North American Carbon, Inc. The mixture was well mixed and allowed to stand overnight before being used to prepare handsheets. Handsheets were prepared of regular type cigarette paper having the following properties: Basis weight of 25 gm/m.sup.2 containing 25% low surface area calcium carbonate and 1% of the ethyl vanillin treated carbon as prepared above. The handsheets were dried duplicating paper machine drying conditions and treated with a 2.0% solution of potassium citrate and redried again duplicating paper machine drying conditions. The resulting paper had a blue-white color and was cut into 27.5 mm.times.65 mm strips. Filtered king-size cigarettes (20 mm filter, 65 mm tobacco column) were prepared, using the handsheet cigarette paper, prepared as described above, as the cigarette wrapper. On smoking of the cigarette containing the ethyl vanillin treated carbon wrapper, a definite aroma of ethyl vanillin was observed in the sidestream smoke, and a pleasant vanillin taste was present in the mainstream smoke. Appearance of the cigarette was totally acceptable, having a normal grayish cast caused by the tobacco show-through of the paper.

EXAMPLE II

To 10 grams of GX 250 activated carbon from North American Carbon, Inc., was added 0.050 grams of 3 methyl pentanoic acid. The treated carbon was well mixed and allowed to stand overnight. Reduced sidestream smoke cigarette paper handsheets were then prepared having the following properties: Basis weight of 45 gm/M.sup.2 containing 10% magnesium hydroxide prepared, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,118, 30% Ecusta low surface area calcium carbonate and 0.5% of the above-treated carbon. The handsheets were dried, as in Example I, and then treated with a 6.5% solution of potassium citrate and 1% sulfuric acid and redried. The potassium citrate and 1% sulfuric acid and redried. The resulting paper had a blue-white to very light gray color and was cut into 27.5 mm.times.65 mm strips. Filtered king-size cigarettes (20 mm filter, 65 mm tobacco column) were prepared, using the handsheet reduced sidestream smoke cigarette paper, as described above, as the cigarette wrapper. On smoking of the cigarette containing the 3 methyl pentanoic acid treated carbon wrapper, a definite enhancement of tobacco taste was noted in the mainstream taste, and an enhancement of the tobacco aroma was noted in the sidestream smoke. Appearance of the cigarette was totally acceptable.

TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________FLAVORANT TREATED CARBON % % Per. Weight Type Carbon Carbon Cig. Per CigaretteFlavorant gm/M.sup.2 Carbon in Paper Treatment (Mg) M.sup.2 **** Comments Paper Color Appearance__________________________________________________________________________Ethyl Vanillin.sup.(a) 25 GX248.sup.1 1.0 25 0.11 62.5 Good EV taste/odor Blue white AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 25 GX248 2.0 25 0.22 125.0 Strong EV taste/odor Light Gray AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 25 GX248 0.5 25 0.06 31.3 Low/detectable EV Light blue AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX248 1.0 25 0.20 112.5 Strong EV taste/odor Very light AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX248 0.5 25 0.10 56.3 Good EV taste/odor Blue white AccceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX248 0.25 25 0.05 28.1 Low/detectable EV Light blue AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX248 1.0 12.5 0.10 56.3 Good EV taste/odor Very light AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX250.sup.2 1.8 12.5 0.10 56.3 Good EV taste/odor Very light AcceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX250 2.0 12.5 0.20 112.5 Strong EV taste/odor Light gray UnacceptableEthyl Vanillin 45 GX186.sup.3 1.0 12.5 0.10 56.3 Very low EV taste/ Black specks Unacceptable odorEthyl Vanillin 45 P100.sup.4 1.0 12.5 0.10 56.3 Good EV taste/odor Very small Unacceptable specksEthyl Vanillin 45 GX224.sup.5 1.0 12.5 0.10 56.3 Very low EV taste/ Small black Unacceptable odor specks3 MPA* 45 GX250 1.0 2.5 0.02 11.3 Too strong, slightly Very light Acceptable bitter3 MPA 45 GX250 0.5 0.50 0.002 1.1 Good enhanced Very light Acceptable tobacco taste3 MPA 45 GX250 1.0 0.25 0.002 1.1 Good enhanced Very light Acceptable tobacco taste3 MPA 45 GX250 1.0 0.15 0.0012 0.7 Low enhanced Very light Acceptable tobacco taste3 MPA 45 GX250 1.0 0.05 0.0004 0.2 Minimal taste change Very light Acceptable3 MPA 45 GX250 1.0 0.50 0.004 2.3 Strong enhanced Very light Acceptable tobacco taste3 MPA 45 GX250 1.0 2.0 0.016 9.0 Too strong, slightly Very light Acceptable bitter3 MPA 25 GX250 1.0 0.5 0.002 1.3 Good enhanced Blue white Acceptable tobacco tasteChocolate** 45 GX250 1.0 10 0.08 45.0 Good chocolate taste/ Very light Acceptable aromaIA-IV*** 45 GX250 1.0 10 0.08 45.0 Fruity aroma/taste Very light Acceptable__________________________________________________________________________ .sup.(a) Applied to carbon from a 50% ethyl alcohol solution *3MPA = 3 Methyl pentanoic acid **Chocolate = Firmenich Chocolate Flavor 587.593 ***IA-IV = Isoamyl Isovalerate (Aldrich W208507) ****Cigarette Paper dimensions = 27.5 mm .times. 65 mm .sup.1 GX248 Woodbased activated carbon from: North American Carbon, Inc. 432 McCormick Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 432131585 Particle Size ASTM E11 = Greater than 98% thru 325 mesh CCl.sub.4 activity 110% minimum .sup.2 GX250 Woodbased activated carbon from: North American Carbon, Inc. 432 McCormick Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 432131585 Particle size ASTM E11 = Greater than 99% thru 325 mesh CCl.sub.4 activity 110% minimum .sup.3 GX186 Coconut shellbased activated carbon from: North American Carbon, Inc. 432 McCormick Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 432131585 Particle size ASTM E11 = 2.2% on 50 mesh 88.2% on 140 mesh 9.6% thru 140 mesh CCl.sub.4 activity 60% minimum .sup.4 P100 Woodbased activated carbon from: North American Carbon, Inc. 432 McCormick Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 432131585 Particle size ASTM E11 = 8.4% on 200 mesh 26.5% on 325 mesh 73.5% thru 325 mesh CCl.sub.4 activity 110% minimum .sup.5 GX224 Coconut shellbased activated carbon from: North American Carbon, Inc. 432 McCormick Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 432131585 Particle size ASTM E11 = 10.1% on 80 mesh 66.8% on 325 mesh 23.1% thru 325 mesh CCl.sub.4 activity 60% minimum

Claims

1. A wrapper for smoking articles, comprising a cellulosic fiber sheet containing a small amount, but less than about 2%, of activated carbon having absorbed onto the carbon a volatile flavorant.

2. The wrapper, as defined in claim 1 wherein the carbon content is from about 0.1% to about 1.0%.

3. The wrapper, as defined in claim 2, wherein the volatile flavorant is selected from the group consisting of vanillin, ethyl vanillin, 3 methyl pentanoic acid, ethyl valerate and isoamyl isovalerate.

4. The wrapper, as defined in claim 2, wherein the volatile flavorant volatilizes from the carbon at temperatures between about 50.degree. C. and 300.degree. C.

5. The wrapper, as defined in claim 4, further including 0.0% to 10% mono-, di-, tri-, or poly-saccharides.

6. A smoking article comprising a tobacco charge, such as cigarettes, cigars, and the like, and a wrapper comprising a cellulosic fiber sheet containing a small amount, but less than about 2% of activated carbon having absorbed onto the carbon a volatile flavorant.

7. The smoking article, as defined in claim 6, wherein the carbon content is from about 0.1% to about 1.0%.

8. The smoking article, as defined in claim 7, wherein the volatile flavorant is selected from the group consisting of vanillin, ethyl vanillin, 3 methyl pentanoic acid, ethyl valerate and isoamyl isovalerate.

9. The smoking article, as defined in claim 7, wherein the volatile flavorant volatilizes from the carbon at temperatures between about 50.degree. C. and 300.degree. C.

10. The smoking article, as defined in claim 9, further including 0.0% to 10% mono-, di-, tri-, or poly-saccharides.

11. A method for improving the taste and aroma subjectives of a smoking article comprising wrapping a tobacco charge in a combustible cellulosic sheet containing a small amount, but less than about 2%, of activated carbon having absorbed onto the carbon a volatile flavorant.

12. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the carbon content is from about 0.1% to about 1.0%.

13. The method, as defined in claim 12, wherein the volatile flavorant is selected from the group consisting of vanillin, ethyl vanillin, 3 methyl pentanoic acid, ethyl valerate and isoamyl isovalerate.

14. The method, as defined in claim 13, wherein the volatile flavorant volatilizes from the carbon at temperatures between about 50.degree. C. and 300.degree. C.

15. The method, as defined in claim 14, further including 0.0% to 10% mono-, di-, tri-, or poly-saccharides.