Encapsulated flavorant designed for thermal release and cigarette bearing the same
Improved delivery of additives is provided through encapsulation. The encapsulated additives can be formed by encapsulating additives using co-ionic cross-linking, in-situ overcoating, and/or step-growth overcoating. By encapsulating additives, additives can be made heat and moisture stable and migration and/or loss of the additives within a cigarette, such as an activated carbon containing cigarette, can be reduced.
1. An encapsulated flavorant for placement in a smoking article so as to release flavorant when subjected to heat during smoking in the absence of mechanical force, comprising:
a hydrophobic flavorant, wherein the hydrophobic flavorant is menthol;
a hydrophilic encapsulant with the flavorant therein, wherein the encapsulant comprises two or more co-ionically cross-linked polysaccharides which forms a polymer-rich outer region and the flavorant forms a flavorant-rich core region, the two or more co-ionically cross-linked polysaccharides comprising alginate and pectin wherein voids and fissures of the alginate are filled with pectin; and at least one overcoating cross-linked polymer layer on the encapsulant polymer-rich outer region with the flavorant therein.
2. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein the flavorant comprises an oil base menthol solution.
3. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated flavorant comprises about 5 to 40 wt. % menthol.
4. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein the overcoating cross-linked polymer layer comprises one or more polysaccharides.
5. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein the overcoating cross-linked polymer layer comprises two or more polysaccharides.
6. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein encapsulated flavorant includes 5 to 40% menthol, the overcoating cross-linked polymer layer comprises a cross-linked pectin layer and the encapsulated flavorant is a bead with a maximum particle size of 10 mm.
7. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein the menthol aggregates in a gel in a core region of the matrix thus forming a menthol flavorant-rich core region.
8. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulant, the overcoating cross-linked polymer layer, or both are effective to retain more than about 80% of the additive within the encapsulated flavorant at temperatures below 50° C. for greater than 12 hours.
9. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 1 , comprising more than one overcoating cross-linked polymer layer.
10. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 9 , comprising at least two different overcoating cross-linked polymer layers.
11. The encapsulated flavorant of claim 10 , wherein the at least two different overcoating cross-linked polymer layers comprise a first layer comprising alginate and a second layer comprising pectin, wherein the second layer is disposed on the first layer.