Tobacco Documents Online

~~yy~yF,,.~y;s7~.,~;ayg;:. ~,.x.e~K.7c2N:••atsantooa.L-.=xr.r+~.r.a++r..w:Jrr.c - ar.wal~w~ 0 Interoffice Memoram Subject: Disclosure of idea to Prolong Shelf Life of Flavored Pellet in a Cigarette Filter Date: April 24, 1991. To: Grover M. Myers From: Milly M. L. Wong Charles R. Ashcraft Charles W. Miller The 'flavored pellet' was a known technology as a controlled release of flavor in the development of a cigarette. The 'spearmint pellet' had been explored and studied in depth during the development stages of CHELSEA. One of the reasons for not implementing the pellet was that the spearmint flavor in the pellet dissipated to the filter tow and the tobacco rod within a period of 4-5 months, thus altering the product taste delivery overtime. In addition, the normal shelf life of cigarette products is eight months. Our intention in this disclosure is to extend the shelf life of the flavor in the pellet (commonly in high density polyethylene) by applying a polyvinyl alcohol coating around the pellet. Polyvinyl alcohol is a known barrier for flavorants. It has been demonstrated PVA will slow down the permeatiion rate of menthol and limonene that have been extruded with HDPE. In reducing this idea to practice, Surlyn pellets were extruded with a compounded flavor (with dihydroanethole as one of the ingredients). These pellets were mixed with a 10% PVA solution and stirred at room temperature, and then poured through a sieve to remove excess PVA solution. These coated pellets were then tumbled in a Buchii rotating evaporator, under vacuum, and with the addition of acetone, which acts as a fixative for the PVA coating, and also removes excess water via water/acetone azeotrope. These PVA coated pellets were further dried at about 40 degree C. A headspace analysis was run on the coated and coated pellets. Results show that the peak area count of dihydroanethole from the PVA coated pellet is significantly lower than that of the uncoated pellet. We, the authors, believe this idea of a PVA coated 'flavored' pellet can slow down or deter (depending on the PVA loading) the migration of the flavor in the pellet to the filter tow and tobacco rod, over a period of eight months. Consequently, the designed flavor delivery will retain its integrity over time. Upon smoking, the designed flavor will be released into the mainstream smoke as the PVA is hydrolyzed by the water present in the aerosol, or by the introduction of another source of water, in the form of water-microcapsules.

. Witnessed by: Charles R. Asticraft +12 S~QI Charles W. Miller Date• Date: