Combustible heat source with improved binding agent

A combustible heat source for a smoking article, the combustible heat source comprising:

• carbon;
• and
• a binding agent including at least one organic polymeric binder material, at least one carboxylate burn salt, and at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material,
• wherein the at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material comprises a sheet silicate material,
• wherein the at least one carboxylate burn salt includes one or more of:
• at least one alkali metal citrate salt, at least one alkali metal acetate salt, and at least one alkali metal succinate salt, and
• wherein the binding agent comprises between 30 percent by weight and 75 percent by weight of the organic polymeric binder material, between 8 percent b weight and 40 percent by weight of the carboxylate burn salt, and between 15 percent by weight and 35 percent by weight of the non-combustible inorganic binder material.

A binding agent to improve the integrity of a carbon-containing combustible heat source for a smoking article, the binding agent comprising:

• at least one organic polymeric binder material;
• at least one carboxylate burn salt;
• and
• at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material,
• wherein the at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material comprises a sheet silicate material, and
• wherein the binding agent further comprises between 30 percent by weight and 75 percent by weight of the organic polymeric binder material, between 8 percent by weight and 40 percent by weight of the carboxylate burn salt, and between 15 percent b weight and 35 percent by weight of the non-combustible inorganic binder material.

A method of producing a combustible heat source having improved integrity, the method comprising:

• combining one or more carbon-containing materials with a binding agent including at least one organic polymeric binder material, at least one carboxylate burn salt, and at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material, wherein the at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material comprises a sheet silicate material, and wherein the binding agent further includes between 30 percent by weight and 75 percent by weight of the organic polymeric binder material, between 8 percent by weight and 40 percent by weight of the carboxylate burn salt, and between 15 percent by weight and 35 percent by weight of the non-combustible inorganic binder material;
• pre-forming the mixture of the one or more carbon-containing materials and the binding agent into an elongate rod;
• and
• drying the elongate rod.