Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a unique composition, adapted for use in manufacture of
a smokeless incense product, and/or a traditional agarbatti, in cost effective manner.
More particularly the present invention relates to a novel composition for agarbattis,
which comprises of charcoal, kuppam dust, adhesive composition (jigat and/or alternate
adhesive composition), novel emulsion comprising of alkaline earth metal compounds,
partially encapsulated fragrance and emulsifier.
Background and Prior art
Traditionally the raw agarbattis are made of jigat, charcoal and kuppam dust. The raw
agarbattis are perfumed either by dipping in or brush coating with fragrance solution
made with DEP as a solvent. The agarbatti thus made emits high amount of smoke on
burning. A number of products are available in international market, which are claimed to
be smokeless, however in India no smokeless incense product or technology has been
reported.
Taiwan patent no. TW0574177B teaches a method of manufacturing smokeless incense,
based on 1-3% of smokeless binder and 20-50% of powdery magnesium carbonate and
powdery anthracite to form main incense raw material. The above mentioned incense raw
material can be used to prepare incense products like incense stick, incense coil, tower
incense etc. It has been found that use of such low quantity of binder does not provide
optimum binding to raw materials. Further very high amount of carbonate would lead in
decreasing burn quality. The patent does not describe the process of perfuming and the
composition of smokeless binder.
Chinese patent no. CN1054012A describes the coloured smokeless incense made up of
fixed carbon, oxidant, enhanced brightness agent, adhesive agent and coloured burning
display agent. The product is smokeless and after burning the ash turns white, and it
displays various kinds of coloured patterns and characters, so the product can be used for
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birthday, religious ceremony and festival greetings. The process of perfuming is not
disclosed and neither is the use of specific emulsion. Also the raw material used are very
specific and not normally used in agarbattis industry.
Japanese patent no. JP08081347A2 reveals a smokeless, odourless stick of incense
comprising of the carbonized powder of woody material, a binder such as silicate and
optionally an inorganic filter (e.g. diatomaceous earth). The smokeless, odourless stick of
incense is produced by blending the carbonized powder with an aqueous solution or a
water dispersion of the binder, uniformly blending, kneading and drying. It is limited to
the use of silicate as binder and diatomaceous earth as filler, besides charcoal of woody
material. The process of perfuming is not disclosed.
Chinese patent no. CN1102049A teaches the method of making smokeless mosquito
repellent incense using smokeless charcoal as main fuel mixed with pyrethrum extract,
adhesive and mold inhibitor.
Chinese patent no. CN1034468A describes smokeless mosquito repellent incense using
alethrin, anthracite powder, coke, fuel dust or charcoal, cellulose and water.
Chinese patent no. CN1358430A describes the use of charcoal dust and/or anthracite,
clay and/or hybrofil, sodium methyl cellulose and/or sodium alginate and/or starch to
prepare smokeless mosquito repellent incense.
Chinese patent no. CN1219354A teaches smoke free mosquito incense, which contains
carbon powder, methyl cellulose or starch, insecticide, combustion adjuvant, temperature
regulator, pigment and antimildew agent.
Chinese patents nos. CN1102049A, CN1034468A, CN1358430A, CN1219354A are
more particularly related to the mosquito repellent incense products with the use of
smokeless charcoal, anthracite, sodium methyl cellulose, sodium alginate, starch, which
are the non traditional materials for agarbatti manufacturing
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Chinese patent no. CN1107652A reveals smokeless bacteriostatic incense and the method
of manufacturing the same. The invention includes atractylodes rhizomes, moxa leaf, elm
bark, charcoal, gypsum and salt or alkali compound. The method of manufacture
describes technological steps such as removing impurities, breaking, mixing, shaping and
painting. It is thus restricted by the use of gypsum and atractylodes rhizomes, moxa leaf
and elm bark
It is clear from the above mentioned prior art that although the patents claim to disclose
smokeless incense product, none of the prior art describe the use of encapsulated/partially
encapsulated fragrance, jigat or novel adhesive, kuppam dust and fragrance emulsion
containing alkaline metal compounds and gum.
Objects of the invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide composition for smokeless agarbattis
formed in traditional manner and comprising encapsulated/partially encapsulated
fragrance, jigat or novel adhesive, kuppam dust and fragrance emulsion containing
alkaline metal compounds and gum
Description of the invention
The composition can be designed to manufacture smokeless incense product and/or a
traditional agarbattis, which on burning does not emit smoke, in cost effective manner.
The present invention relates to a novel composition, which includes charcoal, kuppam
dust, traditional binder i.e. jigat or other binder composition , along with
partially/completely encapsulated fragrance made with at least one gum. Also the use of
water releasing agent which during burning of agarbatti controls the rate of burn and also
reduce the smoke and thereby create synergy with rest of raw materials is another novelty
of present invention. . The water-releasing agents used in the present invention includes
the hydrated chemical compounds with water of crystallization and/or compounds, which
form water as one of the product due to thermal degradation. The use of water releasing
agent in control agarbattis does not have any impact on reduction of smoke, whereas if
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used along with other ingredients of emulsion while making samples, significantly
reduced smoke and increased the burn time.
The emulsion is essentially made of water and at least one gum, preferably gum acacia,
fragrance, alkaline earth metal compound and emulsifier. The emulsion thus made can be
added directly to the dough, which then can be shaped into a conventional agarbatti or
any other shape suitable for incense stick. Alternatively the emulsion can be used to
perfume the raw agarbatti made with traditional practice of dipping it into diluted
emulsion as described above. The product thus obtained burns like a traditional agarbatti
but does not emit smoke and at the same time delivers fragrance. The product thus
obtained does not require DEP, a solvent normally used in agarbatti industry worldwide
or any other solvent traditionally used in agarbatti industry. The present invention also
offers high productivity and cost advantages.
The present invention offers reduction in production time and thereby higher
productivity. The novel composition eliminates the use of DEP thereby reducing cost but
without compromising the performance of end product. Thus working of this patent is
expected to result in creation of new eco-friendly product with higher productivity and
cost advantage in multifaceted way.
The present invention more preferably relates to create a unique niche product segment,
based on product, which burns like traditional agarbatti but emits no smoke and at the
same time delivers fragrance. The above-mentioned smokeless product may be designed
to look like traditional agarbatti and/or into entirely different shape as per the business
requirement.
Currently the smokeless products are available in international market at a very high cost.
The present invention aimed at to produce a product, which not only is ecofriendly but
also can be manufactured at a low cost compared to presently available similar product.
The agarbatti based on the novel composition is on par with conventional agarbattis on all
performance parameters including sensory attributes. (Table 1 & 2). The quality of the
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composition of invention can be monitored closely and thereby lends itself to continual
improvement in product. The attributes are described with reference to the Tables 1 and 2
as provided below

Thus we find that the parameters like fragrance and burn time is better than the control
while maintaining the burn consistency.

Table 2 shows that the pre burn qualities are almost similar while the in burn and post
burn attributes of the agarbatti according to present invention are better than the control
while the smoke is drastically reduced.

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A novel composition for use in manufacture of a smokeless incense product, and/or a traditional agarbatti, which on burning emits perceptibly less smoke, in a cost effective manner. Smokeless agarbatti composition comprising of charcoal, , traditional binder and
fragrance concentrate containing DEP upto 5%. and optionally a suitable filler such as wood dust, kuppam dust. Incense products or agarbattis comprising thesmokeless agarbatti composition