On September 19, at the InterTabac International Tobacco Exhibition in Dortmund, Germany, FirstUnion Group was awarded the "Best HNB Innovation Award" at the 2024 Alternative Awards for its globally pioneering Alkaid heat-not-burn technology. This prestigious award validates the revolutionary breakthrough of the Alkaid technology in the HNB field.
At the same time that evening, FirstUnion held a press conference at the most important global tobacco exhibition, showcasing the Alkaid heat-not-burn technology and its innovative capabilities in heating speed, taste, product cleanliness, and health.
The core breakthrough of Alkaid technology lies in its optical heating method, which uses full-spectrum light waves similar to sunlight to achieve rapid and uniform heating. According to Dr. Zhu Bin, the head of Alkaid technology, this technology can complete preheating within 5 seconds, allowing users to avoid long waits and enjoy a smoother and more immediate smoking experience.
In addition to rapid preheating, Alkaid has achieved significant improvements in taste and health. Compared to traditional heating technologies, Alkaid can increase the nicotine release efficiency in aerosols by 40% and increase the total particulate matter (TPM) by 20%, making the smoking experience closer to that of a real cigarette. At the same time, the release of harmful substances is reduced by 20%, greatly reducing the potential health risks to users. More importantly, with its non-contact heating design, Alkaid also achieves a self-cleaning function for the smoking device and ensures that the taste remains fresh even after continuous use 5000 times.
The technology developed by the FirstUnion team has undergone four years of research and thousands of experiments, completed through interdisciplinary collaboration involving over 100 experts in materials, optics, electronics, and tobacco fields. Dr. Zhu Bin revealed during the press conference that the inspiration for the development of the Alkaid technology came from the principles of solar collectors, solving the limitations of traditional heating methods through the speed and penetrative nature of light.
FirstUnion has been dedicated to driving innovation in HNB technology, exploring the field since 2012 and releasing several popular HNB products. The debut of Alkaid not only signifies FirstUnion's leadership at the forefront of the industry, but also opens up a new direction for the global HNB industry.
Amid the ongoing pursuit of harm reduction products in the tobacco industry, FirstUnion's Alkaid technology is poised to disrupt the market with its innovation, practicality, and health benefits, bringing unprecedented experiences to consumers worldwide. As the theme of the Alkaid technology launch event suggests, "Guided by light, one step closer to the future.
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