EP1014810B1 - A process for treating tobacco - Google Patents

A process for treating tobacco Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1014810B1
EP1014810B1 EP95934239A EP95934239A EP1014810B1 EP 1014810 B1 EP1014810 B1 EP 1014810B1 EP 95934239 A EP95934239 A EP 95934239A EP 95934239 A EP95934239 A EP 95934239A EP 1014810 B1 EP1014810 B1 EP 1014810B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tobacco
kpa
pressure
chamber
mbar
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP95934239A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1014810A1 (en
Inventor
Robert Nevett
Clifford Hendrik Henneveld
Keith Alan Matthews
Brian Chester Chard
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Imperial Tobacco Group Ltd
Original Assignee
Imperial Tobacco Ltd Great Britain
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Imperial Tobacco Ltd Great Britain filed Critical Imperial Tobacco Ltd Great Britain
Priority to PT95934239T priority Critical patent/PT1014810E/pt
Publication of EP1014810A1 publication Critical patent/EP1014810A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1014810B1 publication Critical patent/EP1014810B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B3/00—Preparing tobacco in the factory
    • A24B3/18—Other treatment of leaves, e.g. puffing, crimpling, cleaning
    • A24B3/182—Puffing

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a process for treating tobacco. More particularly, it relates to a process for expanding tobacco to increase its filling capacity.
  • Tobacco leaves after harvesting, are subjected to curing processes. As a result of water loss suffered during the curing process, the leaves undergo variable shrinkage. It is conventional practice in the tobacco industry to treat cured tobacco intended for cigar or cigarette manufacture to recover the shrinkage by increasing its filling capacity. It is generally considered that by treating the tobacco in this way the cellular structure of the cured tobacco leaf is expanded to a state similar to that found in the leaf prior to curing.
  • the invention provides a process for treating tobacco comprising a series of steps:
  • the tobacco which is treated according to the process of the invention will typically be in the form of pieces of cured tobacco leaf obtained by threshing, flailing or slicing whole cured leaves.
  • the tobacco may alternatively be in the form of strips cut from whole leaf or may be shredded leaf.
  • the tobacco to be treated will be arranged in baskets in the processing chamber.
  • the cured tobacco is, according to the present invention, subjected to a reduced pressure of not greater than 70 mbar (7 kPa).
  • a reduced pressure of not greater than 70 mbar (7 kPa) By this treatment, air in the processing chamber and air retained in pockets between tobacco leaf pieces or within the cell structure which would otherwise interfere with the subsequent impregnation of the cellular structure by the isopentane vapour is removed.
  • the use of reduced pressures above 70 mbar do not sufficiently remove occluded air in the tobacco and, as a result, the subsequent impregnation of the tobacco cellular structure by isopentane vapour is impaired.
  • the pressure in the chamber is reduced below 70 mbar (7 kPa) as far as it is possible to do so and this is, of course, dictated by the performance of the evacuation and recovery system used. We have found that pressures in the range of from 40 - 70 mbar (4 - 7 kPa) are consistently achievable in this process and give good results.
  • Isopentane vapour is then pumped into the processing chamber. It is important in the invention that no liquid isopentane is allowed to enter the process chamber. Therefore, liquid isopentane stored outside the process chamber must be completely vaporised before it enters the process chamber and comes into contact with the tobacco. Since isopentane is a highly volatile and flammable solvent, engineering design of the process and recovery system must be carefully undertaken.
  • the temperature of the isopentane vapour entering the chamber will be in the range of from 70°C to 90°C. Isopentane vapour having a temperature greater than 90°C should not be used in the invention since it impairs the subsequent steam expansion treatment and does not enable sufficient expansion of the tobacco to be achieved.
  • the amount of isopentane impregnating the cells in the tobacco leaf is controlled by the pressure of isopentane vapour created in the process chamber.
  • the isopentane vapour is injected into the chamber until an internal pressure of at least 4000 mbar (400 kPa), preferably in the range of from 4000-4500 mbar (400 - 450 kPa), is achieved.
  • this pressure value is reached, the chamber is sealed after which the internal pressure will continue to rise (typically to about 5000 mbar (500 kPa)) as the temperature of the isopentane vapour continues to rise.
  • the tobacco is maintained in contact with isopentane vapour at a pressure of at least 4000 mbar (400 kPa) for up to 30 minutes to allow complete penetration of the tobacco leaf cells by the isopentane to occur.
  • a pressure of at least 4000 mbar (400 kPa) for up to 30 minutes to allow complete penetration of the tobacco leaf cells by the isopentane to occur.
  • optimum expansion of the tobacco is achieved by maintaining the high pressure for about 30 minutes.
  • isopentane appearing within the cell structure is squeezed under pressure into the liquid phase.
  • the temperature of the impregnated tobacco is caused to increase rapidly by contacting the tobacco with steam.
  • the isopentane liquid bound inside the tobacco leaf cells undergoes a volume increase and is released causing the cellular structure of the tobacco to expand. Electron microscopy reveals that the cell walls have swollen as a result of this treatment. In addition, the surface of the leaf appears to roughen.
  • the steam is introduced into the chamber to raise the pressure therein to a value in the range of from 1000 mbar (100kPa) to 1400 mbar (140kPa) and preferably from 1000 to 1200 mbar (100 to 120 kPa).
  • the expansion stage is considered to be complete when the steam exhausted from the chamber by the evacuation and recovery system has risen to a temperature of 90 to 95°C especially about 94°C. At this point the introduction of steam is discontinued.
  • the time period from the start of the steam introduction to the achievement of this exhaust temperature should preferably not be greater than 4 minutes and if possible not greater than 2 minutes.
  • the expanded tobacco is subjected to evaporative re-ordering to achieve the final desired expansion and moisture content.
  • the final moisture content of the tobacco will be as close as possible to the level prior to the process.
  • Reordering may, in general, be achieved by evacuation of the process chamber, following completion of the expansion stage, to a pressure in the range of 180-220 mbar (18 - 22 kPa). Thereafter, the pressure is returned isothermally back to atmospheric and the expanded tobacco removed from the process chamber.
  • the thus-treated tobacco may then, if required, be blended in the usual way and then conveyed to a cigar or cigarette production site as required.
  • a filling value apparatus which is essentially composed of a cylinder 64mm in diameter into which a piston 63mm in diameter slides.
  • the piston has a graduated seal on the side.
  • Pressure is applied to the piston and volume in millilitres of a given weight of tobacco, 14.18g is-determined.
  • This apparatus will accurately determine the filling value of a given amount of threshed cigar tobacco with good reproducibility.
  • the pressure on the tobacco applied by the piston in all examples was 12.8 kPa applied for 10 minutes at which time the filling value reading was taken.
  • the moisture content of the tobacco affects the filling values determined by this method, therefore comparative filling values were obtained at similar moisture contents.
  • 150 kg of a cured, threshed cigar tobacco containing 14 to 14.5% moisture and having a filling value of 5.08 cc/g when determined by the procedure previously indicated was arranged in baskets and treated according to the process of the invention.
  • the tobacco was subjected to a reduced pressure of 64mbar (6.4 kPa) and isopentane vapour in the range 70°C to 90°C was then pumped into the process chamber raising its pressure to 4300 mbar (430 kPa).
  • the tobacco was maintained in contact with the isopentane for 30 minutes, at the end of which time the pressure had risen to 4964 mbar.
  • Example 1 The procedure of Example 1 was repeated on further cycles of tobacco and the results noted in Table 1. Process parameters for Examples 2, 3 and 4 were the same as Example 1 unless stated. The pressure values employed within the process chamber during the full period of the treatment in accordance with Examples 1 to 4 are shown in graphical form in Figures 1 to 4 respectively.
  • Example 2 Example 3
  • Example 4 Filling values (cc/g) Before 5.04 4.74 4.67 After 8.23 8.60 8.33 Chamber pressure at end of impregnation phase (mbar) 4975 4811 4974 Steam temperature exiting chamber at end of expansion phase (°C) 103 104 104

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  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
EP95934239A 1995-10-19 1995-10-19 A process for treating tobacco Expired - Lifetime EP1014810B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PT95934239T PT1014810E (pt) 1995-10-19 1995-10-19 Processo para o tratamento de tabaco

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002235267A CA2235267C (en) 1995-10-19 1995-10-19 A process for treating tobacco
PCT/GB1995/002468 WO1997014322A1 (en) 1995-10-19 1995-10-19 A process for treating tobacco

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1014810A1 EP1014810A1 (en) 2000-07-05
EP1014810B1 true EP1014810B1 (en) 2003-05-02

Family

ID=25680154

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95934239A Expired - Lifetime EP1014810B1 (en) 1995-10-19 1995-10-19 A process for treating tobacco

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1014810B1 (cs)
AU (1) AU698420B2 (cs)
CA (1) CA2235267C (cs)
CZ (1) CZ293038B6 (cs)
NZ (1) NZ294021A (cs)
WO (1) WO1997014322A1 (cs)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD805687S1 (en) 2014-10-02 2017-12-19 Digirettes, Inc. Vaping device tank

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3683937A (en) * 1970-12-24 1972-08-15 Reynolds Leasing Corp Tobacco expansion process
US3753440A (en) * 1972-03-07 1973-08-21 Reynolds Tobacco Co R Tobacco expansion process

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD805687S1 (en) 2014-10-02 2017-12-19 Digirettes, Inc. Vaping device tank
USD805686S1 (en) 2014-10-02 2017-12-19 Digirettes, Inc. Vaping device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2235267A1 (en) 1997-04-24
AU698420B2 (en) 1998-10-29
CZ293038B6 (cs) 2004-01-14
CA2235267C (en) 2007-01-09
WO1997014322A1 (en) 1997-04-24
AU3670595A (en) 1997-05-07
CZ117598A3 (cs) 1999-11-17
NZ294021A (en) 1998-11-25
EP1014810A1 (en) 2000-07-05

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