KR102047257B1 - Method of producing expanded tobacco stems - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of making a swelled tobacco jug for tobacco parquet comprises providing a rolled tobacco jug with a rolling thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm; Adjusting the rolled vein to increase the moisture content; Cutting the adjusted tobacco stem; Impregnating the cut tobacco stem into liquid carbon dioxide; Heating the impregnated vein to swell; And readjusting the vein after heating to increase the moisture content. Rolled tobacco stems may be mixed with tobacco flakes prior to the treatment step.

Description

Method of producing expanded tobacco stem {Method of producing expanded tobacco stems}

The present invention relates to a new process for the production of expanded tobacco stems for use in tobacco cut fillers. It also relates to the preparation of sheaths consisting of swelling tobacco stems prepared using this method.

Typically, tobacco tobacco products for smoking products are predominantly formed from the flakes of tobacco leaves which are separated from the leaf vein areas in the threshing process. The vein portion of the tobacco material is not used as a site that remains after the leaves have been removed and separated, so most of the vein portion of the tobacco material has been discarded.

In order to increase the amount of the vein portion of the tobacco material that can be used commercially, techniques for processing the removed tobacco vein and combining the processed tobacco vein and flakes to form a beetle have been proposed before. For example, well-known techniques for processing tobacco veins require the wetting of the veins and rolling them to reduce the thickness.

EP-A-0,931,464 describes a method for producing tobacco stems for use as tobacco parsley. Here, the tobacco veins are separated by diameter to provide a plurality of vein grades, and each vein grade is separately rolled to achieve a uniformly rolled vein thickness, for example 1.1 mm.

Many methods have been previously proposed to reduce the density of the main liquor in order to improve the combustion characteristics of the main liquor. In the prior art, the swelling of tobacco stems is generally caused by the moisturizing effect of the stems using steam or water followed by heating, and in some cases is carried out under pressure.

This processing technique has been attempted for other types of cigarettes including Virginia tobacco, orient tobacco or combinations thereof.

When the stem is rolled or swelled, the final processed vein can be more easily blended with the tobacco flakes and more readily incorporated into the citrus grass of the cigarette. However, the rolling process of the beer or the expansion of the beer with steam or water generally do not affect the flavor characteristics of the tobacco beer. Therefore, the tobacco stem has an undesirable effect on the overall flavor of the mainstream smoke produced by burning the vinegar. This is especially true for the stem of Burley tobacco leaf.

There is a need to provide an improved and more efficient method for swelling tobacco stems for use as a blending component of acceptable herbs in smoking products. This method will in particular increase the filling capacity of the tobacco stem. In addition, it may be desirable to perform this expansion process in a conventional apparatus. Thus, the cost can be reduced to provide such a method.

The present invention is to provide a method for producing a swelling tobacco jug for tobacco tobacco,

Providing a rolled tobacco stem with a roll thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm;

Adjusting the rolled vein to increase water content;

Cutting the adjusted tobacco stem;

Impregnating the cut tobacco stem into liquid carbon dioxide;

Heating the impregnated vein to swell; And

Readjusting the vein after the heating to increase the moisture content.

The method according to the present invention may be performed on any other type of tobacco stem, including but not limited to Burley's tobacco, Virginia tobacco, Orient tobacco, or a combination thereof.

The item "thickness" described herein refers to the distance between the upper surface in contact with the rolling apparatus (described in more detail below) and the lower surface in contact with the rolling apparatus. Thus, this thickness corresponds to the dimensions of the tobacco stem, which has been reduced in size in the rolling process and generally crosses substantially the direction of movement of the tobacco stem through the rolling apparatus. The rolling thickness of the individual of the tobacco vein individual can be measured using a conventional measuring device with a microscope. The rolled thickness of the individual vein particles can be obtained at one point along the cutting direction with the largest cross-sectional area.

Treatment of tobacco stem with the treatment method of the present invention has surprisingly been found to have a significant and positive effect on both flavor characteristics and filling power of the stem. Rolling and swelling the liquor using liquid carbon dioxide results in a more attractive flavor and aroma with improved flavor characteristics and aftertaste of tobacco liquor, which inflates the density of the liquor material. So it optimizes the combustion characteristics of each grass that is incorporated into the vein. The positive effect of the method of the invention is particularly evident in Burley tobacco.

As a result of this positive effect on tobacco stem from the bulging process according to the invention, tobacco stem can be used as an acceptable component of the herbicide. Puffed tobacco stems can also be added to the vinegar at a significantly greater rate than previously possible, thus improving the use of tobacco material. The use of the method according to the invention also reduces the proportion of tobacco material that is disposed of, with a positive environmental impact.

Because tobacco leaf stems are available at lower cost than tobacco slices, it is economical to use tobacco stems in place of tobacco slices. Cigarette stems have the advantage of being able to be processed using existing devices used to swell tobacco flakes. This makes it possible to carry out the method efficiently and economically without the need for additional equipment. Furthermore, in other cases, it will reduce the costs associated with the disposal of tobacco apricots.

Puffed tobacco stem may be mixed with tobacco flakes or other types of tobacco material after performing puffing of the stem. In this case the other constituents of the vinegar are processed in separate process lines before being combined with the above components. However, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rolled tobacco stem is combined with the tobacco flakes prior to the adjusting step such that all subsequent steps are performed with the combined tobacco veins and flakes. In this manner, tobacco stems can be conveniently processed with tobacco flakes using the same processing steps and conditions. Tobacco flakes may be from any type of tobacco leaf, including but not limited to Burley tobacco, Virginia tobacco or Orient tobacco. Tobacco flakes from one or more other types of tobacco leaves may be mixed with tobacco stems. It is possible to make the tobacco stem from one or more different types of tobacco leaves from which the flakes can be obtained, or from other types of tobacco leaves.

In the following examples of the method of the invention, certain criteria regarding the swelling of the tobacco stem are the same for the combination of tobacco stem and tobacco flakes which may be produced before the adjusting step in some embodiments during the stepwise process of the method according to the invention. Is applied.

The rolled tobacco jug is preferably mixed with the swelling tobacco flakes so that the jug can produce at least 2%, preferably at least 5%, and more preferably at least 10% by weight of the tobacco blend. To this extent, the inclusion of tobacco stems will have a neutral effect on the flavor of the vinegar in which the expanded tobacco is incorporated. Because of the improved flavor and burning characteristics of the expanded tobacco stem, a significant proportion of the expanded tobacco stem will be included in the grass.

Conditioning of the tobacco stem is necessary to increase the moisture content of the tobacco material. The adjustment ensures that the tobacco stem is flexible enough to be cut without damaging or breaking the stem. Prior to the conditioning step, tobacco stems may generally have about 10% to 11% of oven volatiles. During the conditioning step the water content of the tobacco stem will increase to at least 12% o.v., preferably about 20% o.v. Corresponding adjustment steps can be performed on the blend of tobacco stem and tobacco flakes.

The moisture content of the tobacco stem is expressed here as "% oven volatile". This was determined by measuring the weight percent loss from the tobacco stem due to evaporation when the material was dried at 103 ° C. for 100 minutes. The moisture content of tobacco stems is readily available at some stage of the treatment method using this process.

Similarly, reconditioning of the tobacco stem in the readjustment step is also necessary to increase the moisture content of the tobacco material after heating of the impregnated tobacco stem. During this time, a large percentage of the moisture content in the tobacco apron will typically evaporate. After the heating step and before the readjustment step, the tobacco apricot typically has a moisture content of about 3% o.v. Will have At the readjustment stage, the water content of the tobacco stem increases to at least 10% o.v. The corresponding readjustment step can be performed on the combination of tobacco stem and tobacco flakes.

Adjustment and readjustment steps of the method of the present invention can be performed using existing techniques and apparatus. Preferably, each adjustment and readjustment step consists in contacting the cigarette with steam, water or a mixture of steam and water. For example, according to one existing adjustment process, tobacco is brought into contact with countercurrent steam and water as it rolls on a rotating cylindrical drum. Tobacco stems can optionally be adjusted or readjusted in the wet chamber.

After completing the adjusting step as described above, the rolled tobacco is cut to the appropriate cutting width in the cutting step. The cutting width can be adjusted according to the desired use of the expanded tobacco blend. For example, smaller, finer cutting widths may be desirable for tobacco plants intended for use in slim cigarettes than smoking products, in particular hand-rolled or pipe cigarette products. Preferably, the rolled tobacco stem is cut between the cutting widths dmh between 0.3 mm and 1.3 mm, preferably between 0.65 mm and 0.9 mm. Corresponding cutting steps may be performed on the blend of tobacco stem and tobacco flakes.

The 'cut width' of the tobacco stem refers to the width of the stem in the direction in which the tobacco stem is cut. When viewing the vein particles under a microscope, it will generally be seen along the direction in which the vein particles run through the cutting device. The cutting width corresponds to the distance between both sides of the tobacco stem along the cutting direction. The cutting width of individual tobacco vein particles can be accurately measured using a conventional measuring device with a microscope. The cutting width of the individual vein particles has a maximum cross-sectional area and can be obtained at a specific point along the cutting direction.

When the tobacco stem is cut in two directions, the cutting width aimed at in the present invention corresponds to the maximum of the cutting widths measured in the two directions.

After cutting the tobacco stems they are impregnated in liquid carbon dioxide under a high pressure of up to 30 bar in a suitable impregnation vessel. Preferably, it is preferable that air is discharged from the container before the sealed liquid carbon dioxide is transferred to the impregnation container. In this way, the impregnation step of the process according to the invention proceeds under vacuum. Preferably, the liquid carbon dioxide is at a temperature of about −55 ° C. and is preferably transferred to the impregnation vessel under pressure. This optimizes the penetration of liquid carbon dioxide into the stem cell structure of tobacco stems, where it forms water and hydrates within the cells. Corresponding impregnation steps may be performed on the combination of tobacco stem and tobacco flakes.

Following the impregnation step, the remaining free liquid carbon dioxide is discharged and recovered. The impregnation vessel is depressurized to change the liquid carbon dioxide of the cellular structure to dry ice and freeze the tobacco at a temperature of -79 ° C. at the sublimation point. The frozen tobacco stem is heated to evaporate carbon dioxide in the tobacco material. The evaporation of carbon dioxide causes the inner cells of the tobacco to spread, causing the tobacco stem to swell. Preferably the heating step is carried out by bringing the frozen, impregnated tobacco stem into contact with a hot gas stream, preferably a hot air stream and steam. The temperature at this time is preferably between 150 ° C and 400 ° C. The corresponding swelling step can be performed on the blend of tobacco stem and tobacco flakes.

In the bulging step, the tobacco stem is preferably swelled such that the filling capacity of the tobacco material can be increased to at least 50%, preferably at least 100%. "Charge" of tobacco material refers to the volume of space occupied by the weight or mass of a given material. The greater the filling capacity of the tobacco material, the lower the weight of the material required to fill the tobacco rod of standard dimensions. The puffing process significantly increases the volume of the mass of the tobacco stem and reduces the density of the tobacco material. The decrease in the density of the tobacco stem is particularly advantageous because it allows the vein to be more appropriately incorporated into each herb.

As a preferred method according to the invention, the method further comprises the step of applying a casing solution to the rolled, adjusted vein prior to the cutting and swelling step. The casing solution may be applied using any suitable means, including, for example, spraying. This casing solution is preferably an aqueous solution containing a humectant such as glycerin.

The method according to the invention consisting of the steps described above can be carried out with a pre-rolled vein. This vein may be rolled off-line in advance during the rolling process to a desired thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. For example, the rolling process may be carried out in a separate blade processing apparatus or a stem remover so that the starting material of the treatment process described above may be a pre-rolled vein.

However, certain embodiments of the present invention are adapted to incorporate a rolling process as part of the manufacturing process of each herb so that the rolling process can be performed in the same plant or production equipment as the remaining processing steps. The rolled vein can be introduced directly into the production line for cut grass. The method according to the invention comprises the steps of adjusting the vein to increase the moisture content; And rolling the vein to a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. If the starting material is a tobacco stem already separated from the rest of the tobacco leaves, these additional steps can be carried out before the adjustment and swelling steps described above. However, the method of the present invention may further be suitable for incorporating the dressing step such that the starting material of the treatment process is an untreated tobacco leaf. In this case, the further method includes removing the vein from the tobacco leaf; And cutting the vein to an average length of between 10 mm and 80 mm, wherein these steps can be performed before the adjusting and rolling step of the vein described above.

The vein can be removed from the tobacco leaves using conventional dressing processes. The vein can be broken or cut in a dressing machine or in a separate step to optimize the rolling process by reducing the length of the vein area.

Adjustment of the vein before rolling is necessary to increase the moisture content. The vein is thus flexible enough to be rolled without causing fracture or damage. Prior to the conditioning step the tobacco stems may generally have a moisture content of approximately 17% to 20% o.v. The adjusting step preferably reduces the moisture content to 35% o.v. Or less preferably 30% o.v. Increase below. In some cases, 25% o.v. A low moisture content, such as from 28% o.v., can sufficiently prevent damage to the jug during rolling.

Adjustment of the tobacco stem is preferably carried out by contacting the stem with water, steam or a mixture of water and steam. Preferably, the vein is preferably immersed for a predetermined time so that moisture penetrates into the center of the vein.

After the adjusting step, the tobacco vein is typically rolled through a one or two stage rolling process to reduce the thickness of the vein between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. The thickness of the rolled vein is reduced to a level close to the thickness of the tobacco flakes. Preferably, the tobacco stem is rolled to a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. Therefore, the tobacco stem is rolled to a thickness lower than the conventional thickness for cutting the rolled tobacco stem.

By rolling, the thickness of the vein falls between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, and the cell structure of the vein is at least partially destroyed. In particular, the envelope of the cells of the tobacco vein is at least partially crushed. The destruction of the polyporous structure of the tobacco veins is clearly visible when viewed under the microscope of the rolled tobacco veins. It will also be visually apparent that the rolled tobacco vein swells due to the other tissue of the jug compared to the vein before bulging. Thus, if the tobacco stem is treated according to the method of the present invention, this will be evident from both the rolling thickness of the tobacco stem and the evidence of swelling.

As mentioned above, the expanded tobacco stem is used as a component of the vinegar. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a vinegar composed of expanded tobacco stem. The method comprises the steps of swelling the tobacco stem using the method according to the invention as described above; Combining the swollen tobacco stem with at least one other type of tobacco flake, swollen tobacco, or reconstituted tobacco to form a vinegar. Other types of tobacco flakes can be, for example, orient tobacco flakes, Virginia tobacco flakes or a combination thereof. Puffed and reconstituted tobacco, if present, can be formed into any suitable tobacco type using well known devices and methods. Combination of the expanded tobacco stem with other types of tobacco material can generally be carried out after the readjustment step. This formulation is thus the final step in the preparation of the herbicides.

The present invention provides a corresponding method for preparing sheaths from the combination of the swollen stem and the swollen flakes.

Preferably each herb comprises from about 12% to 27% by weight of a puffed tobacco blend, wherein the blend is formed at least 2% by weight, preferably at least 5% and 100% by weight of the expanded tobacco stem. And the remainder is a formulation formed from swelled tobacco flakes. Thus, the herbicide may contain between about 0.3% and 27% by weight of the expanded tobacco stem prepared using the method of the present invention.

Herbs consisting of swelled tobacco stems made using the method of the invention can be included in various smoking products. For example, sheaths can be used in tobacco rods of combustible smoking products, such as filter cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars. Optionally, keratin may be used to provide a tobacco aerosol-generating substrate to a smoking product based on distillation, or to an electrically heated smoking system. Alternatively, the vinegar can be used as a hand-rolled tobacco product, for example for use in pipes.

Smoking products consisting of sheaths comprising puffed tobacco stems produced using the method according to the invention may be packaged in a container, for example a container formed of a sheet blank folded into one or more. Suitable containers include, but are not limited to, a container with a hinged lid and a drawer type container.

The present invention is further described in detail based on the following examples.

Example

The process according to the invention is carried out with a combination of pre-rolled Burley and yellow tobacco stems, separated from the remainder of the tobacco leaf and rolled to a thickness of 0.2 mm. The rolled tobacco stem is combined with the blend of Burley species and bright tobacco flakes to form a tobacco blend prior to further processing steps. The tobacco formulation comprises about 5% by weight of the rolled tobacco stem. The combination of the tobacco stem and the flakes is optional and it will be appreciated that in another embodiment the tobacco stem can be processed in the same manner without tobacco flakes.

In the adjustment step, the tobacco blend is placed in a cylindrical drum and rotated to keep the tobacco stem and flakes moving continuously. A countercurrent of steam and water is passed through the cylindrical drum and contacted with the tobacco stem until the water content of the generally rolled tobacco stem is approximately 20% o.v.

The adjusted tobacco formulation is sprayed with a casing solution of glycerin in water. The casing solution further contains glycerin, which acts as a humectant.

The tobacco blend is cut to a cutting width of 0.9 mm and subsequently transferred to the impregnation vessel. Air is supplied from the vessel to the impregnation vessel by pumping liquid carbon dioxide under pressure at a temperature of -55 ° C. The tobacco blend is immersed in liquid carbon dioxide for approximately 2-3 minutes.

Impregnation of the tobacco blend in liquid carbon dioxide returns to solids in the tobacco material. The formulation is then sent to the tower and quickly heated to a temperature of about 350 ° C. using a high temperature gas to swell the tobacco formulation to approximately 100%. The gas here is a mixture of steam and air, with 80% of the steam.

After the heating step, the tobacco blend is cooled and readjusted in the humidification chamber so that the moisture content of the tobacco stem returns to approximately 12% o.v.

Puffed tobacco blend is mixed with other tobacco materials, including unpuffed tobacco flakes and reconstituted tobacco, to form a vinegar blend. Puffed tobacco blends are provided up to 25% by weight of the total sheath.

It will be appreciated that the moisture level, rolled vein thickness, cut width, ratio of tobacco veins and other parameters of the swelling process, etc. may vary depending on the desired properties of the final keratin and the intended use, as described above.

Claims (14)

Providing a raw tobacco leaf;
Separating the stem from the remainder of the raw tobacco leaf;
Pre-cutting the separated vein between 15 mm and 80 mm in average length;
Pre-adjusting the pre-cut vein to increase water content; And
Rolling the precut and prearranged vein to a rolling thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm such that the cellular structure of the vein is at least partially disrupted;
Adjusting the rolled vein;
Cutting the adjusted tobacco stem;
Impregnating the cut tobacco stem into liquid carbon dioxide;
Heating the impregnated vein to swell; And
Readjusting the vein after heating,
Wherein each of the preconditioning, conditioning and readjustment step is performed by contacting the cigarette with steam, water or a mixture of steam and water. The method of claim 1, wherein during the rolling step, the jug is rolled to a rolled thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm. The method of claim 1, wherein the rolled tobacco stem is mixed with tobacco flakes prior to the adjusting step and the next step is performed on the mixed tobacco flakes and flakes. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the adjusting step, the water content of the tobacco stem is increased to at least 12% o.v. The method of claim 1, wherein during the readjustment step, the water content of the tobacco stem is increased to at least 10% o.v. The method of claim 1, wherein the impregnation of the tobacco stem with the liquid carbon dioxide is carried out in a vacuum. The method of claim 1, wherein in the heating step the tobacco stem is heated in a stream of high heat gas at a temperature of 150 ℃ and 400 ℃. The method of claim 1, wherein the tobacco jug is expanded so that the filling capacity of the jug is increased by at least 20%. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting step comprises cutting the rolled vein to a cutting width between 0.3 mm and 1.3 mm. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a casing solution to the rolled, adjusted vein prior to the cutting step. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the casing solution comprises a humectant. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of pre-adjusting the jug, characterized in that to increase the water content up to 35% o.v. Producing a swollen tobacco stem using a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; And
And combining said expanded tobacco stem with at least one type of tobacco flakes, expanded tobacco, or reconstituted tobacco to produce a vinegar. delete