US2048624A - Manufacture of denicotinized tobacco products - Google Patents

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July 21, 1936. w. H. ROSELIU S MANUFACTURE OF DENICOTINIZED TOBACCO PRODUCTS Filed Nov. 28, 1933 Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES OF DENICOTINIZED ZIEOBACGO PRODUCTS Wilhelm Heinrich RoseliusJBremen, Germany (Application November--28; I953, SerialNo. 700,150 In Germany December 3, 1932 9 Claims.

. My invention relates'to a process for manufacturing denicotinized "tobacco by extracting the nicotine from the tobacco leaves when moistened with water or steam, through thetmedium of organic solvents at a temperature under 60 C. and by eliminating the solvents from the tobacco by alternate subjection to steam and-warm air.

Previous attempts have been made to remove the nicotine from tobacco leaves or from tobacco products by subjecting the tobacco to high temperatures and by treating it with ammonia. The high temperatures and in particular the treatment with ammonia results in a destruction of the aromatic components containedin the tobacco leaves, whereby the quality of the tobacco is destroyed, or at leastreduced to such an extent, that the products manufactured from tobacco prepared in this way have a strawlike taste. In addition, the removal of the nicotine according to this process is very diflicult and-cannot be performed to a satisfactory extent. In spite of a continued treatment, a substantial part of the nicotine remains in the leaves.

Attempts have also been made to remove the a nicotine from the tobacco at high temperatures with organic solvents after a preliminary treatment with alkalies. Moreover, by this process the aromatic constituents, which also determine the quality of the tobacco, are so correlated, that the production of nicotine-free tobacco is qu te impossible, especially since not only the aromatic constituents are lost, but also the appearance suffers considerably.

I have found that it is possible to manufacture tobacco of perfect smoking quality, free from all nicotine contents: by sprinkling and moistening the tobacco leaves with water at a temperature not higher than 50 C., whereupon without difliculty and by relatively short treatment of the tobacco with organic solvents, in particular with chlorohydrocarbons, the nicotine can be removed from the leaves. It has also been found of advantage, to perform the moistefiing of the tobacco leaves in such a'manner, that the leaves show a rather high moisture content, ranging from 30% of the weight of tobacco to the maximumouantity of moisture which tobacco leaves are able to absorb by a treatment with water. The nicotine is soluble in water whilst the :aromatic components, producing the smoking qualities of the tobacco, are fatty substances and not soluble in water. For this reason an abundant moistening of the tobacco leaves with water leads to a solution of the leaves are again moistened withsteam by sub-' nicotine 'in the water, from which solution it can easily be removed by the subsequent treatment with organic solvents, whilst the aromatic fatty ssubstances are practically enclosed by the water as incapsules andiaccordingly protected from the action of the solvents. This is of great importance, as the solvents which can be used for the extraction of the nicotine dissolve fatty ?substances, and therefore without the special treatment, the aromatic substances would be extracted by the solvents in the same proportion as the nicotine and only a quite worthless leaf skeleton would result.

Further, it has been ascertained that it is of advantage to .keep the temperature, during the extraction of the nicotine with the solvents, as low as possible, in no case higher than 50 C., as there. by not only the aromatic ingredients of the tobacco leaves are preserved, but also a normal appearance of the tobacco leaves, which have been freed from the nicotine, is achieved. Consequently soivents of a particularly low boiling point, such as acetylenedichloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, methyldichloride are suitable for the manufacture of denicotinized tobacco. The application of 'low boiling solvents is also preferred inasmuch as their removal from the tobacco leaves is possible after the extraction of the nicotine has been carried through. The removal of the remainder of the solvents is accomplished by subjecting the tobacco leaves for a short time to warm air current, then moistening them with steam and then exposing them once more to the treatment with warm air or to a heating in vacuo.

The tobacco leaves, which have been thus completely freed from the nicotine, have unimpaired appearance and smoking quality and can be used without further treatment for the manufacture of cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco or other tobacco products, as usual.

Example hours at room temperature with acetylenedi-- chloride. After the extraction of the nicotine has been carried through, the remainder of the jecting to mist or bysprinkling and again heated in vacuo at a temperature not higher than 60 C.

An example of .a conventional form of apparatus which forms no part of the present inventhe chamber, the hood tion but may be usedin carrying out the process suspending the tobacco leaves 0:, the chamber having a tightly fitting hood or cover 3 which is removable to permitthe racks carrying the tobacco leaves to be placed in and removedfrom having a vent passage 4 adapted to be'closed by a slide valve 5. The

.treating chamber'is adapted to contain a body of water and has a heating coil 6 therein for vaporizing the water, and the chamber is also adapted to receive the solvent through a pipe 1 the solvent.

controlled by a valve 8, the treating chamber being nearly filled with the solvent during the exe traction of nicotine. A drain'cock 9 in the bottom of the chamber enables the water and the solvent to be drained therefrom, and a pipe l0 connected to the bottom of the chamber enables air to be introduced into the chamber, this pipe having a slide valve II for closing it. An overfiowpipe l2 leads from the chamber above the level 'of the tobacco leaves therein, this pipe being provided with a-valve I! for closing it.

In carrying out the process with the aidoi an apparatus such as that shown and described,

the tobacco leaves, after being placed in the chamber,are moistened by admitting water to the chamber through valve 9 up to a level below the tobacco leaves and heated by admitting steam 6, the valve 5 in the vent pas-- to the heating coil sage 4 being then open so that the arising steam or vapor moistens from the treating chamber. The water is drawn off from the treating chamber, after the leaves have been suihciently moistened, by opening valve 9, and the solvent is admitted through the pipe 1 by opening the valve 8, it overflowing through the pipe l2, the valve I! in which is open. The

solvent is'drawn' off, after extraction ofthe nicotine has been completed, by opening, the valve 9,

and warm air is admitted into the chamber through pipe in for removing the remainder of The subsequent moistening of the tobacco leavesis accomplished with steam or vapor as described above, and thereaitenthe waopening the valve 9, and warm air is again admitted into-the chamber through the pipe ID, or steam is admittedto the heating coil 6, and the tobacco leaveshe'ated in vacuo by closing the valves Sand II as well as valves 8 and 9 andei'rhausting the vapors from the chamber through the pipe l2. v Y

I claim: I

1. The process of producing denicotinized tobacco, consisting-in moistening the tobacco, then subjecting the moistened tobacco to the action of an organic nicotine solvent, then treating the tobacco with warm air for the purposeoi remov- V by moistening the tobacco at a temperature ot the leaves and then escapes ,the purpose of removing the said solvent.

.vent, and then treating the tobacco 'to remove ing the said solvent, again moistening tobacco, again subjecting the tobaccoto treatment .with warm air, and finally heating the tobacco to a temperature not above 60 C.,then subjecting the moistened-tobacco to the action of an organic nicotine solvent, then treating the tobacco with warm air not above 60 C. for the purpose-of removing the said solvent, againmoistening the tobacco, again treating the tobacco with warm air not above the aforesaid temperature, and then heating the tobacco to a temperature not above 60 C. to remove the remaining moisture.

'4. The process of producingdenicoti nized tobacco'consisting in moistening the tobacco to an extent not above 30% of the capacity of the tobacco, then subjecting the tobacco to the action of an organic nicotinesolvent, then treating the tobacco with warm air to remove the said solvent, again moistening the tobacco, again treating the tobacco with warm air. and finally heating the tobacco to remove the remaining moisture from the tobacco.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is from the group solvents consisting of acetylene dichloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and methyldichloride.

6. The process of producing denicotinized tobacco. consisting in causing the tobacco to swell above .60 C., then subjecting the moistened tobacco to the action of an organic nicotine solvent. and then treating the tobacco with warm air for 7. The process of producing denicotinized tobacco, consisting in causing the tobacco to swell by moistening the tobacco .at a temperature below the boiling point of the moistening agent, then subjecting the moistened tobacco to the action of an organic-nicotine solvent, and then treating the tobacco with warm air for the purpose ofremoving the said solvent;-

8. The-process of producing denicotinized tobacco, consisting in causing the tobacco to swell by moistening the tobacco at a temperature not above '60 C., then subjecting the moistened tobacco to the action of an organic nicotine solthe said solvent. v 9. The process 01' producing denicotinized tobacco, consisting in causing the tobacco to swell by moistening the tobacco at a temperature.

' below the boiling point of the moistening agent,

then subjecting the moistened tobacco ,to the action of an organic nicotine solvent, and then treating the tobacco to remove the. said solvent.

wrLHELM HEINRICH memos.

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