Method and device for improving comfort of aged cigarettes

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of tobacco, and in particular, relates to a method and device for improving the comfort of aged tobacco. The method for improving the comfort of aged tobacco of the present application comprises: mixing a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with tobacco leaves having a water content of 10% to 15% for acidolysis reaction to obtain acidolysis-treated tobacco leaves; subjecting the acidolysis-treated tobacco leaves to ultraviolet radiation treatment to obtain tobacco leaves treated by acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation of a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution; and balancing the moisture content of the synergistically treated tobacco leaves. The present application provides a method and device for improving the comfort of aged tobacco, which can appropriately reduce the strength and concentration by reducing the starch, protein and free nicotine content while maintaining the flavor style of tobacco leaves unchanged, and significantly reduce the irritation to the oral cavity, throat and nasal cavity, thereby quickly and significantly improving the comfort of tobacco leaf smoking, and effectively solving the technical defects of the existing methods for improving the comfort of aged tobacco, such as long processing time, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, and unknown and complex components of combustion products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of tobacco, and in particular, relates to a method and device for improving the comfort of aged tobacco. Background Art

[0002] Tobacco raw materials are divided into different grades according to their quality. Some grades of tobacco have problems such as excessive concentration, strength and irritation, heavy smell, residual aftertaste and poor aroma, which limits their application in leaf group formulas. These tobacco leaves are piled up in warehouses as old tobacco due to their small production usage. After years of over-aging, the quality of these old tobaccos has not improved but declined. Not only are the contents of nicotine, starch, protein and other chemical substances that are significantly related to strength, concentration, irritation and smell still high, but the content of aroma substances has also decreased, resulting in poor overall sensory comfort of tobacco leaves. A large amount of old tobacco increases the cost of tobacco storage and maintenance, and brings a heavy economic burden to enterprises. How to improve the sensory comfort of old tobacco to increase its usability has become an urgent problem to be solved in the tobacco industry.

[0003] There are several main methods for improving the comfort of aged tobacco: one is to add microorganisms for fermentation and alcoholization, the second is to use enzyme catalysis for alcoholization, the third is to add propylene glycol, glycerin and other humectants to the filter or tobacco, and the fourth is to add various composite additives to the tobacco, such as plant extracts, to improve comfort. The above methods have certain advantages and limitations. Among them, microbial fermentation and enzyme catalysis alcoholization treatments are time-consuming, requiring at least several months of processing time, and cannot quickly improve the comfort of tobacco leaves. In addition, aged tobacco originally has the problem of over-alcoholization and is not suitable for further treatment by alcoholization; humectants adjust comfort by controlling water loss. The disadvantage is that they only treat the symptoms and not the root cause, and cannot fundamentally change the chemical composition of tobacco leaves such as nicotine, starch and protein that have an important impact on comfort; composite additives such as plant extracts have many components, and the composition of combustion products is unknown and complex, so they need to be evaluated very carefully before use. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a method and device for improving the comfort of aged tobacco, which can quickly and significantly improve the comfort of tobacco smoking while maintaining the tobacco flavor style unchanged, and effectively solve the technical defects of existing methods for improving the comfort of aged tobacco, such as long processing time, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, and unknown and complex combustion product composition.

[0005] The first aspect of the present application provides a method for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes, comprising:

[0006] Mixing formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with tobacco leaves for acid hydrolysis reaction to obtain acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves; wherein the tobacco leaves have a moisture content of 10% to 15%;

[0007] The tobacco leaves treated with acid hydrolysis are subjected to ultraviolet radiation treatment to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acid hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation.

[0008] In some embodiments, the solute of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is formic acid, and the solvent of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is ethanol aqueous solution;

[0009] The volume fraction of the formic acid is 5% to 20%, and the volume fraction of the ethanol aqueous solution is 85% to 95%;

[0010] Wherein, the concentration of ethanol in the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%.

[0011] In some embodiments, the volume fraction of formic acid in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution ranges from 5% to 20%, preferably from 5% to 15%, and more preferably from 5% to 10%.

[0012] In some embodiments, the volume fraction of ethanol in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution ranges from 57% to 48%, preferably from 57% to 51%, and more preferably from 57% to 54%.

[0013] In some embodiments, the volume fraction of water in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is in the range of 38%-32%, preferably 38%-34%, and more preferably 38%-36%.

[0014] The amount of formic acid in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is 1% to 5% of the weight of the tobacco leaves. The amount of formic acid in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is preferably 1% to 2% of the weight of the tobacco leaves.

[0015] In some embodiments, the acid hydrolysis reaction time is 5 to 15 minutes, and the acid hydrolysis reaction temperature is 30 to 100° C. The acid hydrolysis reaction time is preferably 5 to 10 minutes.

[0016] In some embodiments, the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and tobacco leaves are mixed in a manner including: spraying the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on the tobacco leaves for mixing, or soaking the tobacco leaves in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution for mixing.

[0017] Specifically, the mixture of soaking the tobacco leaves in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution needs to be baked to remove excess moisture from the tobacco leaves; spraying the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on the tobacco leaves is the preferred method, and the baking step can be omitted.

[0018] In some embodiments, the ultraviolet radiation treatment specifically includes: laying the acid-treated tobacco leaves flat on a grid-shaped plane, performing ultraviolet radiation treatment on the upper part of the acid-treated tobacco leaves, and performing air blowing treatment on the lower part of the acid-treated tobacco leaves. The air blowing and ultraviolet radiation treatment can accelerate the volatilization of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, thereby achieving the effect of effectively and quickly removing excess residual formic acid.

[0019] In some embodiments, the acid-treated tobacco leaves are laid flat on a grid-like plane, ultraviolet radiation treatment is performed on the upper part of the acid-treated tobacco leaves, and air blowing treatment is performed on the lower part of the acid-treated tobacco leaves, and the ultraviolet radiation treatment environment is heated. The treatment temperature is 30 to 50° C., preferably 40 to 50° C. The ultraviolet radiation treatment while heating and blowing can accelerate the volatilization of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, thereby achieving the effect of effectively and quickly removing excess residual formic acid.

[0020] In some embodiments, the ultraviolet light intensity of the ultraviolet radiation is 0.1 to 0.5 mw / cm 2 ; The time of the ultraviolet light irradiation is 30min~60min; the irradiation distance of the ultraviolet light irradiation is 30cm~80cm; the power of the ultraviolet lamp for the ultraviolet light irradiation is 10W~20W; the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp for the ultraviolet light irradiation is 253.7nm.

[0021] The ultraviolet light intensity of the ultraviolet radiation is preferably 0.1 to 0.2 mw / cm 2 ; The time of the ultraviolet light irradiation is preferably 30min to 45min; the irradiation distance of the ultraviolet light irradiation is preferably 40cm to 50cm; the power of the ultraviolet lamp for the ultraviolet light irradiation is preferably 10W.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method for preparing tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15% is as follows: tobacco leaves with a moisture content of less than 10% or greater than 15% are subjected to a first balancing treatment to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%; the humidity of the first balancing treatment is 60±2%, and the temperature of the first balancing treatment is 22±2°C.

[0023] In some embodiments, the method further includes a second balancing treatment; the second balancing treatment includes performing a second balancing treatment on the treated tobacco leaves; the humidity of the second balancing treatment is 60±2%, and the temperature of the second balancing treatment is 22±2°C.

[0024] Specifically, the first balancing treatment and the second balancing treatment are to keep the moisture content of various tobacco leaf samples basically consistent, to ensure that the moisture content of the tobacco leaves is not too high or too low after the subsequent acid spraying and ultraviolet radiation treatments. Too high a moisture content of the tobacco leaves will be unfavorable for later storage and will easily become moldy, while too low a moisture content of the tobacco leaves will make the leaves too dry and brittle, affecting the processing performance.

[0025] In actual production, incoming tobacco leaves are usually re-cured tobacco sealed with plastic film and shipped from the warehouse. The moisture content of the tobacco leaves is about 10% to 15%. Tobacco leaves with this moisture content can be processed directly without balancing. The purpose of balancing is to make the moisture content of the tobacco leaves reach about 10% to 15%.

[0026] In some embodiments, the moisture content of tobacco leaves is tested with an online moisture tester before feeding the materials for the acid hydrolysis reaction. If the moisture content of tobacco leaves is in the range of 10% to 15%, the acid hydrolysis reaction and ultraviolet radiation reaction treatment are directly carried out. If the moisture content is not in this range, the first balancing treatment is carried out. The second balancing can be carried out directly in the storage cabinet.

[0027] The second aspect of the present application provides a device for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes, comprising:

[0028] Cabinets, tobacco leaf conveying devices, spraying devices, ultraviolet lamps and ventilation devices;

[0029] The cabinet body is provided with a tobacco leaf feeding port and a tobacco leaf discharging port;

[0030] The tobacco leaf transmission device is arranged inside the cabinet, and the tobacco leaf transmission device enables the tobacco leaves to be transmitted from the tobacco leaf feeding port to the tobacco leaf discharging port;

[0031] The spray device is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet so as to be arranged above the tobacco transmission device; the ultraviolet lamp is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet so as to be arranged above the tobacco transmission device;

[0032] The ventilation device is arranged on the cabinet.

[0033] In some embodiments, the tobacco transmission device is a vibrating screen; the tobacco feed port is arranged at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet, and the tobacco discharge port is arranged at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet; the first end of the vibrating screen is arranged at the tobacco feed port, and the second end of the vibrating screen is arranged at the tobacco discharge port, so that the vibrating screen is arranged obliquely inside the cabinet.

[0034] In some embodiments, the tobacco leaf transmission device is a belt transmission mechanism; the tobacco leaf feed inlet and the tobacco leaf discharge outlet are respectively arranged at the lower end of the front side wall of the cabinet and the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet, and the tobacco leaf feed inlet and the tobacco leaf discharge outlet are flush;

[0035] The belt transmission mechanism includes a belt, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a motor; the belt is sleeved on the outer sides of the driving wheel and the driven wheel; the motor is connected to the driving wheel, so that the motor drives the driving wheel to rotate, thereby driving the belt to move linearly; the first end of the belt is arranged at the tobacco leaf feed port, and the second end of the belt is arranged at the tobacco leaf discharge port.

[0036] Specifically, the vibrating screen is more preferred than the belt drive mechanism because it enables the tobacco leaves to receive formic acid spraying and ultraviolet irradiation more evenly.

[0037] In some embodiments, the ventilation device includes a blower and an exhaust port; the air outlet of the blower is arranged inside the cabinet; and the exhaust port is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet.

[0038] In some embodiments, the air outlet of the blower is arranged inside the cabinet near the tobacco feed inlet; the air exhaust outlet is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet near the tobacco discharge outlet.

[0039] In some embodiments, an exhaust gas treatment tank is also included, and the exhaust port is connected to the exhaust gas treatment tank.

[0040] In some embodiments, an ultraviolet lamp regulator is also included, and the ultraviolet lamp is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet through the ultraviolet lamp regulator; the ultraviolet lamp regulator can adjust the distance between the ultraviolet lamp and the tobacco leaf transmission device.

[0041] In some embodiments, the spray device and the ultraviolet lamp are arranged at intervals on the inner top of the cabinet.

[0042] In some embodiments, the spray device is disposed near the tobacco leaf feed port and at the inner top of the cabinet; the ultraviolet lamp is disposed near the tobacco leaf discharge port and at the inner top of the cabinet.

[0043] In some embodiments, the device further includes a temperature control device, and the temperature control device is disposed inside the cabinet.

[0044] The present invention discloses a method and device for improving the comfort of aged tobacco, which uses formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution to perform a short-term acid hydrolysis reaction on tobacco leaves at a suitable temperature, so that the free nicotine, starch and protein content in the tobacco leaves are rapidly reduced, and substances such as amino acids and sugars are generated; then, the formic acid is cleverly used to decompose easily when exposed to light, and the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves are subjected to ultraviolet radiation of suitable intensity under heating conditions, while removing the excess formic acid on the tobacco leaves, the starch and protein can be further degraded, so that the concentration and strength of the aged tobacco are appropriately reduced, and the irritation and impurities are significantly reduced, and finally the purpose of quickly and effectively improving the sensory comfort of aged tobacco is achieved. The present invention organically combines formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acid hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation, and through the design of supporting corresponding devices, under the premise of rapidly improving the sensory comfort of aged tobacco, the following key problems are solved at the same time: first, the sour taste that may be introduced by adding formic acid is effectively avoided, second, the change of tobacco flavor style characteristics that may be caused by ultraviolet light is effectively avoided, and third, the problem of harming the health of production operators and environmental pollution that may be caused by formic acid volatilizing into the air during acid treatment is avoided. In addition, formic acid is one of the sour substances that exist in tobacco leaves and smoke. It is also a synthetic food flavoring permitted by my country's national standards. No new harmful smoke components are produced during the combustion of tobacco leaves treated with formic acid acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation. This application is simple to operate, has a fast and obvious effect on improving the quality of tobacco leaves, is easy to combine with production lines, and has good promotion prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art are briefly introduced below.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first structure of the device for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes in the embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a second structural schematic diagram of the device for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes in the embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a third structural schematic diagram of the device for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes in the embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the cabinet 1A;

[0050] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of cabinet 1B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present application provides a method and device for improving the comfort of aged smoke, which is used to solve the technical defects of the prior art methods for improving the comfort of aged smoke, such as long processing time, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, and unknown and complex components of combustion products.

[0052] Among them, the actual materials or raw materials used in the following examples are all commercially available or homemade. Formic acid in the following examples (AR, Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.); anhydrous ethanol in the following examples (AR, Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.); redried tobacco leaves in the following examples (2015 Hunan Upper Tobacco, provided by Guangdong China Tobacco Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0053] BSA224S-CW electronic balance (Sartorious Company), QS-2A tobacco leaf cutter (Zhengzhou Jiade Electromechanical Technology Co., Ltd.), SAN++ continuous flow analyzer (Skalar Company, the Netherlands), 5975C gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (Agilent Company).

[0054] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work based on the embodiments in the embodiments of the present application are within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0057] It should be understood that this application is applied to improve the comfort system of aged smoke, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the device for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes in the embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The invention comprises a cabinet 1, a tobacco transmission device, a spray device 2, an ultraviolet lamp 3 and a ventilation device; the cabinet 1 is provided with a tobacco feed port 1-1 and a tobacco discharge port 1-2; the tobacco transmission device is arranged inside the cabinet 1, and the tobacco transmission device enables the tobacco to be transmitted from the tobacco feed port 1-1 to the tobacco discharge port 1-2; the spray device 2 is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet 1 so as to be arranged above the tobacco transmission device; the ultraviolet lamp 3 is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet 1 so as to be arranged above the tobacco transmission device; the ventilation device is arranged on the cabinet 1.

[0058] Specifically, the spray device 2 is an existing conventional sprayer, including components such as a spray head and a spray pipe.

[0059] Specifically, the device for improving the comfort of aged smoke in the present application is a sealing device.

[0060] See also Figure 1 The present application designs a device for improving the comfort of aged tobacco. When in use, tobacco leaves fall evenly from the feed port 1-1 onto the tobacco leaf conveying device, and the tobacco leaf conveying device conveys the tobacco leaves from the feed port 1-1 to the tobacco leaf discharge port 1-2, so that the tobacco leaves are evenly spread on the tobacco leaf conveying device. The spray device 2 and the ultraviolet lamp 3 are evenly spaced and distributed on the inner top of the cabinet 1. After the tobacco leaves are evenly dispersed under the spray device 2 and the ultraviolet lamp 3, the spray device 2 is turned on; the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution A is sprayed onto the tobacco leaves placed on the tobacco leaf transmission device through the spray device 2; the ventilation device is closed to ensure that the interior of the cabinet 1 is in a constant temperature and closed state, and the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution A is sprayed onto the surface of the tobacco leaves for acidolysis reaction to obtain acid-treated tobacco leaves; after the acidolysis is completed, the spray device 2 is closed, and then the ultraviolet lamp 3 and the ventilation device are turned on to treat the acid-treated tobacco leaves with ultraviolet radiation to obtain formic acid acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation-coordinated tobacco leaves, and the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution A on the tobacco leaves is volatilized while being treated with ultraviolet radiation. The ventilation device can discharge the acidic waste gas inside the cabinet 1 to the outside. After the ultraviolet light irradiation is completed, the tobacco leaves are transported out of the cabinet 1 by the tobacco leaf conveying device. The tobacco leaf discharge port 1-2 is connected to a closed structure crawler, and the crawler transports the tobacco leaves treated by formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation to the storage cabinet.

[0061] In another embodiment, the tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation prepared in the present application can also be subjected to a second equilibrium treatment, and the equilibrium environment of the second equilibrium treatment is 60±2% humidity and 22±2°C temperature.

[0062] For easier understanding, see Figure 1The tobacco transmission device of the embodiment of the present application includes a vibrating screen 5; the tobacco feed port 1-1 is arranged at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1, and the tobacco discharge port 1-2 is arranged at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1; the first end of the vibrating screen 5 is arranged at the tobacco feed port 1-1, and the second end of the vibrating screen 5 is arranged at the tobacco discharge port 1-2, so that the vibrating screen 5 is arranged obliquely inside the cabinet 1.

[0063] The equipment of the present application also includes a track 4, which is arranged on the tobacco feed port 1-1, and the track 4 is arranged on the tobacco discharge port 1-2. The track 4 is used to transport the tobacco leaves to the tobacco feed port 1-1 on the cabinet 1, and to transport the tobacco leaves treated by acidolysis of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and coordinated ultraviolet radiation to the storage cabinet.

[0064] In another embodiment, see Figure 1 The first end of the vibrating screen 5 is sealed and arranged at the tobacco leaf feeding port 1-1, and the second end of the vibrating screen 5 is sealed and arranged at the tobacco leaf discharging port 1-2. The tobacco leaves fall evenly from the tobacco leaf feeding port 1-1 to the vibrating screen 5 of the cabinet 1. The vibrating screen 5 is tilted and arranged inside the cabinet 1 with the front higher and the back lower (the tobacco leaf feeding port 1-1 is high, and the tobacco leaf discharging port 1-2 is low). The vibrating screen 5 forms a certain angle with the bottom horizontal plane of the cabinet 1. When the vibrating screen 5 vibrates, it will drive the tobacco leaves to roll and move forward at a uniform speed toward the tobacco leaf discharging port 1-2. The speed of the tobacco leaves can be adjusted by changing the angle of the vibrating screen 5 and the frequency of vibration, so that the amount of acid sprayed and the acidolysis reaction time received by the tobacco leaves can be controlled by adjusting the speed of the tobacco leaves. The vibrating screen can ensure the uniformity of the tobacco leaves being sprayed with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution A.

[0065] In another embodiment, see Figure 1 The formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution A can be stored in the acid storage tank 2-1. The spraying device 2 is located at the inner top of the cabinet 1. The formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution can be drawn from the acid storage tank 2-1 to spray the tobacco leaves evenly, so that the tobacco leaves are acid-lyzed. The ventilation device is in a closed state during the tobacco leaf acid-lyzed process to ensure that the interior of the cabinet 1 is in a constant temperature and sealed state when spraying acid.

[0066] In some embodiments, the tobacco transmission device is a belt transmission mechanism; the tobacco feed port 1-1 and the tobacco discharge port 1-2 are respectively arranged at the lower end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1 and the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1, and the tobacco feed port 1-1 and the tobacco discharge port 1-2 are flush; the belt transmission mechanism includes a belt, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a motor; a belt is sleeved on the outer side of the driving wheel and the driven wheel; the motor is connected to the driving wheel, so that the motor drives the driving wheel to rotate, thereby driving the belt to make a back and forth linear motion; the first end of the belt is arranged at the tobacco feed port 1-1, and the second end of the belt is arranged at the tobacco discharge port 1-2. The belt transmission mechanism is used to transmit tobacco from the tobacco feed port 1-1 to the tobacco discharge port 1-2.

[0067] Specifically, the belt transmission mechanism is an existing conventional belt transmission device.

[0068] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 The ventilation device includes a blower 6 and an exhaust port 7; the blower port of the blower 6 is arranged inside the cabinet 1; the exhaust port 7 is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet 1. The blower port of the blower 6 can be evenly arranged inside the cabinet 1, the blower port of the blower 6 can also be arranged inside the cabinet 1 near the tobacco feed port 1-1, and the exhaust port 7 is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet 1 near the tobacco discharge port 1-2.

[0069] In some embodiments, the device of the present application further includes a waste gas treatment tank 8, and the exhaust port 7 is connected to the waste gas treatment tank 8. After the tobacco leaf acid hydrolysis treatment is completed, the ventilation device will turn on the fan to discharge the acidic waste gas inside the cabinet 1 to the waste gas treatment tank 8. The waste gas treatment tank 8 contains an alkaline solution 9, which can neutralize the formic acid in the waste gas. The tank mouth of the waste gas treatment tank 8 has an activated carbon structure, which can further purify the waste gas, and the treated waste gas will no longer cause health hazards to the human body.

[0070] In some embodiments, the device of the present application also includes an ultraviolet lamp regulator 10, and the ultraviolet lamp 3 is set on the inner top of the cabinet 1 through the ultraviolet lamp regulator 10; the ultraviolet lamp regulator 10 can adjust the distance between the ultraviolet lamp 3 and the tobacco leaf transmission device.

[0071] Specifically, the ultraviolet lamp adjuster 10 may be a group of limiting holes with different heights, and the ultraviolet lamp 3 may be fixed in the limiting holes with different heights to adjust the distance between the ultraviolet lamp 3 and the tobacco leaf transmission device.

[0072] Furthermore, a transparent protective cover is provided on the outside of the ultraviolet lamp of the present application, and the transparent protective cover is used to prevent the ultraviolet lamp from being corroded by acid.

[0073] Furthermore, a protective cover is provided on the outside of the ultraviolet lamp regulator of the present application, and the protective cover is used to prevent the ultraviolet lamp regulator from being corroded by acid.

[0074] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , the spray device 2 and the ultraviolet lamp 3 can be evenly spaced and arranged at the inner top of the cabinet 1. In this embodiment, when in use, the vibrating screen 5 is started to evenly disperse the tobacco leaves under the spray device 2 and the ultraviolet lamp 3, and then the spray device 2 is first turned on to acid-hydrolyze the tobacco leaves on the vibrating screen 5. After the acid hydrolysis is completed, the spray device 2 is closed, and the ultraviolet lamp 3 is turned on to treat the tobacco leaves with ultraviolet radiation, so as to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acid hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation.

[0075] In some embodiments, see Figure 2, the spray device 2 is arranged near the tobacco leaf feeding port 1-1 at the front section of the inner top of the cabinet 1; the ultraviolet lamp 3 is arranged near the tobacco leaf discharging port 1-2 at the rear section of the inner top of the cabinet 1. In this embodiment, when in use, the vibrating screen 5 is started to transport the tobacco leaves to the front section of the cabinet 1, so that the tobacco leaves are evenly dispersed under the spray device 2, and the spray device 2 is first started to acid-lyze the tobacco leaves on the vibrating screen 5. After the acid-lyzing is completed, the spray device 2 is closed, the vibrating screen 5 is started to transport the tobacco leaves to the rear section of the cabinet 1, so that the tobacco leaves are evenly dispersed under the ultraviolet lamp 3, and the ultraviolet lamp 3 is turned on to treat the tobacco leaves with ultraviolet radiation, so as to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acid-lyzing and ultraviolet radiation.

[0076] In some embodiments, the device of the present application further includes a temperature control device 11, and the temperature control device 11 is provided inside the cabinet 1. The temperature control device 11 can adjust the temperature inside the cabinet 1 according to actual needs, and the temperature control range is 20-150°C.

[0077] In some embodiments, see Figures 3 to 5In the device of the present application, there can be two cabinets, namely cabinet 1A and cabinet 1B, the spray device 2 is arranged in the cabinet 1A, the ultraviolet lamp 3 is arranged in the cabinet 1B, the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A and the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1B are both provided with connecting ports 1-3, the vibrating screen 5 is respectively arranged in the cabinet 1A and the cabinet 1B, the tobacco leaf feeding port 1-1 is arranged at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1A, and the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A is provided with a connecting port 1-3; the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1B is provided with a connecting port 1-3, and the tobacco leaf discharging port 1-2 is arranged at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1B The crawler 4 is provided with a sealed shell, and the crawler 4 with the sealed shell allows tobacco leaves to be transported from the cabinet 1A to the interior of the cabinet 1B through the connecting port 1-3, wherein the first end of the crawler 4 is sealed and arranged at the tobacco leaf feed port 1-1 at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1A, and the sealed shell enables the second end of the crawler 4 to be sealed and arranged at the connecting port 1-3 between the cabinet 1A and the cabinet 1B, and the third end of the crawler 4 is sealed and arranged at the tobacco leaf discharge port 1-2 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1B, and the crawler 4 is used to transport tobacco leaves to the tobacco leaf feed port 1-1 on the cabinet 1 for acid hydrolysis treatment The first end of the vibrating screen 5 is sealed at the tobacco feeding port 1-1 at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1A, and the second end of the vibrating screen 5 is sealed at the connecting port 1-3 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A; the first end of the vibrating screen 5 is sealed at the connecting port 1-3 at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1B, and the second end of the vibrating screen 5 is sealed at the tobacco discharging port 1-2 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1B; the vibrating screen 5 is sealed at the tobacco feeding port 1-1 of the cabinet 1A. The connection port 1-3 to the cabinet 1A is arranged inside the cabinet 1A at an angle from high to low; the vibrating screen 5 is arranged inside the cabinet 1B at an angle from high to low from the connection port 1-3 of the cabinet 1B to the tobacco discharge port 1-2 of the cabinet 1B; the spray device 2 is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet 1A to be arranged above the vibrating screen 5; the ultraviolet lamp 3 is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet 1B to be arranged above the vibrating screen 5; a ventilation device is provided on the cabinet 1A; a ventilation device is provided on the cabinet 1B; a temperature control device 11 is provided inside the cabinet 1A; a temperature control device 11 is provided inside the cabinet 1B.

[0078] Specifically, the ventilation device includes a blower 6 and an exhaust port 7; the blowing port of the blower 6 is arranged inside the cabinet 1A near the tobacco feed port 1-1; the exhaust port 7 is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet 1A near the connection port 1-3 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A.

[0079] Specifically, the ventilation device includes a blower 6 and an exhaust port 7; the blower port of the blower 6 is arranged inside the cabinet 1B; the exhaust port 7 is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet 1B near the tobacco discharge port 1-2 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1B. The blower ports of multiple blowers 6 can be evenly arranged inside the cabinet 1B, and the blower ports of the blower 6 of the cabinet 1B are more than the blower ports of the blower 6 of the cabinet 1A.

[0080] See also Figure 4 The cabinet 1A is a closed structure. The tobacco leaves are transported to the tobacco leaf feed port 1-1 of the cabinet 1A at a uniform speed by the crawler 4. The tobacco leaves fall evenly from the tobacco leaf feed port 1-1 onto the vibrating screen 5. The vibrating screen 5 is high in the front and low in the back, and is at a certain angle to the horizontal plane at the bottom of the cabinet 1A. When the vibrating screen 5 vibrates, the tobacco leaves will roll over, and at the same time, they will move forward at a uniform speed toward the connection port 1-3 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A. The speed at which the tobacco leaves move forward can be adjusted by changing the angle and the frequency of vibration, so that the amount of acid sprayed on the tobacco leaves and the acidolysis reaction time can be controlled by adjusting the speed at which the tobacco leaves move forward. The vibrating screen 5 can ensure the uniformity of the acid spraying on the tobacco leaves. The spray device 2 is located at the top front section of the cabinet 1A, and can draw formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution from the acid storage tank 2-1 to spray the tobacco leaves evenly. The top spray device 2 in the cabinet 1A is only for acidolysis of tobacco leaves. The temperature control device 11 can adjust the temperature in the cabinet 1A according to actual needs, and the temperature control range is 20-150°C. The blower 6 and the exhaust port 7 are in a closed state during the tobacco leaf processing process to ensure that the interior of the acid spraying cabinet 1A is in a constant temperature and closed state. After the tobacco leaf processing is completed, the blower 6 and the exhaust port 7 are opened to discharge the acid waste gas inside the cabinet 1A to the waste gas treatment tank 8. The waste gas treatment tank 8 contains an alkaline solution that can neutralize the formic acid in the waste gas. The tank mouth of the waste gas treatment tank 8 has an activated carbon structure that can further purify the waste gas. The treated waste gas will no longer cause health hazards to the human body. After the tobacco leaf acid solution is completed, it is transported to the cabinet 1B through the connection port 1-3 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A. The connection port 1-3 at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet 1A and the connection port 1-3 at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1B are connected to the crawler 4 with a closed top structure. The crawler 4 transports the tobacco leaves to the cabinet 1B for ultraviolet coordinated treatment. Since the time for acid spraying treatment of tobacco leaves is shorter than that for ultraviolet irradiation treatment, the crawler 4 should be provided with multiple branches to transport the tobacco leaves to multiple different ultraviolet cabinets 1B for treatment.

[0081] See also Figure 5, the cabinet 1B is a closed structure. The tobacco leaves treated by the acid hydrolysis step are uniformly transported to the connection port 1-3 at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1B by the crawler 4, and the top of the crawler 4 is a closed structure. The tobacco leaves after acid hydrolysis fall uniformly from the connection port 1-3 at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet 1B to the vibrating screen 5 in the cabinet 1B. The vibrating screen 5 is high in the front and low in the back, and has a certain angle with the horizontal plane at the bottom of the cabinet 1B. When the vibrating screen 5 vibrates, the tobacco leaves will roll and move uniformly toward the tobacco leaf discharge port 1-2 of the cabinet 1B. The speed of the tobacco leaves can be adjusted by changing the angle and the frequency of vibration, so that the time for the tobacco leaves to receive ultraviolet light irradiation can be controlled by adjusting the speed of the tobacco leaves. The vibrating screen 5 can ensure the uniformity of the tobacco leaves receiving ultraviolet light irradiation. The ultraviolet lamp is a tubular lamp tube, located at the inner top of the cabinet 1B, and the ultraviolet lamp 3 can be moved up and down by the ultraviolet lamp regulator 10 to adjust the distance between the ultraviolet lamp 3 and the tobacco leaves on the vibrating screen 5, so as to achieve the effect of controlling the light intensity. The temperature control device 11 can adjust the temperature in the device according to actual needs, and the temperature control range is 20-100°C. There are multiple air intake systems for the blower 6, which is in a normally open state when the cabinet 1B is in operation. It can blow air from the bottom of the cabinet 1B to accelerate the volatilization of formic acid on the tobacco leaves. The blower 6 and the exhaust port 7 can discharge the acidic waste gas inside the cabinet 1B to the waste gas treatment tank 8. The waste gas treatment tank 8 contains an alkaline solution that can neutralize the formic acid in the waste gas. The tank mouth of the waste gas treatment tank 8 has an activated carbon structure, which can further purify the waste gas. The treated waste gas will no longer cause health hazards to the human body. After the tobacco leaves are exposed to ultraviolet light, they are transported out of the cabinet 1B through the tobacco leaf outlet 1-2 of the cabinet 1B. The tobacco leaf outlet 1-2 of the cabinet 1B is connected to a track 4 with a closed top structure. The track 4 transports the tobacco leaves treated by acidolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation to the storage cabinet for balancing. The balancing environment is 60±2% humidity and 22±2°C temperature.

[0082] Example 1

[0083] The present application provides a method for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes, comprising the following steps:

[0084] (1) Balancing samples: The tobacco leaf samples were placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%.

[0085] (2) Acid hydrolysis treatment with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution: Formic acid is used as the solute, ethanol aqueous solution is used as the solvent, and the volume ratio of formic acid to ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%. The tobacco leaves are spread into a thin layer of 2 to 3 cm, placed in a spray device and sprayed with acid hydrolysis at a temperature of 60°C to obtain tobacco leaves treated with acid hydrolysis. The amount of formic acid added during the spraying acid hydrolysis process is 2% of the weight of the tobacco leaves, and the acid hydrolysis process is controlled within 5 minutes.

[0086] (3) Ultraviolet radiation treatment: The acid-lyzed tobacco leaves were laid flat on a grid-like plane, with air blowing at the bottom and ultraviolet radiation at the top. The wattage of the ultraviolet lamp was 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp was 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance was 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves was 0.1mw / cm 2 The irradiation time is about 30 minutes, and the treatment temperature is 50° C. The tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation are placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2° C. for 48 hours of equilibrium treatment to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation.

[0087] (4) Sampling: Take the tobacco sample (tobacco leaf with a moisture content of 10% to 15%) that has not been treated with acid hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation in step (1), and mark it as Y1; take the tobacco sample that has been treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in step (2), and mark it as Y2. In addition, take the tobacco leaf sprayed with an equal amount of pure water under the same process conditions in this step and mark it as Y3; take the tobacco leaf treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation in step (3) and balanced, and mark it as Y4; in addition, take the tobacco leaf that has not been treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and treated with ultraviolet radiation alone and mark it as Y5. The weight of each sample is 100 g. The process of treating tobacco leaves is repeated 3 times, so that 3 replicates of each sample under the same treatment are obtained, that is, three replicates of Y1, three replicates of Y2, three replicates of Y3, three replicates of Y4, and three replicates of Y5 are obtained.

[0088] Example 2

[0089] The embodiment of the present application performs a comfort evaluation on the above Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5, including the following steps:

[0090] The obtained Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 samples were shredded and mixed, and sensory evaluation was performed according to YC / T 138-1998 and YC / T 496-2014 to evaluate the overall sensory quality and individual sensory comfort of the above samples. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

[0091] Sensory evaluation revealed that Y5, which was treated with UV radiation alone without formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, had reduced irritation and increased aroma, but its increased aroma was inconsistent with its original overall aroma tone, that is, the aroma style characteristics had changed. Originally, 2015 Hunan Upper Tobacco was a typical strong-flavor tobacco. After the single UV treatment, its strong-flavor style weakened, and other weak aroma characteristics appeared, and negative aromas such as woodiness increased. Therefore, it is not suitable for horizontal comparison of sensory scores with other samples that have not undergone style changes. Table 1 shows the horizontal comparison of sensory scores of Y1, Y2, Y3 and Y4.

[0092] Table 1 Sensory evaluation of aged tobacco samples under different treatments

[0093]

[0094]

[0095] Note: 1. Each sensory index is scored on a 9-point scale; 2. The comprehensive score is the sum of all quality characteristic index items.

[0096] Table 1 is a comparison of the sensory values ​​of the four samples of Y1, Y2, Y3 and Y4 whose aroma characteristics have not changed. As can be seen from Table 1, in terms of overall sensory values, the Y4 sample treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation after being treated and balanced with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation is the best, followed by the Y2 sample after acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, and the sensory values ​​of Y1 tobacco leaves (tobacco leaves with a water content of 10% to 15%) and Y3 tobacco leaves after spraying the tobacco leaves with the same amount of pure water under the same process conditions are the worst. The sensory improvement points of the Y4 sample treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation are mainly that the concentration and strength are appropriately reduced, the smoke becomes softer, the impurities and irritation are significantly weakened, the aftertaste residue is reduced, and the aroma is slightly improved. The Y2 tobacco leaves that have been acid hydrolyzed with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution alone have also improved to a certain extent in the above aspects, but the improvement is lower than that of Y4. The appropriate decrease in concentration and strength, the significant reduction in impurities and irritation, and the significant decrease in residual aftertaste are all key manifestations of improved sensory comfort, proving that formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution synergistic with ultraviolet radiation can significantly enhance the sensory comfort of aged tobacco, and the effect is better than acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution alone and ultraviolet radiation alone.

[0097] The sensory values ​​of samples sprayed with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution were significantly better than those of untreated samples and samples sprayed with an equal amount of pure water under the same process conditions, while the sensory values ​​of the latter two were similar, proving that in the spraying step, the improvement in the comfort of tobacco leaves was mainly due to the acidolysis reaction of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution rather than other process factors. Since ultraviolet light can cause tobacco leaves to produce some hydroxyl and oxygen free radicals with oxidizing effects, which can oxidize and decompose macromolecular substances into small molecular aroma-causing substances, ultraviolet irradiation alone may slightly change the aroma style characteristics of tobacco leaves. However, acidolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation did not change the aroma style characteristics of tobacco leaves. This may be because the tobacco samples that have not been acidolyzed with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution first have a low content of aroma components. If some of the aroma components with different basic tones change, it is easy to exceed the threshold of human perception and be noticed by people; and if the old tobacco is first acidolyzed with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, the aroma quality and aroma quantity of the original aroma of the tobacco leaves can be greatly stimulated, thereby masking the weak negative impact of ultraviolet radiation on the aroma change to a certain extent. The changes in individual aroma components with different basic tones are not easy to reach the threshold that people can perceive, so that people feel that the comfort is improved while they cannot perceive the change in aroma.

[0098] Although Y5 has reduced irritation and increased aroma, its increased aroma is inconsistent with its original overall aroma tone, that is, the aroma style characteristics have changed. Originally, the 2015 Hunan Upper Tobacco is a typical strong-flavor tobacco leaf. After a single UV treatment, its strong-flavor style weakened, and other weak aroma characteristics appeared, and negative aromas such as woodiness increased. Therefore, it is not suitable for horizontal comparison of sensory scores with other samples that have not changed their style characteristics; Y3 and Y1 have almost the same sensory senses, so they will not be scored again here. Table 2 is a more detailed tobacco sensory comfort evaluation score for Y1, Y2 and Y4.

[0099] As can be seen from Table 2, in terms of overall comfort, the Y4 sample treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation after being treated and balanced with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation is the best, followed by the Y2 sample after acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, and the tobacco sample Y1 (tobacco with a water content of 10% to 15%) without acid hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation treatment has the worst sensory value. The synergistic treatment of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation significantly reduces the irritation of the old tobacco sample to the oral cavity, throat and nasal cavity, improves the sweetness, and improves the delicate and soft degree of the smoke. From the comparison of the data of Y2 and Y4, although the addition of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution helps to improve the irritation and the softness of the smoke, it still brings an extra sour taste, and the tobacco leaves after acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and then subjected to ultraviolet radiation, the extra bad sour smell changes from "slightly" to "none", proving that ultraviolet light can effectively remove excessive formic acid residues.

[0100] Table 2 Comfort evaluation of aged cigarette samples under different treatments

[0101]

[0102]

[0103] Example 3

[0104] The present application example performs starch and protein content analysis on the above Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5, comprising the following steps:

[0105] The obtained Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 samples were made into tobacco powder, passed through a 40-mesh sieve, and tested for starch and protein content. The starch content was tested in accordance with YC / T 216-2013, and the protein content was tested in accordance with YC / T 249-2008. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

[0106] As can be seen from Table 3, the starch and protein degradation rates of Y4 sample treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation were the highest, reaching 20.37% and 15.34%. Formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation alone can also reduce the starch and protein content of the sample, but the decline is not as great as that of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation. The starch and protein content of sample Y3 sprayed with pure water only decreased slightly. Starch and protein content are key indicators closely related to the sensory comfort of tobacco leaves. Excessive starch and protein content will increase the irritation and impurities of tobacco leaves, and leave more residual aftertaste. The results in Table 3 prove that formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation can significantly reduce the starch and protein content of aged tobacco samples, thereby improving their comfort, and its improvement effect is better than that of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution or ultraviolet light treatment alone.

[0107] Table 3 Starch and protein content of aged tobacco samples under different treatments

[0108]

[0109]

[0110] Example 4

[0111] The present application example conducts free nicotine, total sugar, reducing sugar and total nitrogen content analysis tests on the Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 tobacco samples, including the following steps:

[0112] Free nicotine was analyzed by GS-MS, and total sugar, reducing sugar, and total nitrogen were tested according to YC / T 159-2002 and YC / T 161-2002, respectively.

[0113] The free nicotine, total sugar, reducing sugar and total nitrogen contents of Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 tobacco samples were analyzed as described in Table 4.

[0114] As can be seen from Table 4, the free nicotine content of the aged tobacco sample after treatment with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation decreased from 0.67% to 0.49%, which is a greater decrease than that of acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution alone and ultraviolet light treatment alone. Treatment with pure water has no significant effect on the free nicotine of aged tobacco. Since the free nicotine content and the sensory comfort of tobacco leaves are highly negatively correlated, acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation treatment can improve the sensory comfort of tobacco leaves by reducing the free nicotine content. In addition, since the total sugar and reducing sugar contents did not change significantly after treatment with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation, while the free nicotine content decreased significantly, the sugar-alkali ratio was coordinated to a certain extent, making the smoke softer. Each treatment had no significant effect on the total nitrogen content of the sample.

[0115] Table 4 Free nicotine, total sugar, reducing sugar and total nitrogen contents of aged tobacco samples under different treatments

[0116]

[0117] Example 3

[0118] The present invention implements a formic acid removal test on tobacco leaves treated with different ultraviolet radiation, comprising the following steps:

[0119] The tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15% in step (1) of Example 1 are placed at temperatures of 30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 60° C. and 70° C. without treatment to obtain tobacco samples marked as Z0;

[0120] The tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15% in step (1) of Example 1 are spread into a thin layer of 2 to 3 cm, placed in a spraying device and sprayed with a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution at a temperature of 60° C. for acid hydrolysis to obtain acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves, wherein the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution has formic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent, and the volume ratio of formic acid to the ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; then, the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves are spread on a grid-shaped plane at temperatures of 30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 60° C. and 70° C., and the upper part is subjected to ultraviolet radiation, wherein the wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10 W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7 nm, and the irradiation distance is 50 cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1 mw / cm 2 About, the irradiation time is 30min, and the obtained smoke sample is marked as Z1;

[0121] The tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15% in step (1) of Example 1 are spread into a thin layer of 2 to 3 cm, and are placed in a spraying device and sprayed with a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution at a temperature of 60° C. to obtain acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves, wherein the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution has formic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent, and the volume ratio of formic acid to the ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; then, the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves are spread on a grid-like plane at temperatures of 30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 60° C. and 70° C., and the lower part is subjected to air blowing treatment to obtain a tobacco sample marked as Z2;

[0122] The tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15% in step (1) of Example 1 are spread into a thin layer of 2 to 3 cm, placed in a spraying device and sprayed with a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution at a temperature of 60° C. for acidolysis to obtain acidolysis-treated tobacco leaves, wherein the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution has formic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent, and the volume ratio of formic acid to the ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; then, the acidolysis-treated tobacco leaves are spread on a grid-shaped plane at temperatures of 30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 60° C. and 70° C., the upper part is subjected to ultraviolet radiation, and the lower part is subjected to air blast treatment, wherein the wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10 W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7 nm, and the irradiation distance is 50 cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1 mw / cm 2 About, the irradiation time is 30min, and the obtained smoke sample is marked as Z3;

[0123] After the above Z0, Z1, Z2 and Z3 treatments, the tobacco leaves were placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours and then the formic acid content was tested. The formic acid content was tested according to YC-T 500-2014.

[0124] After testing, the formic acid content of tobacco leaves after acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution was 2018.32 μg / g. Table 5 shows the formic acid content of tobacco leaves measured after treatment in several different ways. It can be seen from Table 5 that both air blast and ultraviolet can accelerate the volatilization of formic acid to a certain extent, achieving the effect of effectively and quickly removing excess residual formic acid. At the same temperature, the removal effect of ultraviolet is slightly better than that of air blast, and the effect of the combination of the two is better than that of the single one. As the temperature rises, the volatilization rate of formic acid will also increase, but air blasting at too high a temperature (60-70°C) will cause excessive loss of moisture in tobacco leaves. Since the moisture content of tobacco leaves is closely related to sensory comfort, excessive loss of moisture will also affect the physical structure of the leaves. Therefore, in principle, the temperature setting should not exceed 50°C. In the experiment, it was found that the combined treatment of ultraviolet and air blast under the heating conditions of 30-50°C can more effectively remove excess residual formic acid from tobacco leaves on the basis of appropriate moisture content, among which 40-50°C is more preferred. The sensory evaluation results of the tobacco samples treated with ultraviolet light and air blowing at a heating condition of 40-50°C also prove that the tobacco leaves treated under this condition have improved comfort while the tasters cannot detect any unpleasant sour taste.

[0125] Table 5 Comparison of the effects of different treatment methods on removing residual formic acid in tobacco leaves

[0126] Temperature(℃) Z0(μg / g) Z1(μg / g) Z2(μg / g) Z3(μg / g) 30 1389.78 1176.78 1211.54 958.61 40 1312.41 1084.41 1102.77 884.72 50 1308.42 1074.68 1098.62 873.31 60 1269.07 1032.78 1059.88 834.26 70 1257.87 1019.94 1047.67 817.44

[0127] Example 4

[0128] The starch and protein degradation test of tobacco leaves subjected to different acid hydrolysis treatments in the present application example includes the following steps:

[0129] Balanced samples: Place tobacco leaf samples in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%. At this time, take a sample marked as X0 as a control.

[0130] Acid hydrolysis treatment with formic acid: spraying a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves having a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis to obtain a tobacco sample X1, wherein the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution has formic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent, and is prepared into a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution having a formic acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%;

[0131] Acid hydrolysis of lactic acid: spraying a lactic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves having a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis to obtain a tobacco sample X2, wherein the lactic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is prepared with lactic acid as a solute and ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to obtain a lactic acid-ethanol aqueous solution having a lactic acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%;

[0132] Acid hydrolysis treatment of malic acid: spraying a malic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves having a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis to obtain a tobacco sample X3, wherein the malic acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses malic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to prepare a malic acid-ethanol aqueous solution having a malic acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%;

[0133] Acid hydrolysis treatment with citric acid: spraying a citric acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves having a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis to obtain an X4 tobacco sample, wherein the citric acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses citric acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to prepare a citric acid-ethanol aqueous solution having a citric acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%;

[0134] Formic acid + ultraviolet treatment: spraying a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves with a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis, and then subjecting the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves to ultraviolet radiation treatment to obtain X5 tobacco samples, wherein the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses formic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; the wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance is 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1mw / cm 2 , irradiation time is 30min;

[0135] Lactic acid + ultraviolet treatment: spraying a lactic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves with a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis, and then subjecting the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves to ultraviolet radiation treatment to obtain X6 tobacco samples; wherein the lactic acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses lactic acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to prepare a lactic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a lactic acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; the wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance is 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1mw / cm 2 , irradiation time is 30min;

[0136] Malic acid + ultraviolet treatment: spraying malic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves with a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis, and then subjecting the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves to ultraviolet radiation treatment to obtain X7 tobacco samples; wherein the malic acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses malic acid as a solute and ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to prepare a malic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a malic acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; the wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance is 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1mw / cm 2 , irradiation time is 30min;

[0137] Citric acid + ultraviolet treatment: spraying a citric acid-ethanol aqueous solution on tobacco leaves with a water content of 10% to 15% for acid hydrolysis, and then subjecting the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves to ultraviolet radiation treatment to obtain X8 tobacco samples; wherein the citric acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses citric acid as a solute and an ethanol aqueous solution as a solvent to prepare a citric acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a citric acid content of 10%, and the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%; the wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance is 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1mw / cm 2 , irradiation time is 30min

[0138] This example compares the degradation effects of formic acid, lactic acid, malic acid and citric acid on starch and protein in aged tobacco samples at the same addition amount and under the same process conditions. The results are shown in Table 6.

[0139] As can be seen from Table 6, formic acid, a volatile organic acid, has a better degradation effect on starch and protein in aged tobacco samples than the non-volatile organic acids such as lactic acid, malic acid, and citric acid that are commonly used in the past. Moreover, only formic acid has the characteristic of being decomposed by ultraviolet radiation, while other non-volatile organic acids do not have this characteristic. Therefore, the use of formic acid acidolysis in conjunction with ultraviolet radiation can improve the comfort of aged tobacco and avoid the sour taste problem introduced by improper addition of organic acids. Other non-volatile organic acids combined with ultraviolet radiation cannot solve this problem.

[0140] Table 6 Comparison of the degradation effects of different organic acids on starch and protein in aged tobacco samples

[0141]

[0142]

[0143] In summary, from Tables 1 to 6, it can be seen that the present application utilizes formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acidolysis in conjunction with ultraviolet radiation to treat aged tobacco samples at an appropriate temperature, which can rapidly reduce the content of free nicotine, starch and protein in tobacco leaves, and make the sugar-alkali ratio more coordinated, thereby appropriately reducing the concentration and strength of aged tobacco, and significantly reducing irritation and impurities, and ultimately achieving the purpose of rapidly improving the sensory comfort of aged tobacco. This synergistic method is more effective than treating samples with organic acid alone or ultraviolet alone, and the ingenious combination of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation can solve the problem of residual sourness of organic acid, while covering up the problem of flavor style changes that are easily caused by ultraviolet treatment, and the improvement of the comfort of aged tobacco is satisfactory.

[0144] The method of the present application is applicable to aged tobacco with poor comfort problems such as high nicotine content, strong impurities and irritation, and a lot of residual aftertaste. Different aged tobaccos have different free nicotine, starch, protein, conventional chemical components and flavor characteristics. The concentration and addition amount of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution, as well as the intensity and time of ultraviolet irradiation can be appropriately adjusted according to actual conditions. In practical applications, the formic acid content of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution can be adjusted in the range of about 5 to 20% during preparation, the solvent is about 60% ethanol, the formic acid addition amount is 1 to 5% of the weight of the tobacco leaf, the acid hydrolysis time is 5 to 15 minutes, and the reaction temperature is 30 to 100°C. The UV lamp should be 10W~20W with a main wavelength of 253.7nm. It is not suitable to use a lamp with a main wavelength of 185nm, because the UV lamp with a main wavelength of 253.7nm does not produce ozone, and its effect on tobacco leaves is more controllable, while the UV lamp with a main wavelength of 185nm will produce ozone when irradiated. Both UV and ozone have strong oxidative decomposition capabilities, and their reaction will be too strong and difficult to control. When used, the UV light intensity can be controlled by increasing or decreasing the number of lamps and adjusting the distance between the lamps and tobacco leaves according to the actual situation. The light intensity should not be too large and should be controlled at 0.1~0.5mw / cm 2 range, and the irradiation time should not be too long, and should be controlled between 0.5 and 1 hour, otherwise the tobacco leaves are prone to change in flavor or produce odor. The content of aroma components is not the more the better. In actual production, even if the total amount of tobacco aroma increases and the irritation decreases, if the aroma characteristics of the tobacco raw materials change, it will cause a serious blow to the stability of the product style. Therefore, the method of the present application does not blindly and excessively increase the total amount of aroma components, but aims to quickly improve the comfort of aged tobacco on the basis of maintaining the original aroma characteristics of tobacco leaves, so as to improve the practical application value of aged tobacco.

[0145] Comparative Example 1

[0146] (1) Balancing samples: The tobacco leaf samples were placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%.

[0147] (2) Treatment of tobacco leaves with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in coordination with ultraviolet radiation: The formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution has formic acid as the solute and ethanol aqueous solution as the solvent. The volume ratio of formic acid to ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%. The tobacco leaves are spread into a thin layer of 2 to 3 cm and placed in a spray device for spray acidolysis at a temperature of 60°C to obtain tobacco leaves treated with acidolysis. In the spray acidolysis process, the amount of formic acid added to the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is 2% of the weight of the tobacco leaves, and the acidolysis process is controlled within 5 minutes. The acidolysis tobacco leaves are spread flat on a grid-shaped plane, and air is blown at the bottom and ultraviolet radiation is applied to the top. The wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance is 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1mw / cm 2 The irradiation time is about 30 minutes, and the treatment temperature is 50° C. The tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation are placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2° C. for 48 hours of equilibrium treatment to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation, which are marked as A1.

[0148] (3) Formic acid aqueous solution synergistic with ultraviolet radiation treatment of tobacco leaves: Formic acid is used as solute and pure water is used as solvent to prepare a formic acid aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%. The other process steps are the same as (2) to obtain formic acid aqueous solution synergistic with ultraviolet radiation treatment of tobacco leaves, marked as A2.

[0149] (4) A1 and A2 were subjected to sensory evaluation according to YC / T 138-1998. The results are shown in Table 7.

[0150] Table 7 Comparison of the effects of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and formic acid aqueous solution synergistic with ultraviolet radiation treatment

[0151]

[0152] Note: 1. Each sensory index is scored on a 9-point scale; 2. The comprehensive score is the sum of all quality characteristic index items.

[0153] As can be seen from Table 7, the improvement in comfort of tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation is slightly better than that of tobacco leaves treated with formic acid aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation, which is specifically manifested in more abundant and more transparent aroma and slightly lower impurity. It can be seen that the treatment effect of formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is better than that of simple formic acid aqueous solution.

[0154] Comparative Example 2

[0155] (1) Equilibrated samples: The tobacco leaf samples were placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%. The sample was marked as B0 as a control.

[0156] (2) Treatment of tobacco leaves with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution: The formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution uses formic acid as the solute and ethanol aqueous solution as the solvent, and is prepared into formic acid-ethanol aqueous solutions with formic acid contents of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%, respectively, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%. The tobacco leaves are divided into 6 groups, spread into thin layers of 2 to 3 cm, placed in a spray device and sprayed with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solutions of different concentrations at a temperature of 60°C for acid hydrolysis to obtain tobacco leaves treated with acid hydrolysis. In the spraying acid hydrolysis process, the amount of formic acid added to the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is 2% of the weight of the tobacco leaves, and the acid hydrolysis process is controlled within 5 minutes. The tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solutions with formic acid contents of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% are marked as B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6, respectively.

[0157] (3) Treatment of tobacco leaves with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation: The six groups of tobacco leaves after acid hydrolysis were laid flat on a grid-shaped plane, with air blowing at the bottom and ultraviolet radiation at the top. The wattage of the ultraviolet lamp was 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp was 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance was 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves was 0.1mw / cm 2 The irradiation time is about 30 minutes and the treatment temperature is 50°C. The tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation are placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation. The tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with formic acid content of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% and ultraviolet radiation are marked as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C6 respectively.

[0158] (4) The above B0-B6 and C1-C6 samples were subjected to olfactory judgment, and then made into tobacco powder, passed through a 40-mesh sieve, and tested for starch and protein content. The starch content was tested in accordance with YC / T 216-2013, and the protein content was tested in accordance with YC / T249-2008. The results are shown in Table 8.

[0159] Table 8 Starch and protein content of tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution of different concentrations in combination with ultraviolet radiation

[0160] Sample Information Formic acid concentration (%) Whether UV treated starch(%) protein(%) B0 - no 4.86 7.30 B1 5 no 4.73 6.83 B2 10 no 4.22 6.31 B3 15 no 4.01 5.58 B4 20 no 3.84 4.37 B5 25 no 3.78 4.21 B6 30 no 3.69 4.15 C1 5 yes 4.31 6.73 C2 10 yes 3.87 6.18 C3 15 yes 3.61 5.47 C4 20 yes 3.44 4.25 C5 25 yes 3.38 4.11 C6 30 yes 3.27 4.06

[0161] Note: “—” in the above table means untreated.

[0162] As can be seen from Table 8, the degradation rate of tobacco leaf starch and protein is positively correlated with the formic acid concentration. The greater the formic acid concentration, the stronger the degradation effect. However, in actual use, the higher the formic acid concentration, the better. Because it was found through olfactory judgment that if the tobacco leaves (B2-B6) treated with formic acid concentrations of 10% and above have residual sourness to varying degrees without UV treatment, and if treated with UV, the tobacco leaves (C5-C6) treated with formic acid concentrations of more than 20% have residual sourness to varying degrees, while the tobacco leaves (C2-C4) treated with formic acid concentrations of 10%, 15% and 20% cannot detect sourness. The olfactory results show that UV treatment has a good effect on removing the residual sourness of tobacco leaves below 20%. On the premise of ensuring that the residual sourness is removed cleanly, appropriately increasing the formic acid concentration can improve the degradation effect of starch and protein in tobacco leaves. In application, the formic acid concentration can be adjusted within an appropriate range according to the actual processing requirements of different aged tobacco.

[0163] Comparative Example 3

[0164] (1) Balancing samples: The tobacco leaf samples were placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2°C for 48 hours to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%.

[0165] (2) Treatment of tobacco leaves with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in combination with ultraviolet radiation: Formic acid is used as the solute, ethanol aqueous solution is used as the solvent, and the volume ratio of formic acid to ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with a formic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%. The tobacco leaves are spread into a thin layer of 2 to 3 cm, placed in a spray device for spray acidolysis at a temperature of 60°C, and acidolysis-treated tobacco leaves are obtained. In the spray acidolysis process, the amount of formic acid added to the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is 2% of the weight of the tobacco leaves, and the acidolysis process is controlled within 5 minutes. The acidolysis tobacco leaves are spread flat on a grid-shaped plane, and air is blown at the bottom and ultraviolet radiation is applied to the top. The wattage of the ultraviolet lamp is 10W, the main wavelength of the ultraviolet lamp is 253.7nm, and the irradiation distance is 50cm, so that the light intensity irradiated on the tobacco leaves is 0.1mw / cm 2 The irradiation time is about 30 minutes, and the treatment temperature is 50° C. The tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation are placed in a constant temperature and humidity environment with a humidity of 60±2% and a temperature of 22±2° C. for 48 hours of equilibrium treatment to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation, which are marked as D1.

[0166] (3) Acetic acid-ethanol aqueous solution synergistic with ultraviolet radiation treatment of tobacco leaves: acetic acid is used as solute, ethanol aqueous solution is used as solvent, and the volume ratio of acetic acid to ethanol aqueous solution is 1:9 to prepare an acetic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with an acetic acid content of 10%, wherein the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is 60%. The other process steps are the same as (2), and the acetic acid-ethanol aqueous solution synergistic with ultraviolet radiation treatment of tobacco leaves is obtained, which is marked as D2.

[0167] (4) D1 and D2 were subjected to sensory evaluation according to YC / T 138-1998 and olfactory judgment. The results are shown in Table 9.

[0168] Table 9 Comparison of the effects of different volatile organic acid solutions in combination with ultraviolet radiation treatment

[0169]

[0170]

[0171] Note: 1. Each sensory index is scored on a 9-point scale; 2. The comprehensive score is the sum of all quality characteristic index items.

[0172] As can be seen from Table 9, after the treatment with acetic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in conjunction with ultraviolet radiation, the overall quality of the tobacco leaves is obviously inferior to that of the tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution in conjunction with ultraviolet radiation, and the scores of the indicators of impurities, irritation and aftertaste related to comfort are also significantly lower, proving that the effect of the treatment with acetic acid is not good. Judging by smell and taste, D1 has no obvious sour taste left, while D2 still has obvious acidic odor. This result is caused by the fact that formic acid has the characteristic of decomposing under light, while acetic acid does not have this characteristic. It can be seen that not all volatile organic acids can have a good synergistic effect with ultraviolet radiation, and the organic combination of formic acid acidolysis and ultraviolet radiation is more ingenious and effective.

[0173] The above is only a preferred implementation of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present application. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for improving the comfort of aged cigarettes, characterized in that: include: Mixing a formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution with tobacco leaves for acid hydrolysis reaction, wherein the tobacco leaves have a moisture content of 10% to 15%, to obtain acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves; Under a heating condition of 30-50° C., subjecting the tobacco leaves treated with acid hydrolysis to ultraviolet radiation and simultaneously ventilating to accelerate the volatilization of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution to obtain tobacco leaves treated with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution acid hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation; Wherein, the solute of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is formic acid, and the solvent of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is ethanol aqueous solution; The volume fraction of the formic acid is 5% to 20%, and the volume fraction of the ethanol aqueous solution is 80% to 95%; The amount of formic acid in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution is 1% to 5% of the mass of the tobacco leaves; The acid hydrolysis reaction time is 5 to 15 minutes; the acid hydrolysis reaction temperature is 30 to 100°C; The ultraviolet light intensity of the ultraviolet radiation is 0.1~0.5 mw / cm2; the ultraviolet light irradiation time is 30min~60min; the ultraviolet light irradiation distance is 30cm~80cm; the ultraviolet light lamp power of the ultraviolet light irradiation is 10W~20W; the main wavelength of the ultraviolet light lamp of the ultraviolet light irradiation is 253.7nm.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and tobacco leaves are mixed in the following manners: spraying the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution on the tobacco leaves for mixing, or soaking the tobacco leaves in the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution for mixing.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The preparation method of the tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15% is as follows: tobacco leaves with a moisture content of less than 10% or greater than 15% are subjected to a first balancing treatment to obtain tobacco leaves with a moisture content of 10% to 15%; the humidity of the first balancing treatment is 60±2 ℃, and the temperature of the first balancing treatment is 22±2 ℃.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a second balancing treatment; the second balancing treatment includes performing a second balancing treatment on the tobacco leaves after acid hydrolysis with formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution and ultraviolet radiation treatment; the humidity of the second balancing treatment is 60±2%, and the temperature of the second balancing treatment is 22±2°C.

5. A device for improving the comfort of aged smoke for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: include: Cabinets, tobacco leaf conveying devices, spraying devices, ultraviolet lamps and ventilation devices; The cabinet body is provided with a tobacco leaf feeding port and a tobacco leaf discharging port; The tobacco leaf transmission device is arranged inside the cabinet, and the tobacco leaf transmission device enables the tobacco leaves to be transmitted from the tobacco leaf feeding port to the tobacco leaf discharging port; The spray device is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet so as to be arranged above the tobacco leaf transmission device; the ultraviolet lamp is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet so as to be arranged above the tobacco leaf transmission device, and the ultraviolet lamp is used to perform ultraviolet radiation treatment on the tobacco leaves treated by acid hydrolysis; The ventilation device is arranged on the cabinet, and the ventilation device includes a blower, which is used for heating and ventilating to accelerate the volatilization of the formic acid-ethanol aqueous solution when the ultraviolet lamp is subjecting the acid-hydrolyzed tobacco leaves to ultraviolet radiation treatment.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The tobacco transmission device is a vibrating screen; the tobacco feed port is arranged at the upper end of the front side wall of the cabinet, and the tobacco discharge port is arranged at the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet; the first end of the vibrating screen is arranged at the tobacco feed port, and the second end of the vibrating screen is arranged at the tobacco discharge port, so that the vibrating screen is arranged obliquely inside the cabinet.

7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The tobacco leaf transmission device is a belt transmission mechanism; the tobacco leaf feed inlet and the tobacco leaf discharge outlet are respectively arranged at the lower end of the front side wall of the cabinet and the lower end of the rear side wall of the cabinet, and the tobacco leaf feed inlet and the tobacco leaf discharge outlet are flush; The belt transmission mechanism includes a belt, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a motor; the belt is sleeved on the outer sides of the driving wheel and the driven wheel; the motor is connected to the driving wheel, so that the motor drives the driving wheel to rotate, thereby driving the belt to move linearly; the first end of the belt is arranged at the tobacco leaf feed port, and the second end of the belt is arranged at the tobacco leaf discharge port.

8. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The ventilation device also includes an exhaust port; the air outlet of the blower is arranged inside the cabinet; and the exhaust port is arranged on the outer wall of the cabinet.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that It also includes an exhaust gas treatment tank, and the exhaust port is connected to the exhaust gas treatment tank.

10. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that It also includes an ultraviolet lamp regulator, through which the ultraviolet lamp is arranged on the inner top of the cabinet; the ultraviolet lamp regulator can adjust the distance between the ultraviolet lamp and the tobacco leaf transmission device.

11. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The spray device and the ultraviolet lamp are arranged at intervals on the inner top of the cabinet.

12. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that The spray device is arranged at the inner top of the cabinet body near the tobacco leaf feeding port; the ultraviolet lamp is arranged at the inner top of the cabinet body near the tobacco leaf discharging port.

13. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that It also includes a temperature control device, which is arranged inside the cabinet.

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