Tobacco sheet for improving aroma release of tobacco, and method for preparing the same and heated cigarette

Abstract

The application discloses a tobacco sheet capable of improving tobacco aroma release, a preparation method thereof and a heated cigarette. A tobacco raw material is treated under the condition that the temperature is 30-50 DEG C and the relative humidity of air moisture is 80%-120%, 2-10% of TiO2 based on the mass of the tobacco raw material is added into the tobacco raw material, and a microbial bacteria capable of degrading one or more macromolecular components of pectin, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and polyphenol is added and uniformly mixed, and then the mixture is placed in a dark environment; then, a photocatalytic coupling biological reaction is generated by irradiation of ultraviolet light with a wavelength of not higher than 400 nm, so that a tobacco powder subjected to the above pretreatment is obtained; and the tobacco powder is processed into a tobacco sheet. The application can better improve the problems that the release rate of tobacco aroma components of the heated cigarette is slow and the release amount is insufficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the tobacco industry, and in particular to a cigarette that enhances the release of tobacco aroma in hot cigarettes and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Since the heating temperature of the surrounding heated cigarette is around 230°C and the temperature of the center heated cigarette is around 350°C, the tobacco sheet made from tobacco as raw material in the heated cigarette tobacco segment has two problems in aroma release in the range of 200-300°C: (1) Due to the low heating temperature, the aroma release rate is slow, which leads to a longer preheating time for smoking the heated cigarette and affects the smoking experience of consumers; (2) The release of tobacco aroma is mainly by the release of macromolecular substances through high-temperature combustion, pyrolysis distillation and other methods. Due to the low heating temperature of the heated cigarette, the total release of tobacco aroma components is low.

[0003] The methods employed in the prior art include:

[0004] (1) CN118120947A addresses the problem of insufficient aroma in heated cigarettes by optimizing the roasting parameters during the color-fixing period, thereby increasing the content of latent aroma substances in the tobacco raw materials. Most of the chemical components in tobacco raw materials are latent aroma substances that are difficult to decompose under low-temperature conditions. Although they can compensate for the lack of aroma in heated cigarettes, the degree of improvement is limited.

[0005] (2) CN111567851A addresses the issue of insufficient tobacco aroma in heated cigarettes by adjusting the atomizing agent (hydrogen bond acceptor and hydrogen bond donor) to encapsulate aroma substances and form an aerogel during inhalation, thereby promoting the release of aroma substances. Although this can compensate for the lack of tobacco aroma and increase the amount of smoke to some extent, it can produce a cloying sweetness and unpleasant odor in actual application, affecting the consumer's smoking experience and sensory quality.

[0006] In order to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, those skilled in the art urgently need to find a simple and convenient cigarette and method that facilitates the rapid release of cigarette aroma components. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for preparing tobacco sheets for heated cigarettes, which can effectively improve the problems of slow release rate and insufficient release amount of tobacco aroma in heated cigarettes.

[0008] A further objective of this invention is to enable the heat from the tobacco sheet to be transferred faster and more evenly distributed within the tobacco shreds.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a tobacco sheet for heated cigarettes prepared by the aforementioned preparation method.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a heated cigarette prepared from the tobacco sheet.

[0011] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following solution:

[0012] A method for preparing tobacco sheets that enhance the release of tobacco aroma.

[0013] After treating tobacco raw materials at a temperature of 30℃~50℃ and a relative humidity of 80%~120%, 2%~10% TiO2 (by weight of the tobacco raw materials) is added to the tobacco raw materials, and microorganisms that degrade one or more macromolecular components such as pectin, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and polyphenols are added and mixed. The mixture is then placed in a dark environment. A photocatalytic coupled biological reaction is then carried out by irradiation with ultraviolet light with a wavelength not higher than 400nm to obtain the pretreated tobacco powder. The tobacco powder is then processed into tobacco sheets.

[0014] The present invention preferably adds 1% to 3% of the tobacco raw material by weight of microbial agent to the tobacco raw material.

[0015] The concentration of the added microbial agent is preferably controlled at 10. 8 Cells / mL ~ 10 10 Between [number] cells / mL.

[0016] The microorganisms selected for this invention can be common strains in the prior art that decompose tobacco aroma molecules. All of these microorganisms can be purchased online. The culture conditions are: inoculum size 10%–20%, temperature 25℃–32℃, cultured for 24 hours in a shaker at 100–120 rpm.

[0017] The microorganisms used in this invention are preferably selected from one or more of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium micropurpurum, white rot fungi, and Bacillus.

[0018] Furthermore, preferably, the amount of the *Aspergillus niger* or *Penicillium micropurus* agent added is 0.5% to 1% of the weight of the tobacco raw material. Preferably, the amount of the white-rot fungus agent added is 0% to 1% of the weight of the tobacco raw material. Preferably, the amount of the *Bacillus* agent added is 0.5% to 1% of the weight of the tobacco raw material.

[0019] The preferred ultraviolet wavelength of this invention is 200nm to 400nm, and the most preferred wavelength is 350nm to 400nm.

[0020] The preferred ultraviolet light irradiation time is 24-48 hours.

[0021] The tobacco raw materials mentioned include shredded tobacco and tobacco stems, which are ground into powder to a fineness of 150-200 mesh.

[0022] The TiO2 is a micro-nano powder with a particle size of less than 100 nanometers.

[0023] The process of processing the tobacco powder into tobacco sheets includes: mixing the tobacco powder with adhesive, smoking agent and fiber in a mass percentage ratio of 70-80:0.5-5:15-25:3-5 to form a tobacco sheet coating slurry; adding the obtained tobacco coating slurry to a scraper coater and drying it to obtain the tobacco sheet with a water content of 6-12%.

[0024] The preferred adhesive of this invention is guar gum.

[0025] The preferred smoke-generating agent of this invention is glycerol.

[0026] The preferred fiber of this invention is softwood pulp or hardwood pulp.

[0027] The preferred drying temperature of this invention is 80-120℃.

[0028] The preferred scraper speed of this invention is 15-35 m / min, and the sheet thickness is 0.1-0.2 mm.

[0029] The tobacco sheets obtained above are further processed into heated cigarettes.

[0030] The inventors found that, under the heating temperature, the heated cigarettes obtained by the method of this invention release aroma components at a faster rate and in greater quantity, significantly improving the smoking experience for consumers. Experiments showed that the method of this invention can promote the total release of aroma components in heated cigarettes, solving the problem of insufficient tobacco aroma in heated cigarettes; furthermore, the cigarettes prepared by this method release more aroma components within the same heating time, increasing the aroma release speed and addressing the issue of insufficient aroma release in the first few puffs. This invention also exhibits a good degradation rate; the method transforms more large molecules in tobacco raw materials into lower molecular weight substances that are more easily decomposed by heat, facilitating the release of tobacco aroma components. Additionally, the high-temperature drying process during tobacco sheet processing effectively sterilizes the tobacco without affecting the shelf life of the heated cigarettes or causing unpleasant odors.

[0031] In addition, the inventors have discovered that the heated cigarette sheet of the present invention has a good thermal diffusivity, which makes the heat transfer in the tobacco section faster and more evenly distributed, thereby improving the consumer's smoking experience. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate the invention and not to further limit the invention.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] 1. Pretreatment process of tobacco raw materials

[0035] The tobacco raw material was ground to 150-200 mesh and equilibrated in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment of 35°C with a relative humidity of 90% for 48 hours. TiO2 (diameter less than 100 nanometers) was added to the tobacco powder at a ratio of 6% by weight. Aspergillus niger, white-rot fungi, and Bacillus spp. were also added, with Aspergillus niger comprising 1% of the tobacco raw material weight and its inoculant concentration being 10%. 9 The white-rot fungus accounts for 0.5% of the tobacco raw material weight, and its inoculum concentration is 10. 10 CFU / mL; Bacillus subtilis comprising 1% of the tobacco raw material by weight has a bacterial concentration of 10. 8 CFU / mL (bacterial strain purchased from Maclean's Reagent Company);

[0036] After being mixed evenly, the mixture was irradiated with ultraviolet light for 36 hours (main wavelength 350 nm) to obtain tobacco powder.

[0037] 2. The preparation process of tobacco sheets;

[0038] The tobacco powder, adhesive, smoking agent, and added fiber are mixed evenly at a mass percentage of 75:3:20:4 to form a tobacco sheet coating slurry. The obtained tobacco coating slurry is added to a scraper coating machine, the scraper speed is controlled at 20 m / min and the sheet thickness is 0.15 mm, and then dried to obtain the tobacco sheet with a water content of 8%. The adhesive is guar gum, the smoking agent is glycerol, and the added fiber is softwood pulp or hardwood pulp. The drying temperature is 100°C.

[0039] 3. Cigarette rolling and aroma component testing;

[0040] After tobacco sheets were made into cigarettes and rolled, the smoke components were captured using a linear smoking machine. The Cambridge filter used to capture the smoke was then subjected to headspace-gas chromatography analysis. The release characteristics of the aroma components of heated cigarettes were characterized by the chromatographic peak areas of 34 characteristic aroma components in the smoke. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] 1. Pretreatment process of tobacco raw materials

[0043] The tobacco raw material was ground to 150-200 mesh and equilibrated in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment of 30°C and 80% relative humidity for 48 hours. TiO2 (diameter less than 100 nanometers) was added to the tobacco powder at a ratio of 10% of the tobacco powder mass. Aspergillus niger and Bacillus spp. were also added, with Aspergillus niger comprising 1% of the tobacco raw material weight and its inoculant concentration being 10%. 9 Bacillus subtilis accounts for 1% of the weight of tobacco raw materials, and its inoculum concentration is 10.8 CFU / mL (bacterial strain purchased from Maclean's Reagent Company);

[0044] After being mixed evenly, the mixture was irradiated with ultraviolet light for 36 hours at a wavelength of 400 nm to obtain tobacco powder.

[0045] 2. The preparation process of tobacco sheets;

[0046] The tobacco powder, adhesive, smoking agent, and added fiber are mixed evenly at a mass percentage of 75:3:20:4 to form a tobacco sheet coating slurry. The obtained tobacco coating slurry is added to a scraper coating machine, and the scraper speed is controlled at 15 m / min and the thickness is 0.1 mm. The mixture is then dried to obtain the tobacco sheet with a water content of 10%. The adhesive is guar gum, the smoking agent is glycerol, and the added fiber is softwood pulp or hardwood pulp. The drying temperature is 80°C.

[0047] Example 3

[0048] 1. Pretreatment process of tobacco raw materials

[0049] The tobacco raw material was ground to 150-200 mesh and equilibrated in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment of 45°C (100% relative humidity) for 48 hours. TiO2 (diameter less than 100 nanometers) was added to the tobacco powder at a ratio of 3% by weight; Aspergillus niger fungicide was added at 0.5% by weight of the tobacco raw material, with a concentration of 10... 9 The white-rot fungus inoculum accounts for 0.5% of the tobacco raw material weight, and its concentration is 10. 10 Bacillus bacterial culture per mL; the Bacillus bacterial culture accounted for 0.5% of the tobacco raw material weight, and its concentration of bacterial agent was 10. 8 The bacterial strain was purchased from Maclean's Reagent Company; after being mixed evenly, it was irradiated under ultraviolet light for 36 hours at a wavelength of 350 nm to obtain tobacco powder.

[0050] 2. The preparation process of tobacco sheets;

[0051] The tobacco powder, adhesive, smoking agent, and added fiber are mixed evenly at a mass percentage of 80:5:25:4 to form a tobacco sheet coating slurry. The obtained tobacco coating slurry is added to a scraper coater, and the scraper speed is controlled at 25 m / min and the thickness at 0.2 mm. The mixture is then dried to obtain the tobacco sheet with a water content of 6%. The adhesive is guar gum, the smoking agent is glycerol, and the added fiber is softwood pulp or hardwood pulp. The drying temperature is 110°C.

[0052] Comparative Example 1

[0053] The preparation process was the same as in Example 1, except that TiO2 was not added. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0054] Comparative Example 2

[0055] The preparation process was the same as in Example 1, except that TiO2 and microorganisms were not added. The results are shown in Table 4.

[0056] Comparative Example 3

[0057] The preparation process was the same as in Example 1, except that no bacteria were added. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0058] The excellent effects of the cigarette products prepared by the method of this invention can be fully demonstrated by the following table.

[0059] Table 1 shows the degradation rate of macromolecules in tobacco sheets from Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1-3. The content of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the tobacco powder was determined using the cellulose detergent method. First, the tobacco powder was washed with neutral and then acidic detergents. The hemicellulose content in the acidic detergent solution (ADS) was measured. Then, the acidic detergent fiber (ADF) was digested with 72% sulfuric acid, and the cellulose content in the solution and the lignin content in the remaining residue were measured. The degradation rate was then calculated. The pectin content in the tobacco powder was determined according to the method of YC / T 346-2010, and the pectin degradation rate was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1. The tobacco sheets prepared using the method of this invention showed a significantly better degradation rate of macromolecules (hemicellulose, cellulose, pectin, and lignin) than the comparative examples. This indicates that the method of this invention allows more macromolecules in the tobacco raw material to be converted into lower molecular weight substances that are more easily thermally decomposed, facilitating the release of tobacco aroma components upon heating.

[0060] Table 2 shows the results of aroma component release in Example 1; Tables 3-5 show the results of aroma component release in Comparative Examples 1-3. The data in the tables show the advantages of the present invention, namely: (1) Total aroma component release: The results show that the total aroma component release in the smoke of the heated cigarette prepared by the method of the present invention (Table 2) is higher than that of the comparative examples (Tables 3-5), indicating that the method of the present invention can promote the release of aroma components in heated cigarettes and solve the problem of insufficient tobacco aroma in heated cigarettes; (2) Aroma component release per puff: The results show that the aroma component release per puff in the smoke of the heated cigarette prepared by the method of the present invention (Table 2) is higher than that of the comparative examples (Tables 3-5), indicating that the cigarette prepared by the method of the present invention releases more aroma components in the same heating time, which can accelerate the aroma release speed of heated cigarettes and solve the problem of less aroma release in the first two puffs of heated cigarettes.

[0061] Table 6 shows the results of measuring the thermal conductivity of the tobacco sheets prepared in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 2 using a laser thermal conductivity meter. Compared to Comparative Example 2, the tobacco sheets prepared using Examples 1-3 of this invention have a higher thermal diffusivity. Due to the increased thermal diffusivity, the heated cigarettes are heated more evenly during smoking.

[0062] Table 1. Determination results of hemicellulose, cellulose, pectin, and lignin degradation rates in tobacco dust of Example 1 and the comparative example.

[0063] Hemicellulose degradation rate / % Cellulose degradation rate / % Pectin degradation rate / % Lignin degradation rate / % Example 1 33.49 31.27 56.15 59.21 <![CDATA[Comparative Example 1 (without adding TiO2)]]> 18.24 20.32 30.49 28.46 <![CDATA[Comparative Example 2 (without adding TiO2 and biological bacteria)]]> 0 0 0 0 Comparative Example 3 (without added bacteria) 5.78 4.69 1.78 5.19

[0064] Table 2. Results of the determination of aroma component release per puff of heated cigarette in Example 1.

[0065]

[0066]

[0067] Table 3. Results of the determination of aroma component release per puff of heated cigarette in Comparative Example 1.

[0068]

[0069] Table 4. Results of the determination of aroma component release per puff of heated cigarettes in Comparative Example 2

[0070]

[0071] Table 5. Results of the determination of aroma component release per puff of heated cigarettes in Comparative Example 3.

[0072]

[0073] Table 6. Effect of thermal diffusivity of tobacco sheets in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Example 2.

[0074] Tobacco Sheets <![CDATA[Thermal diffusivity / mm 2 .s -1 > Example 1 0.181 Example 2 0.257 Example 3 0.156 Comparative Example 2 0.114

Claims

1. A method for preparing tobacco sheets that enhance the release of tobacco aroma, characterized in that, After treating tobacco raw materials at a temperature of 30-50℃ and a relative humidity of 80%-120%, 2-10% TiO2 (by weight of the tobacco raw materials) is added to the tobacco raw materials, along with a microbial agent that degrades one or more macromolecular components such as pectin, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and polyphenols. The mixture is then placed in a dark environment. A photocatalytic coupled biological reaction occurs through ultraviolet light irradiation at a wavelength of 200-400 nm, yielding the pretreated tobacco powder. The tobacco powder is then processed into tobacco sheets. 1%-3% of the microbial agent (by weight of the tobacco raw materials) is added to the tobacco raw materials, with the concentration of the microbial strain in the agent controlled at 10%. 8 ~10 9 cells / mL; The process of processing the tobacco powder into tobacco sheets includes: mixing the tobacco powder with adhesive, smoking agent and fiber in a mass percentage ratio of 70-80:0.5-5:15-25:3-5 to form a tobacco sheet coating slurry; adding the obtained tobacco sheet coating slurry to a scraper coater and drying it to obtain the tobacco sheet with a water content of 6-12%.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microbial agent is selected from one or more of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium micropurpurum, white rot fungi, and Bacillus.

3. According to the preparation method of claim 1, the Aspergillus niger or Penicillium micropurus fungicide accounts for 0.5-1% of the weight of the tobacco raw material, the white rot fungicide accounts for 0-1% of the weight of the tobacco raw material, and the Bacillus spp. fungicide accounts for 0.5-1% of the weight of the tobacco raw material.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultraviolet light irradiation time is 24-48 hours.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The TiO2 is a micro-nano powder with a particle size of less than 100 nanometers.

6. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tobacco raw materials include shredded tobacco and tobacco stems, which are ground into powder to a fineness of 150-200 mesh.

7. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tobacco raw materials are treated under the stated temperature and humidity conditions for 36-48 hours.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The adhesive is guar gum; the smoking agent is glycerol; and the fiber is softwood pulp or hardwood pulp.

9. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying temperature is 80-120℃.

10. Tobacco sheets obtained by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1-9.

11. A heated cigarette made from the tobacco sheet of claim 10.

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