A method of increasing the load of atomised cut tobacco

Abstract

The application provides a method for improving the load of atomized cut tobacco, comprising the following steps: pretreating cut tobacco to be treated by low-temperature plasma to obtain pretreated cut tobacco; spraying an atomizing agent on the surface of the pretreated cut tobacco and standing to obtain treated cut tobacco. The cut tobacco is pretreated by low-temperature plasma, so that the cell wall of the cut tobacco is broken, the surface of the cut tobacco presents a loose and porous morphology, the adsorption capacity of the cut tobacco is improved, and then the capacity of the cut tobacco for loading the atomizing agent is improved. Experimental results show that the surface of the treated cut tobacco is loose and porous, the porosity reaches 30-60%, the loading capacity of the atomizing agent is as high as 35 wt%, and the processing performance is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of tobacco processing technology, and in particular relates to a method for increasing the load of atomized tobacco. Background Technology

[0002] The main raw material for heated cigarettes is reconstituted tobacco flakes, which are widely used due to their high plasticity, high atomizing agent loading capacity, and ability to retain the effective components of tobacco leaves. The production process of reconstituted tobacco is relatively complex, requiring the addition of adhesives and other auxiliary materials to maintain the processing performance of the flakes. During the heating and smoking process, the adhesive is also heated, potentially affecting sensory quality and the smoking experience. Therefore, the process of directly preparing heated cigarettes by loading atomizing agents onto flue-cured tobacco leaves has become a research hotspot. The production process of flue-cured tobacco leaves is relatively mature, and the products have advantages such as a glossy, oily appearance, a rich, delicate, and harmonious aroma, and low levels of impurities.

[0003] Currently, the preparation of atomized tobacco involves directly mixing the atomizing agent with dry tobacco and allowing it to stand, allowing the tobacco to freely absorb the atomizing agent. However, the adsorption capacity of the pores on the tobacco surface is limited, resulting in a low atomizing agent loading capacity. Furthermore, the atomizing agent has a high viscosity; when the amount added is too large, unabsorbed atomizing agent remains on the tobacco surface, affecting the tobacco's processing performance. Therefore, current atomized tobacco preparation technology still suffers from problems such as low atomizing agent loading capacity and small vapor production during inhalation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for increasing the atomizing agent load of the tobacco shreds, which can increase the atomizing agent load of the tobacco shreds without causing sticking.

[0005] This invention provides a method for increasing the load of atomized tobacco, comprising the following steps:

[0006] The tobacco shreds to be processed are subjected to low-temperature plasma pretreatment to obtain pretreated tobacco shreds;

[0007] The atomizing agent is sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco and left to stand to obtain the treated tobacco.

[0008] Preferably, the power of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is 200-3000W, and the time is 1-5min.

[0009] Preferably, the temperature of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is lower than the temperature of the tobacco carbonization.

[0010] Preferably, the porosity of the pretreated tobacco shreds is 30-60%.

[0011] Preferably, the atomizing agent accounts for 15-35% of the mass of the tobacco raw material.

[0012] Preferably, the atomizing agent is selected from one or more of 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, glycerol, and ethylene glycol.

[0013] Preferably, the settling time is 2 to 24 hours.

[0014] Preferably, the atomizing agent is sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco while being stirred.

[0015] Preferably, the tobacco shreds to be processed are loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds or tobacco shreds cut from tobacco leaves.

[0016] This invention provides a method for increasing the loading capacity of atomized tobacco, comprising the following steps: pretreating the tobacco to be treated with low-temperature plasma to obtain pretreated tobacco; spraying an atomizing agent onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco, and allowing it to stand to obtain treated tobacco. This invention uses low-temperature plasma pretreatment of the tobacco to rupture its cell walls, resulting in a loose and porous surface morphology, thereby enhancing the tobacco's adsorption capacity and thus improving its ability to load atomizing agent. Experimental results show that the treated tobacco surface is loose and porous, with a porosity of 30-60%, and the atomizing agent loading is as high as 35 wt%, exhibiting good processing performance. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a scanning electron microscope image of the tobacco shreds to be processed in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a scanning electron microscope image of the tobacco shreds after low-temperature plasma pretreatment in Example 1 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This invention provides a method for increasing the load of atomized tobacco, comprising the following steps:

[0020] The tobacco shreds to be processed are subjected to low-temperature plasma pretreatment to obtain pretreated tobacco shreds;

[0021] The atomizing agent is sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco and left to stand to obtain the treated tobacco.

[0022] This invention employs low-temperature plasma pretreatment of tobacco shreds to rupture their cell walls and create a loose and porous surface, thereby enhancing the adsorption capacity of the tobacco shreds and improving their ability to carry atomizing agents.

[0023] In this invention, the tobacco shreds to be processed are loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds or tobacco shreds cut from tobacco leaves. This invention uses a shredder well-known to those skilled in the art to cut the tobacco shreds.

[0024] This invention involves placing raw tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor and adjusting the treatment time and power. The power of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is 200–3000 W, and the time is 1–5 min. In specific embodiments, the power of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is 200 W, 500 W, 1000 W, 2000 W, or 3000 W; the time is 1 min or 3 min. After the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is completed, the tobacco shreds are transferred out. The temperature of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is lower than the carbonization temperature of the tobacco shreds. After the low-temperature plasma pretreatment, the porosity of the pretreated tobacco shreds is 30–60%.

[0025] After obtaining the pretreated tobacco, the present invention sprays an atomizing agent onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco and allows it to stand to obtain the treated tobacco.

[0026] The atomizing agent used in this invention is selected from one or more of 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, glycerol, and ethylene glycol. The atomizing agent is sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco while being stirred. The atomizing agent accounts for 15-35% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. The loading of the atomizing agent should not exceed 35%, otherwise it will cause sticking and make processing difficult. In specific embodiments, the loading of the atomizing agent is 15%, 20%, 25%, or 30%.

[0027] After spraying, seal and let stand for 50-70 minutes.

[0028] To further illustrate the present invention, the following detailed description of a method for increasing the load of atomized tobacco provided by the present invention is provided in conjunction with embodiments, but these descriptions should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] 1) Pre-treat loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds with low-temperature plasma: Place the tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor, process for 1 minute at a power of 200W, and transfer the tobacco shreds after pre-treatment.

[0031] 2) Spray glycerol evenly onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent should be 15% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, seal and let stand for 1 hour to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0032] Example 2

[0033] 1) Pre-treat loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds with low-temperature plasma: Place the tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor, process for 3 minutes at a power of 500W, and transfer the tobacco shreds after pre-treatment.

[0034] 2) Spray glycerol evenly onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent should be 20 wt% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, seal and let stand for 1 hour to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0035] Example 3

[0036] 1) Pre-treat loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds with low-temperature plasma: Place the tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor, process for 3 minutes at a power of 1000W, and transfer the tobacco shreds after pre-treatment.

[0037] 2) Spray glycerol evenly onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent should be 25% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, seal and let stand for 1 hour to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0038] Example 4

[0039] 1) Pre-treat loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds with low-temperature plasma: Place the tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor, process for 3 minutes at a power of 2000W, and transfer the tobacco shreds after pre-treatment.

[0040] 2) Spray glycerol evenly onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent should be 30% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, seal and let stand for 1 hour to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0041] Example 5

[0042] 1) Pre-treat loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds with low-temperature plasma: Place the tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor, process for 3 minutes at a power of 3000W, and transfer the tobacco shreds after pre-treatment.

[0043] 2) Spray glycerol evenly onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent should be 35% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, seal and let stand for 1 hour to obtain the treated tobacco.

[0044] Comparative Example 1

[0045] 1) Pre-treat the loose, rehydrated tobacco shreds with low-temperature plasma: Place the tobacco shreds into a plasma reactor, process for 5 minutes at a power of 3000W, and transfer the tobacco shreds after the pre-treatment is completed;

[0046] 2) Spray glycerol evenly onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent should account for 40% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, seal and let stand for 1 hour to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0047] Comparative Example 2

[0048] Use the loose, rehydrated tobacco directly;

[0049] Glycerol was evenly sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent accounted for 15% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, the tobacco shreds were sealed and left to stand for 6 hours to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0050] Comparative Example 3

[0051] Use the loose, rehydrated tobacco directly;

[0052] Glycerol was evenly sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent accounted for 20% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, the tobacco shreds were sealed and left to stand for 12 hours to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0053] Comparative Example 4

[0054] Use the loose, rehydrated tobacco directly;

[0055] Glycerol was evenly sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent accounted for 25% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, the tobacco shreds were sealed and left to stand for 24 hours to obtain the treated tobacco shreds.

[0056] Table 1. Surface morphology, atomizer loading, and processing performance of the low-temperature plasma pretreated and untreated samples of the examples and comparative examples.

[0057] sample Surface morphology atomizer loading wt% Processing performance Example 1 Loose and porous 15 good Example 2 Loose and porous 20 good Example 3 Loose and porous 25 good Example 4 Loose and porous 30 good Example 5 Loose and porous 35 good Comparative Example 1 Loose and porous 40 Slightly sticky, difficult to process Comparative Example 2 smooth 15 good Comparative Example 3 smooth 20 Sticky and difficult to process Comparative Example 4 smooth 25 It's sticky and can't be processed.

[0058] Comparative Example 5

[0059] The mixture is obtained by mixing tobacco leaves with calcium chloride solution and letting it stand for 18 hours. The mass ratio of the tobacco leaves to the calcium chloride in the calcium chloride solution is 1:2. The mixture is dried and then subjected to high temperature treatment at 350°C for 3 hours. After washing, loose and porous tobacco leaves with a porosity of 80% are obtained.

[0060] Glycerol was evenly sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds while stirring to ensure uniform spraying. The mass of the atomizing agent accounted for 15% of the mass of the tobacco raw material. After spraying, the tobacco shreds were sealed and left to stand for 24 hours to obtain the treated tobacco shreds. Elemental analysis results showed that the carbon content of the tobacco shreds treated by this method reached 85%, indicating that the tobacco shreds were partially carbonized, aroma substances were lost, and the adsorption of glycerol was reduced.

[0061] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the present invention provides a method for increasing the loading capacity of atomized tobacco, comprising the following steps: subjecting the tobacco to be treated to low-temperature plasma pretreatment to obtain pretreated tobacco; spraying an atomizing agent onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco, allowing it to stand, to obtain treated tobacco. The present invention uses low-temperature plasma pretreatment of the tobacco to rupture its cell walls, resulting in a loose and porous surface morphology, thereby enhancing the adsorption capacity of the tobacco and thus improving its ability to load atomizing agent. Experimental results show that the treated tobacco surface is loose and porous, with a porosity of 30-60%, and the atomizing agent loading is as high as 35 wt%, exhibiting good processing performance.

[0062] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the load of atomized tobacco, comprising the following steps: The tobacco shreds to be processed are subjected to low-temperature plasma pretreatment to obtain pretreated tobacco shreds; the tobacco shreds to be processed are loose, well-moistened tobacco shreds or tobacco shreds cut from tobacco leaves; The power of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is 200~3000W, and the time is 1~5min; the temperature of the low-temperature plasma pretreatment is lower than the temperature of tobacco carbonization; the porosity of the pretreated tobacco is 30~60%; The atomizing agent is sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco shreds and left to stand for 2 to 24 hours to obtain the treated tobacco shreds; the atomizing agent accounts for 15 to 35% of the mass of the tobacco shred raw material.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The atomizing agent is selected from one or more of 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, glycerol, and ethylene glycol.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The atomizing agent is sprayed onto the surface of the pretreated tobacco while being stirred.

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