Reconstituted tobacco leaf with both moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses reconstituted tobacco with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions and a preparation method of the reconstituted tobacco. The preparation method comprises the following steps: placing tobacco powder raw materials in a vibrating screen to pass through a 100-mesh screen, and reserving; weighing a certain amount of tobacco powder particles, and weighing 20% of a smoke generating agent, 4% of CMC, 4.5% of cellulose nanofiber and 550% of water based on the mass of the tobacco powder, and fully stirring and uniformly mixing the above materials, wherein the smoke generating agent is a glycerol-graphene oxide compound; placing the slurry on the surface of a workbench of a coating testing machine, adjusting the gap between the knife rollers, and uniformly dispersing and baking; cutting and curling to prepare the reconstituted tobacco with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions. The application solves the problem of uneven smoke release of reconstituted tobacco in a heated cigarette due to high moisture absorption, simultaneously improves the heat conduction performance, and improves the smoke quality and smoking experience.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of cigarette processing, in particular to a reconstituted tobacco leaf with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a new type of tobacco product, heated cigarettes have similar appearance, smoke, taste and feeling to cigarettes, and the harmful components to the human body are much lower than traditional cigarettes, so they are favored by consumers. Due to late start, weak research foundation, limited patents and other reasons, there is still a big gap between Chinese heated cigarettes and internationally leading products. Among them, the smoke quality problem is particularly prominent: in order to achieve the release of flavor components at 300℃, the addition amount of glycerol, propylene glycol and other smoking agents in heated cigarettes is as high as 20%, which is higher than that of internationally leading products such as IQOS. Due to the polyhydroxy structure of glycerol and propylene glycol, the reconstituted tobacco leaf is prone to moisture absorption, the water content increases, the total release amount of heated cigarette smoke decreases, the uniformity and stability of smoke release are low, the single package storage period is short (less than 24 hours at room temperature and 50% humidity), and the smoking experience is poor.

[0003] Therefore, how to reduce the moisture absorption performance of the existing smoking agent and improve the heat conduction performance of the reconstituted tobacco leaf has become an important problem to be solved in the field. SUMMARY

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a reconstituted tobacco leaf with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions and a preparation method thereof, aiming to solve the problem of uneven smoke release of reconstituted tobacco leaf in heated cigarettes due to high moisture absorption, and improve the heat conduction performance to improve the smoke quality and smoking experience.

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is solved by the following technical scheme:

[0006] A preparation method of a reconstituted tobacco leaf with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions, comprising the following steps:

[0007] (1) Put the tobacco powder raw material into a vibrating sieve shaker and pass it through a 100 mesh sieve, and reserve it;

[0008] (2) A certain amount of tobacco powder particles is weighed, and based on the mass of the tobacco powder, 20% of the smoking agent, 4% of CMC, 4.5% of nano-cellulose and 550% of water are weighed. The above materials are fully stirred and uniformly mixed; wherein the smoking agent is a glycerol-graphene oxide composite;

[0009] (3) Place the slurry on the workbench surface of the coating test machine, adjust the gap between the knife rollers, and evenly disperse and bake;

[0010] (4) cut, crimp, and make reconstituted tobacco leaves with both moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions.

[0011] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (2), the mass ratio of the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite to propylene glycol in the smoke generating agent is 4:1.

[0012] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (2), the mass ratio of the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite to propylene glycol in the smoke generating agent is 4:1.

[0013] Preferably, in the above technical solution, the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite is prepared by a solution blending method, and the graphene oxide and glycerol are combined by non-covalent interaction.

[0014] Preferably, in the above technical solution, the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite is prepared by the following method:

[0015] Under continuous stirring of a magnetic stirrer, the graphene oxide is added to the glycerol in batches, and after continuous stirring, ultrasonic is used to make the graphene oxide uniformly dispersed in the glycerol solution to form a suspension of the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite.

[0016] Preferably, in the above technical solution, the molar ratio of the graphene oxide to glycerol is 1:(1.0-1.2), and the ultrasonic conditions are: ultrasonic frequency 40-60 Hz, and ultrasonic time 30-45 min.

[0017] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (3), the knife roll gap is 1.2 mm, and the baking conditions are: temperature 90℃, and baking time 15-20 min.

[0018] A reconstituted tobacco leaf with both moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions is prepared according to the above preparation method.

[0019] A reconstituted tobacco leaf with both moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions is prepared according to the above preparation method.

[0020] The above technical solution of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The application splices the new tobacco product currently used smoking agent (propylene glycol / glycerol) with graphene oxide by chemical synthesis method, and innovatively synthesizes polyol-graphene oxide composite. The synthesized polyol-graphene oxide composite replaces the currently used smoking agent propylene glycol / glycerol. On the one hand, the hydroxyl groups in the polyol can form hydrogen bonds with the carboxyl groups and carbon atoms on the surface of graphene oxide, reducing the number of hydroxyl groups, weakening the ability to lock water, and at the same time enhancing the interaction force between graphene oxide and polyol, improving the stability of graphene oxide. On the other hand, graphene oxide can improve the thermal conductivity of the reconstituted tobacco, increase the amount of smoke, and replace the wood outer fiber with cellulose nanofiber in the sheet production formula to improve the physical properties of the reconstituted tobacco, providing technical support for the development of heat-not-burn tobacco products. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0023] Figure 1 The moisture content of the reconstituted tobacco sample at different times (22±1℃, RH=32±2%(a), RH=84±2%(b)).

[0024] Figure 2 The transverse relaxation time distribution curve of the reconstituted tobacco sample (22±1℃, RH=32±2%(a), RH=84±2%(b)). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the relative arrangement of components and steps, numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments are not limiting to the scope of the present application unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0026] The reagents used in the present application, unless otherwise specified, are commercially available or obtained by commercial means, or can be prepared by referring to existing chemical methods.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] Preparation of polyol-graphene oxide composite:

[0029] A relatively simple and easy solution blending method is used to prepare the polyol-graphene oxide composite. The graphene oxide and polyol are combined through hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction and other non-covalent interactions. A certain amount of glycerol is added to the reaction container, the reactor temperature is controlled at 40-60℃, and the graphene oxide is added to the glycerol in batches under constant stirring. After continuous stirring and ultrasonic treatment, the graphene oxide is uniformly dispersed in the glycerol solution to form a glycerol-graphene oxide composite suspension. After removing the general moisture by rotary evaporation, it is ready for use.

[0030] Example 2

[0031] The reconstituted tobacco leaf (A) was produced by the thick slurry production process, and the proportion of the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite (prepared by the method of Example 1) in the 20% smoke generating agent was 16% (the same below).

[0032] (1) The tobacco powder raw material was placed in a vibrating sieve shaker and passed through a 100-mesh sieve for standby;

[0033] (2) A certain amount of tobacco powder particles was weighed, and based on the mass of the tobacco powder, 20% of the smoke generating agent (the proportion of the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite was 16%, and the proportion of propylene glycol was 4%), 4% of CMC, 4.5% of cellulose nanocellulose (absolute dry), and 550% of water were weighed. The above materials were thoroughly stirred and uniformly mixed;

[0034] (3) The slurry was placed on the surface of the workbench of the coating test machine, the gap between the knife rollers was adjusted to 1.2 mm, it was uniformly dispersed, the temperature was set to 90°C, and baking was performed for 15-20 min, and then the tobacco was cut and crimped to produce the reconstituted tobacco leaf A.

[0035] Example 3

[0036] The reconstituted tobacco leaf B was produced by the thick slurry production process, and the smoke generating agent with a mass fraction of 20% was the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite (prepared by the method of Example 1).

[0037] (1) The tobacco powder raw material was placed in a vibrating sieve shaker and passed through a 100-mesh sieve for standby;

[0038] (2) A certain amount of tobacco powder particles was weighed, and based on the mass of the tobacco powder, 20% of the smoke generating agent (the proportion of the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite was 16%, and the proportion of propylene glycol was 4%), 4% of CMC, 4.5% of cellulose nanocellulose (absolute dry), and 550% of water were weighed. The above materials were thoroughly stirred and uniformly mixed;

[0039] (3) The slurry was placed on the surface of the workbench of the coating test machine, the gap between the knife rollers was adjusted to 1.2 mm, it was uniformly dispersed, the temperature was set to 90°C, and baking was performed for 15-20 min, and then the tobacco was cut and crimped to produce the reconstituted tobacco leaf B.

[0040] Comparative Example 1

[0041] Preparation of the reconstituted tobacco leaf (KB):

[0042] The reconstituted tobacco leaf (KB) was produced by the thick slurry production process, and the proportion of glycerol in the 20% smoke generating agent was 16%, and the proportion of propylene glycol was 4%.

[0043] (1) Put the tobacco powder raw material into a vibrating screen and pass through a 100 mesh sieve for standby;

[0044] (2) Take a certain amount of tobacco powder particles, and based on the mass of the tobacco powder, take 20% of the smoke agent (wherein the proportion of glycerol is 16%, and the proportion of propylene glycol is 4%), 4% of CMC, 4.5% of wood pulp fiber (absolute dry), and 550% of water. The above materials are thoroughly stirred and uniformly mixed;

[0045] (3) Place the slurry on the surface of the workbench of a coating test machine, adjust the gap between the knife rollers to 1.2 mm, make it uniformly dispersed, set the temperature to 90°C, and bake for 15-20 min to cut and curl to make reconstituted tobacco leaf KB.

[0046] Physical performance detection of reconstituted tobacco leaf:

[0047] Table 1 Physical index detection results of reconstituted tobacco leaf by thick slurry method

[0048]

[0049]

[0050] As can be seen from Table 1, after replacing the wood outer fiber with cellulose nanofiber, the tensile strength and bulkiness of the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared are obviously improved. This is because cellulose nanofiber has high specific surface area, high Young's modulus, and super strong adsorption capacity, which can bond together fine particles such as tobacco powder, and can make the reconstituted tobacco leaf product have high tensile strength and bulkiness. The thermal conductivity performance of the prepared reconstituted tobacco leaf was tested, and the results showed that after replacing glycerol or propylene glycol with glycerol-oxidized graphene, the thermal conductivity performance of the reconstituted tobacco leaf was greatly improved. This may be due to the accumulation of oxidized graphene on the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaf, which is dense and beneficial to the improvement of thermal conductivity performance. These all make the reconstituted tobacco leaf react rapidly and uniformly release flavor substances in a low-temperature heating environment.

[0051] Evaluation of the hygroscopicity of 3 kinds of reconstituted tobacco leaves:

[0052] After the above reconstituted tobacco leaves were placed in a constant temperature and humidity chamber (temperature 22°C, relative humidity 60%) for 72 h, they were cut into strips by a cutting machine. The balanced strips were divided into 3 groups, one of which was used to determine the initial water content of the strips. At the same time, the other two groups were placed in desiccators containing saturated magnesium chloride (22±1°C, RH=(32±2)%) and saturated potassium chloride (22±1°C, RH=(84±2)%) solutions for desorption and hygroscopicity experiments. The samples were taken out every certain period of time, accurately weighed and recorded, and the water content of the samples at different times was calculated according to the change of water content during storage.

[0053] The results are shown in Table 2. Figure 1 As can be seen from Table 2, the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared by replacing the wood outer fiber with cellulose nanofiber has better hygroscopicity than the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared by replacing the wood outer fiber with wood pulp fiber.Figure 1 It can be seen that the moisture content of the three groups of reconstituted tobacco strands decreases with the extension of the desorption time, and shows almost the same downward trend within the first 16 hours, and reaches equilibrium at 100 hours. Under high humidity, the moisture content shows a linear upward trend over time, gradually slows down after 60 hours, and tends to equilibrium at 100 hours. The moisture retention and hygroscopicity of samples A and B are lower than KB. This is because the strong hygroscopicity of glycerol can bind water molecules through hydrogen bonding, enhancing the affinity and adsorption capacity of the sheet strands for water. Compared with glycerol, the number of hydroxyl groups in glycerol-oxidized graphene is reduced, and the number of hydrogen bonds formed is also reduced, reducing the strong hygroscopicity of glycerol and having a certain moisture-proof and moisture-retention capacity. The moisture retention capacity of sample B is comparable to that of sample A, but the hygroscopicity is significantly lower than that of sample A. This is because sample A also contains 4% propylene glycol, and compared with propylene glycol, the hydrogen bond of hydroxyl in glycerol-oxidized graphene is formed with carboxyl in graphene oxide, reducing the opportunity to bond water molecules and reducing the hygroscopicity.

[0054] The moisture state distribution of reconstituted tobacco strands with glycerol-oxidized graphene in different humidity environments (RH = 32% (a), RH = 84% (b)) is shown in Figure 2 It can be seen from Figure 2 that the combined water peak is dominant in both types of moisture, and the proportion of content is KB > B > A. These results can be explained as follows: glycerol has more free hydroxyl groups than polyol-graphene, so more hydrogen bonds are formed between reconstituted tobacco strands and water. Thus, the binding force between water molecules and the reconstituted tobacco strand matrix is enhanced, promoting the interaction between the tobacco strands and the water molecules, increasing the relative content of bound water, and enhancing the hygroscopicity of the reconstituted tobacco strands. Under high RH and low RH conditions, the combined water peak area of sample B is higher than that of sample A, indicating that more water in sample B is in a combined state, so sample B has lower hygroscopicity, while the moisture retention performance is comparable to that of sample A.

[0055] Sensory evaluation:

[0056] The reconstituted tobacco strands prepared by the above process were rolled into cartridges in a disordered manner, denoted as blank cartridge (made of reconstituted tobacco KB), cartridge A (made of reconstituted tobacco A), and cartridge B (made of reconstituted tobacco B). The cartridges were subjected to sensory quality evaluation according to the sensory evaluation requirements of heated cigarettes of Shanghai Institute, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0057] Table 2 Sensory quality evaluation results of reconstituted tobacco prepared by the thick slurry method

[0058] Sample Amount of smoke Aroma flavour Strength Harmony Harshness Mouth feel Overall score Cartridge KB 6.5 23.5 7.0 7.5 12.0 21.0 77.5 Cartridge A 7.5 25.0 7.5 8.0 13.0 22.5 83.5 Cartridge B 8.0 26.0 7.5 8.0 13.0 22.0 86.0

[0059] As can be seen from Table 2, compared with the cigarette cartridge KB, the cigarette cartridges A and B have obvious improvement in smoke amount, aroma, strength, taste, and decrease in irritation, and have better consistency in each puff, and have better application prospect.

[0060] Although the present application has been disclosed with examples as above, it is not intended to limit the present application, and any person skilled in the art can make various selections and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, and therefore the protection scope of the present application is defined by the claims and equivalent forms thereof.

Claims

1. A method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaf having both moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions, characterized by, It comprises the following steps: (1) Put the tobacco powder raw material into a vibrating screen and pass it through a 100-mesh sieve for standby; (2) Take a certain amount of tobacco powder particles, and based on the mass of the tobacco powder, take 20% of the smoke agent, 4% of the CMC, 4.5% of the cellulose nanofiber (CNF), and 550% of the water by mass. The above materials are fully stirred and mixed uniformly; the smoke agent contains glycerol-oxidized graphene composite, and the glycerol-oxidized graphene composite is prepared by the following method: under the condition of continuous stirring by a magnetic stirrer, graphene oxide is added to glycerol in batches, and after continuous stirring, ultrasonic is used to disperse the graphene oxide uniformly in the glycerol solution to form a suspension of glycerol-oxidized graphene composite; (3) Place the slurry on the workbench surface of the coating test machine, adjust the knife roll gap to make it uniformly dispersed, and bake; (4) Cut and curl to make reconstituted tobacco leaves with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions.

2. The method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves with both moisture absorption regulation and thermal conductivity functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the mass ratio of glycerol-oxidized graphene composite in the smoke agent is 80-100%.

3. The method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves with both moisture absorption regulation and thermal conductivity functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the mass ratio of glycerol-oxidized graphene composite to propylene glycol in the smoke agent is 4:

1.

4. The method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves with both moisture absorption regulation and thermal conductivity functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The molar ratio of graphene oxide to glycerol is 1:(1.0-1.2); the ultrasonic conditions are: ultrasonic frequency 40-60Hz, ultrasonic time 30-45min.

5. The method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves with both moisture absorption regulation and thermal conductivity functions according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the knife roll gap is 1.2mm, and the baking conditions are: temperature 90℃, baking time 15-20min.

6. A reconstituted tobacco leaf having both moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions, characterized by, It is prepared according to the preparation method of claims 1-5.

7. The application of reconstituted tobacco leaves with moisture absorption performance adjustment and heat conduction functions in heat-not-burn cigarettes according to claim 6.

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