A high-toughness reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared by thickening slurry method for heated cigarettes and its preparation method

Abstract

This invention provides a reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared using a slurry method specifically for heated cigarettes, comprising the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts tobacco raw material; 2-20 parts fiber; 5-40 parts polyol-based hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2-10 parts primary crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts secondary crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts inorganic filler; 1-10 parts flavoring and fragrance; and 250-400 parts water. This invention, through formulation optimization of the primary crosslinking agent and gelatinization treatment of the secondary crosslinking agent, effectively improves the compatibility and dispersibility of fibers in the reconstituted tobacco leaf system, synergistically enhancing the overall breaking elongation of the reconstituted tobacco leaf. The addition of inorganic filler makes the reconstituted tobacco leaf structure more porous, improving overall softness while maintaining stable release characteristics of aroma substances. Using the method provided by this patent, the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared for heated cigarettes effectively improves the toughness and softness of slurry-processed tobacco sheets, making it suitable for use in orderly arranged heated cigarettes and meeting the smoker's experience requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco technology, and in particular to a high-toughness heated cigarette-specific thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaf and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Reconstituted tobacco leaves for heated cigarettes, also known as tobacco sheets, are made by mixing and homogenizing tobacco raw material powder of a specific particle size, atomizing agents, fibers, adhesives, additives, flavorings, etc., and then processing them through post-processing such as forming, drying, shredding / re-rolling. They are mostly used in the orderly or disordered arrangement of the smoke-generating sections of heated cigarettes to provide heated cigarette products with smoke similar to that of traditional cigarette products, satisfying consumers' sensory needs and tasting experience.

[0003] Currently, the main processing technologies for reconstituted tobacco leaves for heated cigarettes both domestically and internationally include papermaking, rolling, dry processing, and slurry processing. After the reconstituted tobacco leaves for heated cigarettes are formed, they can be wound up using a winding machine or cut into shreds of a certain size using a shredding machine according to process requirements. However, regardless of whether the tobacco sheets are wound or shredded, they suffer from low toughness, which leads to easy breakage during the shredding process, resulting in a decrease in the whole-sheet yield and an increase in broken sheets and ash content. During the winding process, the sheets are prone to brittle fracture, resulting in severe breakage and a low effective curl rate.

[0004] Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a high-toughness reconstituted tobacco leaf specifically for heated cigarettes in order to improve the toughness of the sheet to meet the requirements of heated cigarette processing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared by heating a thick slurry for cigarettes, a method for preparing the same, and cigarettes. The reconstituted tobacco leaf provided by the present invention has good elongation at break, softness, and sensory properties.

[0006] This invention provides a method for reconstituted tobacco leaves using a heated cigarette-specific slurry process, comprising the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0007] 100 parts tobacco raw material; 2-20 parts fiber; 5-40 parts polyol hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2-10 parts main crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts auxiliary crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts inorganic filler; 1-10 parts flavoring and fragrance; 250-400 parts water.

[0008] In some specific embodiments, the polyol-based hydrophilic atomizing agent is propylene glycol and / or glycerol.

[0009] In some specific embodiments, the main crosslinking agent comprises any one or more of the following: pectin, gelatin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, guar gum, locust bean gum, tamarisk gum, guar gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, konjac gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, tamarind gum, or velan gum.

[0010] The components of the crosslinking agent include any one or more combinations of sodium carboxymethyl starch, distarch phosphate, starch acetate, acetylated distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl starch, cationic starch, oxidized starch, acid-treated starch, acetylated distarch adipate, sodium octenyl succinate starch, dextrin, maltodextrin, or resistant dextrin.

[0011] In some specific embodiments, the fiber is one or more of softwood pulp, hardwood pulp, fluff pulp, microcrystalline cellulose, and powdered cellulose;

[0012] Inorganic fillers include any one or more of calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium sulfate, or borax.

[0013] In some specific embodiments, the mass ratio of the primary crosslinking agent to the secondary crosslinking agent is (1-9):1.

[0014] This invention provides a method for producing reconstituted tobacco leaves using the heated cigarette slurry method as described in any one of the above technical solutions, comprising the following steps:

[0015] A) The tobacco raw material is crushed to obtain crushed tobacco raw material;

[0016] B) Emulsify the main crosslinking agent and the atomizing agent to obtain a mixed emulsion;

[0017] The crosslinking agent and water are gelatinized to obtain a crosslinking agent sol;

[0018] C) Mix tobacco raw materials, mixed emulsion, crosslinking agent sol, fiber, inorganic filler and water to obtain pulp;

[0019] D) The slurry is spread and shaped on a metal substrate by casting, and then dried and set.

[0020] In some specific embodiments, the mesh size of the pulverized material in step A) is 80 to 400 mesh;

[0021] The emulsification temperature is 40–60°C; the time is 0.5–2 hours.

[0022] In some specific embodiments, the gelatinization treatment in step B) is carried out at a temperature of 60–90°C for 0.5–2 hours.

[0023] In some specific embodiments, the surface temperature of the metal substrate in step D) is 90-120°C; the parameters for casting and spreading include a casting box slit width of 0.1-1 mm and a casting box slurry spreading speed of 1-5 cm / s.

[0024] Step D) The drying process is hot air drying; the temperature of the hot air drying is 90-120℃.

[0025] The present invention provides a cigarette comprising reconstituted tobacco leaves as described in any one of the above technical solutions or reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared according to the preparation method described in any one of the above technical solutions.

[0026] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides a reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared using a slurry method specifically for heated cigarettes, comprising the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts tobacco raw material; 2-20 parts fiber; 5-40 parts polyol-based hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2-10 parts main crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts auxiliary crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts inorganic filler; 1-10 parts flavoring and fragrance; and 250-400 parts water. This invention, through formulation optimization of the main crosslinking agent and gelatinization treatment of the auxiliary crosslinking agent, effectively improves the compatibility and dispersibility of fibers in the reconstituted tobacco leaf system, synergistically enhancing the overall breaking elongation of the reconstituted tobacco leaf. The addition of inorganic filler makes the reconstituted tobacco leaf structure more porous, improving overall softness while maintaining stable release characteristics of aroma substances. Using the method provided by this patent, the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared for heated cigarettes effectively improves the toughness and softness of slurry-processed tobacco sheets, making it suitable for use in orderly arranged heated cigarettes and meeting the smoker's experience requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 A process for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves for cigarettes using a high-toughness slurry heating method. Detailed Implementation

[0028] This invention provides a method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves using a heated thick slurry process for cigarettes, along with the resulting cigarettes. Those skilled in the art can refer to this document and appropriately modify the process parameters to achieve the desired result. It is particularly important to note that all similar substitutions and modifications are obvious to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of this invention. The methods and applications of this invention have been described through preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can clearly modify or appropriately alter and combine the methods and applications described herein without departing from the content, spirit, and scope of this invention to implement and apply the technology of this invention.

[0029] It should be understood that the expression “one or more of…” individually includes each of the objects described after the expression, as well as various different combinations of two or more of the described objects, unless otherwise understood from the context and usage. The expression “and / or” combined with three or more described objects should be understood to have the same meaning, unless otherwise understood from the context.

[0030] The terms “including,” “having,” or “containing,” including the use of their grammatical synonyms, should generally be understood as open-ended and non-restrictive, for example, not excluding other unstated elements or steps, unless otherwise specifically stated or understood from the context.

[0031] In this application, the term "and / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0032] This invention provides a method for reconstituted tobacco leaves using a heated cigarette-specific slurry process, comprising the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0033] 100 parts tobacco raw material; 2-20 parts fiber; 5-40 parts polyol hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2-10 parts main crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts auxiliary crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts inorganic filler; 1-10 parts flavoring and fragrance; 250-400 parts water.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reconstituted tobacco leaves produced by heating cigarette-specific thick slurry comprises the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0035] 100 parts tobacco raw material; 3-8 parts fiber; 15-35 parts polyol hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2-5 parts main crosslinking agent; 1-5 parts auxiliary crosslinking agent; 3-7 parts inorganic filler; 4-6 parts flavoring and fragrance; 280-320 parts water.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reconstituted tobacco leaves produced by heating cigarette-specific thick slurry comprises the following raw materials in parts by weight:

[0037] 100 parts tobacco raw materials; 5 parts fiber; 30 parts polyol hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2 parts main crosslinking agent; 1 part auxiliary crosslinking agent; 5 parts inorganic filler; 5 parts flavoring and fragrance; 300 parts water.

[0038] The tobacco raw materials described in this invention include conventional tobacco raw materials or factory materials such as tobacco stems, fragments, stem sticks, tobacco dust, and tobacco flakes, without any special restrictions.

[0039] The mesh size of the pulverized tobacco raw material described in this invention is 80 to 400 mesh; specifically, it can be 80 mesh, 100 mesh, 150 mesh, 200 mesh, 250 mesh, 300 mesh, 350 mesh or 400 mesh; or any value between the above two.

[0040] In some specific embodiments, the polyol-based hydrophilic atomizing agent is propylene glycol and / or glycerol; preferably propylene glycol and glycerol.

[0041] In some specific embodiments, the main crosslinking agent comprises any one or more of the following: pectin, gelatin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, guar gum, locust bean gum, tamarisk gum, guar gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, konjac gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, tamarind gum, or velan gum.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main crosslinking agent comprises guar gum and sodium alginate.

[0043] The co-crosslinking agent comprises any one or more combinations of sodium carboxymethyl starch, distarch phosphate, starch acetate, acetylated distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl starch, cationic starch, oxidized starch, acid-treated starch, acetylated distarch adipate, sodium octenyl succinate starch, dextrin, maltodextrin, or resistant dextrin. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the co-crosslinking agent comprises acetylated distarch phosphate.

[0044] In some specific embodiments, the fiber is one or more of softwood pulp, hardwood pulp, fluff pulp, microcrystalline cellulose, and powdered cellulose;

[0045] In some specific embodiments, the fiber is softwood pulp and hardwood pulp;

[0046] In some specific embodiments, the mass ratio of softwood pulp to hardwood pulp is (3-9):1;

[0047] In some specific embodiments, the mass ratio of softwood pulp to hardwood pulp is 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, or 9:1; or any value within the range of the two mentioned above.

[0048] The inorganic filler includes any one or more of calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium sulfate, or borax; preferably, the inorganic filler is borax.

[0049] In some specific embodiments, the mass ratio of the primary crosslinking agent to the secondary crosslinking agent is (1-9):1;

[0050] In some specific embodiments, the mass ratio of the primary crosslinking agent to the secondary crosslinking agent is 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, or 9:1; or any value within the range of the above two.

[0051] This invention provides a method for producing reconstituted tobacco leaves using the heated cigarette slurry method as described in any one of the above technical solutions, comprising the following steps:

[0052] A) The tobacco raw material is crushed to obtain crushed tobacco raw material;

[0053] B) Emulsify the main crosslinking agent and the atomizing agent to obtain a mixed emulsion;

[0054] The crosslinking agent is gelatinized to obtain a crosslinking agent sol;

[0055] C) Mix tobacco raw materials, mixed emulsion, crosslinking agent sol, fiber, inorganic filler and water to obtain pulp;

[0056] D) The slurry is spread and shaped on a metal substrate by casting, and then dried and set.

[0057] The present invention does not limit the specific components and proportions mentioned above, as those known to those skilled in the art are acceptable.

[0058] The production method of reconstituted tobacco leaves using the thick slurry method for heated cigarettes provided by this invention first involves pulverizing the tobacco raw materials; the mesh size of the pulverized material is 80-400 mesh; specifically, it can be 80 mesh, 100 mesh, 120 mesh, 140 mesh, 160 mesh, 180 mesh, 200 mesh, 250 mesh, 300 mesh, 350 mesh, or 400 mesh; or any ratio between the above two.

[0059] The main crosslinking agent and the atomizing agent are emulsified to obtain a mixed emulsion. The emulsification temperature is 40℃~60℃; specifically, it can be 40℃, 50℃ or 60℃; the time is 0.5~2h; specifically, it can be 0.5h, 1h or 2h; or any ratio between the above two.

[0060] The co-crosslinking agent is gelatinized to obtain a co-crosslinking agent sol.

[0061] In some specific embodiments, the gelatinization treatment is carried out at a temperature of 60–90°C for 0.5–2 hours. The gelatinization temperature can be 60°C, 70°C, 75°C, 80°C, or 90°C; or any value within a range of two of the above.

[0062] Tobacco raw materials, mixed emulsion, co-crosslinking agent sol, fiber, inorganic filler, and water are mixed and homogenized to obtain a pulp. This invention does not limit the specific mixing method described above; any mixing method well-known to those skilled in the art is acceptable. A uniform and stable pulp is obtained after thorough mixing and homogenization at room temperature.

[0063] The slurry is spread and shaped on a metal substrate by casting.

[0064] In some specific embodiments, the surface temperature of the metal substrate is 90–120°C; it can be 90°C, 95°C, 100°C, 105°C, 110°C, 115°C, or 120°C; or any value between the two above.

[0065] The parameters for casting and spreading include a casting box slit width of 0.1-1mm and a casting box slurry spreading speed of 1-5cm / s; specifically, it can be 1cm / s, 2cm / s, 3cm / s, 4cm / s or 5cm / s.

[0066] The casting is spread and shaped, and then dried and set to obtain the final product; the drying is hot air drying; the temperature of the hot air drying is 90-120℃; it can be 90℃, 95℃, 100℃, 105℃, 110℃, 115℃ or 120℃; or any value between the above two.

[0067] The present invention provides a cigarette comprising reconstituted tobacco leaves as described in any one of the above technical solutions or reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared according to the preparation method described in any one of the above technical solutions.

[0068] This invention relates to the preparation of cigarettes from the aforementioned reconstituted tobacco leaves. The cigarettes may include smokeable articles, such as cigarettes, cigars, and mini cigars. As another example, smoking articles may include combustible smoking articles and heated smoking articles.

[0069] This invention optimizes the auxiliary material formulation and process conditions based on the slurry process to prepare reconstituted tobacco leaves specifically for heated tobacco products. By optimizing the formulation of the main crosslinking agent and gelatinizing the auxiliary crosslinking agent, this invention effectively improves the compatibility and dispersibility of fibers in the reconstituted tobacco system, synergistically enhancing the overall breaking elongation of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. The addition of inorganic fillers makes the reconstituted tobacco leaf structure more porous, improving overall softness and maintaining a stable release of aroma substances. Using the method provided by this patent, the reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared for heated tobacco products effectively improve the toughness and softness of slurry-processed tobacco sheets, making them suitable for use in orderly arranged heated tobacco products and meeting the smoker's experience requirements.

[0070] It should be understood that the order of the steps or the order in which certain actions are performed is not important as long as the invention remains operational. Furthermore, two or more steps or actions can be performed simultaneously.

[0071] The use of any and all instances or exemplary language such as “e.g.” or “including” in this document is merely intended to better illustrate the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention unless the claims are made. No language in this specification should be construed as indicating that any unclaimed element is essential to the practice of the invention.

[0072] Furthermore, the numerical ranges and parameters used to define the present invention are approximate values, and the relevant values ​​in the specific embodiments have been presented as precisely as possible. However, any value inevitably contains standard deviations due to individual test methods. Therefore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it should be understood that all ranges, quantities, values, and percentages used in this disclosure are modified with the word "approximately." Here, "approximately" generally means an actual value within plus or minus 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% of a particular value or range.

[0073] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above processes does not imply the order of execution. Some or all steps may be executed in parallel or sequentially. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0074] The embodiments and comparative examples of this invention describe some examples, in which the embodiments illustrate certain implementations of the invention. However, this does not mean that the effects of the invention can only be achieved in these examples.

[0075] To further illustrate the present invention, the following describes in detail, with reference to embodiments, a method for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves using a heated cigarette slurry process, and cigarettes provided by the present invention.

[0076] Ingredients for Examples 1-5:

[0077]

[0078]

[0079] In the table: Example 1 is the formulation of high-toughness sheet raw material; Comparative Example 1 is a control sample of gelatinized sol without the addition of co-crosslinking agent; Comparative Example 2 is a control sample of mixed emulsion without the addition of main crosslinking agent and atomizing agent; Comparative Example 3 is a control sample without the addition of inorganic filler; Comparative Example 4 is the preparation process of pure softwood pulp fiber control sample.

[0080] First, the tobacco raw material is crushed to obtain crushed tobacco raw material;

[0081] The main crosslinking agent and the atomizing agent were emulsified at 50°C according to the above ratio to obtain a mixed emulsion of main crosslinking agent / atomizing agent;

[0082] The crosslinking agent is gelatinized (gelatinization temperature is 75℃) to form a crosslinking agent sol;

[0083] The tobacco raw materials, main crosslinking agent / atomizing agent mixed emulsion, auxiliary crosslinking agent sol, fiber, inorganic filler and water are mixed and homogenized at room temperature according to the proportions in the table above to obtain a uniform and stable slurry.

[0084] The slurry is spread and formed on a metal substrate by casting, and the surface temperature of the metal substrate is 105℃.

[0085] After hot air drying (hot air temperature is 105℃) and shaping treatment, high-toughness reconstituted tobacco leaves for heating cigarettes are obtained.

[0086] The physical properties of the reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared in Example 16 were tested, and the results are as follows:

[0087] Table 2 Comparison of Physical Performance Indicators of Reconstituted Tobacco Leaves

[0088]

[0089] The sensory evaluation results of the reconstituted tobacco leaves obtained in Examples 1-6 are as follows:

[0090] Table 3 Sensory Evaluation Comparison Table for Reconstituted Tobacco Leaves

[0091]

[0092]

[0093] 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 producing reconstituted tobacco leaves using a heated cigarette-specific slurry process, characterized in that, A) The tobacco raw material is crushed to obtain crushed tobacco raw material; B) Emulsify the main crosslinking agent and the atomizing agent to obtain a mixed emulsion; The crosslinking agent and water are gelatinized to obtain a crosslinking agent sol; C) Mix tobacco raw materials, mixed emulsion, crosslinking agent sol, fiber, inorganic filler and water to obtain pulp; D) The slurry is spread and shaped on a metal substrate by casting, and then dried and set. The reconstituted tobacco leaves produced by the heated cigarette-specific slurry method comprise the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100 parts tobacco raw material; 2-20 parts fiber; 5-40 parts polyol hydrophilic atomizing agent; 2-10 parts main crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts secondary crosslinking agent; 1-10 parts inorganic filler; 1-10 parts flavoring and fragrance; 250-400 parts water; The main crosslinking agent comprises any one or more of the following components: pectin, gelatin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, guar gum, locust bean gum, taro gum, guar gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan, konjac gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, tamarind polysaccharide gum, or velan gum. The components of the crosslinking agent include any one or more combinations of sodium carboxymethyl starch, distarch phosphate, starch acetate, acetylated distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate, hydroxypropyl starch, cationic starch, oxidized starch, acid-treated starch, acetylated distarch adipate, sodium octenyl succinate starch, maltodextrin, or resistant dextrin.

2. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polyol-based hydrophilic atomizing agent is propylene glycol and / or glycerol.

3. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco leaves according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fiber is one or more of the following: softwood pulp, hardwood pulp, fluff pulp, microcrystalline cellulose, and powdered cellulose; Inorganic fillers include any one or more of calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium sulfate, or borax.

4. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the primary crosslinking agent to the secondary crosslinking agent is (1~9):

1.

5. The production method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step A), the particle size of the pulverized material is 80-400 mesh. The emulsification temperature is 40~60℃; the time is 0.5~2h.

6. The production method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gelatinization process in step B) is carried out at a temperature of 60-90°C for 0.5-2 hours.

7. The production method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step D) The surface temperature of the metal substrate is 90~120℃; the parameters for casting and spreading include a casting box slit width of 0.1~1mm and a casting box slurry application speed of 1-5cm / s. Step D) The drying process is hot air drying; the temperature of the hot air drying is 90~120℃.

8. A cigarette, characterized in that, The reconstituted tobacco leaf produced by the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 includes the reconstituted tobacco leaf produced by the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

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