A method for preparing a slurry method reconstituted tobacco leaf for roll-up ordered heated cigarettes

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of reconstituted tobacco production and processing technology, specifically relating to a method for preparing slurry-based reconstituted tobacco for rolling ordered heated cigarettes. The preparation method includes the following steps: 1) preparation of an oven-dry raw material module; 2) selection of an external fiber module; 3) preparation of a liquid material module; 4) mixing; 5) extrusion and primary drying; and 6) coating and secondary drying. This invention improves the external fiber treatment method and ratio, improves the slurry casting method, uses an extrusion device with a specific structure to improve the slurry casting effect, and utilizes a surface coating with a compound moisture-proof and toughening coating to enhance the transverse physical strength, flexibility, and moisture resistance of the slurry-based reconstituted tobacco, preventing voids and scratches on the surface and meeting the requirements for rolling ordered heated cigarettes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of reconstituted tobacco production and processing technology, specifically relating to a method for preparing slurry-based reconstituted tobacco for rolling ordered heated cigarettes. Background Technology

[0002] Reconstituted tobacco is a product made by processing waste tobacco stems, tobacco dust, and low-quality tobacco leaves generated during cigarette production into a product with a quality that is close to or even better than that of natural tobacco leaves.

[0003] The rolling of orderly heated cigarettes usually requires cutting the reconstituted tobacco leaves into individual strands, then merging and gathering them together, and filling them into cigarette paper to form heated cigarettes with orderly arranged tobacco strands.

[0004] The slurry reconstituted tobacco process involves crushing tobacco material and mixing it into a solution containing adhesives, plant fibers, humectants, and water. After stirring evenly to form a slurry, the slurry is then evenly spread on a stainless steel belt using a casting coating method. After drying and peeling, reconstituted tobacco is formed.

[0005] In existing technologies, the slurry-based reconstituted tobacco process for processing ordered heat-not-burn cigarettes presents several problems: First, the casting and molding process of slurry-based reconstituted tobacco is similar to coating, where the added fibers are pulled along the direction of the steel belt. The fibers are mostly longitudinally aligned, easily resulting in poor transverse strength, transverse elongation at break, and tear strength of the reconstituted tobacco. Simultaneously, the slurry jumps during the steel belt's movement, leading to significant differences in transverse thickness. Second, in the slurry-based reconstituted tobacco process, the proportion of long fibers is limited, generally less than 6%, inevitably leading to the formation of slurry clumps, resulting in scratches and holes in the formed reconstituted tobacco. Third, the raw materials for slurry-based reconstituted tobacco have a high tobacco content and high density, easily causing the reconstituted tobacco leaves to be hard and brittle. Finally, the reconstituted tobacco for heated cigarettes contains a large amount of smoke-generating agents, making it prone to absorbing moisture. In summary, the conventional defects in the thick slurry method for heating and reconstituted tobacco leaves in cigarette production make it prone to fiber breakage during the orderly rolling process, which affects the continuity and stability of production. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the existing technology of using the thick slurry method to process orderly heated non-combustible cigarettes.

[0006] Based on this, the present invention addresses the defects in the thick slurry reconstituted tobacco processing technology by improving the external fiber treatment method and ratio, improving the slurry casting method, and using a surface coating of compound moisture-proof and toughening coating to improve the transverse physical strength, flexibility and moisture resistance of the thick slurry reconstituted tobacco, so that the surface does not produce voids and scratches, and meets the requirements of orderly heated cigarette rolling. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention addresses the shortcomings of the thick slurry reconstituted tobacco processing technology by providing a method for preparing thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaves for rolling ordered heated cigarettes. This method improves the external fiber treatment and formulation, enhances the slurry casting process, uses a specially structured extrusion device to improve the slurry casting effect, and employs a surface coating with a compound moisture-proof and toughening coating to increase the transverse physical strength, flexibility, and moisture resistance of the thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaves. This prevents voids and scratches on the surface, meeting the requirements for rolling ordered heated cigarettes.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] A method for preparing slurry-based reconstituted tobacco leaves for rolling ordered heated cigarettes includes the following steps:

[0010] 1) Preparation of Oven-Dried Raw Material Module: Dry the tobacco formulation raw materials to a moisture content of 8% to 10%, and pulverize them to a particle size of 200 to 400 mesh to obtain the oven-dried raw material module;

[0011] 2) Selection of external fiber modules: The total amount of external fiber added should account for 4-10% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material modules;

[0012] The external fibers are pulverized into two specifications using conventional pulverization technology, namely 1.2-1.7mm and 0.5-1.0mm. The external fibers of the 1.2-1.7mm specification are pre-treated to obtain external fiber module S1. At the same time, the external fibers of the 0.5-1.0mm specification are used as external fiber module S2. Then, external fiber module S1 and external fiber module S2 are compounded to obtain composite external fiber module.

[0013] 3) Preparation of liquid material module: Mix adhesive, moisturizer, flexibility agent and water in a certain proportion and in a certain order of addition to form liquid material module;

[0014] 4) Mixing: Add the composite external fiber module (including external fiber module S1 and external fiber module S2) from step 2) to the liquid module from step 3). After one homogenization and dispersion, add the oven-dried raw material module and fragrance in sequence. After a second homogenization and mixing, a thick slurry is prepared, and the concentration of the slurry is controlled at 30-35%.

[0015] 5) Extrusion and primary drying: The thick slurry prepared in step 4) is extruded using an extrusion device and poured into a specific position. After drying and shaping in the first drying oven, it is peeled off to obtain shaped reconstituted tobacco leaf I.

[0016] 6) Coating and secondary drying: The molded reconstituted tobacco leaf I obtained in step 5) is coated with a moisture-proof coating by film transfer (a conventional coating method in the papermaking industry can be used), and then dried in a second oven and rewound to produce thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaf for rolling orderly heated cigarettes.

[0017] Furthermore, in step 2), the added fiber is selected from hemp pulp fiber (hemp pulp fiber is fine, soft, and has little impurity, resulting in reconstituted tobacco leaves with high strength and good flexibility; generally, hemp pulp fiber is relatively long, with a length of 2-4 mm).

[0018] More preferably, in step 2), the types of hemp pulp fibers include, but are not limited to, flax, sisal, hemp, etc.

[0019] Furthermore, in step 2), the pretreatment method for the added fibers with a specification of 1.2-1.7mm is to use a disc mill to beat the pulp to a freeness of 40-70. 0 SR, with a pulping concentration of 3-5%, is used to increase fiber fibrillation and improve fiber bonding strength, resulting in outer fiber module S1.

[0020] Furthermore, in step 2), the ratio (mass ratio) of the outer fiber module S1 and the outer fiber module S2 is 1:(2-3).

[0021] Furthermore, in step 3), the adhesive is one or more of guar gum, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and chitosan, and the amount added accounts for 1%-4% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module.

[0022] Furthermore, in step 3), the humectant is one or both of propylene glycol and glycerol, and the amount added accounts for 10-25% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module.

[0023] Furthermore, in step 3), the softener is one or more of tobacco extract, sucrose ester, caprylic / capric triglyceride, linseed oil and palm oil, and the amount added is 0.5%-5% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module.

[0024] Furthermore, in step 3), the amount of water added is 1 to 2 times the weight of the oven-dried raw material module.

[0025] Furthermore, in step 3), the order of addition is as follows: first add the humectant and the softener to the water, then add the adhesive, and finally homogenize and disperse at high speed for about 20-40 minutes.

[0026] Furthermore, in step 4), a shear pump is used to perform a homogenization once, with a homogenization speed of 2000-5000 r / min and a homogenization time of 30-60 min.

[0027] Furthermore, in step 4), a homogenizer is used for secondary homogenization, with a secondary homogenization speed of 3000-5000 r / min and a primary homogenization time of 5-15 min.

[0028] Furthermore, in step 4), the amount of flavoring and fragrance used is 0.5%-2% (relative to the weight of the oven-dried raw material module).

[0029] Furthermore, in step 4), the flavoring and fragrance are added 5 minutes before the end of the addition of the oven-dried raw material module.

[0030] Furthermore, the specific location in step 5) refers to the process of extruding the thick slurry prepared in step 4) using an extrusion device and pouring it onto a steel strip.

[0031] Furthermore, in step 5), the extrusion device includes a rectangular feeding body, an arc-shaped cover, a feed manifold, and a discharge pipe;

[0032] An arc-shaped cover is installed at the opening at the top of the material feeding body; the arc-shaped cover extends horizontally to the left and right;

[0033] The feed manifold is located above the arc-shaped cover and extends horizontally to the left and right.

[0034] The outlet of the feed main is connected to the discharge pipe, and the end of the discharge pipe extends downward.

[0035] The side wall of the feed main pipe is provided with several branch flow pipes from left to right; the bottom end of each branch flow pipe extends downward, and the bottom end of each branch flow pipe passes through the upper side wall of the arc-shaped cover and extends into the arc-shaped cover, and the position where each branch flow pipe passes through the arc-shaped cover is sealed to the arc-shaped cover; the bottom end of each branch flow pipe is open.

[0036] An arc-shaped baffle is provided inside the material feeding body, directly below the arc-shaped cover. The arc-shaped baffle extends horizontally to the left and right, and the left end of the arc-shaped baffle is fixedly connected to the left side wall of the material feeding body, and the right end of the arc-shaped baffle is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the material feeding body.

[0037] The concave surface of the arc-shaped baffle faces upward, and there is a front gap between the front end of the arc-shaped baffle and the front side wall of the feeding body, and a rear gap between the rear end of the arc-shaped baffle and the rear side wall of the feeding body.

[0038] The bottom of the feeding body is provided with an inclined block, which is formed by the top surface, bottom surface, front side surface, left side surface and right side surface. The bottom surface of the inclined block is set on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the feeding body. The front side surface of the inclined block abuts against the front side wall of the feeding body, the left side surface of the inclined block abuts against the left side wall of the feeding body, and the right side surface of the inclined block abuts against the right side wall of the feeding body.

[0039] The rear end of the top surface of the inclined block is in contact with the rear side wall of the feeding body, the front end of the top surface of the inclined block is inclined upward, and the front end of the top surface of the inclined block is in contact with the front side wall of the feeding body; an acute angle is formed between the rear end of the top surface of the inclined block and the bottom surface of the inclined block.

[0040] The front side wall of the feeding body is also provided with a discharge port, which is located at the upper end of the top surface of the inclined block;

[0041] The front end of the feeding body is also equipped with a discharge hopper, which is formed by the upper extrusion plate, the lower extrusion plate, the left side strip and the right side strip;

[0042] The rear end of the upper extrusion plate is connected to the upper edge of the discharge port, the rear end of the lower extrusion plate is connected to the lower edge of the discharge port, the rear end of the left strip is connected to the left edge of the discharge port, and the rear end of the right strip is connected to the right edge of the discharge port.

[0043] Both the upper extrusion plate and the lower extrusion plate extend forward, and the front ends of both the upper and lower extrusion plates slope downward.

[0044] The front ends of the upper extrusion plate, the lower extrusion plate, the left strip, and the right strip together form the extrusion tip.

[0045] Specifically, the material feeding body has a hollow internal structure, and the top of the material feeding body is open, while the arc-shaped cover has a semi-cylindrical structure.

[0046] Specifically, a feed valve is installed at the inlet of the feed main pipe, and a discharge valve is also installed at the connection between the feed main pipe and the discharge pipe.

[0047] Specifically, each branch flow pipe is equipped with a valve.

[0048] Specifically, this application includes four branch flow tubes, namely the first branch flow tube, the second branch flow tube, the third branch flow tube, and the fourth branch flow tube.

[0049] Specifically, the front ends of the upper extrusion plate and the lower extrusion plate are tilted downward at different angles, causing the front ends of the upper extrusion plate and the lower extrusion plate to approach each other; in use, the extrusion device is set on the upper surface of the steel strip as a whole, and the extrusion tips formed by the front ends of the upper extrusion plate, the lower extrusion plate, the left strip, and the right strip are close to the upper surface of the steel strip.

[0050] Specifically, in actual use, the feed main pipe and discharge pipe can be fixed to the rear and right sides of the feeding body by setting up brackets, or the feed main pipe and discharge pipe can be fixed to the side of the steel strip.

[0051] Furthermore, in step 5), the drying temperature of the first oven is 80-105℃, and the moisture content when it exits the oven is 15-20%.

[0052] Furthermore, in step 6), the drying temperature of the second oven is 40-80℃, and the moisture content when exiting the oven is 6-9%.

[0053] Furthermore, in step 6), the moisture-proof coating is two or more of phospholipids, Tween-80, and polyvinyl alcohol, and the amount added is 0.3%-1% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module.

[0054] Furthermore, based on a general inventive concept, the present invention also provides reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above method.

[0055] Furthermore, based on a general inventive concept, the present invention also provides the application of the reconstituted tobacco leaves in the production of ordered heated cigarette products.

[0056] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0057] This invention provides a simple and easy-to-operate method for preparing thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaves for rolling ordered heated cigarettes. This process improves the external fiber treatment method and ratio, improves the slurry casting method, uses an extrusion device with a specific structure to improve the slurry casting effect, and utilizes a compound moisture-proof and toughening coating to enhance the transverse physical strength, flexibility and moisture resistance of the thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaves, ensuring that the surface does not produce voids and scratches, thus meeting the requirements for rolling ordered heated cigarettes. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the extrusion device described in this invention;

[0059] Figure 2 The images show the slurry-based reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared according to the methods in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively. The left image is Comparative Example 1, and the right image is Example 1. Detailed Implementation

[0060] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the invention will be described more fully and in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The technical terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0062] Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials, reagents, instruments and equipment used in this invention can be purchased from the market or prepared by existing methods.

[0063] Example 1

[0064] A method for preparing slurry-based reconstituted tobacco leaves for rolling ordered heated cigarettes, comprising the following specific steps:

[0065] 1) Preparation of Oven-Dried Raw Material Module: 108 kg of tobacco formula raw materials are dried to a moisture content of 10% by roller drying, and then conveyed to a pulverizer for pulverization. After pulverization, the particle size is 250 mesh, and tobacco powder of a certain mesh size is obtained (oven-dried weight 95 kg, which is the oven-dried raw material module).

[0066] 2) Selection of external fiber modules: The total amount of external fiber added accounts for 8% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material modules;

[0067] The added fiber is hemp pulp fiber (hemp pulp fiber is fine, soft, and has little impurity, resulting in reconstituted tobacco leaves with high strength and good flexibility, but hemp pulp fiber is generally long, with a length of 2-4 mm; specifically, in this embodiment, hemp is selected as the added fiber);

[0068] The pretreatment method for hemp pulp fiber (added fiber) is as follows: the hemp pulp fiber (added fiber) is crushed into two specifications using conventional crushing technology in the existing technology, namely 1.2-1.7mm and 0.5-1.0mm;

[0069] The specific pretreatment steps are as follows: 40% of the added fiber is crushed into 1.2-1.7mm sizes, and then pulped using a disc mill to a freeness of 60%. 0 SR, with a pulping concentration of 3.5%, is used to increase fiber fibrillation and improve fiber bonding to obtain outer fiber module S1; at the same time, an additional fiber with a mass ratio of 60% is used as outer fiber module S2;

[0070] Then, the outer fiber module S1 and the outer fiber module S2 are compounded to obtain a composite outer fiber module (the total amount of the composite outer fiber module accounts for 8% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module);

[0071] Note: The 1.2-1.7mm outer fiber module S1 is used to provide longitudinal and transverse strength, while the 0.5-1.0mm outer fiber module S2 can improve the transverse fiber distribution to enhance transverse strength.

[0072] 3) Preparation of liquid material module: Mix adhesive, moisturizer, flexibility agent and water in a certain proportion and in a certain order of addition to form liquid material module;

[0073] Specifically, the process involves first adding a humectant and a softener to water, then adding an adhesive, and finally homogenizing and dispersing the mixture at high speed (3000 rpm) for 15 minutes to obtain the final product.

[0074] The adhesive is guar gum and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose in a mass ratio of 2:1, and the amount of adhesive added accounts for 2% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module; the humectant is glycerol, and the amount added accounts for 20% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module; the flexibility agent is caprylic / capric triglyceride and sucrose ester in a mass ratio of 1:1, and the amount of flexibility agent added accounts for 2% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module; the amount of water added is twice the weight of the oven-dry raw material module;

[0075] Note: The selected flexibility agent contains a large number of hydrophobic hydrocarbon groups, and the long hydrocarbon chains exhibit a state that can be twisted, rotated and slid, thereby absorbing and dispersing external forces; the selected flexibility agent can increase the fluidity of the thick slurry and improve the softness and tensile strength of reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0076] 4) Mixing: Add the composite external fiber module (including external fiber module S1 and external fiber module S2) from step 2) to the liquid module from step 3). Use a shear pump to perform a first homogenization (homogenization speed 3000 r / min, homogenization time 30 min) to disperse the components. Then add the oven-dry raw material module and fragrance sequentially. Use a homogenizer to perform a second homogenization (homogenization speed 5000 r / min, homogenization time 10 min) to mix the components and prepare a thick slurry. Control the slurry concentration to 30-35%. The slurry concentration refers to the proportion of the dry weight of the added substances to the total slurry.

[0077] The amount of the fragrance and flavoring used is 1% of the mass of the oven-dried raw material module;

[0078] Specifically, the flavoring and fragrance are added 5 minutes before the end of the addition of the oven-dried raw materials module;

[0079] 5) Extrusion and primary drying: The thick slurry obtained in step 4) is processed using... Figure 1 The extrusion device extrudes the material and casts it onto a steel strip. After drying and shaping in the first oven, the strip is peeled off to obtain shaped reconstituted tobacco leaf I.

[0080] Specifically, the drying temperature of the first oven is 100℃, and the moisture content when it comes out of the oven is 15-20%.

[0081] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the extrusion device includes a rectangular feeding body 1, an arc-shaped cover 2, a feed main pipe 3, and a discharge pipe 4;

[0082] The material feeding body 1 has a hollow cavity structure inside and the top of the material feeding body 1 is open. The arc-shaped cover 2 is a semi-cylindrical structure that extends horizontally to the left and right, and the arc-shaped cover 2 is placed over the open top of the material feeding body 1.

[0083] The feed main pipe 3 is located above the arc-shaped cover 2, and the feed main pipe 3 extends horizontally to the left and right.

[0084] A feed valve 31 is provided at the inlet of the feed main pipe 3, and the outlet of the feed main pipe 3 is connected to the discharge pipe 4. The end of the discharge pipe 4 extends downward.

[0085] Specifically, a discharge valve 41 is also provided at the connection between the feed main pipe 3 and the discharge pipe 4;

[0086] The side wall of the feed main pipe 3 is provided with several branch flow pipes from left to right;

[0087] Specifically, in this embodiment, four branch flow tubes are provided, namely the first branch flow tube 51, the second branch flow tube 52, the third branch flow tube 53, and the fourth branch flow tube 54.

[0088] The bottom ends of the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53, and the fourth branch flow pipe 54 extend downwards, and the bottom ends of the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53, and the fourth branch flow pipe 54 pass through the upper side wall of the arc-shaped cover 2 and extend into the arc-shaped cover 2. The position where each branch flow pipe passes through the arc-shaped cover 2 is sealed to the arc-shaped cover 2. The bottom ends of the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53, and the fourth branch flow pipe 54 are all open, and each of the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53, and the fourth branch flow pipe 54 is equipped with a valve.

[0089] Inside the material feeding body 1, directly below the arc-shaped cover 2, there is also an arc-shaped baffle 11. The arc-shaped baffle 11 extends horizontally to the left and right, and the left end of the arc-shaped baffle 11 is fixedly connected to the left side wall of the material feeding body 1, and the right end of the arc-shaped baffle 11 is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the material feeding body 1.

[0090] The concave surface of the arc-shaped baffle 11 faces upward, and a front gap is provided between the front end of the arc-shaped baffle 11 and the front side wall of the feeding body 1, and a rear gap is provided between the rear end of the arc-shaped baffle 11 and the rear side wall of the feeding body 1.

[0091] The bottom of the feeding body 1 is provided with an inclined block 12. The inclined block 12 is formed by the top surface, bottom surface, front side surface, left side surface and right side surface. The bottom surface of the inclined block 12 is set on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the feeding body 1. The front side surface of the inclined block 12 abuts against the front side wall of the feeding body 1. The left side surface of the inclined block 12 abuts against the left side wall of the feeding body 1. The right side surface of the inclined block 12 abuts against the right side wall of the feeding body 1.

[0092] The rear end of the top surface of the inclined block 12 is in contact with the rear side wall of the feeding body 1, the front end of the top surface of the inclined block 12 is inclined upward, and the front end of the top surface of the inclined block 12 is in contact with the front side wall of the feeding body 1.

[0093] An acute angle is formed between the rear end of the top surface of the inclined block 12 and the bottom surface of the inclined block 12, that is, the cross section of the inclined block 12 is a right triangle with the right angle in front.

[0094] The front side wall of the feeding body 1 is also provided with a long strip-shaped discharge port 13, which is located at the upper end of the top surface of the inclined block 12.

[0095] The front end of the feeding body 1 is also provided with a discharge hopper, which is formed by the upper extrusion plate 14, the lower extrusion plate 15, the left side strip 16 and the right side strip 17.

[0096] The rear end of the upper extrusion plate 14 is connected to the upper edge of the discharge port 13, the rear end of the lower extrusion plate 15 is connected to the lower edge of the discharge port 13, the rear end of the left strip 16 is connected to the left edge of the discharge port 13, and the rear end of the right strip 16 is connected to the right edge of the discharge port 13.

[0097] Both the upper extrusion plate 14 and the lower extrusion plate 15 extend forward, and the front ends of the upper extrusion plate 14 and the lower extrusion plate 15 are inclined downward. The angles at which the front ends of the upper extrusion plate 14 and the lower extrusion plate 15 are inclined downward are different, causing the front ends of the upper extrusion plate 14 and the lower extrusion plate 15 to approach each other.

[0098] The front end of the upper extrusion plate 14, the front end of the lower extrusion plate 15, the front end of the left strip 16, and the front end of the right strip 17 together form an extrusion nozzle;

[0099] In use, the extrusion device is set on the upper surface of the steel strip 6, and the extrusion tip formed by the front end of the upper extrusion plate 14, the front end of the lower extrusion plate 15, the front end of the left strip 16 and the front end of the right strip 17 is close to the upper surface of the steel strip 6. Figure 1 The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of material flow.

[0100] Specifically, in actual use, the feed main pipe 3 and the discharge pipe 4 can be fixed to the rear and right sides of the feeding body 1 by setting up brackets, or the feed main pipe 3 and the discharge pipe 4 can be fixed to the side of the steel strip 6.

[0101] When the extrusion device is not in use or when maintenance is being performed on the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53 and the fourth branch flow pipe 54, the valves on the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53 and the fourth branch flow pipe 54 can be closed and the discharge valve 41 can be opened to allow the material to be discharged from the end of the discharge pipe 4.

[0102] During the extrusion process, the feed valve 31 is first opened and the discharge valve 41 is closed, allowing the material (thick slurry) to enter the main feed pipe 3. Then, the valves on the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53, and the fourth branch flow pipe 54 are opened respectively. The material passes through these pipes, being divided into multiple discharge portions that enter the arc-shaped shroud 2, and finally fall to the top of the arc-shaped concave surface of the arc-shaped baffle 11. After a certain amount of material accumulates on the top surface of the arc-shaped baffle 11, the material falls from the gap between the front and rear ends of the arc-shaped baffle 11 and the front and rear side walls of the feeding body 1 to the top surface of the inclined block 12 in the lower part of the feeding body 1. Since the material is in a flowing state, when the material accumulation on the top surface of the inclined block 12 reaches a certain level, it will pass through the front end of the top surface of the inclined block 12 and flow into the discharge hopper from the discharge port 13 on the front side wall of the feeding body 1. Then it flows forward along the extension direction of the discharge hopper and finally flows from the extrusion tip to the upper surface of the steel strip 6.

[0103] The angle between the top surface of the inclined block 12 and the rear side wall of the feeding body 1 is less than 90°. The angle between the extension direction of the extrusion tip and the horizontal line is 0°-15°. The size of the extrusion tip is adjustable. During the extrusion process, after the material (thick slurry) fills the lower cavity of the feeding body 1, it is evenly extruded from the extrusion tip and then flows to the upper surface of the steel strip 6.

[0104] Explanation: The advantage of the extrusion device used in this application is that the thick slurry is uniform after being extruded from the extrusion tips formed by the front ends of the upper extrusion plate 14, the lower extrusion plate 15, the left side bar 16, and the right side bar 17. This is the key to achieving high-quality molding of the material (thick slurry) in subsequent processes. This application controls the flow rate by setting valves on the first branch flow pipe 51, the second branch flow pipe 52, the third branch flow pipe 53, and the fourth branch flow pipe 54. By designing the arc-shaped baffle 11 and the gap structure between the front and rear ends of the arc-shaped baffle 11 and the front and rear side walls of the feeding body 1, uniform slurry mixing and uniform extrusion are achieved. The extrusion tip structure formed on the front side wall of the feeding body 1 can avoid the influence of slurry clumps and slight differences in flow control on uniformity, ensuring the uniformity and continuity of the output slurry.

[0105] The angle design between the top surface of the inclined block 12 and the rear side wall of the feeding body 1, as well as the angle design between the extrusion tip and the horizontal line in this application, can make the slurry in the arc-shaped baffle 11 exhibit turbulence, retain more longitudinal and transverse cross-distribution of fibers, and increase transverse physical strength.

[0106] 6) Coating and secondary drying: The molded reconstituted tobacco leaf I obtained in step 5) is coated with a moisture-proof coating by film transfer (a conventional coating method in the papermaking industry can be used), then dried in a second oven and rewound to produce thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaf for rolling orderly heated cigarettes. The finished product has a moisture content of 8%.

[0107] Specifically, the drying temperature of the second oven is 50℃, and the moisture content when it comes out of the oven is 6-9%;

[0108] Specifically, the moisture-proof coating is a polyvinyl alcohol aqueous solution with a mass concentration of 10%, and the amount added is 0.5% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module.

[0109] This application demonstrates that by drying the thick slurry in two stages of an oven, the reconstituted tobacco produced can achieve good flexibility and high retention of aroma substances.

[0110] Moisture-proof coatings can form a film on the surface of reconstituted tobacco leaves, blocking the entry of external moisture and the loss of internal moisture; among them, polyvinyl alcohol film has high flexibility and high tensile strength, which can further improve the performance of reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0111] Comparative Example 1

[0112] The difference between Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 is that the added fiber in Comparative Example 1 is softwood fiber; the added fiber is pulped to a freeness of 40 during pretreatment. 0 SR; The total amount of added fibers accounts for 5% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module; No flexibility agent is added to the liquid module; During extrusion and primary drying, the prepared slurry is directly scraped and coated through the gaps in the casting box to form the shape, without using... Figure 1 The extrusion device performs the extrusion; after drying and peeling, no moisture-proof coating is applied, otherwise it is the same as in Example 1.

[0113] Test Results

[0114] According to GB / T 12914 Determination of Tensile Strength of Paper and Paperboard, GB / T 8942 Determination of Softness of Paper, and GB / T 455 Determination of Tear Strength of Paper and Paperboard, the moisture absorption rate was determined by equilibration at 40% RH and 22℃ for 48 hours, followed by placement at 60% RH and 22℃ and calculated using the weight gain method. The moisture absorption rate is calculated as (weight gain - initial weight) * 100% / initial weight. The test results are detailed in Table 1.

[0115] Table 1

[0116]

[0117]

[0118] As can be seen from Table 1, the process method of the present invention can improve the slurry casting method by improving the external fiber treatment method and ratio, and improve the slurry casting effect by using an extrusion device with a specific structure. At the same time, by using a compound moisture-proof and toughening coating to coat the surface, the transverse physical strength, flexibility and moisture-proof performance of the thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaves are improved, and the surface is free from voids and scratches, thus meeting the requirements of orderly heated cigarette rolling.

[0119] Figure 2 These are photographs of reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared according to the methods in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively. Figure 2 As can be seen, the samples prepared by this invention have better uniformity, fewer paper defects, and higher forming quality.

[0120] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments and application principles of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and may include many other effective embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, the scope of which is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for preparing slurry-based reconstituted tobacco leaves for rolling ordered heated cigarettes, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: 1) Preparation of Oven-Dried Raw Material Module: Dry the tobacco formula raw materials to a moisture content of 8%~10%, and pulverize them to a particle size of 200~400 mesh to obtain the oven-dried raw material module; 2) Selection of external fiber modules: The total amount of external fiber added should account for 4-10% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material modules; The added fibers are crushed into two specifications: 1.2-1.7mm and 0.5-1.0mm. The 1.2-1.7mm added fibers are pre-treated to obtain the added fiber module S1. At the same time, the 0.5-1.0mm added fibers are used as the added fiber module S2. Then, the added fiber modules S1 and S2 are compounded to obtain the composite added fiber module. 3) Preparation of liquid material module: Mix adhesive, moisturizer, flexibility agent and water in a certain proportion and in a certain order of addition to form liquid material module; 4) Mixing: Add the composite fiber module from step 2) to the liquid module from step 3), homogenize and disperse once, then add the oven-dried raw material module and fragrance sequentially, homogenize and mix a second time to make a thick slurry, and control the slurry concentration to 30-35%; 5) Extrusion and primary drying: The thick slurry prepared in step 4) is extruded using an extrusion device and poured into a specific position. After drying and shaping in the first drying oven, it is peeled off to obtain shaped reconstituted tobacco leaf I. 6) Coating and secondary drying: The molded reconstituted tobacco leaf I obtained in step 5) is coated with a moisture-proof coating by film transfer, and then dried in a second oven and rewound to produce a slurry-based reconstituted tobacco leaf for rolling orderly heated cigarettes. In step 5), the extrusion device includes a rectangular feeding body, an arc-shaped cover, a feed manifold, and a discharge pipe; An arc-shaped cover is installed at the opening at the top of the material feeding body; the arc-shaped cover extends horizontally to the left and right; The feed manifold is located above the arc-shaped cover and extends horizontally to the left and right. The outlet of the feed main is connected to the discharge pipe, and the end of the discharge pipe extends downward. The side wall of the feed main pipe is provided with several branch flow pipes from left to right; the bottom end of each branch flow pipe extends downward, and the bottom end of each branch flow pipe passes through the upper side wall of the arc-shaped cover and extends into the arc-shaped cover, and the position where each branch flow pipe passes through the arc-shaped cover is sealed to the arc-shaped cover; the bottom end of each branch flow pipe is open. An arc-shaped baffle is provided inside the material feeding body, directly below the arc-shaped cover. The arc-shaped baffle extends horizontally to the left and right, and the left end of the arc-shaped baffle is fixedly connected to the left side wall of the material feeding body, and the right end of the arc-shaped baffle is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the material feeding body. The concave surface of the arc-shaped baffle faces upward, and there is a front gap between the front end of the arc-shaped baffle and the front side wall of the feeding body, and a rear gap between the rear end of the arc-shaped baffle and the rear side wall of the feeding body. The bottom of the feeding body is provided with an inclined block, which is formed by the top surface, bottom surface, front side surface, left side surface and right side surface. The bottom surface of the inclined block is set on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the feeding body. The front side surface of the inclined block abuts against the front side wall of the feeding body, the left side surface of the inclined block abuts against the left side wall of the feeding body, and the right side surface of the inclined block abuts against the right side wall of the feeding body. The rear end of the top surface of the inclined block is in contact with the rear side wall of the feeding body, the front end of the top surface of the inclined block is inclined upward, and the front end of the top surface of the inclined block is in contact with the front side wall of the feeding body; an acute angle is formed between the rear end of the top surface of the inclined block and the bottom surface of the inclined block. The front side wall of the feeding body is also provided with a discharge port, which is located at the upper end of the top surface of the inclined block; The front end of the feeding body is also equipped with a discharge hopper, which is formed by the upper extrusion plate, the lower extrusion plate, the left side strip and the right side strip; The rear end of the upper extrusion plate is connected to the upper edge of the discharge port, the rear end of the lower extrusion plate is connected to the lower edge of the discharge port, the rear end of the left strip is connected to the left edge of the discharge port, and the rear end of the right strip is connected to the right edge of the discharge port. Both the upper extrusion plate and the lower extrusion plate extend forward, and the front ends of both the upper and lower extrusion plates slope downward. The front ends of the upper extrusion plate, the lower extrusion plate, the left strip, and the right strip together form the extrusion nozzle; In step 5), the drying temperature of the first oven is 80-105℃, and the moisture content when exiting the oven is 15-20%. In step 6), the drying temperature of the second oven is 40-80℃, and the moisture content when exiting the oven is 6-9%. In step 6), the moisture-proof coating is two or more of phospholipids, Tween-80, and polyvinyl alcohol, and the amount added is 0.3%-1% of the weight of the oven-dry raw material module.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 2), the added fiber is hemp pulp fiber; the hemp pulp fiber is one or more of flax, sisal and hemp.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 2), the pretreatment method for the added fibers with a specification of 1.2-1.7mm is to use a disc mill to beat the pulp to a freeness of 40-70. 0 SR, pulping concentration 3-5%, to obtain outer fiber module S1; in step 2), the mass ratio of outer fiber module S1 to outer fiber module S2 is 1:(2-3).

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 3), the adhesive is one or more of guar gum, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and chitosan, and the amount added accounts for 1%-4% of the oven-dry raw material module; In step 3), the humectant is one or both of propylene glycol and glycerol, and the amount added accounts for 10-25% of the oven-dry raw material module; In step 3), the softener is one or more of tobacco extract, sucrose ester, caprylic / capric triglyceride, linseed oil, and palm oil, and the amount added accounts for 0.5%-5% of the oven-dry raw material module; In step 3), the amount of water added is 1 to 2 times the weight of the oven-dried raw material module.

5. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 4), the amount of flavoring and fragrance used is 0.5%-2%.

6. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material feeding body has a hollow internal structure and an open top. The arc-shaped cover has a semi-cylindrical structure. A feed valve is installed at the inlet of the feed main pipe, and a discharge valve is also installed at the connection between the feed main pipe and the discharge pipe.

7. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The extrusion device is equipped with four branch flow pipes, namely the first branch flow pipe, the second branch flow pipe, the third branch flow pipe, and the fourth branch flow pipe; each branch flow pipe is equipped with a valve.

8. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front ends of the upper extrusion plate and the lower extrusion plate are tilted downward at different angles, causing the front ends of the upper extrusion plate and the lower extrusion plate to approach each other.

9. Reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the method described in claims 1-8.

10. The use of the reconstituted tobacco leaves as described in claim 9 in the production of ordered heated cigarette products.

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