A method of processing tobacco feedstock

Abstract

The application discloses a tobacco raw material processing method, comprising the following steps: applying a carbonate-amino acid mixed aqueous solution to the tobacco raw material, drying at 40-60 DEG C to 5%-10% moisture, and then extruding and puffing through a double-screw device to obtain modified tobacco raw material. The processing method can improve the solubility of amino acids and the pH of the system, promote the release of nicotine to reduce physiological intensity, and promote the Maillard reaction of the material under high temperature and high pressure to enrich the aroma of tobacco. The method is suitable for various raw materials such as tobacco leaves, tobacco shreds and tobacco dust. The processed tobacco raw material is used for preparing heating cigarette particles or sheets, which can improve aroma quality and aroma amount, reduce miscellaneous gas and irritability, weaken physiological intensity, significantly improve smoking comfort, and is simple in process and suitable for industrialized production of heating cigarettes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco technology, and in particular to a method for processing tobacco raw materials. Background Technology

[0002] With the accelerating global tobacco control movement, the tobacco industry has entered a new era of seeking transformation and breakthroughs, promoting and accelerating the development of new tobacco products. Heated cigarettes are an important component of these new tobacco products, characterized by low-temperature heating rather than combustion of tobacco. Therefore, the sensory experience and flavor profile of heated cigarettes differ significantly from traditional cigarettes, generally exhibiting high physiological intensity, strong irritation, weak aroma, and monotonous flavor. Improving the release of tobacco flavor in heated cigarette products is a pressing issue that my country's tobacco industry needs to address in its development of heated cigarette products.

[0003] Compared to using untreated tobacco leaves directly, pre-treating tobacco leaves before processing them into shreds or sheets can effectively improve the sensory experience of heated cigarettes. Invention patents CN202011321125.6 and CN202011320051.4 disclose a method for processing tobacco leaves, which can effectively reduce the irritation of off-flavors in heated cigarettes and increase the roasted and sweet aroma. Invention patent CN202311422175.7 discloses a method for preparing shredded tobacco for heated cigarettes, which enhances the uniformity of tobacco aroma release by applying the smoking agent in batches to improve its distribution. Invention patent CN202411965973.9 discloses a tobacco powder treatment technology that combines acid treatment or baking treatment with boiling treatment, which can effectively improve the sensory quality of heated cigarette sheets produced by the slurry method. Invention patent CN 202411978834.X discloses a method for preparing tobacco sheets, which uses high-temperature glycerin liquefaction to treat tobacco raw materials, achieving the effect of removing impurities from heated cigarettes and enhancing aroma richness. Invention patent CN202411969983.X discloses a method for processing tobacco leaves, which involves grinding tobacco leaves into powder, mixing them with an aqueous solution of glucose and amino acids, drying them, heating the mixture, and then mixing them with other excipients to form sheets, significantly improving the richness of tobacco aroma and smoke concentration. Invention patent CN202310441329.0 discloses a method for extruding tobacco raw materials, achieving the technical effect of optimizing heated cigarette smoke. Existing technologies, from multiple perspectives such as processing technology, physicochemical treatment, and optimized use of additives, have achieved the effect of increasing aroma release and enhancing aroma richness, but they still do not provide effective solutions for the stimulation and insufficient sensory comfort caused by excessive physiological intensity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for processing tobacco raw materials, so as to solve the problems of excessive physiological strength and unsatisfactory aroma quality of existing heated cigarette products.

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] A method for processing tobacco raw materials includes the following steps:

[0007] (1) Adding ingredients: Prepare a mixed aqueous solution of carbonate and amino acids and apply it evenly to the tobacco raw material;

[0008] (2) Drying: The tobacco raw materials after adding the additives are heated and dried to remove excess moisture;

[0009] (3) Extrusion puffing: The dried tobacco raw material is fed into a twin-screw extrusion puffing equipment for extrusion puffing to obtain modified tobacco raw material.

[0010] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (1), the tobacco raw material is selected from one or more of tobacco leaves, shredded tobacco, and tobacco dust.

[0011] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (1), the carbonate is selected from one or two of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate; the amino acid is selected from one or more of alanine, glycine, phenylalanine, arginine, lysine, valine and proline.

[0012] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (1), the mass ratio of the carbonate to the amino acid in the mixed aqueous solution is 1:10-1:20.

[0013] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (1), the amount of carbonate-amino acid mixed aqueous solution applied is: 3-10g of mixed aqueous solution added per 100g of tobacco raw material.

[0014] Preferably, in the above technical solution, after applying the mixed aqueous solution in step (1), the mixture is stored at room temperature for 1-3 hours and then dried.

[0015] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (2), the drying temperature is 40-60℃, and the tobacco raw material is dried to a moisture content of 5%-10%; the drying process adopts at least one auxiliary treatment among blowing, stirring or vibration.

[0016] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in step (3), the twin-screw extrusion puffing process parameters are: screw speed 2-8 rpm; feed section temperature 60-90℃, transition section temperature 80-120℃, and die head section temperature 110-150℃.

[0017] A modified tobacco raw material is prepared by the above-mentioned tobacco raw material processing method.

[0018] A heated cigarette comprising the aforementioned modified tobacco raw material.

[0019] The above-described technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] (1) Applying a carbonate-amino acid mixed aqueous solution to tobacco raw materials can, on the one hand, increase the solubility of amino acids in water, thereby improving the convenience and uniformity of feeding; on the other hand, carbonate can increase the pH of the tobacco raw material system, thereby promoting the release of nicotine in the tobacco raw materials during subsequent processing, so as to reduce the nicotine content level and improve physiological strength and comfort.

[0021] (2) Heating and drying can reduce the moisture content of tobacco raw materials, which helps to increase the degree of reaction in subsequent processing.

[0022] (3) The high temperature and high pressure of extrusion puffing can promote the degradation of macromolecular substances. The generated small molecule sugars undergo Maillard reaction with the nitrogen-containing compounds therein, which can increase the aroma of tobacco raw materials and improve the aroma quality.

[0023] The tobacco raw materials obtained by the processing method of this invention can be used as raw materials for tobacco particles or tobacco sheets for heated cigarettes. Compared with untreated tobacco raw materials, the physiological strength and comfort are significantly improved, and the aroma quality and richness are significantly increased. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0025] Unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods used in the following examples are conventional methods, and the materials and reagents used are commercially available. Unless otherwise specified, the equipment used in the experiments is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] The tobacco raw material processing method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0028] (1) Prepare a mixed aqueous solution of potassium carbonate and proline in a mass ratio of 1:10, and apply it evenly to the tobacco leaves at a ratio of 10 g of mixed solution per 100 g of tobacco leaves, and store at room temperature for 3 h.

[0029] (2) After adding the feed, the tobacco leaves are dried in a drum at 40°C until the moisture content reaches 10%;

[0030] (3) The dried tobacco leaves were processed using a twin-screw extrusion puffing equipment. The screw speed of the extrusion puffing equipment was 2 rpm, the temperature of the feeding section was 60℃, the temperature of the transition section was 80℃, and the temperature of the die head section was 110℃ to obtain the processed tobacco material.

[0031] The tobacco material obtained using the treatment method of this embodiment and untreated tobacco leaves were respectively processed into tobacco pellets using the same granulation process, and then processed into heated cigarettes using tobacco pellets as the smoking material. The sensory evaluation results are shown in the table below. Compared with the use of untreated tobacco raw materials, the heated cigarettes made with treated tobacco raw materials have improved aroma quality and aroma quantity, reduced off-flavors and irritation, significantly improved smoothness and mellowness, reduced physiological intensity, and significantly increased overall comfort. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0032] Table 1

[0033]

[0034] Example 2

[0035] The tobacco raw material processing method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0036] (1) Prepare a mixed aqueous solution of sodium carbonate, alanine and arginine in a mass ratio of 1:3:10, and apply it evenly to the tobacco shreds at a ratio of 3 g of mixed solution per 100 g of tobacco leaves. Store at room temperature for 1 hour.

[0037] (2) Dry the tobacco shreds after adding the feed at 50°C using a vibrating screen until the moisture content reaches 8%;

[0038] (3) The dried tobacco leaves are processed by a twin-screw extrusion puffing equipment. The screw speed of the extrusion puffing equipment is 6 rpm, the temperature of the feeding section is 70℃, the temperature of the transition section is 90℃, and the temperature of the die head section is 130℃ to obtain processed tobacco leaves.

[0039] The tobacco material obtained using the method described in this embodiment and untreated tobacco shreds were respectively processed into tobacco sheets using the same papermaking process. These sheets were then shredded and processed into heated cigarettes using the shredded tobacco sheets as the smoking material. The sensory evaluation results are shown in the table below. Compared with untreated tobacco material, the heated cigarettes made with treated tobacco material showed significantly improved aroma quality and quantity, reduced off-flavors and irritation, significantly improved smoothness and gentleness, significantly reduced physiological intensity, and significantly increased overall comfort. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0040] Table 2

[0041]

[0042] Example 3

[0043] The tobacco raw material processing method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0044] (1) Prepare a mixed aqueous solution of potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate and glycine in a mass ratio of 0.5:0.5:20, and apply it evenly to the tobacco powder at a ratio of 6 g of mixed solution per 100 g of tobacco leaves, and store at room temperature for 2 h.

[0045] (2) The flue gas powder after adding the feed is dried at 60°C by forced air until the moisture content reaches 5%;

[0046] (3) The dried tobacco leaves are processed by a twin-screw extrusion puffing equipment. The screw speed of the extrusion puffing equipment is 8 rpm, the temperature of the feeding section is 90℃, the temperature of the transition section is 120℃, and the temperature of the die head section is 150℃ to obtain processed tobacco leaves.

[0047] The tobacco raw materials obtained using the processing method of this embodiment and untreated tobacco dust were respectively processed into tobacco sheets using the same papermaking process, and then processed into heated cigarettes with tobacco sheets as the smoking material. The sensory evaluation results are shown in the table below. Compared with the tobacco raw materials used, the heated cigarettes made with the treated tobacco raw materials have significantly improved aroma quality and aroma quantity, significantly reduced off-flavors and irritation, significantly weakened physiological intensity, and significantly increased overall comfort. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0048] Table 3

[0049]

[0050] Compared to untreated tobacco raw materials, heated cigarettes made from tobacco raw materials modified by this method exhibit significantly improved aroma quality and quantity, enhanced smoke smoothness and gentleness, and a marked reduction in off-flavors and irritation. The Maillard reaction generated during extrusion puffing enriches the natural tobacco aroma, while carbonates increase the system pH and promote nicotine removal, effectively weakening physiological strength and significantly improving smoking comfort. This invention features adjustable process parameters, adaptability to various tobacco raw materials, and a simple processing flow. It can be used for the large-scale production of heated cigarette tobacco granules and tobacco sheets, showing broad application prospects.

[0051] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various different choices and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for processing tobacco raw materials, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) Adding ingredients: Prepare a mixed aqueous solution of carbonate and amino acids and apply it evenly to the tobacco raw material; (2) Drying: The tobacco raw materials after adding the additives are heated and dried to remove excess moisture; (3) Extrusion puffing: The dried tobacco raw material is fed into a twin-screw extrusion puffing equipment for extrusion puffing to obtain modified tobacco raw material.

2. The tobacco raw material processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the tobacco raw material is selected from one or more of tobacco leaves, shredded tobacco, and tobacco dust.

3. The method for processing tobacco raw materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the carbonate is selected from one or two of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate; the amino acid is selected from one or more of alanine, glycine, phenylalanine, arginine, lysine, valine and proline.

4. The tobacco raw material processing method according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step (1), the mass ratio of the carbonate to the amino acid in the mixed aqueous solution is 1:10-1:

20.

5. The method for processing tobacco raw materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (1), the amount of carbonate-amino acid mixed aqueous solution applied is 3-10g of mixed aqueous solution per 100g of tobacco raw material.

6. The method for processing tobacco raw materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, After applying the mixed aqueous solution in step (1), let it stand at room temperature for 1-3 hours before drying.

7. The method for processing tobacco raw materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the drying temperature is 40-60℃, and the tobacco raw material is dried to a moisture content of 5%-10%; at least one of the following auxiliary treatments is used in the drying process: blowing, stirring or vibration.

8. The method for processing tobacco raw materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the twin-screw extrusion puffing process parameters are: screw speed 2-8 rpm; feed section temperature 60-90℃, transition section temperature 80-120℃, and die head section temperature 110-150℃.

9. A modified tobacco raw material, characterized in that, It is prepared by any of the tobacco raw material processing methods described in claims 1-7.

10. A heated cigarette, characterized in that, It includes the modified tobacco raw material as described in claim 9.

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