Reconstituted tobacco leaf, preparation process therefor and heat-not-burn tobacco product

Abstract

A preparation process for a reconstituted tobacco leaf, comprising the following steps: carrying out hot fresh air treatment on tobacco leaf raw materials, and storing same until the moisture content is 15% -25%, so as to obtain primary tobacco leaves; hot air drying the primary tobacco leaves to obtain secondary tobacco leaves, the time of the hot air drying being 10 min - 20 min; and crushing the secondary tobacco leaves and, by means of a thick pulp method, preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves. By means of the steps of multi-stage hot fresh air and high-strength drying and storage to ensure the moisture content, the preparation process for a reconstituted tobacco leaf can reduce offensive odor and irritation, and improve tobacco baking fragrance, sensory comfort, and sensory quality.

Description

Reconstituted tobacco leaf, preparation process thereof, and heat-not-burn tobacco product

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 26, 2023, with application number 202310765783.1 and invention name “Reconstituted tobacco leaves, their preparation process and heated non-burning tobacco products”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of heat-not-burn tobacco products, and in particular to a preparation process of reconstituted tobacco leaves and heat-not-burn tobacco products. Background Art

[0003] New tobacco products mainly include heat-not-burn tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products. Among them, heat-not-burn tobacco products have the advantages of low-temperature heating (below 500°C) rather than direct combustion, low harm, and fashionable appearance. They have become the mainstream new tobacco products with the most extensive product research and development and the strongest growth momentum. Currently, heat-not-burn tobacco products mainly include heating devices and new tobacco products. New tobacco products are mainly divided into reconstituted tobacco leaves, tobacco shreds, and tobacco particles according to different raw materials. Reconstituted tobacco leaves have become the main raw material for heat-not-burn tobacco products because of their advantages such as good tobacco component retention, strong plasticity, homogenization, and high controllability.

[0004] In the prior art, tobacco leaf raw materials are ground and then mixed with water, adhesives, and additives in a proportionate manner and stirred evenly to form a slurry. This slurry is then evenly spread on a circulating metal belt, dried, and peeled to produce reconstituted tobacco leaves. This method of directly preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves through a thick slurry process, which is then used to make heat-not-burn cigarettes, results in varying degrees of odor and irritation during smoking, and a lack of noticeable tobacco aroma.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a reconstituted tobacco leaf, a preparation process thereof and a heat-not-burn tobacco product, so as to solve the technical problems in the prior art that heat-not-burn cigarettes have impure odor and irritation when smoked and have no obvious natural aroma of tobacco.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention provides a process for preparing reconstituted tobacco, comprising the following steps:

[0009] S1. Subjecting tobacco raw materials to fresh hot air treatment and storing them until the moisture content is 15% to 25% to obtain primary tobacco leaves; S2. Subjecting the primary tobacco leaves to hot air drying to obtain secondary tobacco leaves, wherein the hot air drying time is 10 minutes to 20 minutes; S3. Crushing the second-stage tobacco leaves and preparing the reconstituted tobacco leaves through a thick slurry method.

[0010] Furthermore, the hot air temperature of the fresh air hot air treatment in step S1 is 55°C to 90°C.

[0011] Furthermore, the storage time in step S1 is 2 hours to 24 hours.

[0012] Furthermore, the hot air temperature of the hot air drying in step S2 is 120°C to 140°C.

[0013] Furthermore, the method further includes coating a moisture-proof agent on the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared in step S3.

[0014] Furthermore, the moisture-proof agent is selected from one or more of sodium alginate, chitosan, and stearic acid.

[0015] Furthermore, the step S3 specifically includes: crushing the second-stage tobacco leaves, mixing them with an atomizer, an adhesive, fibers and a solvent to obtain a mixed slurry, coating the mixed slurry on a metal belt, and peeling it off after drying to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0016] Furthermore, the process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 7 is characterized in that the mass ratio of the crushed second-stage tobacco leaves, the atomizer, the adhesive, and the fiber is 100:15-35:2-4:3-5.

[0017] Furthermore, the fiber is selected from one or more of hardwood bleached sulfate pulp, softwood bleached sulfate pulp, and sedge pulp.

[0018] Furthermore, the adhesive is selected from one or more of starch, dextrin, and polyvinyl alcohol.

[0019] Furthermore, before step S1, the method further includes the steps of loosening and steam humidifying the tobacco leaf raw material, wherein the temperature of the tobacco leaf raw material after the treatment is 60° C. to 90° C., and the moisture content of the tobacco leaf raw material after the treatment is 15% to 25%.

[0020] Furthermore, before step S1, the step also includes removing impurities from the tobacco leaf raw material to remove non-tobacco impurities.

[0021] The second aspect of the present invention provides reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above-mentioned preparation process.

[0022] The third aspect of the present invention provides a heat-not-burn tobacco product, comprising the reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above-mentioned preparation process.

[0023] Furthermore, the heat-not-burn tobacco product also includes existing reconstituted tobacco leaves, and the weight percentage of the existing reconstituted tobacco leaves is 5% to 50%.

[0024] The preparation process of reconstituted tobacco provided by the present invention subjects tobacco raw materials to multi-stage fresh air and hot air treatment, uses fresh air to remove foreign smells and irritating odors without affecting the aroma style and aroma quantity of the tobacco raw materials, improves sensory comfort, and enhances sensory quality; the storage step can homogenize the internal state of the tobacco raw materials, ensure that the return water and temperature fully reach a balanced state, and improve the stability of moisture in the tobacco raw materials during subsequent processing; the long-term hot air drying treatment of 10 minutes to 20 minutes ensures the drying effect, better highlights the aroma style of the tobacco raw materials, and reduces foreign smells and irritation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0026] FIG1 is a comparison chart of the water absorption and moisture absorption rates of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 1 of the present invention and Comparative Example 1;

[0027] FIG2 is a comparison chart of the water absorption and moisture absorption rates of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 2 of the present invention and Comparative Example 2;

[0028] FIG3 is a comparison chart of the water absorption and moisture absorption rates of the reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 3 of the present invention and Comparative Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to help those skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of this application, "plurality" or "several" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0031] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the conditions under which this application can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantive technical significance. Any structural modification, change in proportional relationship or adjustment of size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this application without affecting the efficacy and purpose that can be achieved by this application.

[0032] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a process for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves is provided, comprising the following steps: S1, subjecting the tobacco leaf raw materials to fresh hot air treatment, and storing them until the moisture content is 15% to 25% to obtain primary tobacco leaves; S2, subjecting the primary tobacco leaves to hot air drying to obtain secondary tobacco leaves, and the hot air drying time is 10 minutes to 20 minutes; S3, crushing the second-stage tobacco leaves and preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves through a thick slurry method.

[0033] The incoming raw materials of tobacco leaves are complex and have different degrees of moisture content. Directly preparing tobacco leaf raw materials into thick slurry reconstituted tobacco leaves, and then making the reconstituted tobacco leaves into heat-not-burn tobacco products, there will be different degrees of impurities and irritation when smoking, and the original aroma of tobacco baking will not be obvious, which directly affects the quality of heat-not-burn tobacco products.

[0034] The preparation process of the reconstituted tobacco in the embodiment of the present application, through the steps of multi-stage fresh air hot air, high-intensity drying and storage to ensure the moisture content, can reduce foreign gases and irritation, improve the original aroma of tobacco baking, improve sensory comfort, and improve sensory quality. The above-mentioned preparation process of reconstituted tobacco, subjecting the tobacco raw materials to multi-stage fresh air hot air treatment, uses fresh air to remove foreign gases and irritating odors without affecting the aroma style and aroma amount of the tobacco raw materials, improves sensory comfort, and improves sensory quality; the storage step can homogenize the internal state of the tobacco raw materials, can ensure that the return water and temperature fully reach a balanced state, and improve the stability of the moisture in the tobacco raw materials during subsequent processing; the long-term hot air drying treatment of 10min to 20min ensures the drying effect, better highlights the aroma style of the tobacco raw materials, and reduces foreign gases and irritation.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present application, the tobacco raw material is subjected to fresh air hot air treatment. This operation differs from traditional loosening and conditioning, which uses circulating hot air. In contrast, the present application uses fresh air hot air to remove impurities from the tobacco raw material. The multi-stage fresh air hot air can completely remove substances that produce impurities and irritating gases from the tobacco raw material. Specifically, the hot air temperature of the fresh air hot air treatment in step S1 is 55°C to 90°C. Preferably, the hot air temperature of the fresh air hot air treatment is 75°C to 85°C.

[0036] In the embodiments of the present application, the direction of the hot air during hot air drying can be continuously changed. The hot air drying process of the present application differs from traditional drying processes. Traditional drying processes have a drying time of 2 to 5 minutes, while the hot air drying process of the present application has a relatively long drying time. This high-intensity, long-term drying process ensures the drying effect and better highlights the aroma and style of the tobacco raw material. Preferably, the hot air temperature of the hot air drying in step S2 is 120°C to 140°C.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present application, storing the tobacco leaf raw material can improve the stability of the moisture content of the tobacco leaf raw material during subsequent processing. Preferably, the storage time in step S1 is 2 hours to 24 hours.

[0038] The reconstituted tobacco leaves in the prior art are loaded with a large amount of atomizers, which are very easy to absorb water and moisture, resulting in a series of problems such as excessively high smoke temperature, poor compatibility with appliances, and oral discomfort. In some embodiments, the preparation process of the reconstituted tobacco leaves further includes coating the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared in step S3 with a moisture-proof agent. In the embodiment of the present application, coating or spraying a moisture-proof agent on the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves produced by the thick slurry method can form a film on the surface, blocking the contact of the reconstituted tobacco leaves with the air, slowing down the rate of water and moisture absorption, and also having a sustained release effect on the spices in the reconstituted tobacco leaves, thereby improving the sensory quality of the product. Furthermore, the moisture-proof agent is selected from one or more of sodium alginate, chitosan, and stearic acid.

[0039] In some embodiments, step S3 specifically includes: crushing the second-grade tobacco leaves, mixing them with an atomizer, an adhesive, fibers, and a solvent to obtain a mixed slurry, applying the mixed slurry to a metal belt, and peeling the mixed slurry after drying to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves. In the embodiment of the present application, the particle size of the second-grade tobacco leaves after crushing is 250 mesh to 300 mesh; and after adding fibers to the mixed slurry, it can promote hydrogen bonding between the fibers in the second-grade tobacco leaves and the above-mentioned added fibers, thereby improving the tensile strength of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. The mixed slurry is applied to the metal belt to form thin sheets of a specified width. In the embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the thin sheets is 0.15mm to 0.4mm, and then dried and formed. After peeling, it is low-temperature dried and cut into shreds to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves. The width of the shredded thin sheets is 0.8mm to 1.1mm, the length is 30±15mm, and the thickness is 0.15mm to 0.4mm.

[0040] In some embodiments, the mass ratio of the crushed second-stage tobacco leaves, atomizer, binder, and fiber is 100:15-35:2-4:3-5. The fiber is selected from one or more of hardwood bleached sulfate pulp, softwood bleached sulfate pulp, and sedge pulp. Each pulp is added to the fiber in the same proportion.

[0041] In some embodiments, step S1 is preceded by the steps of loosening and steam humidifying the tobacco leaf material, wherein the temperature of the tobacco leaf material after the treatment is 60°C to 90°C, and the moisture content of the tobacco leaf material after the treatment is 15% to 25%. The above-mentioned treatment operation can loosen the tobacco leaf material and continuously and uniformly humidify it, making it soft tobacco leaves with a certain temperature and moisture content, thereby improving the toughness and processing resistance of the tobacco leaves, and providing tobacco leaves that meet quality requirements for subsequent processes.

[0042] In some embodiments, step S1 is preceded by a step of removing impurities from the tobacco raw material to remove non-tobacco impurities. The above impurity removal includes removing non-tobacco impurities such as metal impurities and difficult-to-handle tobacco pieces from the tobacco raw material, thereby further reducing the generation of impurity and irritating gases.

[0043] The second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above-mentioned preparation process.

[0044] A third aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a heat-not-burn tobacco product comprising reconstituted tobacco leaves produced by the aforementioned preparation process. The reconstituted tobacco leaves can be used alone to produce the heat-not-burn tobacco product, or they can be blended with other existing reconstituted tobacco leaves and flavored to produce the heat-not-burn tobacco product. The blending ratio of the other existing reconstituted tobacco leaves is 5% to 50%. This blending is used to form an atomized tobacco matrix segment, which minimizes foreign and irritating gases, enhances the tobacco's natural aroma, and slows down water and moisture absorption.

[0045] All reagents in the following examples are commercially available.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] A process for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves comprises the following steps:

[0048] 1. Slice and loosen 10 kg of tobacco leaf raw material, and steam humidify the raw material. The moisture content of the raw material after steam humidification is 20%, and the temperature of the raw material after treatment is 70°C.

[0049] 2. The tobacco raw material processed in step 1 is subjected to impurity removal treatment, such as using magnets and hemp removal rollers to remove impurities in the tobacco raw material.

[0050] 3. The tobacco raw materials treated in step 2 were subjected to three-stage fresh air hot air treatment at a hot air temperature of 60° C. The raw materials were then stored for 2 hours, and the moisture content of the raw materials was maintained at 19%, thereby obtaining primary tobacco leaves.

[0051] 4. The primary tobacco leaves are subjected to hot air drying treatment at a hot air temperature of 120°C and a hot air drying time of 15 minutes to obtain second-grade tobacco leaves.

[0052] 5. The second-grade tobacco leaves are crushed to obtain tobacco powder, with a particle size of 250 mesh. The tobacco powder is mixed with glycerol, starch, and fiber in a mass ratio of 100:30:2:3, and water is added to produce a mixed slurry. The fiber comprises bleached hardwood sulfate pulp and bleached softwood sulfate pulp in a mass ratio of 1:1. The mixed slurry is evenly coated onto a steel belt using a thick slurry casting mold or casting box to form a sheet of a specified width and thickness of 0.4 mm. The sheet is then dried, formed, and peeled to obtain a primary sheet.

[0053] 6. Coat both surfaces of the primary sheet with a moisture-proofing agent. In this example, the moisture-proofing agent is sodium alginate and chitosan in a mass ratio of 1:1. The sheet is then low-temperature dried and shredded to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco leaves are 0.8 mm wide, 20 mm long, and 0.3 mm thick.

[0054] A heat-not-burn tobacco product comprises existing reconstituted tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above-mentioned preparation process, wherein the blending ratio of the existing reconstituted tobacco leaves is 20%; the above-mentioned tobacco leaves are flavored at a flavoring ratio of 1.0%, sealed and packed, and stored for 2 hours; then rolled on a cigarette-making machine and connected with a multi-component composite nozzle rod to produce a heat-not-burn cigarette.

[0055] Example 2

[0056] A process for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves comprises the following steps:

[0057] 1. Slice and loosen 10 kg of tobacco leaf raw material, and steam humidify the raw material. The moisture content of the raw material after steam humidification is 22%, and the temperature of the raw material after treatment is 70°C.

[0058] 2. The tobacco raw material processed in step 1 is subjected to impurity removal treatment, such as using magnets and hemp removal rollers to remove impurities in the tobacco raw material.

[0059] 3. The tobacco raw materials treated in step 2 were subjected to three-stage fresh air hot air treatment at a hot air temperature of 90° C. The raw materials were then stored for 5 hours, and the moisture content of the raw materials was maintained at 20%, thereby obtaining primary tobacco leaves.

[0060] 4. The primary tobacco leaves are subjected to hot air drying treatment at a hot air temperature of 140°C and a hot air drying time of 10 minutes to obtain second-grade tobacco leaves.

[0061] 5. The second-grade tobacco leaves are crushed to obtain tobacco powder, with a particle size of 300 mesh. The tobacco powder is mixed with glycerol, dextrin, and fiber in a mass ratio of 100:30:2:3, and water to produce a mixed slurry. The fiber comprises bleached hardwood sulfate pulp and bleached softwood sulfate pulp in a mass ratio of 1:1. The mixed slurry is evenly coated onto a steel belt using a thick slurry casting mold or casting box to form a sheet of a specified width and thickness of 0.3 mm. The sheet is then dried, formed, and peeled to obtain a primary sheet.

[0062] 6. Coat both surfaces of the primary sheet with a moisture-proofing agent (in this example, sodium alginate). Then, low-temperature drying and shredding are performed to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco leaves have a width of 1.0 mm, a length of 30 mm, and a thickness of 0.2 mm.

[0063] A heat-not-burn tobacco product comprises existing reconstituted tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above-mentioned preparation process, wherein the blending ratio of the existing reconstituted tobacco leaves is 10%; the above-mentioned tobacco leaves are flavored at a flavoring ratio of 1.0%, sealed and packed, and stored for 2 hours; then rolled on a cigarette-making machine and connected with a multi-component composite nozzle rod to produce a heat-not-burn cigarette.

[0064] Example 3

[0065] A process for preparing reconstituted tobacco leaves comprises the following steps:

[0066] 1. Slice and loosen 10 kg of tobacco leaf raw material, and steam humidify the raw material. After steam humidification, the moisture content of the raw material is 20%, and the temperature of the raw material is 70°C.

[0067] 2. The tobacco raw material processed in step 1 is subjected to impurity removal treatment, such as using magnets and hemp removal rollers to remove impurities in the tobacco raw material.

[0068] 3. The tobacco raw materials treated in step 2 were subjected to three-stage fresh air hot air treatment at a hot air temperature of 75° C. The raw materials were then stored for 3 hours, and the moisture content of the raw materials was maintained at 19%, thereby obtaining primary tobacco leaves.

[0069] 4. The primary tobacco leaves are subjected to hot air drying treatment at a hot air temperature of 130°C and a hot air drying time of 12 minutes to obtain second-grade tobacco leaves.

[0070] 5. The second-grade tobacco leaves are crushed to obtain tobacco powder, with a particle size of 300 mesh. The tobacco powder is mixed with glycerol, polyvinyl alcohol, and fiber in a mass ratio of 100:30:2:3, and water to produce a mixed slurry. The fiber comprises bleached hardwood sulfate pulp and bleached softwood sulfate pulp in a mass ratio of 1:1. The mixed slurry is evenly coated onto a steel belt using a thick slurry casting mold or casting box to form a sheet of a specified width and thickness of 0.4 mm. The sheet is then dried, formed, and peeled to obtain a primary sheet.

[0071] 6. Coat both surfaces of the primary sheet with a moisture-proofing agent. In this example, the moisture-proofing agent is chitosan and stearic acid in a mass ratio of 1:1. The sheet is then low-temperature dried and shredded to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco leaves are 1.2 mm wide, 20 mm long, and 0.3 mm thick.

[0072] A heat-not-burn tobacco product comprises reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the above-mentioned preparation process, without being blended with existing reconstituted tobacco leaves; the tobacco leaves are flavored at a flavoring ratio of 0.6%, sealed and packed, and stored for 2 hours; and then rolled on a cigarette-making machine and equipped with a multi-component composite nozzle to produce a heat-not-burn cigarette.

[0073] Comparative Example 1

[0074] 10 kg of tobacco leaf material from the same batch as in Example 1 was directly pulverized and then mixed with glycerol, starch, and fiber in a mass ratio of 100:30:2:3, along with water, to produce a mixed slurry. The fiber comprised bleached hardwood kraft pulp and bleached softwood kraft pulp in a mass ratio of 1:1. The mixed slurry was evenly coated onto a steel belt using a thick slurry casting mold or a casting box to form a sheet of a specified width and thickness of 0.4 mm. The sheet was then dried, formed, and peeled to obtain a primary sheet. The primary sheet was then low-temperature dried and shredded to produce reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco leaves had a width of 0.8 mm, a length of 20 mm, and a thickness of 0.3 mm.

[0075] The reconstituted tobacco leaves of this comparative example were blended with existing reconstituted tobacco leaves at a blending ratio of 20%. The tobacco leaves were flavored at a flavoring ratio of 1.0%, sealed and packed, and stored for 2 hours. Then, they were rolled on a cigarette-making machine and equipped with a multi-component composite nozzle to produce heat-not-burn cigarettes.

[0076] Comparative Example 2

[0077] 10 kg of tobacco leaf material from the same batch as in Example 2 was directly pulverized and then mixed with glycerol, dextrin, and fiber in a mass ratio of 100:30:2:3, along with water, to produce a mixed slurry. The fiber comprised bleached hardwood sulfate pulp and sedge pulp in a mass ratio of 1:1. The mixed slurry was evenly coated onto a steel belt using a thick slurry casting mold or a casting box to form a sheet of a specified width and a thickness of 0.4 mm. The sheet was then dried, formed, and peeled to obtain a primary sheet. The primary sheet was then low-temperature dried and shredded to produce reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco leaves had a width of 1.0 mm, a length of 30 mm, and a thickness of 0.2 mm.

[0078] The reconstituted tobacco leaves of this comparative example were blended with existing reconstituted tobacco leaves at a blending ratio of 10%. The tobacco leaves were flavored at a flavoring ratio of 1.0%, sealed and packed, and stored for 2 hours. Then, they were rolled on a cigarette-making machine and equipped with a multi-component composite nozzle to produce heat-not-burn cigarettes.

[0079] Comparative Example 3

[0080] 10 kg of tobacco leaf material from the same batch as in Example 3 was directly pulverized and mixed with glycerol, polyvinyl alcohol, and fiber in a mass ratio of 100:28:3:5, along with water, to produce a mixed slurry. The fiber comprised bleached hardwood sulfate pulp and sedge pulp in a mass ratio of 1:1. The mixed slurry was evenly coated onto a steel belt using a thick slurry casting mold or a casting box to form a sheet of a specified width and a thickness of 0.4 mm. The sheet was then dried, formed, and peeled to obtain a primary sheet. The primary sheet was then low-temperature dried and shredded to produce reconstituted tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco leaves had a width of 1.2 mm, a length of 20 mm, and a thickness of 0.3 mm.

[0081] The reconstituted tobacco leaves of this comparative example were flavored at a flavoring ratio of 0.6%, sealed and packed, and stored for 2 hours; then rolled on a cigarette making machine and connected with a multi-component composite nozzle to produce heat-not-burn cigarettes.

[0082] The heat-not-burn cigarettes of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were subjected to sensory evaluation, and the results are shown in Table 1. As can be seen from the results in Table 1, compared with Comparative Examples 1 to 3, the tobacco aroma of Examples 1 to 3 is more sufficient, the baking aroma is more obvious, the irritation is reduced, and the taste is cleaner and more comfortable. It can be seen that the preparation process of reconstituted tobacco provided in the present application processes the tobacco raw materials through multi-stage fresh air and hot air treatment, and uses fresh air to remove foreign and irritating odors without affecting the aroma style and aroma amount of the tobacco raw materials, thereby improving sensory comfort and sensory quality. The longer hot air drying time of 10min to 20min ensures the drying effect, better highlights the aroma style of the tobacco raw materials, and reduces foreign and irritating odors.

[0083] Table 1 Sensory evaluation results

[0084] The reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were placed in an environment with a temperature of 40°C and a humidity of 75%, and their water absorption and moisture absorption rates were measured. The results are shown in Figure 1. The reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared in Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 were placed in an environment with a temperature of 25°C and a humidity of 40%, and their water absorption and moisture absorption rates were measured. The results are shown in Figure 2. The reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared in Example 3 and Comparative Example 3 were placed in an environment with a temperature of 35°C and a humidity of 60%, and their water absorption and moisture absorption rates were measured. The results are shown in Figure 3. The temperature and humidity in the above three experiments were different to examine the different environments simulated by Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-3, and to examine the changes in water absorption and moisture absorption under different temperatures and humidities.

[0085] From the comparison results of Figures 1 to 3, it can be seen that the water absorption and moisture absorption rates of Examples 1 to 3 are lower than those of Comparative Examples 1 to 3, respectively. This shows that the preparation process of the reconstituted tobacco leaves of the present application can reduce the water absorption and moisture absorption rate of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, and prevent the product from absorbing water and moisture too quickly and affecting the sensory quality.

[0086] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A process for preparing reconstituted tobacco, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. subjecting the tobacco raw material to fresh hot air treatment and storing it until the moisture content is 15% to 25% to obtain primary tobacco leaves; S2, hot-air drying the primary tobacco leaves to obtain secondary tobacco leaves, wherein the hot-air drying time is 10 min to 20 min; S3. The second-grade tobacco leaves are crushed and then prepared into the reconstituted tobacco leaves through a thick slurry method.

2. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hot air temperature of the fresh air hot air treatment in step S1 is 55°C to 90°C.

3. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage time in step S1 is 2 hours to 24 hours.

4. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hot air temperature of the hot air drying in step S2 is 120°C to 140°C.

5. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The method further includes coating a moisture-proof agent on the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaf prepared in step S3.

6. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 5, characterized in that: The moisture-proof agent is selected from one or more of sodium alginate, chitosan and stearic acid.

7. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The step S3 specifically comprises: crushing the second-stage tobacco leaves, mixing them with an atomizer, an adhesive, fibers and a solvent to obtain a mixed slurry, coating the mixed slurry on a metal belt, and peeling off the mixed slurry after drying to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

8. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mass ratio of the crushed second-stage tobacco leaves, the atomizer, the binder, and the fiber is 100:15-35:2-4:3-5; and / or The fiber is selected from one or more of hardwood bleached kraft pulp, softwood bleached kraft pulp and sedge pulp; and / or The adhesive is selected from one or more of starch, dextrin and polyvinyl alcohol.

9. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The step S1 also includes the steps of loosening and steam humidifying the tobacco raw materials, wherein the temperature of the tobacco raw materials after the treatment is 60° C. to 90° C., and the moisture content of the tobacco raw materials after the treatment is 15% to 25%.

10. The process for preparing reconstituted tobacco according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Before step S1, the tobacco leaf raw material is further subjected to impurity removal treatment to remove non-tobacco impurities.

11. Reconstituted tobacco leaves prepared by the preparation process according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A heat-not-burn tobacco product, characterized in that: The reconstituted tobacco leaf is prepared by the preparation process according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. The heat-not-burn tobacco product according to claim 12, characterized in that: The heat-not-burn tobacco product also includes existing reconstituted tobacco leaves, and the weight percentage of the existing reconstituted tobacco leaves is 5% to 50%.

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