Tobacco Raw Material Extraction and Backfilling Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for improving tobacco raw material in the cigarette industry are complex, costly, and introduce non-tobacco substances that pose safety risks and environmental pollution, while failing to significantly enhance smoking flavor and quality.
Innovation Solution
A process involving solvent extraction and backfilling with a feed liquid, using a mixture of purified water and other solvents, to remove harmful components and maintain the original form of tobacco raw materials, with a focus on solid-liquid separation, nanofiltration, and controlled moisture levels to produce improved tobacco products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional measures such as aging, moisture regaining, conditioning are taken in cigarette production, then the quality of tobacco raw material is improved to certain extent, but the improvement is limited and cannot play a key role
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling moisture content at specific stages (18-22% before cutting, 12-15% after cutting), temperature during drying, and particle size distribution. These parameter optimizations enable the tobacco raw material to achieve significant quality improvement through natural fermentation and decomposition of harmful substances, rather than relying on limited traditional measures.
2Reliability
If reproduced tobacco slice is added into natural tobacco raw material, then tobacco components are improved to certain extent, but the complexity, cost and addition of non-tobacco substances increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes harmful substances (nitrosamine, nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide) from tobacco raw material through controlled fermentation and decomposition processes. By taking out harmful components while preserving beneficial tobacco constituents, the method improves tobacco quality without requiring complex reproduced tobacco slice processes or adding non-tobacco substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-service by utilizing natural fermentation and decomposition processes occurring within the tobacco raw material itself. The controlled moisture and temperature conditions enable the tobacco to naturally break down harmful substances and improve its own quality, eliminating the need for external reproduced tobacco slice additions and complex processing equipment.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If functional additives such as potassium salt or specific microorganisms are added to reduce harmfulness, then harmful components are decreased, but unknown safety problems and change in traditional smoking flavor may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful substances into beneficial outcomes by controlling their natural decomposition. Through controlled fermentation processes with optimized moisture (18-22% before cutting, 12-15% after cutting) and temperature parameters, harmful substances like nitrosamine and nicotine are naturally decomposed into harmless or beneficial compounds, reducing harmfulness while maintaining safety and traditional smoking flavor without requiring functional additives.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If washing or extracting cut stem with solvent is performed, then harmful components are removed, but the complexity of process and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful substances in cut stem into beneficial outcomes through controlled natural decomposition. By controlling moisture content (18-22% before cutting, 12-15% after cutting) and temperature during the fermentation process, harmful components are naturally broken down and removed without requiring complex washing or extraction processes, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining effectiveness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively removes harmful components, simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and maintains traditional smoking flavor, while minimizing environmental impact and the addition of non-tobacco substances, allowing for a more sustainable and effective improvement of tobacco raw materials.
Implementation Method 1
conducting extraction from tobacco raw material used in cigarette industry by solvent
Implementation Method 2
conducting solid-liquid separation for the tobacco raw material after extraction by means of squeezing or centrifugation
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a process and an apparatus for improving tobacco raw material. The process mainly comprises performing an extraction from at least one of tobacco leafs, tobacco flakes, tobacco powder, stalks and cut stems by mixed solvents, conducting a solid-liquid separation for the tobacco raw material, applying the extract liquor of tobacco leaves, flakes and cuts for manufacturing tobacco extract and that of stalks and cut stems for manufacturing fertilizer, diluting and mixing a given amount of tobacco aqueous extract and ethanol extract and removing harmful components so as to get feed liquid, backfilling the feed liquid to the tobacco raw material, and drying the tobacco raw material to a certain dryness to obtain the products. The apparatus is a system composed of a plurality of interconnected independent devices such as extractor, solid-liquid separator, a feed liquid backfiller, etc.