METHOD FOR PRODUCING MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE FROM TOBACCO AND RELATED TOBACCO PRODUCT
First Claim
1. A tobacco product, comprising:
- a tobacco material; and
a microcrystalline cellulose material derived from a tobacco input.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for producing dissolving grade pulp and microcrystalline cellulose from tobacco are provided. The methods include chemical pulping a tobacco input to form a tobacco pulp. Chemical pulping the tobacco input includes combining the tobacco input with a strong base defining a weight from about 5% to about 50% of the tobacco input, and heating the tobacco input and the strong base with an H-factor from about 500 to about 3,300. Further, the methods include bleaching the tobacco pulp to produce a dissolving grade pulp. Bleaching the tobacco pulp may include chlorination of the tobacco pulp with a chlorine dioxide solution, and caustic extraction of the tobacco pulp with a second strong base. A related tobacco-derived microcrystalline cellulose product is also provided, which can be used as a binder, a filler, and/or a texturizer in a tobacco product, such as a smokeless tobacco product.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A tobacco product, comprising:
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a tobacco material; and a microcrystalline cellulose material derived from a tobacco input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for processing tobacco, the method comprising:
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i) chemical pulping a tobacco input to form a tobacco pulp, wherein chemical pulping the tobacco input comprises; combining the tobacco input with a strong base having a weight from about 5% to about 50% of the weight of the tobacco input, and heating the tobacco input and the strong base with an H-factor from about 500 to about 3,300; and ii) bleaching the tobacco pulp to produce a dissolving grade pulp. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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- 43. A dissolving grade pulp derived from tobacco, the dissolving grade pulp characterized by a brightness of at least about 83% and an alpha-cellulose concentration of at least about 88% by weight.
Specification