Reconstituted tobacco material and method of its production
First Claim
1. A process of making a reconstituted tobacco material of constituents essentially limited to tobacco, a gum binder and a humectant, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) dispersing a binder in water under a first shear sufficient to form an aqueous binder dispersion, said binder consisting essentially of a gum;
(b) hydrating said aqueous binder dispersion of step (a) by subjecting the aqueous binder dispersion to a second shear so as to produce a hydrated binder solution;
(c) commingling tobacco particles with said hydrated binder solution of step (b) under a low shear so as to form a slurry, said low shear at a shear rate of less than 100 reciprocal seconds;
(d) casting the slurry; and
(e) drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco material.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Reconstituted tobacco sheet having improved homogeneity and wet and dry tensile strength are produced by a process including mixing a water-soluble polysaccharide and a humectant under a first high shear; subjecting the resulting aqueous binder composition to a second high shear mixing operation; mixing the resulting aqueous binder composition with tobacco dust under a third shear, the third shear being lower than the first and second shears to form a slurry; casting the slurry onto a supportive surface such as a stainless steel conveyor belt; drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco sheet; and recovering the reconstituted tobacco sheet for use such as cut filler for cigarettes.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A process of making a reconstituted tobacco material of constituents essentially limited to tobacco, a gum binder and a humectant, said process comprising the steps of:
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(a) dispersing a binder in water under a first shear sufficient to form an aqueous binder dispersion, said binder consisting essentially of a gum; (b) hydrating said aqueous binder dispersion of step (a) by subjecting the aqueous binder dispersion to a second shear so as to produce a hydrated binder solution; (c) commingling tobacco particles with said hydrated binder solution of step (b) under a low shear so as to form a slurry, said low shear at a shear rate of less than 100 reciprocal seconds; (d) casting the slurry; and (e) drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A process of making a reconstituted tobacco material, said process comprising the steps of:
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(a) preparing an aqueous binder dispersion by mixing a water-soluble polysaccharide binder under a first shear sufficient to disperse the binder to form an aqueous binder dispersion; (b) hydrating said aqueous binder dispersion of step (a) by subiecting the aqueous binder dispersion to a second shear so as to produce a hydrated binder solution; (c) commingling tobacco particles with said hydrated binder solution of step (b) under a low shear so as to form a slurry; (d) casting the slurry; and (e) drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco material; wherein said polysaccharide binder comprises guar gum; wherein said second shear of step (b) is at an average shear rate in the range of approximately 600 to 800 reciprocal seconds; wherein the first shear of step (a) is at an average shear rate in the range of approximately 100 to 500 reciprocal seconds; wherein the low shear of the commingling step (c) is at an average rate of about 100 reciprocal seconds or less; wherein said hydrating step (b) includes removing heat so that the temperature of the binder solution remains below 170°
F. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A process of making a reconstituted tobacco material, said process comprising the steps of:
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(a) combining water and a gum binder and applying a first shear to said combined water and gum binder at an average shear rate of approximately 100 to 500 reciprocal seconds, said first shear applying step sufficient to disperse the binder to form an aqueous binder dispersion; (b) hydrating said aqueous binder dispersion of step (a) by subjecting the aqueous binder dispersion to a second shear at an average shear rate of approximately 500 to 1000 reciprocal seconds so as to produce a hydrated binder solution; (c) commingling tobacco particles of approximately 80 mesh size or finer with said hydrated binder solution of step (b) under a low shear at an average shear rate of approximately 100 reciprocal seconds or less so as to form an essentially homogeneous slurry, relative proportions of said tobacco particles and said hydrated binder solution of step (b) being selected such that the solids content of said slurry is in the range of approximately 15 to 26%; (d) casting the slurry; and (e) drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco material. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A process of making a reconstituted tobacco material, said process comprising the steps of:
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combining water and a gum binder and applying a first shear to said combined water and gum binder at an average shear rate of approximately 100 to 500 reciprocal seconds, said first shear applying step sufficient to disperse the binder to form an aqueous binder dispersion; (b) hydrating said aaueous binder dispersion of step (a) by subjecting the aqueous binder dispersion to a second shear at an average shear rate of approximately 500 to 1000 reciprocal seconds so as to produce a hydrated binder solution; (c) commingling tobacco particles of approximately 80 mesh size or finer with said hydrated binder solution of step (b) under a low shear at an average shear rate of approximately 100 reciprocal seconds or less so as to form an essentially homogeneous slurry, relative proportions of said tobacco particles and said hydrated binder solution of step (b) being selected such that the solids content of said slurry is in the range of approximately 15 to 26%; (d) casting the slurry; and (e) drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco material; wherein said hydrating step (b) includes removing heat so that the temperature of the binder solution remains below 170°
F. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A process of making a reconstituted tobacco material, said process comprising the steps of:
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(a) preparing an aqueous binder dispersion by mixing a water-soluble polysaccharide binder under a first shear sufficient to disperse the binder to form an aqueous binder dispersion; (b) hydrating said aqueous binder dispersion of step (a) by subjecting the aqueous binder dispersion to a second shear so as to produce a hydrated binder solution; (c) commingling tobacco particles with said hydrated binder solution of step (b) under a low shear so as to form a slurry; (d) casting the slurry; and (e) drying the cast slurry to form a reconstituted tobacco material; wherein the first shear of step (a) is at an average shear rate in the range of approximately 100 to 300 reciprocal seconds; wherein the first shear of step (a) forms an aqueous binder dispersion having a solids content of in the range of approximately 1.5% to 1.8% by weight and having a temperature of approximately 120°
F.
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Specification