JPS609788B2 - How to color tobacco substitutes - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to tobacco substitutes.

More particularly, the present invention relates to tobacco product materials containing tobacco substitutes, methods of making the same, and cigarettes comprising filters containing the materials. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in tobacco substitutes used in the manufacture of tobacco products.

Such substitutes may be based on neutral polymers such as cellulose and starch, synthetic polymers such as vinyl methyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymer, and non-tobacco plant products such as lettuce leaves and perilla seeds. things are included. Generally, these substitutes do not have the characteristic tobacco color, which is the basis for their lack of consumer acceptance.
This shortcoming is widely recognized as evidenced by the solutions that have been proposed to address the color problem. For example, US Patent No. 3,63,866 discloses adding suitable dyes to cellulose-based tobacco substitutes to enhance the appearance of the substitute. U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,824 also discloses that cellulosic materials as tobacco substitutes contain colorants such as carbon, iron oxides, food dyes, tobacco extracts, organic colorants, and inorganic pigments in an amount of about 5% of the total composition. It is described that it is mixed in an amount up to . Thus, while these colorants may be effective in providing the desired color, they are not entirely satisfactory. This is because these colorants have drawbacks such as an unpleasant taste when consumed in tobacco substitutes containing them and impractical for large-scale commercial use for economic reasons. The present invention provides a convenient and economical method of imparting a tobacco-like color to a tobacco substitute by applying tobacco powder to the surface of such a substitute.

The tobacco powder is applied to the shredded or shredded tobacco substitute by means of a suitable binder, so that the coated tobacco substitute has the same properties as the shredded or shredded tobacco. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tobacco substitute is first shredded or pulverized to obtain the desired particle size of the tobacco substitute.

For example, when the tobacco substitute is used in the production of cigarettes, the substitute is shredded into sheets or flakes at approximately 30 cuts per lin. Prior to shredding, the moisture content of the particular tobacco substitute used should be adjusted to a level optimal for the substitute. Excessive moisture levels should be avoided to prevent potential adverse effects on the tobacco substitute and the removal of any excess moisture that may be present after the tobacco substitute has been coated with tobacco powder. should be avoided in order to reduce the associated energy requirements. The shredded or pulverized tobacco substitute is treated with a suitable adhesive under conditions such that its surface is relatively uniformly coated with the adhesive.

A convenient device for applying the adhesive includes a combination of an inclined rotating drum and a spraying means for spraying a solution of the adhesive onto the tobacco substitute while the tobacco substitute is agitated by the rolling action of the drum. This includes those that operate in this manner.
Adhesives that can be used in the practice of this invention should exhibit the necessary bonding properties but do not adversely affect the taste and aroma of the final tobacco product. Preferred adhesives include those derived from carbohydrates such as starch, cellulose and sucrose. Specific examples include dextrin, corn syrup, hydroxymethylcellulose, invert sugar, and bran syrup. The adhesive is preferably applied in solution form using water, alcohol to glycerin, or combinations thereof as the vehicle. If you wish,
The adhesive may be applied in dry powder form to the surface of the tobacco substitute and the treated surface may then be sprayed with water, alcohol or other suitable liquid to activate the adhesive. Their use in combination with tobacco substitutes is particularly advantageous in that the brittleness associated with dried backing adhesives applied to tobacco substitutes is likely to be alleviated by the insulating and plasticizing properties of glycerin. The amount of adhesive required for is dependent on several factors including the adhesive properties of the adhesive used, the density of the tobacco substitute, and the surface area of the tobacco substitute particles.

Thus, it is preferred to use the adhesive or adhesive mixture in an amount suitable, but not appreciably excessive, to provide the necessary bonding of the tobacco powder. As a general guide, the minimum amount of adhesive required is about 5% by weight (total solids) based on the dry weight of the tobacco substitute to be treated. The concentration of adhesive in the solvent vehicle selected should be such that the viscosity of the adhesive-vehicle solution allows a uniform coating of adhesive to be applied to the tobacco substitute by spray or pool means. be. Thus, it is desirable to use the highest practical concentration of the adhesive solution that is compatible with reasonable results so as not to excessively increase the moisture level of the tobacco substitute to be treated. Following treatment with the adhesive, and while the adhesive coating is still sticky, the tobacco substitute is treated with sufficient tobacco powder to provide the desired degree of color.

Tobacco powder is defined herein as finely ground tobacco consisting of particles smaller than about 75 microns in diameter. Such tobacco powder can be obtained by grinding whole tobacco leaves, strips or other tobacco plant parts, but it is also possible to obtain tobacco powder from tobacco powder, which is routinely collected as a by-product in making tobacco products. It is more economical to obtain For example, the mechanical wear that tobacco undergoes during shredding, drying, and conveyance operations produces significant amounts of tobacco fines that must be recycled in some way. Otherwise, you will suffer economic losses. However, such tobacco pongee flour contains a significant proportion of particles larger than 200 microns in diameter, thereby making it unsuitable for use in the present invention. It is therefore necessary to subject the tobacco fines obtained from normal manufacturing operations to a grinding or pulverization process in order to obtain the desired particle size. Grinding or pulverizing tobacco particles to produce tobacco powder of a desired particle size can be accomplished by any suitable method.

For example, the DM-3C SWECO is a ceramic pulverizer available from SWECOIM. (Los Angeles, California).

Vibro energy. Dry Grinding Mill (SWECOVjbm-Efer Dry Gr;nd
I found that something called ingMill was perfect for pulverizing tobacco. A better pulverization effect can be obtained if the tobacco particles are dried prior to pulverization. Therefore, it is desirable that the moisture content be less than 5%, preferably less than 3%, whether in the tobacco particles before crushing or in the tobacco powder obtained as a result of the crushing and intended to be applied as a tobacco substitute. By applying this well-dried tobacco powder to the adhesive coating on the tobacco substitute, the tobacco powder can be adhered well.The application of such well-dried tobacco powder also improves the adhesion of the tobacco substitute. The majority of tobacco powder applied in tobacco substitutes consists primarily of small particles with a diameter of less than 75 microns.
It is important that the particles preferably consist of particles less than 30 microns in diameter, most preferably less than 10 microns in diameter. Then, “
Smaller particle sizes provide a more uniform coating on the surface of the tobacco substitute, reducing the amount of tobacco particles required per unit area of exposed surface and also providing a more uniform color and texture. Furthermore, ``The smaller the particle size, the less likely it is to be desorbed or removed during post-processing of the tobacco substitute.When applying tobacco powder to a tobacco substitute to be coated with an adhesive, the entire surface of the tobacco substitute is To ensure that it is coated with powder, it is necessary to cover it.

Any suitable equipment can be used for this purpose. Such devices include, for example, the tilted rotating drums previously described in connection with adhesive application. After application of the tobacco powder, the tobacco substitute is dried by conventional methods to a moisture level suitable for further processing in connection with the manufacture of the desired tobacco product. If an even darker color is desired, the powdered tobacco substitute can be repeatedly processed to incorporate a quantity of adhesive and tobacco powder. The following examples serve to further illustrate the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 Tobacco string flour obtained from the manufacture of cigarettes was dried in an oven maintained at 125°C until its moisture content was approximately 2%.

Next, apply this pongee powder to DM-30 Swaycove Eye Pro.
energy. The particles were comminuted in a dry grinding mill so that essentially all the particles were less than 10 microns in diameter as measured by particle size analysis. This particle size analysis was performed by R. L. Harris (ship ms) is public. Health Services Publication (Public Heal Ratio Sewi
ce Publication) No. 614Sec.
It was based on the general method described in B-7A. I saved the dried tobacco pongee powder for later use. Cytrel (
A tobacco substitute commercially available under the trade name Cytrel (available as Cytrel G Type 361 from Celanese Corporation, New York City, New York) was dimensioned to be compatible with the manufacture of cigarettes. Tsumugi was rejected.

In the rotating drum, "This string cut Cytrel 1 with a moisture content of about 7%"
Then add 30 minutes of powdered corn syrup solids and tumble in the drum.
The corn syrup mixture ensured that the Cytrel surface was evenly coated. The adhesive properties of the corn syrup solids were then activated by spraying the treated Cytorel with a mixture of 1 part glycerin, 259 ethanol and 1 part water. The spraying of the material to be treated was continued with a rotating drum. and the previously prepared tobacco powder 6M was introduced into the drum.The tobacco substitute coated with this tobacco powder was found to have a uniform color that closely resembled shredded tobacco.Example 2 U.S. Patent No. 39644 describes a tobacco substitute that
Example 1 except that it was shredded popcorn as described in No. 95.
The general procedure was repeated.

Thus, 120 tons of shredded popcorn were treated in a rotating drum with ``first 302 grams of powdered corn syrup solids, then with a mixture of 25 grams of glycerin, 7.5 grams of ethanol and 1 tablespoon of water, and finally with 60 grams of tobacco flour. The product had a uniform coating of powder and had a tobacco-like color. Example 3 Tobacco powder was prepared as described in Example 1.

A sample of 120 pieces of Sitrel, which can be cut into pieces, was placed in a rotating drum and mixed with glycerin (12 pieces), ethanol (15 pieces), water (1 cup), and a commercially available caramelized sugar product (12 pieces) [Chicago, Illinois, USA]. Sethness. Product Co., Ltd. (
Double 9 Strength G Caramel G Color (Do ribs) from Sethness Products Company
An adhesive mixture (commercially available as eSuengthCaMmelCOlOr) was sprayed. After this spray treatment, the previously prepared tobacco powder 302 was introduced into the rotating drum. The rotation of the drum was continued for a short time so that the tobacco powder was uniformly distributed. The result obtained is approximately 1
When dried to a moisture content of 2%, the appearance was found to be very similar to shredded tobacco. Example 4 Tobacco powder was prepared as described in Example 1.

120 samples of shredded popcorn (see US Pat. No. 3,964,495) were placed in a rotating drum and sprayed with the same adhesive mixture as described in Example 3. The sample to be sprayed was then treated with the previously prepared tobacco powder 3.
The treated sample was processed for 0 pm and continued pounding of the treated sample until the powder was evenly distributed over the surface of the popcorn.The sample was removed from the rotating drum and dried to a moisture content of approximately 12%. The dried product was uniformly colored with tobacco powder, and its appearance was exactly the same as shredded tobacco.Although the specific steps for implementing the present invention have been explained above,
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A tobacco product material comprising a tobacco substitute having adherently applied to its surface tobacco fines comprising tobacco particles having a diameter of less than about 75 microns. 2. The tobacco product material of claim 1, wherein the tobacco substitute is shredded. 3. Tobacco product material according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco powder is applied to adhere to the tobacco substitute by means of an adhesive derived from carbohydrates. 4. The tobacco product material of claim 1, wherein the tobacco powder consists of tobacco particles having a diameter of less than about 30 microns. 5. applying an adhesive to the surface of a shredded tobacco substitute and then treating the substitute with tobacco fines consisting of tobacco particles smaller than about 75 microns in diameter;
Method of manufacturing tobacco product materials. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adhesive is derived from a carbohydrate. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the tobacco fines comprises tobacco particles having a diameter of less than about 35 microns.