R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Richard G Haberkern

Robert Eugene Grubbs

Gary Maurice Dull

Jackie L White

Thomas A Perfetti

Barry Smith Fagg

Mark L Raker

Hoyt Sturdivant Beard

John E Stewart

Michael E Edwards

Robert A Merricks

James D Frederickson

The invention is directed to a process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco under moderate conditions of temperature and pressure. Tobacco is impregnanted with a low boiling impregnant and thereafter subjected to a pre-expansion treatment. The pre-expansion treatment includes a pre-expansion temperature which is above the atmospheric boiling point of the impregnant and which is at least ten degrees below the critical temperature of the impregnant; and a pressure which is at least five atmospheres above the boiling point pressure of the impregnant at the pre-expansion temperature. Under these conditions, the impregnant is maintained primarily in the liquid phase throughout the pre-expansion treatment. Following the pre-expansion treatment, the pressure of the treated tobacco is rapidly reduced to a pressure below the boiling point pressure of the impregnant to thereby effect tobacco expansion without the need for a separate heating step.

Process for expanding tobacco under moderate conditions

Denicotinized tobacco cut filler is provided by (i) extracting the cut filler with an aqueous denicotinized extract and thereby providing a mixture of aqueous extract and extracted cut filler, (ii) deliquoring the mixture of aqueous extract and extracted cut filler such that a certain level of tobacco extract remains in contact with the extracted cut filler, and (iii) drying the deliquored tobacco extract/extracted cut filler to provide a processed cut filler. Greater than 90 percent of the nicotine present in tobacco cut filler can be removed therefrom using such process steps.

Tobacco processing

Cigarette rods and filter rods are provided by manufacturing rods from tobacco cut filler and a circumscribing paper wrap, and then subjecting the rods to conditions such that the cut filler undergoes volume expansion while within the paper wrap. For example, the tobacco rods can be exposed to propane under supercritical conditions within a pressure chamber followed by a venting of the gaseous fluid to expand the tobacco cut filler. The resulting rods are very firm, have good integrity, and frequently do not undergo any noticeable visible change. The resulting rods which contain the volume expanded tobacco can be used as smokable rods for cigarettes or as cigarette filters.

Process for the manufacture tobacco rods containing expanded tobacco

Growing community of inventors

King, NC, United States of America

Richard G Haberkern