The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 17, 2016
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2012
Medwick Vaughan Byrd, Jr., Raleigh, NC (US);
Paul Stuart Chapman, Winston Salem, NC (US);
Samuel Mark Debusk, Lexington, NC (US);
Grady Lance Dooly, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Anthony Richard Gerardi, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
David Neil Mcclanahan, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Medwick Vaughan Byrd, Jr., Raleigh, NC (US);
Paul Stuart Chapman, Winston Salem, NC (US);
Samuel Mark Debusk, Lexington, NC (US);
Grady Lance Dooly, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Anthony Richard Gerardi, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
David Neil McClanahan, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
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.