JPH048277A - Tobacco leaf and method for treating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable rolling up of cigarettes having the standard rolling hardness with a smaller amount of filled tobacco leaves and production of mild cigarettes at a low cost by applying colloidal silica to tobacco leaves and converting the colloidal silica into gelatinous silica. CONSTITUTION:Colloidal silica at about 2-60wt.% concentration regulated to about neutral pH without emitting noxious gases or malodor in burning tobacco leaves is prepared. The resultant colloidal silica is subsequently applied to tobacco leaves by a method for spraying, etc., and converted into gelatinous silica by a method for heating, drying the applied colloidal silica at about 60-70 deg.C temperature, etc. The tobacco leaves are then subjected to humidity conditioning according to a conventional method and used in a process for producing cigarettes. Thereby, about 5-15wt.% of the necessary amount used of tobacco leaves conventionally employed in producing the cigarettes can be replaced with the gelatinous silica.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to tobacco leaves and a method for processing the same.

[Prior Art] In recent years, consumer preferences for cigarettes have shifted to products with a milder taste and lower nicotine and tar content in smoke. The most effective way to create a milder product is to reduce the amount of tobacco leaves used, but a certain amount of tobacco leaves must be rolled to prevent deformation during manufacturing and smoking, and to satisfy smokers' ease of smoking. Hardness is required. For this reason, it is necessary to obtain a certain degree of winding firmness with as little raw material as possible.

A technique for reducing the weight of tobacco leaves (hereinafter referred to as fill weight) necessary to obtain a certain rolling firmness in standard cigarettes is to reduce the weight of tobacco leaves required to obtain a certain degree of rolling firmness (hereinafter referred to as fill weight). Well-known methods include swelling treatment using turgor pressure, freeze-drying, and other methods to reduce the apparent density of shredded shreds, and methods to improve the elasticity of shredded shreds by adding additives.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Puffing and freeze-drying treatments using low-boiling-point auxiliary agents are highly effective, but they have the disadvantages of poor flavor and aroma of the treated product and too fast burning rate.

Furthermore, the former poses a problem of environmental pollution due to the auxiliary agent contained in the exhaust gas, while the latter poses a problem of high processing costs. On the other hand, many attempts have been made to improve elasticity using various additives, but in most cases organic compounds have been used, and no technology has been established that is satisfactory in terms of flavor and effectiveness. do not have.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In view of the above points, the present inventor has conducted various studies and studies with the aim of identifying means that can effectively reduce the amount of tobacco leaves used without causing the above-mentioned drawbacks. As a result, by treating tobacco leaves with a specific silicon compound,
It has been found that the above object can be achieved.

Thus, the present invention provides a tobacco leaf reinforced with colloidal silica and a method for treating the same.

The colloidal silica used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is non-toxic and does not generate harmful gases or unpleasant odors when tobacco leaves are burned. When using colloidal silica, it is appropriate to employ 2 to 60% by weight in terms of Stow concentration.

If the concentration is less than the above range, effective reinforcement of tobacco leaves cannot be expected; on the other hand, if it exceeds the above range, the viscosity of the colloidal silica solution may be high (and it may be difficult to apply it uniformly during processing). I don't like either of them because of that.

It may be possible to increase the reinforcing effect by further lowering the SiO2 concentration and repeating the application and drying steps, but this is not preferred since it may impair the taste and color of the tobacco.

The pH of the colloidal silica used in the present invention is preferably adjusted to around neutrality (pH 6 to 8). If the pH is outside this range, it is not preferable because it may cause deterioration or discoloration of the tobacco leaves. When adjusting the pH, it is appropriate to use, for example, acetic acid or aqueous ammonia, which is harmless and does not cause the colloidal silica to gel rapidly.

Thus, there are no particular limitations on the means for applying colloidal silica with an adjusted SiO* concentration to tobacco leaves, such as immersing tobacco leaves in a colloidal silica solution or applying a colloidal silica solution to tobacco leaves. Although methods such as spraying may be employed, the latter method is particularly preferred because the amount applied to the tobacco leaves can be easily controlled. The form of the tobacco leaves to be processed is not particularly limited, and may be processed in an unshredded state or in a shredded state after being shredded, but it is possible to process the tobacco leaves more uniformly in a shredded state. be.

The gelled silica converted from colloidal silica in the present invention can be converted into a room by 5 to 15% by weight of the required amount of tobacco leaves conventionally used in the production of cigarettes.

If the replacement amount is less than the above range, the intended purpose cannot be achieved effectively, and if it exceeds the above range, it may inhibit the combustion of the cigarette and make it difficult to smoke. I don't like either of them.

The tobacco leaves sprayed with the colloidal silica solution are dried at 60 to 70° C., and then subjected to humidity conditioning according to a conventional method before being subjected to the cigarette manufacturing process. If the drying temperature is lower than the above range, it will take a long time to dry, while if it exceeds the above range, there is a risk of deterioration in the flavor and aroma of the tobacco, so both are not preferred.

If the cigarette using the tobacco leaves according to the present invention is lit and kept in the so-called molded tobacco state, the burning speed is slow, so it will soon go out, so it is possible to prevent fires caused by tobacco leaves, etc. It also has the advantage of suppressing the generation of sidestream smoke that occurs when smoldering on an ashtray.

In addition, with conventional cigarettes, the tobacco leaves release heat and moisture during combustion, causing the base of the tobacco to become soft while smoking, causing discomfort; however, with the tobacco leaves of the present invention, such There is also the advantage that such phenomena do not occur. Furthermore,
Reducing the amount of raw materials used has significant economic benefits.

[Example] 3.8 parts by weight of acetic acid was added to 100 parts by weight of colloidal silica with a 5iOi concentration of 30% by weight using water as a medium, and pi(
A colloidal silica solution adjusted to 7 was obtained.

This 692 g was uniformly sprayed onto 1800 g of shredded blend for cigarette manufacturing in a closed container, and dried at 60° C. to a moisture content of 10% to prevent uneven drying, thereby preparing shredded pieces with a substitution rate of 10% for 5 ins. The obtained shreds were kept under conditions of 22° C. and 60% relative humidity for 5 days and then rolled up into cigarettes with a length of 70 mm and a circumference of 25 mm using a winding machine. The rolling tightness of this cigarette was measured using a measuring device, and the amount of cutting required to obtain the target rolling tightness was determined. Furthermore, using an automatic smoking device, the nicotine, tar, and CO contents in the smoke were measured under standard smoking conditions (1 time/minute, 2 seconds/time, 35 m+2/time, butt length 30 mm).

Furthermore, the change in the hardness of the unburned portion (rolling softening degree) before and after smoking was determined. These measurement results were compared to 10 untreated products.
Table 1 shows the ratios set to 0.

Table-1 Measurement items Untreated product Treated product Filling amount [
a+g/book] Amount of tar in smoke [mg/book 1 Amount of nicotine in smoke fag/book J Amount of CO in smoke [mg/book 1 Volume softening degree [%1] As is clear from Table 1, the processing time according to the present invention By using this method, it became possible to produce cigarettes with standard roll hardness with a 16% smaller amount of shredded material (6% reduction in charge capacity + 10% SiO□ substitution rate) compared to untreated products.

Additionally, the amounts of nicotine, tar, and CO in the smoke were each 14.
It decreased by 6.7%. Furthermore, this treatment method also made it possible to reduce the softening of the butt part during smoking.

The flavor of cigarettes rolled with treated cigarettes was milder than that of untreated cigarettes, and no defects were observed due to the treatment.

[Effects of the invention] Tobacco leaves reinforced with gel-like silica can be rolled into cigarettes of standard rolling hardness using a smaller amount of tobacco, making it possible to manufacture soft cigarettes at low cost. Ta.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Tobacco leaf reinforced with gel-like silica produced from colloidal silica. 2. Tobacco leaves reinforced with 5 to 15% by weight of gelled silica. 3. Cigarettes in which 5 to 15% by weight of the required amount of cigarette leaves is replaced by gel-like silica. 4. A method for processing tobacco leaves, which comprises applying colloidal silica to tobacco leaves and converting the colloidal silica into gel-like silica. 5. Colloidal silica is converted to SiO_2 double concentration: 2
The treatment method according to claim 4, wherein the amount is 60% by weight. 6. Claim (4) wherein the colloidal silica has a pH of 6 to 8.
Or the processing method of (5). 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the colloidal silica is applied to tobacco leaves by spraying. 8. Conversion of colloidal silica to gelatinous silica is 60~
The processing method according to claim 4, wherein the drying is carried out at 70°C.