Reconstituted tobaccos containing additive materials

Abstract

A reconstituted tobacco material incorporates an exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, such as in the amount of at least about 0.1 weight percent. A tobacco blend can be formed by combining reconstituted tobacco material incorporating such an additive with one or more additional tobacco materials, such as burley tobacco, Oriental tobacco, and flue-cured tobacco. A smoking article, such as a cigarette, contains such a reconstituted tobacco, as part of the smokable material, as part of tobacco paper wrapping material, or as part of a reconstituted tobacco-containing filter element. The invention also provides a method of forming reconstituted tobacco material wherein a tocopherol or derivative thereof is added to the tobacco material, either by adding the tocopherol to an aqueous extract or water insoluble pulp formed during the reconstituted tobacco process or by adding the tocopherol to the solid reconstituted tobacco sheet after the aqueous extract and pulp are recombined.

That which is claimed:  
     
         1 . A reconstituted tobacco material comprising at least about 0.1 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that reconstituted tobacco.  
     
     
         2 . The reconstituted tobacco material of  claim 1 , comprising at least about 0.5 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that reconstituted tobacco.  
     
     
         3 . The reconstituted tobacco material of  claim 1 , comprising at least about 1 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that reconstituted tobacco.  
     
     
         4 . The reconstituted tobacco material of  claim 1 , comprising at least about 2 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that reconstituted tobacco.  
     
     
         5 . The reconstituted tobacco material of  claim 1 , comprising at least about 3 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that reconstituted tobacco.  
     
     
         6 . The reconstituted tobacco material of  claim 1 , wherein the exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof includes alpha-tocopherol.  
     
     
         7 . The reconstituted tobacco material of  claim 1 , wherein the exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof includes synthetic alpha-tocopherol.  
     
     
         8 . A tobacco product in the form of a tobacco blend comprising reconstituted tobacco and exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, the tobacco blend comprising at least about 0.1 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that tobacco blend.  
     
     
         9 . The tobacco product of  claim 8 , comprising at least about 1 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that tobacco blend.  
     
     
         10 . A tobacco product in the form of a cigarette having tobacco blend comprising reconstituted tobacco and exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, the tobacco blend comprising at least about 0.1 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that tobacco blend.  
     
     
         11 . The tobacco product of  claim 10 , wherein the tobacco blend comprises at least about 1 percent of at least one exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof, based on the dry weight of that tobacco blend.  
     
     
         12 . The tobacco product of  claim 10 , wherein essentially all of the exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof is in intimate contact with reconstituted tobacco of that blend.  
     
     
         13 . The tobacco product of  claim 11 , wherein essentially all of the exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof is in intimate contact with reconstituted tobacco of that blend.  
     
     
         14 . A method of increasing the storage time on an aqueous tobacco slurry or extract comprising: 
 providing a tobacco material;    contacting the tobacco material with a solvent having an aqueous character;    extracting components from the tobacco material with that solvent to provide a liquid incorporating tobacco components;    contacting an effective amount of a tocopherol or derivative thereof with the liquid incorporating tobacco components.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the liquid incorporating tobacco components is separated from tobacco pulp components that are insoluble in the liquid prior to contacting that liquid with an effective amount of a tocopherol or derivative thereof.  
     
     
         16 . A cigarette comprising a rod of smokable material wrapped in a circumscribing paper wrapping material, the smokable material incorporating a reconstituted tobacco material in intimate contact with exogenous tocopherol or derivative thereof.