Methods of making reconstituted tobacco sheets

Abstract

A reconstituted tobacco sheet having a high content of aerosol former therein is manufactured by preparing an aqueous slurry containing a tobacco material which is formed into a sheet. The moisture content of the sheet can be reduced to less than about 50% by weight before incorporating an aerosol former such as glycerin, which can be at a temperature below about 40° C., followed by drying the sheet. The sheet can be trashed, blended with natural tobacco strips, and shredded into a cut filler of a smoking article.

1 . A method of making a reconstituted tobacco sheet, comprising:
 preparing an aqueous slurry containing tobacco material;   forming a sheet from the aqueous slurry;   reducing a moisture content of the sheet to less than about 50% by weight;   incorporating an aerosol former into the sheet, wherein the aerosol former is at a temperature below about 40° C.; and   drying the sheet.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol former is a glycerin solution. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the glycerin is added in an amount of up to about 50% by weight of the dried sheet. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the sheet further comprises:
 separating the tobacco material into a solubles portion and a fibrous portion; and   forming the sheet from the fibrous portion without incorporating the solubles portion.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the glycerin solution is added in an amount effective to produce a non-tacky sheet after drying. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 (a) the glycerin solution contains about 20% to 80% glycerin by volume;   (b) the glycerin solution contains about 50% to 80% glycerin by volume;   (c) the glycerin solution contains about 75% to 80% glycerin by volume; or   (d) the glycerin solution contains about 50% glycerin by volume.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 (a) reducing a moisture content of the sheet to about 45% or less by weight prior to incorporating the aerosol former; or   (b) reducing a moisture content of the sheet to less than about 30% by weight prior to incorporating the aerosol former.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising reducing a moisture content of the sheet to less than about 30% by weight. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 (a) the aerosol former is at a temperature below about 35° C.;   (b) the aerosol former is at a temperature below about 30° C.; or   (c) the aerosol former is at a temperature below about 25° C.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is tobacco leaf scraps, tobacco stems, tobacco dust created during tobacco processing, and/or tobacco leaf prime lamina strip;
 incorporating wood cellulose fibers into the aqueous slurry; and/or   forming the sheet is performed by a paper-making process.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol former further comprises a flavorant. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the flavorant is licorice, sugar, isosweet, cocoa, lavender, cinnamon, cardamom, apium graveolens, fenugreek, cascarilla, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, mint oils, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, chamomile, menthol, cassia, ylang-ylang, sage, spearmint, ginger, coriander or coffee. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol former further comprises a humectant other than glycerin. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the humectant is propylene glycol. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the glycerin solution further comprises an acetate compound. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 (a) the acetate compound is added in an amount effective to promote the reduction of one or more constituents of the smoke of a combusted smoking article incorporating the sheet as a cut filler;   (b) the acetate compound is ammonium acetate, calcium acetate, or magnesium acetate;   (c) the acetate compound is ammonium acetate, which is added in an amount between about 7% to about 11% by weight of the sheet after drying the sheet;   (d) the acetate compound is magnesium acetate, which is added in an amount between about 2.5% to about 5% by weight of the sheet after drying the sheet; or   (e) the acetate compound is calcium acetate, which is added in an amount between about 7% to about 9% by weight of the sheet after drying the sheet.   
   
   
       17 . A method of making a smoking article, comprising:
 thrashing the sheet of  claim 1 , blending the sheet with natural tobacco strips, and shredding into a cut filler; and   incorporating the cut filler into a smoking article.   
   
   
       18 . A method of making a reconstituted tobacco sheet, comprising:
 preparing an aqueous slurry containing tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material includes tobacco leaf scraps, tobacco stems, tobacco dust created during tobacco processing, and/or tobacco leaf prime lamina strip;   separating the aqueous slurry into a solubles portion and a fibrous portion;   forming the sheet by a paper-making process from the fibrous portion separated from the aqueous slurry, without incorporating the solubles portion;   reducing a moisture content of the sheet to between about 30% and about 50% by weight;   incorporating an aerosol former comprising a glycerin solution into the sheet at a temperature between ambient temperature and below about 40° C.; and   drying the sheet to provide a reconstituted tobacco sheet having a glycerin content of up to about 50% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco sheet.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the glycerin solution contains about 50% glycerin by volume;
 the glycerin solution contains a flavorant, humectant and/or an acetate compound; and/or   incorporating wood cellulose fibers into the aqueous slurry.   
   
   
       20 . A method of making a smoking article, comprising:
 thrashing the sheet of  claim 18 , blending the sheet with natural tobacco strips, and shredding into a cut filler; and   incorporating the cut filler into a smoking article.   
   
   
       21 . A smoking article comprising a tobacco rod, said tobacco rod comprising cut filler disposed in a wrapper; said cut filler comprising a blend of tobacco, 20 to 30% of said blend comprising shreds of reconstituted tobacco sheet made by the method of  claim 18 .