Method of treating tobacco stalks

Abstract

A method of treating tobacco stalks for use in tobacco cut filler comprises the steps of: breaking up the tobacco stalks to form tobacco stalk segments; conditioning the tobacco stalk segments to increase the moisture content; and rolling the tobacco stalk segments to form tobacco stalk flakes having a rolled thickness of between 0.05 millimetres and 0.5 millimetres. Preferably, during the rolling step, the tobacco stalk segments are rolled between two counter-rotating rollers rotating at different speeds to each other.

1 . A method of treating tobacco stalks, the method comprising the steps of:
 breaking up the tobacco stalks to form tobacco stalk segments;   conditioning the tobacco stalk segments to increase the moisture content; and   rolling the tobacco stalk segments to form tobacco stalk flakes having a rolled thickness of between 0.05 millimetres and 0.5 millimetres.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein during the rolling step the tobacco stalk segments are rolled between two counter-rotating rollers rotating at different speeds to each other. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the differential in surface speed of the pair of counter-rotating rollers is at least 5 percent. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the tobacco stalks are broken up to form tobacco stalk segments having a length of between 10 millimetres and 500 millimetres. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein during the conditioning step the moisture content of the tobacco stalk segments is increased to 20 to 35 percent oven volatiles. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the conditioning step comprises contacting the tobacco stalk segments with steam, water or a mixture of steam and water. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein during the rolling step a compressive force of at least 50 tonnes is applied to the tobacco stalk segments. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 applying a casing solution to the tobacco stalk flakes; and 
 heating the tobacco stalk flakes with the casing solution applied. 
 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8  wherein the tobacco stalk flakes are re-conditioned after heating in order to increase the moisture content. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 8  wherein the tobacco stalk flakes are combined with tobacco lamina prior to the application of the casing solution such that the subsequent steps are carried out on the combined tobacco stalk flakes and lamina. 
     
     
         11 . A tobacco cut filler obtained by a method comprising
 breaking up the tobacco stalks to form tobacco stalk segments;   conditioning the tobacco stalk segments to increase the moisture content; and   rolling the tobacco stalk segments to form tobacco stalk flakes having a rolled thickness of between 0.05 millimetres and 0.5 millimetres.   
     
     
         12 . A tobacco cut filler method according to  claim 11  wherein during the rolling step the tobacco stalk segments are rolled between two counter-rotating rollers rotating at different speeds to each other. 
     
     
         13 . A tobacco cut filler according to  claim 12  wherein the differential in surface speed of the pair of counter-rotating rollers is at least 5 percent. 
     
     
         14 . A tobacco cut filler according to  claim 11  wherein during the conditioning step the moisture content of the tobacco stalk segments is increased to 20 to 35 percent oven volatiles. 
     
     
         15 . A tobacco cut filler according to  claim 11  comprising at least 5 percent by weight of tobacco stalk flakes. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein the tobacco stalk flakes are combined with tobacco lamina prior to the application of the casing solution such that the subsequent steps are carried out on the combined tobacco stalk flakes and lamina. 
     
     
         17 . A tobacco cut filler according to  claim 12  wherein during the conditioning step the moisture content of the tobacco stalk segments is increased to 20 to 35 percent oven volatiles. 
     
     
         18 . A tobacco cut filler according to  claim 13  wherein during the conditioning step the moisture content of the tobacco stalk segments is increased to 20 to 35 percent oven volatiles. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein the tobacco stalks are broken up to form tobacco stalk segments having a length of between 10 millimetres and 500 millimetres. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19  wherein during the conditioning step the moisture content of the tobacco stalk segments is increased to 20 to 35 percent oven volatiles.