Method and apparatus for producing a sheet of a material containing alkaloids

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a sheet of a material containing alkaloids, the method comprising: • Mixing (105) a material containing alkaloids with water to form a slurry; • Forming (108) a sheet from the slurry; • Compressing (109) the sheet between a first pair of rollers, wherein at the beginning of the step of compressing the sheet, a water content of the sheet is comprised between about 50 percent and about 80 percent of the total weight of the sheet; and • Further compressing (110) the sheet compressed by the first pair of rollers between a second pair of rollers. The invention further relates to an apparatus (200) for producing a sheet of a material containing alkaloids.

1 . A method for producing a sheet of a material containing alkaloids, the method comprising:
 mixing a material containing alkaloids with water to form a slurry;   forming a sheet from the slurry;   compressing the sheet between a first pair of rollers, wherein at the beginning of the step of compressing the sheet, a water content of the sheet is comprised between about 50 percent and about 80 percent of the total weight of the sheet; and   further compressing the sheet compressed by the first pair of rollers between a second pair of rollers, to obtain a desired thickness of the sheet of material containing alkaloids.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a sheet includes the step of casting a sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a sheet includes the step of extruding the sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pair of rollers includes a first roller and a second roller and the second pair of rollers includes a third roller and a fourth roller, the method including the step of:
 changing a width of the first gap or a width of the second gap.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , including the step of:
 changing the diameter of a roller of the first pair of rollers or the diameter of a roller of the second pair of rollers as a function of a desired thickness of the sheet containing alkaloids; or   changing a distance between the first roller and second roller or changing a distance between the third roller and fourth roller as a function of a desired thickness of the sheet containing alkaloids.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , including the step of:
 drying the sheet during the compression step between the first pair of rollers or during the compression step between the second pair of rollers, or between the compression step between the first pair of rollers and the compression step between the second pair of rollers.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , including the step of:
 regulating a temperature of the first pair or rollers or a temperature of the second pair of rollers.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the sheet includes:
 forming the sheet on a movable support, the movable support being moved by the first pair of rollers.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , including the step of:
 removing the sheet from the movable support before the step of compressing the sheet between the second pair of rollers.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein, before removing the sheet from the movable support, it includes the step of:
 reducing the water content of the sheet to a value below about 35 percent of the total weight of the sheet.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for producing a sheet of a material containing alkaloids, the apparatus comprising:
 a mixer to mix a material containing alkaloids with water to form a slurry;   a sheet-forming device to shape a slurry's portion into a sheet; and   a dryer, said dryer comprising:
 a first pair of rollers forming a first gap therebetween wherein the sheet can be inserted; and 
 a second pair of rollers forming a second gap therebetween wherein the sheet can be inserted, the second pair of rollers being positioned downstream the first pair of roller in the direction of movement of the sheet; 
 the first pair of rollers or the second pair of rollers being heated by hot fluid. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the second gap is smaller than the first gap. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the first pair of rollers includes a first roller and a second roller and the second pair of rollers includes a third roller and a fourth roller, and wherein the diameter of the first roller is bigger than the diameter of the third roller. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the first pair of rollers includes a first roller and a second roller and the second pair of rollers includes a third roller and a fourth roller, and wherein an external surface of the third roller has a higher hardness than an external surface of the first roller. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , comprising a movable support, the movable support being driven by a first roller or by a second roller of the first pair of rollers.