Production and Plant for the Production of Reconstituted Tobacco

Abstract

A method for producing reconstituted tobacco includes comminuting the solid components of tobacco to a particle size of about 20-220 μm; mixing the comminuted tobacco product with water, at least one binding agent and at least one material to form an aerosol until a mixture with a liquid content of about 30-50% is obtained; subjecting that mixture to a first lamination to obtain a strip of continuous thickness of about 1-20 mm; subjecting the strip to additional rolling passages to obtain a strip having a substantially constant thickness of approximately 90-280 μm; and drying the strip to bring its liquid content to about 8-15%.

1 . A method for producing reconstituted tobacco, comprising:
 comminuting solid components of tobacco to a particle size of about 20-220 μm;   mixing said comminuted solid components of the tobacco with water, at least one binding agent, and at least one material to form an aerosol until a mixture with a liquid content of about 30-50% is obtained;   subjecting said mixture to a first lamination to obtain a strip of continuous thickness of about 1-20 mm;   subjecting said strip, already subjected to said first lamination, a series of further rolling passages, to obtain a fully rolled strip having a substantially constant thickness of approximately 90-280 μm; and   drying said fully rolled strip to bring its liquid content to about 8-15%.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the dried fully rolled strip is subjected to coiling or shredding in wires of predefined dimensions. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the solid components of the tobacco are comminuted by grinding. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the solid components of the tobacco are comminuted with a mill. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the solid components of the tobacco are comminuted by crushing with a cryogenic rung mill. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixture configured to form an aerosol is subjected to:
 a roughing step for passage through at least one pair of grooved cylinders, and/or   a refining step by passing it-through at least one pair of refining cylinders until the mixture brought to a particle size of no more than 20 μm.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said mixture is subjected to a homogenization and forming step before being subjected to said first lamination. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said mixture is subjected to a homogenization and forming step to generate a continuous strip, of a substantially constant width of between 100 and 2000 mm and a thickness of between 1 and 10 mm, to then be subjected to said first lamination. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said mixture is subjected to a homogenization and forming step to generate a sequence of portions to be then subjected to said first lamination. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first lamination of the mixture is carried out by rolling said mixture with a unit comprising a lobed feeder and at least a pair of rolling cylinders. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, at an output of said first lamination, a single-layer strip of a thickness of about 1-10 mm is obtained. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, before said series of further rolling passages, said strip, already subjected to said first lamination, is subjected to stratification until a multilayer strip having a thickness of about 2-20 mm is obtained. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, in said series of further rolling passes, the mixture is made to rest between one lamination station and a next lamination station. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said further rolling passages are lamination is performed with pairs of cylinders that are at least partially heated. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein drying comprises passage of said fully rolled strip through a recirculating air dryer. 
     
     
         16 .- 32 . (canceled)