Method for producing a reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet that reduces loss of cigarette end, and cigarette containing reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet produced thereby

Abstract

Provided are a method for producing a reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet including a drying step of applying hot air of 80° C. to 150° C. to a reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry, and a cigarette containing a reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet produced thereby. The reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet produced by the producing method according to one specific example of the present invention has an increased ratio of thickness to basis weight. In the producing method, controlling a pressure applying hot air or controlling a viscosity by changing a composition of the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry helps to improve properties of the produced reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet, comprising:
 a drying step of applying hot air of 80° C. to 150° C. to a reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the drying step, the hot air is applied at a pressure of 1.5 bar to 3.0 bar. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry includes a tobacco raw material having a particle size of 20 μm to 150 μm, and
 a proportion of particles having a particle size of 80 μm or less based on the total number of particles in the tobacco raw material is 70% to 95%. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry includes 50 wt % to 70 wt % of tobacco raw material and 1 wt % to 20 wt % of moisturizing agent based on a total weight of the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry excluding a solvent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein through the drying step, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet has a basis weight of 140 g/m 2  to 180 g/m 2  and a thickness of 240 μm to 280 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry further contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of binder based on the total weight of the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry excluding the solvent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry contains 15 wt % to 30 wt % of solid content based on the total weight of the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry has a viscosity of 32,000 cPs to 45,000 cPs at 25° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry further contains 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of pulp and 0.1 wt % to 25 wt % of fragrance, based on the total weight of the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry excluding the solvent. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein through the drying step, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet has a thickness (μm)/basis weight (g/m 2 ) ratio of 1.35 to 1.75. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 before the drying step, a pre-drying step of exposing the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry to an atmosphere having a temperature 20° C. to 35° C. lower than a hot air temperature of the drying step.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 after the pre-drying step, a separation step of peeling off the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry from a bottom surface supporting the reconstituted tobacco leaves slurry.   
     
     
         13 . A cigarette containing a reconstituted tobacco leaves sheet produced according to the producing method of  claim 1 .