Method for manufacturing reconstituted plant material

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a reconstituted plant material includes the steps of extracting a fibrous plant material with a solvent to provide an extract and a fibrous portion, separating the extract from the fibrous portion, forming a base sheet from the fibrous portion, and applying the extract to the base sheet. One or more additional steps may also be included, such as (but not limited to), combining a nicotine salt with the extract, extracting the extract with supercritical carbon dioxide, concentrating the extract to provide a concentrated extract, and/or combining a flavouring contained within a humectant or nicotine contained within a humectant with the extract.

1 . A method for manufacturing a reconstituted plant material comprising the following steps:
 extracting a fibrous plant material with a solvent to provide an extract and a fibrous portion; separating the extract from the fibrous portion;   concentrating the extract to provide a concentrated extract;   forming a base sheet from the fibrous portion;   providing a pre-mixture by combining a flavouring with a humectant or by combining nicotine with a humectant;   combining the pre-mixture with the concentrated extract to provide a modified extract;   applying the modified extract to the base sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the solvent is an aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous plant material is tobacco. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the tobacco is in the form of tobacco leaf, tobacco stem, tobacco powder, and/or tobacco dust. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flavouring is selected from Mild Menthol, Mixed Berry, Cool Menthol, Peach, Cream Cake, Melon Medley, Apple, Shisha Grape, Virginia Tobacco, and American Red Blend. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the humectant is a polyol. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the polyol is propylene glycol or vegetable glycerine or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the flavouring or nicotine content of the pre-mixture is within the range 1 to 95 wt % based on the total weight of flavouring or nicotine and humectant. 
     
     
         9 . A reconstituted tobacco product for an HNB device produced by a process according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a humectant; and   a flavouring or nicotine;   wherein the humectant content is 1 to 50% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco product; and   wherein the flavouring or nicotine content is 2 to 25% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco product.   
     
     
         10 . The reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 9 , wherein the humectant is a polyol. 
     
     
         11 . The reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 10 , wherein the polyol is propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 9 , wherein the flavouring is selected from Mild Menthol, Mixed Berry, Cool Menthol, Peach, Cream Cake, Melon Medley, Apple, Shisha Grape, Virginia Tobacco, and American Red Blend. 
     
     
         13 . The reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 9 , wherein the flavouring or nicotine content is 5 to 25 wt % of the reconstituted tobacco product. 
     
     
         14 . The reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 9 , wherein the humectant content is 1 to 40 wt % of the reconstituted tobacco product. 
     
     
         15 . Use of the reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 9  in a HNB device. 
     
     
         16 . A method for manufacturing a reconstituted plant material comprising the following steps:
 extracting a fibrous plant material with a solvent to provide an extract and a fibrous portion;   separating the extract from the fibrous portion; forming a base sheet from the fibrous portion; combining a nicotine salt with the extract; applying the extract to the base sheet.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the solvent is an aqueous solvent. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , comprising a step of concentrating the extract to provide a concentrated extract, before applying the extract to the base sheet. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the nicotine salt is combined with the concentrated extract. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the fibrous plant material is tobacco. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the tobacco is in the form of tobacco leaf, tobacco stem, tobacco powder, and/or tobacco dust. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the nicotine salt is selected from nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine monotartrate, nicotine bitartrate, nicotine bitartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulphate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate and nicotine salicylate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the nicotine salt is provided as an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the aqueous solution of nicotine salt comprises a co-solvent. 
     
     
         25 . A reconstituted tobacco product for an HNB device produced by a process according to  claim 16 , comprising:
 a nicotine salt selected from nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine monotartrate, nicotine bitartrate, nicotine bitartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulphate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate and nicotine salicylate, and combinations thereof; and   wherein the nicotine content is 2 to 25% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco product.   
     
     
         26 . The reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 25 , wherein the nicotine content is 5 to 25% by weight of the reconstituted tobacco product. 
     
     
         27 . Use of the reconstituted tobacco product according to  claim 25  in a HNB device. 
     
     
         28 . A method for manufacturing a reconstituted plant material comprising the following steps:
 extracting a fibrous plant material with a liquid solvent to provide a first extract and a fibrous portion;   separating the first extract from the fibrous portion;   extracting the first extract with supercritical carbon dioxide to provide a second extract;   forming a base sheet from the fibrous portion; applying the second extract to the base sheet.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , comprising the steps:
 concentrating the first extract to provide a concentrated extract; and   combining the second extract with the concentrated extract before applying the second extract to the base sheet.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the liquid solvent is an aqueous solvent 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the fibrous plant material is tobacco. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the tobacco is in the form of tobacco leaf, tobacco stem, tobacco powder, and/or tobacco dust. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction pressure is within the range 74 to 350 bar. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction temperature is within the range 31° C. to 100° C. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the supercritical carbon dioxide contains 1 to 20 mol % of an entrainer. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the supercritical extraction is countercurrent supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.