Smoking material including expanded tobacco leaves, method of preparing the same, and smoking article including the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a smoking material including expanded tobacco leaves, wherein the expanded tobacco leaves are included in an amount of 50% by weight (wt %) or greater in the smoking material and prepared by a low temperature expansion process, relates to a method of preparing the smoking material, and relates to a smoking article including the smoking material, wherein the smoking material, including the expanded tobacco leaves prepared by the low temperature expansion process, has an excellent tobacco smoke taste.

1 . A smoking material, comprising:
 expanded tobacco leaves,   wherein the expanded tobacco leaves are included in an amount of 50% by weight (wt %) or greater in the smoking material, and   wherein the expanded tobacco leaves are prepared by a low temperature expansion process.   
     
     
         2 . The smoking material of  claim 1 , wherein the low temperature expansion process is performed at a temperature of 200° C. to 230° C. 
     
     
         3 . The smoking material of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded tobacco leaves are included in an amount of 60 wt % or greater in the smoking material. 
     
     
         4 . The smoking material of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded tobacco leaves include at least one selected from a group consisting of flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, oriental tobacco, and cigar leaves. 
     
     
         5 . The smoking material of  claim 4 , wherein the expanded tobacco leaves include 30 to 70 wt % of flue-cured tobacco, 10 to 50 wt % of burley tobacco, and 0 to 50 wt % of oriental tobacco. 
     
     
         6 . The smoking material of  claim 1 , wherein the expanded tobacco leaves are flavored with at least one moisturizer selected from a group consisting of propylene glycol and glycerin. 
     
     
         7 . The smoking material of  claim 6 , wherein with respect to 100 parts by weight of the expanded tobacco leaves, the expanded tobacco leaves are flavored with 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of propylene glycol and flavored with 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of glycerin. 
     
     
         8 . A method of preparing a smoking material, the method comprising:
 step S 1  of preparing raw leaves;   step S 2  of impregnating the raw leaves with liquid carbon dioxide; and   step S 3  of preparing expanded tobacco leaves by heating the impregnated raw leaves and performing a low temperature expansion process,   wherein the expanded tobacco leaves are included in an amount of 50% by weight (wt %) or greater in the smoking material.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the low temperature expansion process is performed at a temperature of 200° C. to 230° C. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the raw leaves include at least one selected from a group consisting of flue-cured tobacco, burley tobacco, oriental tobacco, and cigar leaves. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the raw leaves include 30 to 70 wt % of flue-cured tobacco, 10 to 50 wt % of burley tobacco, and 0 to 50 wt % of oriental tobacco. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, after step S 3 :
 performing flavoring with a moisturizer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the moisturizer is at least one selected from a group consisting of propylene glycol and glycerin. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein with respect to 100 parts by weight of the expanded tobacco leaves, the expanded tobacco leaves are flavored with 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of propylene glycol, and 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of glycerin. 
     
     
         15 . A smoking article comprising the smoking material of  claim 1 .