Method of manufacturing tobacco medium

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a tobacco medium includes providing paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves containing a tobacco concentrate, and treating the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with a pH adjustment solution until a moisture content of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves is about 9 wt % to about 12 wt % relative to a total weight of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves, wherein the pH adjustment solution comprises potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and water, and an amount of potassium carbonate added is about 8 wt % to about 14 wt % relative to a total weight of the tobacco concentrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a tobacco medium, the method comprising:
 providing paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves containing a tobacco concentrate; and   treating the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with a pH adjustment solution until a moisture content of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves is about 9 wt % to about 12 wt % relative to a total weight of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves,   wherein the pH adjustment solution comprises potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) and water, and an amount of potassium carbonate added is about 8 wt % to about 14 wt % relative to a total weight of the tobacco concentrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of potassium carbonate added is about 11.1 wt % relative to the total weight of the tobacco concentrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the pH adjustment solution, the potassium carbonate is dissolved to a maximum extent in the water. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after the providing of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves,   treating the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with a first flavoring material;   drying the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves treated with the first flavoring material;   cutting the dried paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves; and   treating the cut paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with a second flavoring material different from the first flavoring material,   wherein the treating of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with the pH adjustment solution is performed simultaneously with the treating of the cut paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with the second flavoring material.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first flavoring material comprises a moisturizer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second flavoring material comprises one of a plant-based flavoring, an animal-based flavoring, an alcohol compound, an aldehyde compound, and an ester compound. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a final moisture content of the tobacco medium is about 10.5 wt % relative to a total weight of the tobacco medium. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a pH value of the tobacco medium is about 8 to about 9. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treating of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with the pH adjustment solution comprises spraying the pH adjustment solution onto the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves at a rate of 1 L per minute for 5 minutes and mixing the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the treating of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves with the pH adjustment solution, an ambient temperature is maintained at about 20 degrees Celsius to about 30 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing of the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves comprises:
 spraying a tobacco concentrate liquid including the tobacco concentrate and pulp onto a base paper;   processing the base paper, onto which the tobacco concentrate liquid is sprayed, to have a sheet shape; and   drying the sheet-shaped base paper to manufacture the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves,   wherein the tobacco concentrate liquid is included in the paper-type reconstituted tobacco leaves at about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % based on a total weight of the base paper.   
     
     
         12 . An aerosol-generating article comprising:
 a front plug configured to introduce outside air into an interior of the aerosol-generating article;   a medium portion including a tobacco medium manufactured according to  claim 1 ; and   a filter portion arranged at a position facing the front plug with respect to the medium portion.   
     
     
         13 . The aerosol-generating article of  claim 12 , wherein the medium portion comprises a first segment adjacent to the front plug and a second segment adjacent to the filter portion and distinguished from the first segment,
 wherein the tobacco medium is placed in the first segment and the second segment.   
     
     
         14 . An aerosol-generating system comprising:
 an aerosol-generating article according to  claim 12 ; and   an aerosol-generating device including a storage portion in which an aerosol-generating material is stored, an accommodation portion in which the aerosol-generating article is accommodated, and a heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating material,   wherein a primary aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material through the heater is introduced into the front plug of the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the accommodation portion,   a secondary aerosol is generated from the aerosol-generating article by the temperature of the primary aerosol while the primary aerosol passes through the aerosol-generating article, and   the primary aerosol and the secondary aerosol are mixed and inhaled by a user.   
     
     
         15 . The aerosol-generating system of  claim 14 , wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises:
 a cartridge including the storage portion, the accommodation portion, and the heater; and   a main body including a cartridge coupling portion to which the cartridge is detachably coupled, a power supply configured to supply power to the cartridge coupled to the cartridge coupling portion, and a controller configured to control an operation of the cartridge.