Process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco

Abstract

Tobacco is impregnated with a volatile organic liquid and then heated by rapidly passing a stream of hot gas in contact therewith to volatilize the liquid and expand the tobacco. The hot tobacco contacting gas is at a temperature at least 30° F. above the boiling point of the said liquid.

I claim: 
     
       1. A process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco which comprises contacting tobacco with a sufficient quantity of a volatile organic liquid to impregnate same, thereafter without substantially increasing the pressure rapidly passing a gas into contact with said impregnated tobacco, said gas being heated to a temperature of at least 30° F. above the boiling point of said liquid at the gas contacting pressure, whereby said liquid in the tobacco is essentially completely and rapidly vaporized within said tobacco and said tobacco is expanded and separating the vaporized liquid from the tobacco in the vapor state. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 in which said gas is steam. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 in which the weight ratio of liquid to tobacco in the gas contacting step is between about 3 to 1 and 1 to 3. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1 in which the liquid is a halogenated hydrocarbon. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 1 in which the liquid is a fluorohydrocarbon. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 1 in which the liquid is a hydrocarbon. 
     
     
       7. A process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco which comprises admixing tobacco with a volatile organic liquid, the amount of liquid being sufficient to wet the tobacco .Iadd.but insufficient to leave any substantial excess of liquid which can be separated and drained away from said tobacco.Iaddend., equilibrating the mixture to permit the liquid to substantially completely impregnate the tobacco particles, rapidly passing a stream of gas through the tobacco while still wet with said liquid, said gas having a temperature at least 30° F. above the boiling point of said liquid at the pressure at which the gas is passed through the tobacco, whereby the liquid is rapidly removed therefrom in the vapor state and the tobacco is expanded and separating the vaporized liquid from the tobacco. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 1 in which the organic liquid is trichloromonofluoromethane. .Iadd.9. The process of claim 7 in which the amount of liquid admixed with said tobacco is in the range between about one-third and about three times the weight of the tobacco. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. The process of claim 7 in which the liquid is a halogenated hydrocarbon. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco which comprises admixing tobacco with trichloromonofluoromethane liquid, the amount of liquid being sufficient to wet the tobacco but insufficient to leave any substantial excess of liquid which can be separated and drained away from said tobacco, equilibrating the mixture to permit the liquid to substantially completely impregnate the tobacco particles, rapidly passing a stream of gas through the tobacco while still wet with said liquid, said gas having a temperature at least 30° F. above the boiling point of said liquid at the pressure at which the gas is passed through the tobacco, whereby the liquid is rapidly removed therefrom in the vapor state and the tobacco is expanded and separating the vaporized liquid from the tobacco. .Iaddend.