# US 12,004,553 B2 · Method for extracting tar aroma components from within cigarette butts and application thereof in cigarettes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,553 B2 - Document ID: US12004553B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/779,901 - Filed: 2020-11-16 - Published: 2023-01-05 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-27 - Assignees: Inner Mongolia Kunming Cigarette Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Inner Mongolia Kunming Cigarette Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Liqun Li; Jie Hao; Chen Chen; Junsong Zhang; Xudong Ji; Chunsheng Guo; Yajun Ye; Shu Tian; Xudong Wang; Yuemei Qiao; Ruili Li; Yuanyang Zhu; Qingxiang Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004553B2 ## CPC - A24B 15/241: {Extraction of specific substances} - A24B 3/14: Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products (delustering A24C1/40) - A24B 15/12: of reconstituted tobacco - A24B 15/26: Use of organic solvents for extraction - A24B 15/301: {by aromatic compounds} - A24B 15/305: {of undetermined constitution characterised by their preparation} - A24D 1/20: Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices - A24D 3/14: of organic materials as additive (of ion exchange materials A24D3/12) - A24D 3/17: Filters specially adapted for simulated smoking devices - B01D 3/10: Vacuum distillation (B01D3/12 takes precedence) - B01D 3/12: Molecular distillation - B01D 11/0265: {Applying ultrasound} - B01D 11/0288: {Applications, solvents} - A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF - A24D: CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract The present disclosure provides a method for extracting tar aroma components from a cigarette butt and use of the tar aroma components in a cigarette. The method includes the following steps: (1) adding the cigarette butt to an extraction solvent, and carrying out ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain an extraction solution; (2) centrifuging the extraction solution, and carrying out vacuum distillation on the supernatant to obtain a concentrated extractum; and (3) carrying out molecular distillation on the concentrated extractum, and collecting a light fraction of the molecular distillation to obtain the tar aroma components. In the present disclosure, the cigarette butt is used as a raw material, through the ultrasound-assisted extraction and separation by the molecular distillation to extract the tar, harmful substances in the tar are removed, and the aroma components are retained. The tar aroma components are applied to a heat-not-burn cigarette, so that the aroma, smoke and taste characteristics of the heat-not-burn cigarette are improved, and the problems of insipidness and uneven aroma release of the heat-not-burn cigarette are solved effectively. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for extracting tar aroma components from a cigarette butt, comprising following steps: (1) adding the cigarette butt to an extraction solvent, and carrying out ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain an extraction solution, the extraction solvent is at least one of methanol, anhydrous ethanol, petroleum ether and dichloromethane, the ultrasound-assisted extraction is carried out with an ultrasound power of 60-120W for 5-30 min; (2) centrifuging the extraction solution, and carrying out vacuum distillation on a supernatant to obtain a concentrated extractum; and (3) carrying out two-stage molecular distillation on the concentrated extractum, and collecting light fractions of a first-stage molecular distillation and a second-stage molecular distillation to obtain the tar aroma components, wherein the first-stage molecular distillation is carried out at a heating temperature of 50-80° C. under a pressure of 100-200 Pa at a feed rate of 300-600 mL/h and a film wiping speed of 200-300 rpm; wherein the second-stage molecular distillation is carried out at a heating temperature of 90-110° C. under a pressure of 40-60 Pa at a feed rate of 300-600 mL/h and a film wiping speed of 200-300 rpm; wherein the light fractions comprise at least one component from among components of ethylene glycol diacetate, 1-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)acetone, 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione, methylcyclopentenolone, 2-acetylfuran, 2(5H)-furanone, 5-methylfurfural, 3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, 2,3-dimethyl-2-cyclopentenone, ethylcyclopentenolone, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, vanillin, 2,4,4-trimethylpentane-1,3-diyl bis(2-methylpropionate), phthalic acid 1-butyl 2-isobutyl ester and tributyl prop-1-ene-1,2,3-tricarboxylate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (1), a ratio of the cigarette butt to the extraction solvent is 1 g:5-20 ml. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (2), the centrifuging is carried out at 500-2000 r/min for 1-3 min; and the vacuum distillation is carried out at a temperature of 25-45° C. under a vacuum degree of 0.06-0.08 Mpa. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of pretreating the cigarette butt. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the pretreating specifically comprises: tearing off outer wrapping paper from the cigarette butt, and cutting a tow into small segments with a length of less than 1 cm.