Process for providing tobacco extender material
AssigneeR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorsWilliam H. Graves, Jr., Gerard E. Leonard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Tobacco extender material is provided in sheet-like form by contacting tobacco material and/or carbonized material in substantially dry form with a binding agent in substantially dry form, and then subjecting the mixture to a high rate of shear agitation in the presence of a relatively low moisture content. The level of moisture is sufficient to provide activation of the binding agent. The material so processed is further processed using dry forming techniques in order to provide sheets of reconstituted tobacco material and sheets of carbonized material. The sheets of tobacco extender can be cut to the desired size and is useful in the manufacture of cigarettes.
Claims20
A process for providing tobacco extender in sheet-like form, said process comprising the steps in combination
- (a) providing filler material in the form of tobacco material and/or carbonized material, and
- (b) providing in essentially dry, substantially non-binding form binding agent which is capable of being activated, and
- (c) contacting the filler material and the binding agent, and then
- (d) subjecting the filler material and binding agent to high shear agitation (i) in the presence of sufficient moisture to provide activation of the binding agent but in the presence of a moisture content of less than about 30 weight percent based on the total weight of moisture and filler material, and (ii) for a period of time sufficient to activate the binding agent, and then
- (e) forming sheet-like tobacco extender from the filler material so subjected to high shear agitation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.