Apparatus for producing a flavor for expanded tobacco material

An apparatus for producing a flavor to be added to expanded tobacco material, comprising:

• an extraction vessel for storing tobacco material;
• a first path extending through said extraction vessel, for supplying supercritical carbon dioxide into said extraction vessel to dissolve tobacco components of the tobacco material in the carbon dioxide;
• a separation vessel inserted in said first path downstream of said extraction vessel and storing a solvent inside, for absorbing fat-soluble ingredients from the dissolved tobacco components into the solvent;
• a divergent path branching off from said first path at a location between said extraction vessel and said separation vessel, said divergent path being connected to the first path in the upstream of said extraction vessel;
• an absorption vessel inserted in the divergent path, for storing purified water inside;
• a switching device for selectively forming a closed circulation path, which includes said extraction vessel and said absorption vessel, out of the first path and the divergent path;
• a circulation pump for circulating the supercritical carbon dioxide in the circulation path and absorbing water-soluble ingredients, which are contained in the tobacco components dissolved in the carbon dioxide, into the purified water within said absorption vessel;
• a second path for retrieving the purified water, in which the water-soluble ingredients of the tobacco components are absorbed, from said absorption vessel as absorption water;
• and
• a purification device for purifying the carbon dioxide in between said absorption vessel and the tobacco material within said extraction vessel as viewed in a flow direction of the carbon dioxide at least while the carbon dioxide is circulated through the circulation path.