Title of Invention	A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO SHEET
Abstract	This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of reconstituted Tobacco sheets has much reduced percentage of Nicotine, Sugar and Chloride and which is prepared with or without using unconventional raw materials such as Jute and/or Bamboo fibers. The Tobacco sheets can be prepared using the conventional paper making process.

Full Text

DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of Reconstituted Tobacco sheet having much reduced percentage of Nicotine, Sugars and Chloride using the paper making process. The Reconstituted Tobacco sheet obtained is in the basic weight range of 30 to 150 grams per square meters, and un-conventional raw materials derived from Jute and/or Bamboo are used in the said process. Reconstituted Tobacco is a paper like sheet comprised either wholly or principally of Tobacco. Reconstitutton permits the use of Tobacco waste, which is unsuitable as such for use in cigarette blends. The reconstituted tobacco sheet can be used as a filler in cigarette blends. It can also be used as a wrapper for cigars and bidis since it is in a form that can be handled much more easily man irregular natural leaves. Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide Reconstituted Tobacco sheet having much reduced percentage of Nicotine, Sugars and Chloride. ft is a further object of the present invention to provide a Reconstituted Tobacco sheet in the basic weight range of 30 to 150 grams per square meter. Yet, another object of the present invention is to use un-conventional raw materials derived from Jute and/or Bamboo in the manufacture of Reconstituted Tobacco. In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a process for manufacturing Reconstituted Tobacco sheet having much reduced percentage of Nicotine, Sugar and Chloride using the paper making process and unconventional raw materials specified above, to obtain a Reconstituted Tobacco sheet in the basic weight range of 30 to 150 grams per square meter. It is known that, Tobacco waste is generated at various stages in Tobacco processing plants. Different terminologies are used to describe the type of waste produced. Given hereinbelow are the various terminologies used to specify the various wastes in the Tobacco Industry. SL-KO. NAME OF WASTE STAGS OF WASTE GENERATION 1. Three-tier Drop outs Three-tier Sieve 2. Three-tier Sand Three-tier Sieve 3. Cooler Sand Cooling Cylinder 4. DRFSand Centralised DRF 5. Stem Bits Stem Sieving 6. Heavies Air Classifier 7. Winnowing* Cigarette Maker 8 LLS Lamina Sieve 9. Sterna Leaf threshing The process of the present invention consists of the following:- i) The cellulosic material is separated from non-cellulosic lignin by using Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Sulphide as cooking chemicals, while converting Jute fiber and/or Bamboo fiber as paper making raw materials. The cellulosic material (pulp) so obtained can be bleached, if required. ii) Waste materials produced during Tobacco processing are softened by water at 60° -140° Celsius. iii) Unbleached/ bleached pulps thus produced from Jute and/or Bamboo are wet mixed in high shear mixer called Pulper along with Tobacco Waste material as such or after water softening. The mixed pulp at 3-4 % consistency (concentration) is then hydrated to a wetness level of 60 to 90° SR (as tested on Schopper Riegter Tester) as per the desired product requirements. iv) The paper is produced on synthetic or metal wire cloth. The slurry is fed onto mis wire cloth at a consistency of 0.8 to 1.3%. De-watering of the pulp slurry takes place by suction. The wet sheet is pressed and dried to produce paper at 4-6% moisture. Surface property modifiers such as pick resistance, burn control or other special application chemicals can be applied to the sheets, if so desired The sheets thus produced are suitable for special applications such as :- > Replacement ofTendu leaf used lor wrapping Tobacco in the form of Bidi > Wrapping orTobacco in the form of Cigar > As cigarette paper > As filler in Tobacco blends in the manufacture of cigarettes. > As filtration material in cigarette filters. The following are some examples of the experiments conducted to illustrate the process of the invention and the same is not limited thereto. To develop reconstituted Tobacco in the Laboratory by using papermaking process various combinations of different Components were taken as listed below:- Unbleached/Bleached Jute and/or Bamboo Pulp 0 to 20% Tobacco Waste 80 to 100% CMC (Optional) ......... 2 % CMC stands for sodium salt of carboxymethy cellulose. Preparation of various Components for making the Reconstituted Tobacco sheet using the papermakiag process. Component (A): Unbleached Jute/Bleached Jute Jute bast fiber is cooked in the rotary digester with NaOH and Na2S at 150°C temperature. The cooked pulp is removed from the digester and washed in the breaker washer. Washed pulp is ready for use. For bleaching, the pulp is treated with bleaching sequences of CEH to a desired brightness of 75-80 % Elrepho. The bleached pulp is also ready for use. Component (B): Tobacco Wastes were softened by cooking in Laboratory digester at 60° - 140°C with water and filtered. The filtrate can be separately processed to recover Nicotine and other taste and flavour Components, if so desired The solid fraction either beaten or unbeaten is kept for mixing with other Components for Reconstituted Tobacco sheet formation. The ratios of various Tobacco Components used are given in examples of different cooks. Alternatively, tobacco waste can be directly beaten without undergoing digestion process. Component (C): Component A + Component B were beaten in a Laboratory valley beater with adequate quantity of water. The slurry is ready for Reconstituted Tobacco sheet formation as such or after mixing with other Components. The following combinations of different Components were made:- Experiment No. 001/003 Component B 002/004 Component B + 2% CMC 6 Component C 7 Component C + 2% CMC 8 Component C 9 Component C + 2% CMC 10 Component C + 2% CMC 12 Component C 13 Component C The slurry from different preparations was processed in the Laboratory handsheet machine and bandsheets were prepared. The handsheets were evaluated for different physical and chemical properties. Details of experiments 001 to 013 are appended. BENEFIT OF THIS PROCESS: 1. The sheets produced by this invention have much simple chemistry as these have much reduced percentage of Nicotine, Sugars and Chloride, Such sheets can be used in Tobacco blends to reduce Nicotine content, as wrapper in bidis, cigars and cigarettes and as filtration material in cigarette filters. 2. The process can also be successfully carried out on a commercial scale using the standard paper making equipment such as pulps, beaters, disc refiners, standard fourdrinier paper machine etc. This is possible due to adequate tensile strength of the reconstituted Tobacco sheet produced by this process of the present invention 3. Use of unbleached or bleached Jute or Bamboo pulp in the manufacture of reconstituted Tobacco sheet is unique to mis inventioa COOK WO. 128 A blond of Tobacco waste as given below was digested with water ( 3 times Tobacco weight) at 90°C for 30 rain. Extracted liquor was discarded TOBACCO WASTE WRIGHT (g) Three Tier Drop Outs 128.5 Three Tier Sand 78.7 Cooler Sand 96.9 DRF Sand 74.6 Stem bits 125.0 Heavies 88.6 Wmnowings 91.9 The cooked tobacco was beaten to a wetness level of 70 ° SR with adeqoate quantity of water. COOK WO. 129 LLS waste was digested with Water ( 3 times Tobacco weight) at 90°C for 30 min Extracted liquor was discarded. The cooked tobacco was beaten to a wetness level of 70° SR with adeqoate quantity of water. COOK NO. 130 Burley Stem was digested with water (3 times stem weight) at 140°C for 30 min Extracted liquor was discarded. The cooked tobacco was beaten to a wetness level of 72° SR with adequate quantity of water. Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets Different quantities of these Cooks were mixed as given below and sheets were made on Rapid Kothen Sheet former. Sheet Code furnish 1 Cook 128 -40% Cook 129-35% Cook 130-25% 2 Same as 001 with 2% CMC addition 3 Cook 129 -50% Cook 130 -50% 4 Same as 003 with 2% CMC addition Test Results of Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets: Sheet Code 001 002 003 004 Substance g/m2 119.4 117.6 114.8 133 Tensile Index KNm/Kg 10.84 9.8 12.67 14.77 Nicotine % Trace Trace Trace Trace Sugars % Trace Trace Trace Trace Chloride % 0.08 0.08 0.10 0.10 COOK NO. 131 A blend of following Tobacco waste was digested with water ( 3 times Tobacco weight) at 90oC for 30 mm. TOBACCO WASTE WEIGHT (g) Three Tier Drop Outs 128.5 Three Tier Said 78.7 Cooler Sand 96.9 DRF Sand 223.8 Stem bits 125 Heavies 88.6 Winno wings 91.9 Total Tobacco Waste = 833.4 The above cooked tobacco slurry was beaten to a wetness level of 70° SR with adequate quantity of water. COOK NO. 132 LLS waste was digested with water (3 times Tobacco weight) at 90°C for 30 min The cooked tobacco starry was beaten to a wetness level of 73° SRwith adequate quantity of water. COOK WO. 134 A blend of following Tobacco Wastes was mixed with water in the ratio of 1: 3 and cooked at 80oC for 30 annates The extracted liquor was discarded and the solid mass was mixed with Unbleached Jute pulp (60 g) and men beaten to a wetness level of 63 ° SR with adequate quantity of water. TOBACCO WASTE WEIGHT (g) Three Tier Drop Outs 17 Three Tier Sand 17 Cooler Sand 17 DRF Sand 17 Stem bite 17 Heavies 17 Winnowings 17 LLS 160 Barley Stem 60 Total Tobacco Waste = 340 Reconmittuted Tobacco Sheets: Following sheets were made on Rapid Kothen former. Sheet Cede Furnish 8 Cook No. 154 9 Cook No. 154 +2% CMC Test Results of Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets Sheet Code 008 009 Substance g/n2 96.8 97 Tensile Index KNm/Kg 19.47 19.92 Nicotine % Trace Trace Sugars % Trace Trace Chloride % 0.08 0.08 COOK NO ,135 A blend of following Tobacco Waste (339 g) and unbleached Jute Pulp (6( was beaten to a wetness level of 60 ° SR with adequate quantity of water. TOBACCO WASTE WEIGHT (g) -Three Tier Drop Outs 17 Three Tier Sand 17 Cooler Sand 17 DRF Sand 17 Stem bits 17 Heavies 17 Winnowings 17 LLS 160 Burley Stem 60 Total Tobacco Waste = 339 Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets: Following sheets were made on Rapid Kothen former. Code Furnish 6 Cook No. 135 7 Cook No. 135 + 2 % CMC Test Result of Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets: Sheet Code 006 007 Substance g/m2 93.8 97.2 Tensile Index KNm/Kg 16.63 18.04 Nicotine % Trace Traoe Sugars % Trace Trace Chloride % 0.11 0.11 COOK NO. 136 A blend of following Tobacco wastes (339.9 g) and unbleached Jute pulp (60g) was beaten to a SR of 60 ° with adequate quantity of water. TOBACCO WASTK WEIGHT (g) Three Tier Drop Outs 35 Three Tier Sand 33.3 Cooler Sand 33.3 DRF Sand 33.3 Stem bits 35 Heavies 35 Winnowings 35 LLS 40 Barley Stem 60 Total Tobacco Waste = 339.9 Rccontitued Tobacco sheets: Sheets (010 and 012) wore made on Rapid Kothen former. Sheet Code Furnish 010 Cook No. 136 012 Cook No. 136 + 2 % CMC Test Results of Reconstitueted Tobacco sheets: Sheet Code 010 012 Substance g/m2 30.4 97.4 Tensile Index KNm/Kg 16.17 20.27 Nicotine % Trace Trace Sugars % Trace Trace Chloride % 0.09 0.09 COOK WO. 137 A blend of following tobacco waste (379.9 g) and unbleached jute pulp (20 g ) we beaten to a wetness level of 63° SR with adequate quantity of water. TOBACCO WASTE WEIGHT (g) Three Tier Drop Outs 35 Three Tier Sand 33.3 Cooler Sand 33.3 DRF Sand 33.3 Stem bite 35 Heavies 35 Winnowings 35 LLS 60 Barley Stem 80 Total Tobacco Waste = 379.9 Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets: Sheets were made on Rapid Kothen Sheet former CODE FURNISH 013 Cook No. 137 Test Results of Recontituted Tobacco Sheets: Code 013 Substance g/m2 97.8 Tensile Index KNm/kg 15.82 Nicotine % Trace Sugars % Trace Chloride % 0.07 We Claim: 1. A process for the manufacture of reconstituted Tobacco Sheet having much reduced percentage of Nicotin, Sugars, and Chloride in the basic weight range 30 150 gum which consists the steps of: - a. Forming a slurry consisting of Tobacco wastes; b. Passing the slurry through synthetic or metal wire cloth and c. Pressing, sheet consolidation and drying by conventional methods. 2. A process as Claimed in Claim 1, the slurry consists of unbleached/bleached jute and or Bamboo and Tabacco waste. 3. A process as Claimed in Claim 2, wherein the slurry optionally includes a binder (CMC) in the ratio of upto 2%. Dated this 12th Day of Auguest 1998 This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of reconstituted Tobacco sheets has much reduced percentage of Nicotine, Sugar and Chloride and which is prepared with or without using unconventional raw materials such as Jute and/or Bamboo fibers. The Tobacco sheets can be prepared using the conventional paper making process.

Documents:

01444-cal-1998 abstract.pdf

01444-cal-1998 claims.pdf

01444-cal-1998 correspondence.pdf

01444-cal-1998 description(complete).pdf

01444-cal-1998 description(provisional).pdf

01444-cal-1998 drawings.pdf

01444-cal-1998 form-1.pdf

01444-cal-1998 form-2.pdf

01444-cal-1998 form-3.pdf

01444-cal-1998 form-5.pdf

01444-cal-1998 p.a.pdf

1444-CAL-1998-FORM-27.pdf