Process and apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process to obtain tobacco flavor extracts, the process comprising: —conditioning a mixture of tobaccos in a primary tobacco manufacture heating the mixture of tobacco to a temperature comprised between about 30 degrees Celsius and about 90 degrees Celsius for a time interval comprised between about 30 seconds and about 1 hour; —recovering emissions produced by the mixture conditioning; and —obtaining at least one flavor extract from the recovered emissions. The present invention also relates to an apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts.

Claims

1. Process to obtain tobacco flavor extracts, the process comprising: conditioning a mixture of tobaccos in a primary tobacco manufacture and heating the mixture of tobacco to a temperature comprised between about 30 degrees Celsius and about 90 degrees Celsius for a time interval comprised between about 30 seconds and about 1 hour; recovering emissions produced by the mixture conditioning; and obtaining at least one flavor extract from the recovered emissions; wherein conditioning a mixture of tobaccos includes increasing the degree of moisture of the tobacco during heating.

2. The process according to claim 1, comprising: adding the flavor extract to a component of an aerosol-forming article.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of conditioning a mixture of tobaccos takes place in a conditioning chamber.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein the step of recovering emissions produced by the mixture conditioning comprises: recovering emissions produced in the conditioning chamber and exiting the cylinder by means of an exhaust pipe.

5. The process according to claim 1, comprising: recovering emissions produced by the mixture conditioning of a single type of tobacco.

6. The process according to claim 1, comprising: supplying a plurality of different types of tobaccos; separately recovering emissions produced by the mixture conditioning of each different type of tobacco; obtaining a flavor extract for each separated emission; and blending the flavor extracts obtained from the different types of tobaccos.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining at least one flavor extract from the recovered emissions comprises: condensing the emissions to obtain at least one condensed emission as said at least one flavor extract.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein condensing the emissions includes: condensing the emission by cryogenic condensation.

9. The process according to claim 7, comprising: lowering the temperature of the emissions to below about −30 degrees Celsius.

10. The process according to claim 7, comprising: injecting liquid nitrogen into the emissions.

11. The process according to claim 7, comprising: collecting droplets of condensed emissions.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of conditioning a mixture of tobacco comprises one or more of: supplying heat to the mixture; supplying steam to the mixture; supplying water at a temperature of between about 10 degrees Celsius and about 80 degrees Celsius to the mixture.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein conditioning a mixture of tobaccos includes conditioning a mixture of tobacco leaves, stems and lamina.

Description

(1) Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description thereof with no-limiting reference to the appended drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic lay-out view of a first embodiment of an apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts according to the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic lay-out view of a second embodiment of an apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts according to the present invention.

(4) In particular, FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts is globally indicated with reference number 100.

(5) The apparatus 100 comprises a direct conditioning cylinder 10 adapted to condition a mixture of tobacco leaves, stems and lamina in a tobacco primary manufacturing line.

(6) In the direct conditioning cylinder 10 a dry mixture of tobacco leaves, stems and lamina is exposed to heat and humidity to open and flexibilize its structure for further treatments. For example, steam and hot water are sprayed in a counter current manner on the mixture of tobacco leaves, stems and lamina.

(7) The direct conditioning cylinder 10 includes an exhaust pipe 20. The exhaust pipe 20 is adapted to exhaust emissions from the conditioned mixture.

(8) The apparatus 100 comprises also a condensation system 30. The condensation system 30 is fluidly connected to the exhaust pipe 20. The condensation system 30 is adapted to lower the temperature of the exhaust emissions so as to condense the exhaust emissions.

(9) The apparatus 100 comprises also a collector 40. The collector 40 is in fluid communication to the condensation system 30. The collector 40 is adapted to collect the emissions condensed in the condensation system 30.

(10) The condensation system 30 is a cryogenic condensation system. The cryogenic condensation system includes a heat exchanger 32 which is adapted to exchange heat with the emissions. The cryogenic condensation system is based on cooling the emissions up to very low temperatures, using liquid nitrogen or other cryogenic fluid as source of cold. The cryogenic condensation system comprises a tobacco flavor extracts separator 34 and a cryogenic fluid tank 36, containing liquid nitrogen or other cryogenic fluid.

(11) The heat exchanger 32 comprises a primary circuit 321 and a secondary circuit 322. The primary circuit 321 is in fluid communication with the cryogenic fluid tank 36. In the primary circuit 321 the primary cooling liquid flows. The primary cooling liquid is for example liquid nitrogen. Downstream the heat exchanger 32, the liquid nitrogen can be discharged in atmosphere (as shown in FIG. 1; in this case, the primary circuit 321 is an open circuit), or it can be recovered (in this case, the primary circuit 321 is a closed circuit). The secondary circuit 322 is preferably a closed circuit. The secondary circuit 322 is in fluid communication with the separator 34. In the secondary circuit 322 the secondary cooling liquid flows. The secondary cooling liquid is for example a known cooling liquid in the art.

(12) The exhaust pipe 20 is in fluid communication with the separator 34, so that the emissions of the direct conditioning cylinder 10 are condensed, obtaining the tobacco flavor extracts. The separator 34 is in fluid communication with the collector 40, wherein the tobacco flavor extracts are collected.

(13) Clean gas is discharged in atmosphere.

(14) With reference to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of an apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts is globally indicated with reference number 200.

(15) The components of the apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts 200 of FIG. 2 which are similar to, or have an analogous function with respect to, those of the apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts 100 of FIG. 1 are indicated with the same reference number.

(16) The apparatus 200 comprises a direct conditioning cylinder 10 adapted to condition a mixture of tobacco leaves, stems and lamina in a tobacco primary manufacturing line.

(17) The direct conditioning cylinder 10 includes an exhaust pipe 20. The exhaust pipe 20 is adapted to exhaust emissions from the conditioned mixture.

(18) The apparatus 100 comprises also a condensation system 230. The condensation system 230 is fluidly connected to the exhaust pipe 20. The condensation system 230 is adapted to lower the temperature of the exhaust emissions so as to condense the exhaust emissions.

(19) The apparatus 200 comprises also a collector 40. The collector 40 is in fluid communication to the condensation system 230. The collector 40 is adapted to collect the emissions condensed in the condensation system 230.

(20) The condensation system 230 comprises a liquid nitrogen tank 236 and a nozzle 238 adapted to spray or inject the liquid nitrogen contained in the tank 236 towards the emissions. In other words, a direct injection of liquid nitrogen into the emissions is used to condensate the emissions. The liquid nitrogen supply is preferably controlled to meet the desired temperature at the output of the exhaust pipe 20. Condensation droplets of tobacco flavor extracts can be collected by a fine mesh filter (not illustrated in FIG. 2) and recovered in the collector 40.

(21) The operation of the apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts 100 and 200 are clear from the description above.

(22) In the apparatus to obtain tobacco flavor extracts 100 and 200 is carried out a process to obtain tobacco flavor extracts, which comprises: conditioning a mixture of tobaccos, such as a mixture of tobacco leaves, stems and lamina, in a primary tobacco manufacture, such as the direct conditioning cylinder 10; recovering emissions produced by the mixture conditioning; and obtaining at least one flavor extract from the recovered emissions. The conditioning takes place heating the mixture of tobaccos by means of a water steam heated at about 120 degrees Celsius, so that the temperature of the mixture of tobaccos reaches a temperature of about 60 degrees Celsius and this temperature of the mixture of tobaccos is kept for about 5 minutes.