METHOD FOR PRODUCING A TOBACCO PASTE AND RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO, TOBACCO-CONTAINING FILM, AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING RECONSTITUTED TOBACCO

Abstract

Method for producing a tobacco paste and reconstituted tobacco, a tobacco-containing film, film sections and films scraps, and a system for producing reconstituted tobacco. The method includes supplying a powdered material having a predefined particle size of less than 350 μm, wherein the powdered material comprises tobacco powder, supplying a highly viscous, water-based binder gel having a viscosity of at least 1000 cP, a water content of at least 50%, and at least one binder; and mixing the powdered material with the binder gel to form the tobacco paste that is substantially solid, wherein the tobacco paste has a water content or moisture content of at most 50%.

Claims

1. A method for producing a tobacco paste, the method comprises: supplying a powdered material having a predefined particle size of less than 350 μm, wherein the powdered material comprises tobacco powder, supplying a highly viscous, water-based binder gel having a viscosity of at least 1000 cP, a water content of at least 50%, and at least one binder; and mixing the powdered material with the binder gel to form the tobacco paste that is substantially solid, wherein the tobacco paste has a water content or moisture content of at most 50%.

2. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco paste is used to produce reconstituted tobacco.

3. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: the predefined particle size is one of between 5 μm and 250 μm, or between 120 μm and 300 μm, the powdered material comprises tobacco powder, the highly viscous, water-based binder gel has a viscosity of between 10000 cP and 50000 cP, the water content is between 60% and 80%, and the at least one binder comprises at least one of guar meal or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC).

4. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein the powdered material comprises tobacco powder and plant powder, wherein the plant powder comprises cellulose, and wherein a ratio of cellulose of the plant powder and tobacco powder is at most 20% and at least 2%.

5. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 4, wherein at least one of: the powdered material further comprises powdered additives; the plant powder comprises cellulose, in at least one of powder or fiber form; or the ratio of cellulose of the plant powder and tobacco powder is at most one of 12% or 8%, and at least 4%.

6. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein the powdered material has a particle size of one of less than 350 μm, or between 5 μm and 250 μm.

7. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein the powdered material has a moisture content or water content per unit of weight of one of less than 18%, or between 7% and 12%.

8. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein the binder gel comprises a binder in a (wt. %) proportion of between 2% and 25%.

9. The method for producing the tobacco paste according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco paste has a moisture content or water content of one of between 10% and 40%, or between 20% and 30%.

10. A method for producing reconstituted tobacco, the method comprising: producing the tobacco paste according to method of claim 1, and extruding the tobacco paste to form an extruded profile that at least one of is substantially solid or has a low water content of one of: at most 50%; between 10% and 40%; or between 20% and 30%.

11. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 10, wherein, during the extrusion, the tobacco paste at least one of: is brought to a temperature of one of between 20° C. and 60° C.; or between 30° C. and 40° C., or has a pressure during extrusion of one of between 10 bar and 40 bar; or between 20 bar and 30 bar.

12. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 10, further comprising severing portions of the extruded profile to produce a series of portions of the tobacco paste, wherein each portion has at least one of: one of at most 200 g; or at most 100 g; or one of at most a volume of 10 cm.sup.3; 8 cm.sup.3; or 5 cm.sup.3.

13. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 12, further comprising smoothing at least one of the portions or the tobacco paste to form a flat web of material with at least one of: a thickness of one of at most 2 mm; at most 1.2 mm, or between 30 μm and 500 μm, or a width of one of between 30 cm and 3 m, or between 30 cm and 2 m.

14. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 13, wherein at least one of: the at least one of the portions or the tobacco paste is smoothed by a rolling or smoothing process, or the at least one of the portions or the tobacco paste has a moisture content of one of at most 30%, 35%, or between 25% and 30%.

15. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 13, further comprising: drying the flat web of material to form a dried web of material to at least one of a moisture content of less than 20% or between 4% and 16%.

16. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 13, further comprising winding up the flat web of material onto a bobbin.

17. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 16, wherein, before being wound up, both sides of the flat web of material or of a dried flat web of material are cut, such that a reconstituted tobacco film having a predefined and substantially constant width is produced.

18. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 17, wherein, before being wound up, the flat web of material or the dried flat web of material is cut into two or more webs of material of reconstituted tobacco film, and wherein the webs of material have a width that is at least one of between 100 mm and 300 mm, or between 120 mm and 250 mm and are wound up into bobbins separately from one another.

19. The method for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 18, wherein the winding is implemented by a winding device comprising at least one winding hub and two or more webs of material of reconstituted tobacco film are arranged one next to the other on the same winding hub and each are wound up into bobbins.

20. A tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps, comprising: tobacco powder with a particle size of at least one of less than 350 μm or less than 250 μm, and with a weight percentage of a dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of at least one of between 65% and 90% or between 70% and 85%, cellulose in particle or fiber form with an average particle size of at least one of less than 350 μm or less than 250 μm, with a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of between 3% and 10%, a binder comprising at least one of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or guar meal, the binder having a weight percentage of the dry mass of the tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps of at least one of between 2% and 10% or between 4% and 8%, wherein at least one of a proportion of cellulose is less than a proportion of binder, or a ratio of cellulose to tobacco powder is less than at least one of less than 1/14, less than 1/16, or less than 1/20.

21. The tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps according to claim 20, wherein the film, film sections, or film scraps have a density of at least one of between 500 mg/cm.sup.3 and 1000 mg/cm.sup.3 or between 700 mg/cm.sup.3 and 950 mg/cm.sup.3.

22. The tobacco-containing film, film sections, or film scraps, according to claim 20, wherein a mass to surface area ratio is greater than 0.05 mg/mm.sup.2 and less than 0.088 mg/mm.sup.2.

23. The tobacco-containing film sections or film scraps according to claim 20, having at least one of: a width of at most 2 mm and a length of at most 25 mm, or a thickness of between 180 μm and 300 μm.

24. A system for producing reconstituted tobacco, comprising: a material pulverization system, which is designed to generate a powdered material with a predefined particle size; a gelling machine, which is designed to generate a highly viscous binder gel based on water; a mixing unit, which is designed and configured to mix the powdered material from the material pulverization system with the binder gel from the gelling machine to form a tobacco paste.

25. The system for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 24, wherein at least one of: the powdered material comprises at least one of tobacco powder or plant powder; the highly viscous binder gel has a viscosity of at least one of at least 1000 cP, or between 10000 cP and 50000 cP; or the tobacco paste is substantially solid and has a water or moisture content of at most 50%.

26. The system for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 24, further comprising: an extrusion unit, which is designed to extrude the tobacco paste from the mixing unit and to press the paste out of an outlet, preferably an extrusion die, such that an extruded profile is produced from the tobacco paste, wherein the extrusion unit comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, arranged adjacently to the outlet of the extrusion unit, or a temperature-control unit, which is designed to bring the tobacco paste in the extrusion unit to a temperature of at least one of between 20° C. and 60° C. or between 30° C. and 40° C. in at least one section or subregion of the extrusion unit.

27. The system for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 24, further comprising: a fractioning unit, which is designed to divide up the profile extruded from the extrusion unit in order to generate a series of portions of tobacco paste, and comprises a rotating severing element with a rotating blade.

28. The system for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 24, further comprising: a rolling or smoothing unit, which is designed to smooth or roll the portions of tobacco paste in order to generate a flat web of material, comprises a moisture sensor, which is connected to a central control unit in order to detect the moisture of the portions, tobacco paste, or flat web of material and to generate a signal to the gelling machine.

29. The system for producing reconstituted tobacco according to claim 24, further comprising: a drying unit, which is suitable for drying the web of material generated by the rolling or smoothing unit such that the dried web of material has a moisture content of at least one of less than 20%, between 4% and 16%, or between 6% and 10%, wherein the drying unit comprises at least one sensor which detects a moisture content of at least one of the dried web of material or a flat web of material, and which is connected to a central control unit and arranged at at least one of an entrance or at an exit of the drying unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

[0064] FIG. 1 is a schematic overview of a system for producing a tobacco-containing film;

[0065] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a material pulverization system inside a system;

[0066] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a gelling machine;

[0067] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a mixing unit;

[0068] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of an extrusion unit and fractioning unit;

[0069] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a smoothing unit between a fractioning unit and a drying unit; and

[0070] FIG. 7 shows a drying unit and a winding unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.

[0072] FIG. 1 schematically shows a system/production system 1 for producing reconstituted tobacco in a block diagram. In two separate work streams, a tobacco powder 12 is supplied in the material pulverization system 2 for producing tobacco powder and a binder gel 13 is supplied in the gelling machine 3 for producing a binder gel 13. A tobacco material that preferably comprises plant-based tobacco material, film remnants, or otherwise constituted tobacco is fed to the material pulverization system 2. After a foreign body detection step, a comminution process takes place, which produces a powdered material 11. Optionally, additional powdered materials 11, 12, 14 may be admixed after comminution. The comminution process is advantageously implemented with a micronizing mill 21 (cf. FIG. 2). The powdered material 11 has a particle size of less than 350 μm, preferably a particle size of between 5 μm and 250 μm. Advantageously, the moisture or water content of the powdered material 11 is less than 18%, preferably between 7% and 12%.

[0073] Unless another definition is explicitly given in the present description, percentages are weight percentages.

[0074] For an advantageous production process, the powdered material 11 comprises tobacco powder 12 and, in particular, plant powder 14, wherein the proportion of plant powder is less than 30%, preferably between 2% and 10%. In particular, the term “plant powder” 14 does not denote the plant-based constituents contained in the tobacco powder, in particular the plant powder 14 contained in the tobacco powder 12. An advantageous particle size of the powdered material 11 or of the plant powder 14 is between 40 μm and 150 μm or between 20 μm and 140 μm. Advantageously, the particle size of the powdered material 11 or of the plant powder 14 is less than 300 μm.

[0075] The gelling machine 3 for producing a binder gel 13 comprises a supply device for liquid, in particular water, and a binder 15, which preferably comprises guar meal or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The moisture or water and the binder 15 are mixed in a method step such that a binder gel 13 having a viscosity of greater than 1000 cP, preferably a viscosity of between 10,000 cP and 50,000 cP, is produced. The unit cP is a unit for the dynamic viscosity and stands for centipoise. The binder gel 13 advantageously has a proportion of moisture of greater than 50%, preferably a proportion of moisture of between 60% and 80%. Preferably, the binder gel 13 is a water-based binder gel 13. The binder gel 13 advantageously has a binder 15 that is preferably powdered and has a particle size of less than 150 μm, preferably a particle size of between 20 μm and 100 μm.

[0076] Preferably, the binder 15 has a smaller particle size than the powdered material. The binder gel 13 preferably has a proportion of binder 15 of between 2% and 25%.

[0077] The powdered material 11 produced in the material pulverization system 2 and the binder gel 13 produced in the gelling machine 3 is mixed in a mixing unit 4 and extruded in an extrusion unit 5 to form an extruded profile 16. The extrusion unit 5 is arranged upstream of a fractioning unit 6, which divides the extruded profile 16 into portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 (cf. FIGS. 5 and 6). The portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 are smoothed by a smoothing unit 7 or rolling unit 7 and fed to a drying unit 8. The drying unit may be a tunnel dryer that preferably comprises a hot air oven, infrared oven, or microwave oven. In this context. “oven” should merely be understood to mean a device for drying. The drying unit 8 is arranged upstream of a winding unit 9, on which the dried web of material 102, preferably tobacco film 103 cut to a constant width and preferably tobacco film cut into multiple individual webs of film 104, is wound up onto individual bobbins (cf. FIG. 7).

[0078] FIG. 2 shows the material pulverization system 2. The starting material is to be introduced into the micronizing mill 21 from a storage container or via a filler neck and is to be comminuted to a predefined particle size. The tobacco powder 12, the plant powder 14, and/or the powdered material 11 is or are to be comminuted to the desired particle size in a method step, in particular to a particle size of less than 150 μm, preferably to a particle size of between 5 μm and 250 μm. In order to ensure an advantageous comminution process, in particular the above-mentioned single-stage comminution process, the moisture content and/or water content is less than 18%, preferably between 7% and 12%. The micronizing mill 21 preferably comprises a side or bottom outlet, as a result of which the powdered material 11 is conveyed via a separator 22 or a screening device, optionally directly, into a solid dust mixer 23. On account of the separator 22 or screening device, particles that are too heavy are collected and led away at a bottom outlet of the separator 22. Particles of the appropriate particle size can be led away via a top outlet to the solid dust mixer 23. Alternatively, the particles to be processed further can be led away at the bottom in a separator 22 designed in a different manner and fed to the solid dust mixer 23. Preferably, multiple tank containers 24 containing powdered materials are connected to the solid dust mixer 23, wherein different powdered materials, for example plant powder 14 or cellulose powder, are supplied by said tank containers 24 and can be conveyed into the solid dust mixer 23. The powder material mentioned here may also comprise fibers or elongate fibers. A homogeneous mixture of the different powdered materials is combined to form a powdered material 11 in the solid dust mixer 23.

[0079] FIG. 3 shows the design of an exemplary gelling machine 3 for producing a binder gel 13. The gelling machine 3 comprises a process tank 31, which is again connected to the process tank 31 via a recirculation circuit 33. A liquid material, in particular the binder gel 13 or an intermediate product, is conveyed in the recirculation circuit 33 through the pipeline 36, the control valve 39, and the circulation pumps 37, 40. The water supply to the process tank is controlled in a closed-loop manner via the line 32. Furthermore, the gelling machine 3 comprises an auxiliary container 34 containing a binder 15, for example carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or guar meal. This binder 15 is connected to the recirculation circuit 33 via a pipeline, a control valve, and via a Venturi injector 38. A predefined amount of binder 15 can be fed directly to the suction inlet of the circulation pump 37 from the auxiliary container 34 by the Venturi injector 38, which is arranged along the pipeline 36 immediately upstream of the circulation pump 37 and which is simultaneously connected to the auxiliary container(s) 34. Optionally, the auxiliary container 34 is arranged upstream of a mixing device in which the binder and glycerin and propylene glycol are mixed. This mixture can be fed to the suction inlet of the circulation pump 37 and thus into the recirculation circuit 33. In this way, the supply of binder 15 can be controlled in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner and the binder gel 13 can be produced with a sufficiently high viscosity, preferably a viscosity of greater than 1000 cP, particularly preferably with a viscosity of between 10000 cP and 50000 cP. Once the binder gel 13 has been mixed to a sufficient viscosity, binder gel 13 is to be drawn off from the recirculation circuit 33 via a pipeline 41 and a control valve 43 by a conveying circulation pump 42 and fed to the further processing operation via an outlet line 35. Advantageously, a flowmeter 44 for determining the volume is arranged upstream of the outlet opening of the outlet line 35.

[0080] FIG. 4 shows the mixing unit 4 and parts of the extrusion unit 5. The outlet line 35 of the gelling machine 3 is connected via the inlet opening 53 for the binder gel 13 and the outlet of the material pulverization system 2 is connected via the inlet opening 52 for the powdered material 11 to the mixing unit 4. The binder gel 13 and the powdered material 11 is to be conveyed into the elongate body 51 through said inlet openings 52, 53 and mixed together by a rotary stirrer 55, which is driven by the electric motor 56.

[0081] FIG. 5 shows the mixing unit 4 from a side view. The electric motor 56 rotates the rotary stirrer 55 about an axis A and mixes the binder gel 13 with the powdered material 11. An outlet opening 54 through which the stirred tobacco paste 10 is to be conveyed into the extrusion unit 5 is provided at the end of the elongate body 51 that is opposite the inlet opening.

[0082] FIG. 5 also shows the extrusion unit 5 in a side view. From the outlet opening 54, the tobacco paste 10 is conveyed into the storage container 60, which preferably comprises at least 1001, and is stirred by a stirring unit driven by the electric motor 62 and then conveyed further to the extrusion channel 63. The extrusion channel 63 comprises a screw 65 having a reference axis B, which screw can be driven by the electric motor 61, wherein the tobacco paste 10 is conveyed to the extrusion die 64 by the screw 65. In a preferred embodiment, the extrusion unit 5 comprises a temperature-control unit, which controls the temperature of, preferably cools, the extrusion channel 63 and/or the extrusion screw 65. Preferably, the temperature-control unit cools the tobacco paste 10 to a temperature of less than 60° C., preferably to a temperature of between 30° C. and 40° C., in order not to impair the flavor of the tobacco paste.

[0083] In another preferred embodiment, a pressure sensor is arranged adjacently to the extrusion die 64, which pressure sensor is preferably connected to a control unit in order to control the pressure in the extrusion channel 63 in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner. The extrusion die 64 is arranged upstream of a fractioning unit 6, which is preferably surrounded by a protective housing 68. The fractioning unit 6 preferably comprises a rotating severing element 66 having a reference axis C, in particular a rotating knife 66, which is connected to the electric motor 67 via the support shaft 69. The extruded profile 16 exits the extrusion die 64 and is divided into portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 by the severing element 66, for example the rotating knife 66. The portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 fall, in particular vertically, into the smoothing unit 7 arranged downstream. The extrusion unit 5 may preferably be designed as a multi-screw extrusion unit, wherein multiple extrusion screws are arranged adjacently, preferably in parallel one next to the other.

[0084] FIG. 6 shows the fractioning unit 6 and the smoothing unit 7, which is arranged downstream and which is preferably designed as a rolling unit 7, wherein a drying unit 8 is arranged downstream of the smoothing unit 7. The portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 fall onto the primary rollers 71, which form a flat web of material 101 from the portions 100 of tobacco paste 10, in particular by a rolling process. Scraping devices are arranged on the primary rollers 71 and remove or scrape off parts of the flat web of material 101 or portions 100 of tobacco paste 10 adhering to the primary rollers 71 after the flat web of material 101 has been transferred to the roller arranged downstream. The primary rollers 71 are arranged upstream of an additional roller 72, the secondary roller 72, wherein the flat web of material 101 is smoothed further by the cooperation of the one primary roller 71 and the secondary roller 72. The clearance or distance between the two primary rollers 71 is preferably the same as, less than, or greater than the distance between the primary rollers 71 and the secondary roller 72, which performs the second smoothing step. Preferably, the rollers 71 and 72 have the same speed. Preferably, the rollers 72 have a higher speed than the roller 71. The speed describes the path velocity of the shell surface. Preferably, the flat web of material 101 has a thickness of less than 1.2 mm, preferably a thickness of between 30 μm and 500 μm. Preferably, the flat web of material 101 has a width of between 30 cm and 2 m. Preferably, the portions 100 and/or the flat web of material 101 has a moisture content or water content of less than 50%, preferably between 10% and 40%.

[0085] In a preferred embodiment, segmentation rollers 73 are provided, which are arranged adjacently to the secondary roller 72, for example in a single copy or in double or multiple copies. The flat web of material 101 is released from the secondary roller 72, remnants are removed from the roller 72 preferably by a scraping device, and fed to the drying unit 8.

[0086] Preferably, a separating device is provided on the secondary roller 72 for separating a flat web of material 101 from a drum body of the secondary roller 72, in particular a scraper that is preferably arranged at the delivery point of the drum body of the secondary roller 72, wherein an angle alpha is formed by the radius of the drum body at the delivery point and by the separating device, in particular the scraper, wherein the angle alpha is between 50° and 80°, preferably between 62° and 73°. The delivery point of the drum body of the secondary roller 72 is the point at which the flat web of material 101 becomes released from the drum body of the secondary roller 72.

[0087] Preferably, the separating device, in particular the scraper, is designed to be heatable, preferably to a temperature of between 40° C. and 90° C., particularly preferably to a temperature of between 50° C. and 70° C. Preferably, the separating device is provided at least in sections with a coating that preferably comprises PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ceramic, or tungsten carbide. Optionally, the separating device is provided at least in sections with a nanocoating. Preferably, the separating device is designed as a bi-metal scraper.

[0088] The drying unit 8 comprises a drying tunnel 80, through which a belt conveyor 81 is guided. The flat web of material 101 is set down on the belt conveyor 81, which comprises a circulating conveyor belt, and is guided through the drying tunnel 80. The drying tunnel 80 may be segmented, wherein each segment 80a, 80b, and 80c is designed, for example, as a hot air oven, as an infrared oven, or as a microwave oven (cf. FIG. 7). In a preferred embodiment, five segments are provided, i.e., a hot air oven, an infrared oven, a microwave oven, an infrared oven, and finally a hot air oven. Preferably, a hot air oven is arranged at the start and at the end of the drying tunnel 80. The drying tunnel 80 comprises an exit, in which the dried web of material 102 becomes released from the belt conveyor 81, wherein a deflection roller 93 is preferably provided for this purpose in order to guide the dried web of material 102 into a winding unit 9. The moisture content or water content of the dried web of material 102 is preferably less than 30%, preferably between 4% and 10%.

[0089] The winding unit 9 comprises multiple deflection rollers 93, which are arranged on a rigid support structure 94, and is shown in FIG. 7. The deflection rollers 93 guide the dried web of material 102 into the winding unit 9, wherein devices such as a dancer are provided in order to control the belt tension in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner. The dried web of material 102 is fed via guide rollers 92 to a cutting unit 95, which is preferably designed as a side and/or width cutter, wherein sides of the web of material 102 are cut off of the dried web of material 102 is additionally cut into broad strips. The tobacco film 103, 104 cut according to the cutting unit 95 is guided over spreader rollers 96, which space the webs of material apart in order to guide them further via additional deflection rollers 93 to a motorized winding unit 90. The motorized winding unit 90 in each case comprises a winding hub 91, on which the webs of film 103, 104 consisting of reconstituted tobacco film are wound up. In a preferred embodiment, one, two, three, four, or more than four motorized winding units 90 may be provided in the winding unit 9.

[0090] In another preferred embodiment, a winding unit 90 may be designed with a broad winding hub in order to wind up multiple webs of film 104 consisting of reconstituted tobacco film together on a winding hub 91. Therefore, multiple ready-to-use bobbins can be rolled up on a winding hub 91.

[0091] The production process for the tobacco paste 10, shown schematically in FIG. 1, is divided into a dry phase and an aqueous phase. In the dry phase, the tobacco material and optionally the plant material is comminuted, mixed with other powdered materials 11, 12, 14, such as a plant powder 14, and fed to the solid dust mixer 23. In the aqueous phase, the binder gel 13 is produced, wherein, for example, water, flavorings, and glycerin are mixed with a binder 15, for example CMC or guar meal. Advantageously, between 60% and 95% powdered material 11 or tobacco powder 12 and/or between 3% and 15% preferably cellulose, optionally cellulose powder, or plant powder 14 are to be used in the dry phase for the production process. For example, 90% tobacco powder 12 and 10% cellulose powder, 95% tobacco powder and 5% cellulose powder, 92% tobacco powder and 8% plant powder, or 85% tobacco powder and 15% of another type of powdered material is to be used.

[0092] In the aqueous phase, the binder gel 13 is to be produced and advantageously comprises water, glycerin, flavorings, CMC, and/or guar meal. Advantageously, the binder gel 13 comprises more than 50% and preferably less than 80% water. Advantageously, the binder gel 13 comprises 73% water, 20% glycerin, and 7% binder 15. The figures may vary by up to 3% in each case for this special formulation. Preferably, the weight ratio of binder 15 and moisture, in particular water, is less than 20%.

[0093] The binder gel 13 and the powdered material 11 are processed into a tobacco paste 10. Advantageously, the ratio of powdered material 11 and water is greater than or equal to 1. Preferably, the weight percentage of cellulose, preferably cellulose powder, in said tobacco paste is greater than the weight percentage of binder 15. Preferably, the ratio of cellulose, preferably cellulose powder, and tobacco powder is less than or equal to 1/20, 1/16, or 1/14.

[0094] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein: rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0095] 1 System for producing reconstituted tobacco [0096] 2 Pulverization system for producing tobacco powder [0097] 21 Micronizing mill [0098] 22 Separator [0099] 23 Solid dust mixer [0100] 24 Tank container [0101] 3 Gelling machine for producing a binder gel [0102] 31 Process tank [0103] 32 Water supply line [0104] 33 Recirculation circuit [0105] 34 Auxiliary container with CMC or guar meal [0106] 35 Outlet line [0107] 36 Pipeline [0108] 37, 40 Circulation pump [0109] 38 Venturi injector [0110] 39 Control valve [0111] 4 Mixing unit [0112] 41 Pipeline [0113] 42 Conveying pump, circulation pump [0114] 43 Control valve [0115] 44 Flowmeter [0116] 51 Elongate body [0117] 52 Powder inlet opening [0118] 53 Binder gel inlet opening [0119] 54 Outlet opening [0120] 55 Rotary stirrer with reference axis A [0121] 56 Electric motor [0122] 5 Extrusion unit [0123] 61 Electric motor [0124] 60 Storage container (>100 1) [0125] 62 Electric motor [0126] 63 Extrusion channel [0127] 64 Extrusion die [0128] 65 Extrusion screw/screw with reference axis B [0129] 6 Fractioning unit [0130] 66 Severing element, rotating severing element with reference axis C [0131] 67 Electric motor [0132] 68 Protective housing [0133] 69 Support shaft [0134] 7 Smoothing unit, rolling unit [0135] 71 Primary rollers [0136] 72 Secondary rollers [0137] 73 Segmentation rollers [0138] 8 Drying unit [0139] 80 Drying tunnel [0140] 80a, b, c Hot air oven, infrared oven, microwave [0141] 81 Belt conveyor [0142] 9 Winding unit [0143] 90 Motorized winding unit [0144] 91 Winding hub [0145] 92 Guide rollers [0146] 93 Deflection rollers [0147] 94 Rigid support structure [0148] 95 Cutting unit, side & width cutter [0149] 96 Spreader rollers [0150] 10 Tobacco paste [0151] 11 Powdered material [0152] 12 Tobacco powder [0153] 13 Binder gel [0154] 14 Plant powder [0155] 15 Binder [0156] 16 Extruded profile [0157] 100 Portions of tobacco paste [0158] 101 Flat web of material [0159] 102 Dried web of material [0160] 103 Reconstituted tobacco film with constant width [0161] 104 Webs of film of reconstituted tobacco film, in particular cut to winding width