Claims
- 1. A process for the expansion of tobacco comprising:
- moisturizing the tobacco with water to a moisture content within the range of from about 30% to about 80%;
- bulking the moisturized tobacco at substantially ambient conditions to allow the moisture to penetrate the cellular structure of the tobacco; and
- rapidly drying the moisturized tobacco within 5 seconds in a turbulent steam atmosphere at a temperature of at least about 280.degree. C. to a moisture content of less than about 5%.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature is from about 288.degree. C. to about 316.degree. C.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature is at least about 316.degree. C.
- 4. The process of claim 2 or 3 wherein the tobacco is dried to a moisture content of less than 3%.
- 5. The process of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the turbulent steam atmosphere comprises at least about 60% steam.
- 6. A process for the expansion of tobacco comprising:
- moisturizing the tobacco with water to a moisture content within the range of from about 30% to about 80%;
- bulking the moisturized tobacco at substantially ambient conditions for from about 1/4 hour to about 4 hours to allow the moisture to penetrate the cellular structure of the tobacco;
- rapidly drying the moisturized tobacco within 5 seconds to a moisture content of less than 5% in a turbulent steam atmosphere at a temperature of at least about 288.degree. C.; and
- reordering the dried tobacco to a moisture content within the range of from about 12% to about 21%.
- 7. The process of claim 6 wherein the turbulent steam atmosphere comprises at least about 60% steam and the temperature is at least about 316.degree. C.
- 8. The process of claim 7 wherein the turbulent steam atmosphere comprises at least about 80% steam.
- 9. The process of claim 7 or 8 wherein the tobacco is dried to a moisture content of less than 3%.
- 10. A process for the expansion of tobacco comprising:
- moisturizing the tobacco with water to a moisture content of from about 30% to about 40%;
- bulking the moisturized tobacco at substantially ambient conditions to allow the moisture to penetrate the cellular structure of the tobacco; and
- rapidly drying the moisturized tobacco within 5 seconds to a moisture content of less than 3% in a turbulent steam atmosphere comprising at least about 60% steam at a temperature in the range of from about 316.degree. C. to about 370.degree. C.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 145,824, filed May 1, 1980, and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4366825 |
Utsch et al. |
Jan 1983 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
WO8300989 |
Mar 1983 |
WOX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
145824 |
May 1980 |
|