METHOD FOR INCREASING THE TOBACCO VOLUME

摘要

The method is employed in the tobacco industry. By it, the tobacco volume is considerably increased and the power consumption is reduced. By the method, tobacco with initial moisture content, equivalent to the amount of the volatile substances evaporated in the oven, within the range of 12 to 21% is saturated with gaseous saturated carbon dioxide at pressure from 2758 to 7287 kPa. During the saturation or before that the tobacco is cooled, and during the saturation the gaseous carbon dioxide is condensed on the leaves. The pressure is removed where the carbon dioxide expands, condenses and evaporates and the tobacco temperature is decreased in the interval from -37.4 to -6.7 C, after which the tobacco is heated in order to eliminate the carbon dioxide and increase the volume of the tobacco.