US1880336A - Method for reducing the percentage of nicotine contained in raw tobaccos, intermediary products, and tobacco products ready for use - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 4, 1932 ADOLF WENUSCH, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA,

ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL-DIREKTION DER OSTERR. TABAKREGIE, AN AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT AT VIENNA METHOD FOR REDUCING THE PERCENTAGE OF NIGOTINE- CONTAINED IN RAW TOBACCOS, INTERMEDIARY PRODUCTS, AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS READY FOR USE No Drawing. Application filed December 26, 1930, Serial No. 504,882, and in Austria December 27, 1929.

This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for reducing the percentage of nicotine contained in raw tobacco, intermediary products and tobacco products ready for use. In view of the fact that many kinds of tobacco will keep their color very well at high temperatures in overheated steam, so that their darkening is nearly imperceptible, it has already been suggested to remove the nicotine by heating the tobacco bymeans of overheated steam passing over .its surface. This process however has certain disadvantages, in that the steam at the beginning of the process condenses on the tobacco, so as to render the same somewhat moist. Experiments have shown that if the receptacle containing the tobacco is evenly heated by passing overheated steam through it condensation of the steam cannot be entirely prevented.

It has further been proposed to pass the overheated steam through the tobacco after the latter has been heated up to a temperature at which condensation does not take place, by externally or internally heating the apparatus into which the tobacco has been introduced. This process, however, has the drawback that "the heating up goes on far more slowly and that the advantages of a flowing medium are suspended during a long space of time, i. 6. during the period of heating up the material. As known, these advantages chiefly consist in that the substances extracted from the tobacco are carried off by the flowing'medium. In order to combine the advantages of a continually flowing medium-with the color preserving qualities of the overheated steam and to eliminate at the same time the disadvantages of the tobacco becoming moist to a certain degree, a method has proved highly satisfactory, which forms the subject matter of the invention. and which is described in the following:

Through the tobacco, which is placed in a suitable receptacle and which is heated either only externally or externally and internally, a heated current of a non-condensing medium such as air, carbonic acid or nitrogen is passed until the tobacco has reached a temperature at which a condensation of the overheated steam cannot take place. This temperature is in the vicinity of 100 C. Up to this temperature the oxidizing influence of the oxygen contained in-the air is still negligibleso that the tobacco can keep its natural color. As soon, however, as the temperature is attained at which condensation cannot take place, the

admission of air is stopped and a current of overheated steam is passed through the tobacco, whereby the temperature of the tobacco is further increased until the limit is reached which is required for removing the apparatus may be used whichenables a uniform flow therethrough of a non-condensing medium and thereafter of superheated steam. When treating large quantities of tobacco, a receptacle may be used, into which the tobacco, lying on superimposed pans is introduced.

\Vhat I claim is A process for reducing the percentage of nicotine contained in raw tobacco, intermedi-,

ary products andtobacco products ready for use, which comprises passing heated air through tobacco until it has reached a temperature of approximately 100 C., and then passing superheated steam through the tobacco.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

' ADOLF WENUSCH.

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