US1984445A - Process for the expulsion of nicotine from tobacco - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PROCESS FOR THE EXPULSION 0F NICO- TINE FROM TOBACCO William Wagner, Elyria, Ohio No Drawing. Application August 8, 1934, Serial No. 739,003

1 Claim.

The object of my invention is for the chemical rectification of tobacco, rendering the tobacco completely free, or nearly so, from nicotine, pro-ving a great benefit to the general health of all tobacco users, because of the fact that the evil effects of excessive indulgence are due to the poisonous nicotine.

It may be remarked that nicotine exists in tobacco in small proportion, a rapidly fatal poison, the percentage of nicotine in tobacco varies considerably, from 1.62% in Havana tobacco, 2% in Maryland tobacco, 6% in Virginia tobacco, and 8% in Kentucky tobacco. About 95% of the nicotine in tobacco passes over into the smoke. Nicotine is a colorless, or nearly colorless fluid, of an exceedingly acrid taste, entirely volatilizable, very soluble in water, strongly alkaline in reaction, and capable of forming crystallizable salts with acids, it exists in tobacco with an acid in excess, and in this state is not volatile. Tobacco also contains nicotianin, a fragrant, inflammable, crystalline principle, from which tobacco acquires its fragrance, and excellence. The excellence of tobacco does not depend upon nicotine, the less nicotine the tobacco contains, the more excellent, the more nicotine the tobacco contains, the ranker. The burning properties of tobacco are not impaired by my process, because the crystalline principle nicotianin is very inflammable, and remains un-disturbed. The most important disturbances produced by nicotine, are in: the digestive, circulatory, and respiratory organs, as a result of the disturbed innervation of the heart, palpitation, and other cardiac irregularities are common, and the vascular contraction is generally regarded as one of the causes of arterial degeneration.

My invention relates to a process for the expulsion of nicotine, completely, or nearly so, from cured tobacco leaves, aged, or unaged, rendering the tobacco leaves denicotinated, completely, or nearly so, without impairing the aroma, flavor, or taste, and burning properties of the tobacco, from which denicotinatedcigarettes, cigars, chewing and smoking tobacco could be produced, precluding denicotinated tobacco from having any marked toxic effects upon the human system, such as: symptoms of tobacco heart, upon the respiratory organs, such as: cigarette cough, upon the digestive organs, such as: stomach disorders, upon the arteries, such as: arterial degeneration. Mediocre tobacco may be changed to high grade tobacco with my process, because it removes the sour, rancid acid, and the bitter, sharp, pungent nicotine, rectifying the tobacco superlatively.

My process consists in placing cured tobacco leaves, aged, or unaged, in a chamber containing ammonia vapor, (length of time of exposure will depend upon the grade of the tobacco, size of leaves, and quantity,) the penetrating alkaline ammonia vapor immediately combines with the acid in the tobacco leaves, forming a neutral salt, and isolating the nicotine. The tobacco leaves are then aerated, after which the tobacco leaves are placed in a suitable 'volatilizing chamber, and under a canopy of some heavy fabric, such as heavy muslin, which has been saturated with U. S. P. acetic acid, the heat drives ed the volatile liquid nicotine, which readily combines with the n acetic acid on the fabric, forming crystallizable salts of nicotin acetate, and preventing its return back into the tobacco leaves. The acetic acid will also neutralize any free ammonia which may exist in the tobacco leaves. The tobacco leaves are then transferred to a chamber containing cool moist