Tobacco denicotinization process

Claim 1

The method as defined in claim 1, wherein during denicotinization there is controlled the delivery of ammonia such that the pH-value of the condensate of the treatment medium departing from the tobacco is in a range between approximately 11.0 and 12.0

Claim 8

A method for denicotinization and mellowing of tobacco comprising the steps of passing through the tobacco a gaseous treatment medium containing at least ammonia and steam for denicotinization purposes, forming a condensate and determining the titration value of said condensate, then controlling the ammonia concentration in the ammonia steam treatment medium during the denicotinization step such that said condensate when titrated as 10 ml sample indicates an acid consumption in a range amounting to approximately 45 to 80 ml 0.1 acid, and then passing through the tobacco, an ammonia-free, steam-containing gaseous treatment medium for tobacco mellowing purposes, said ammonia-free, steam-containing medium being passed through the tobacco for such length of time until a sample of the condensate from this latter treatment medium departing from the tobacco, upon titration thereof, indicates an acid consumption which amounts to 70 to 110 percent of an initial reference titration value which is obtained prior to denicotinization and which is of the same size sample of the initial condensate.

Claim 17

A method for mellowing tobacco, comprising the steps of passing an ammonia-free, steam-containing gaseous treatment medium through the tobacco, passing the treatment medium through the tobacco for such length of time until the pH-value of the condensate of the treatment medium departing from the tobacco is in a range of approximately 0.1 units of pH to approximately 1.0 units of pH below a reference-pH-value of condensate of the treatment medium obtained under the same conditions prior to mellowing.

Claim 23

A method for mellowing tobacco, comprising the steps of passing an ammonia-free, steam-containing treatment medium through the tobacco, controlling the flow of the treatment medium through the tobacco for such length of time until a sample of the condensate of the treatment medium departing from the tobacco during titration thereof exhibits an acid consumption which is at least approximately lower by the value of 5 than a reference titration value determined by titrating a condensate sample of the treatment medium departing from the tobacco under the same conditions prior to tobacco mellowing.

Claim 27

A method for mellowing tobacco and for reducing the nicotine content thereof comprising the steps: A. contacting the tobacco with steam, B. condensing a small portion of the steam, C. analyzing the condensate for the purpose of determining a reference-pH-value, D. contacting the tobacco with a gaseous mixture comprising steam and ammonia for reducing the nicotine content of the tobacco, said gaseous mixture being regulated to provide a sufficient concentration of ammonia such that the condensate after contact with the tobacco has a pH-value between 11 and 12, E. continuing denicotinization for a time sufficient to reduce the nicotine content to a desired level, F. Contacting the tobacco with ammonia-free steam for a time sufficient to reduce the pH-value of the condensate emanating from the tobacco to from about 1.0 units below and from about 0.5 units above the reference-pH-value established in steps A-C inclusive.