Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a smoking tobacco having a low nitrate content includes at least one stage through which a tobacco having a relatively high nitrate content, for example burley tobacco, continuously passes for continuous nitrate removal by dissolution. In the nitrate removal stage, a solvent is added to, for example, the burley tobacco to form a slurry. The free solvent, including dissolved nitrates, is decanted from the slurry leaving saturated burley tobacco. The saturated burley tobacco is subjected to an expression pressure to remove a further amount of solvent and dissolved nitrates therefrom. After the burley tobacco leaves the nitrate removing stage, it is mixed with another tobacco, such as, for example, a flue-cured tobacco. The tobacco mixture is then expanded and dried to a moisture content suitable for use in a smoking article.

Abstract: A tobacco treating apparatus including an outer, rotatable, hollow drum having a tobacco inlet at one end and a tobacco outlet at the opposite end with an inner, hollow drum extending through the tobacco inlet end, generally coaxial with the outer drum and extending a distance longitudinally into the outer drum a distance less than the entire length of the outer drum. The outer and inner drums cooperate to define an annular gas flow-through passageway which is open to an exhaust chamber. Tobacco to be treated is introduced into the inner drum and flows therefrom into the outer drum while a stream of tobacco treating gas is introduced into the tobacco outlet end to flow in counter-current direction to the flow of tobacco through the outer drum so that virtually all of the tobacco is contacted and treated by the gas. The treating gas leaves the outer drum through the annular flow-through passageway and into the exhaust air chamber from which it is exhausted from the apparatus.