Abstract: Sheet tobacco according to the present invention includes a carrier sheet made of nonwoven plant fibers, and a tobacco powder layer formed on the carrier sheet and containing a powder mixture of tobacco lamina powder and binder powder. In a sheet tobacco manufacturing process according to the present invention, a carrier sheet of plant fibers is formed by a nonwoven fabric production process, a tobacco powder layer is formed by spreading the powder mixture on the carrier sheet, and a cover sheet of plant fibers is optionally formed on the tobacco powder layer. Subsequently, the carrier sheet, the tobacco powder layer and the optical cover sheet are all together subjected to heating and pressing, thereby producing sheet tobacco with a two- or three-layer structure. The present invention also provides a manufacturing system for carrying out the sheet tobacco manufacturing process.

Abstract: Sheet tobacco according to the present invention includes a carrier sheet made of nonwoven plant fibers, and a tobacco powder layer formed on the carrier sheet and containing a powder mixture of tobacco lamina powder and binder powder. In a sheet tobacco manufacturing process according to the present invention, a carrier sheet of plant fibers is formed by a nonwoven fabric production process, a tobacco powder layer is formed by spreading the powder mixture on the carrier sheet, and a cover sheet of plant fibers is optionally formed on the tobacco powder layer. Subsequently, the carrier sheet, the tobacco powder layer and the optical cover sheet are all together subjected to heating and pressing, thereby producing sheet tobacco with a two- or three-layer structure. The present invention also provides a manufacturing system for carrying out the sheet tobacco manufacturing process.

Abstract: A foreign substance eliminating apparatus transfers raw material by passing the raw material between an upstream conveyor (6) and a downstream conveyor (8), and detects a foreign substance on the upstream transfer conveyor with a foreign substance detector (9). An eliminating airflow (R) is ejected from a row of air nozzles (13) when the detected foreign substance falls down, and deflects the falling direction of the foreign substance. At this point, a small foreign substance (BS) is blown off by the eliminating airflow, and sent to the foreign substancereceiving box (16). On the other hand, a large foreign substance (BL) goes across the eliminating airflow, and falls down onto the bar screen conveyor (20). The bar screen conveyor captures the large foreign substance, and removes it outside of the conveyor.

Abstract: A foreign substance eliminating apparatus transfers raw material by passing the raw material between an upstream conveyor (6) and a downstream conveyor (8), and detects a foreign substance on the upstream transfer conveyor with a foreign substance detector (9). An eliminating airflow (R) is ejected from a row of air nozzles (13) when the detected foreign substance falls down, and deflects the falling direction of the foreign substance. At this point, a small foreign substance (BS) is blown off by the eliminating airflow, and sent to the foreign substancereceiving box (16). On the other hand, a large foreign substance (BL) goes across the eliminating airflow, and falls down onto the bar screen conveyor (20). The bar screen conveyor captures the large foreign substance, and removes it outside of the conveyor.

Abstract: Sheet tobacco according to the present invention includes a carrier sheet made of nonwoven plant fibers, and a tobacco powder layer formed on the carrier sheet and containing a powder mixture of tobacco lamina powder and binder powder. In a sheet tobacco manufacturing process according to the present invention, a carrier sheet of plant fibers is formed by a nonwoven fabric production process, a tobacco powder layer is formed by spreading the powder mixture on the carrier sheet, and a cover sheet of plant fibers is optionally formed on the tobacco powder layer. Subsequently, the carrier sheet, the tobacco powder layer and the optical cover sheet are all together subjected to heating and pressing, thereby producing sheet tobacco with a two- or three-layer structure. The present invention also provides a manufacturing system for carrying out the sheet tobacco manufacturing process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing an expanded tobacco material. According to the method, a tobacco material (TM) is fed into a pressure vessel (11), followed by pressurizing the interior of the pressure vessel (11) with a carbon dioxide gas to a predetermined impregnation pressure. Then, a liquid carbon dioxide (21) is supplied from above the tobacco material (TM) into the pressure vessel through a sintered metal plate (13), etc., while maintaining the impregnation pressure, thereby saturating the interior of the pressure vessel (11) with a carbon dioxide gas generated by vaporization of the supplied liquid carbon dioxide, and cooling the tobacco material by the latent heat of vaporization of the liquid carbon dioxide, so as to impregnate the tobacco material with carbon dioxide. The tobacco material impregnated with carbon dioxide is brought into contact with a hot gaseous stream within a gaseous stream dryer so as to expand the tobacco material.

Abstract: A method of plumping cut tobacco includes impregnating the cut tobacco with an adjuvant plumping agent and forcing the adjuvant plumping agent to expand in order to inflate the tissues of cut tobacco (plumping step), idly storing the plumped tobacco with a low moisture content level (idle storage step) and remoisturizing the cut tobacco after the idle storage step by adding moisture to achieve a predetermined final moisture content level (moisture content regulating step). With such a method, cut tobacco can be remarkably plumped before it is used for cigarette production.