Abstract: In a method of treating coated or uncoated materials made of natural or synthetic polymers in the form of continuous lengths to improve the quality of the material, the material is subjected to a series of processing steps, one of which is a cooling step in which the material is cooled by means of a cooling medium at extremely low temperature, such as a liquefied gas, for example, liquid nitrogen. Such cooling after a drying or heat-setting operation prevents creasing of the material when it is folded to form a stack. Apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a conveyor (2) for the length of material (1) and at least one blast nozzle head (3) provided with a plurality of blast nozzles (5) past which the material is conveyed, and connected to a source of cooling medium through suitable delivery means.

Abstract: A method of fermenting and aging tobacco under endothermic conditions in which the tobacco is fermented in an atmosphere containing more than 25% by volume oxygen and preferably in either pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air. The tobacco product is thereby fermented more rapidly than with earlier endothermic techniques, with reduction in the nicotine content, less condensate, and reduced pesticide content.