Patent ID: 6158440
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: A24B,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of producing an expanded tobacco material, comprising the steps of:(a) feeding a tobacco material into a pressure vessel;(b) pressuring the interior of said pressure vessel with a carbon dioxide gas to an impregnation pressure of at least about 4.3 kg/cm.sup.2 in gage pressure;(c) supplying a liquid carbon dioxide from above the tobacco material while maintaining said impregnation pressure so as to saturate interior of said pressure vessel with a carbon dioxide gas by the vaporization of said liquid carbon dioxide;(d) decreasing the pressure within the pressure vessel to substantially atmospheric pressure after the state within the vessel is held for a predetermined time;(e) taking the tobacco material out of said pressure vessel;(f) supplying the tobacco material taken out of the pressure vessel into a gaseous stream dryer so as to expand the tobacco material by bringing the tobacco material into contact with a high temperature gaseous stream within said gaseous stream dryer; and(g) separating the expanded tobacco material from said high temperature gaseous stream.