GB1113979A - Modified carbohydrate material for smoking mixtures - Google Patents

Abstract

Polysaccharides are subjected to a catalysed degradation at 100-250 DEG C. until the weight of the degraded material is less than 90% of the starting material. Specified catalysts are sulphamic acid, ammonium sulphamate, phosphoric acid, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, ferric chloride, sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate. The polysaccharide may be a -cellulose, methyl cellulose, starch, alginic acid, pectin, gum tragacanth, gum arabic or locust bean gum. The treated product may be further treated with nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia to improve the colour. The product is useful in compounding smoking mixtures (see Division A2), but must be washed free of NaOH or sodium carbonate if these catalyst were used.ALSO:A smoking mixture comprises a carbohydrate which has been catalytically degraded at 100-250 DEG C. to less than 90% of its original weight. Specified carbohydrates are a -cellulose, methyl cellulose, glucose, sucrose, starch, alginic acid, pectin, gum tragacanth, gum arabic or locust bean gum. The degraded product may have been further treated with nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia to improve colour. Other adjuvants include glow-promoting catalysts, e.g. alkali metal compounds; ash improvers, e.g. ammonium, alkaline earth or alkali metal salts; flavours, e.g. tobacco extract, organic esters, essential oils, menthol, touka bean or vanillin; humectants, e.g. glycols or glycerol; and combustion improvers, e.g. carbonates. Any alkali catalyst, and, desirably any acid catalyst remaining in the treated material is neutralized before use. The product, together with the other ingredients, may be conditioned to 5-15% water content in a humid atmosphere. The product may be in sheet form, which can be shredded, optionally with film-forming agents such as methyl cellulose, sodium CMC, PVA, starch, pectin, gum or mucilage.ALSO:Wood-pulp or a -cellolose optionally in the form of sheets is catalytically degraded at 100-250 DEG C until the product is less than 90% of the weight of the starting material. Specified catalysts are sulphamic acid, ammonium sulphamate, phosphoric acid, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, sulphuric acid, ammonium sulphate, hydrochloric acid, ferric chloride, sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate. The degraded product may be further treated with nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia to improve the colour. The sheets may be held together with such binders as methyl cellulose, sodium CMC, PVA, starch, pectin, gum or mucilage. Optionally, sheets may be formed of the final treated product, using binders as specified above. The product, e.g. in the form of shredded sheets, is useful in making smoking mixtures (see Div. A2), but must first be washed free of any alkaline degradation catalyst used.