Extracting Waste Tobacco with Ethanol-Water Solution

Abstract

The effects of ethanol on the extraction rate and components of extracts from stem and tobacco dust in the production process of paper-making reconstituted tobacco were investigated. The orthogonal test was conducted by taking low concentration ethanol-water solution as solvent, and the components in extracts were analyzed with GC-MS. The results showed that the presence of ethanol in extraction solution did not affect extraction rate significantly. The determined appropriate extraction parameters for tobacco stems were: ethanol concentration 3%, extraction temperature 70 ℃, solid/liquid ratio 1∶11 and extraction time 75 minutes. Under such conditions, the single-cycle extraction rate of tobacco stem at normal pressure was over 32%. The optimal extraction parameters for tobacco dust were the same as those for tobacco stems except that the ethanol concentration was 2%, and the single-cycle extraction rate of tobacco dust at normal pressure was more than 47% under such conditions. The major extract of tobacco stem and dust was nicotine, and the application of low concentration ethanol was beneficial to the extraction of other aromatic components, such as alcohols, esters and ketones. This study provided technical support for regulating the quality of reconstituted tobacco.