Recon Tobacco is a fascinating subject that delves into the intersection of history, craft, industry, and innovation. For those not in the know, it’s a topic that might seem arcane or even esoteric, but once you start peeling back the layers, you’ll find an intriguing world that is rich in detail and complexity. But what exactly is Recon Tobacco? How is it made, and why does it matter? I was helped to answer these questions by professionals in Russia (link to them here: recon tobacco). Stop rolling balls in the bowling alley! Let's get down to business!

Introduction

The process of creating reconstituted tobacco, or “recon,” involves using remnants of virgin tobacco, and the outcome is a product that plays a vital role in cigarette blend design and can be used in the creation of new products. In addition, recon tobacco is used in heated-tobacco products (HTPs).

There are several methods to produce reconstituted tobacco, including the paper-making technique, nano fiber technology, and a process called band cast, also known as slurry-type recon. Each of these methods has its own advantages and challenges, with paper recon and slurry recon being the most widely used forms.

Garbuio, an Italian specialist in primary machinery and part of the Hauni Group, has developed an alternative technology known as the tobacco dust amalgamation (TDA) process, an evolution of the slurry technology. This process involves grinding the raw material to a powder, adding moist components to produce a dough, and adding cellulose microfibers to stabilize the tobacco foil. This results in a tobacco foil with uniform and controlled thickness, which cannot be achieved with the slurry method. The main application of recon will be in heated tobacco products (HTPs), for which the accuracy and constancy of material thickness will be decisive.

Historical Context

Recon tobacco isn’t a new concept. In fact, it was invented in the 1950s to utilize remnants of virgin tobacco during production, thus saving valuable raw material. However, with the advent of heated-tobacco products (HTPs), recon tobacco has experienced a renaissance of sorts.

Role in Today’s Tobacco Industry

Today, recon tobacco serves multiple roles. It’s used to reduce filling costs for cigarettes, cigars, and pipe and smoking tobacco blends. Additionally, it’s crucial in cigarette blend design and allows for the creation of entirely new products when enriched with cloves for kretek cigarettes or containing hemp components.

Production Techniques for Recon Tobacco

Several methods are used to produce recon tobacco. These include the paper-making technique, nano fiber technology, and a process called band cast, also known as slurry-type recon. Each technique has its merits, but all present certain challenges, such as taste, drying, and tensile strength.

Paper-Making Technique

Nano Fiber Technology

Band Cast/Slurry-Type Recon

Innovation in Recon Tobacco: The Tobacco Dust Amalgamation (TDA) Process

This process involves grinding the raw material—tobacco, hemp, or clove—into a powder, then adding moist components to produce a dough. The dough is then pressed into pellets and flattened into an even paste before drying.

Advantages of TDA

The TDA process offers several advantages over traditional recon production methods. For one, it requires much less water, resulting in significantly reduced drying times and a much better retention of nicotine and flavor in the material. It also allows manufacturers to produce recon in-house, reducing their reliance on specialized suppliers.

Use in Heated-Tobacco Products

The TDA process results in a recon sheet that can be wound on a bobbin for use in HTPs or cut into flakes for use as an add-back in the primary process.

The TDA Recon Plant: A Novel Solution

Garbuio has set up a pilot TDA plant at Hauni’s Hamburg-Bergedorf site. This plant offers a range of benefits, including reduced energy consumption and the ability to quickly adapt to changes in the market. Its capacity can be expanded at any time to meet the needs of the location, making it a flexible solution for manufacturers.

Customer Experiences and Feedback

The TDA pilot plant has seen a lot of testing by leading cigarette manufacturers since its installation, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It offers a lot of potential for manufacturers looking to produce recon in-house while significantly reducing energy consumption.

Further Processing of TDA Recon: Cutting and Rod Making

To further process the TDA-produced tobacco foil, a special cutting and rod making process is recommended. This process involves taking the recon sheet off the bobbin and cutting it into long, identical narrow strips at high speed before turning it into rods for further combining of the final product.

Benefits and Challenges

This process is important for the construction of the HTP device, as it helps to make the base rods stable without loose ends and facilitates the easy insertion and removal of the heating element.

Hauni’s Cross-Cut Process: An Innovative Approach

Hauni has been working on a cross-cut process for its TDA recon, which involves cutting the narrow strips into shorter segments. This approach allows for a more random orientation of the fibers, giving them more filling power and making the process more similar to cigarette making.

The Future of Recon Tobacco: A Comprehensive Solution

The TDA recon plant is just one part of the comprehensive equipment range that Garbuio and Hauni have developed for HTPs. This range includes everything needed for a powerful and efficient HTP production plant, from the primary for recon tobacco to base rod making, optional pre-combining, final combining, and special logistics.

Paper recon equipment

Paper recon is a type of reconstituted tobacco that is made using a process similar to paper-making. Here are some of the equipment that might be used in the production of paper recon:

1. Pulping Machines: These are used to break down the tobacco leaves into a pulp. They work by mechanically or chemically separating the fibers of the tobacco leaves.
2. Screens: After pulping, the pulp is passed through screens to remove any large particles or debris.
3. Beating Equipment: The pulp is then beaten to further break down the fibers and to mix in any additives that may be used, such as binders or fillers.
4. Paper-making Machines: The beaten pulp is then spread out on a wire mesh to form a sheet. Water is removed from the sheet by applying pressure and/or heat.
5. Drying Machines: The wet sheet of paper recon is then passed through drying machines to remove any remaining moisture.
6. Cutting Machines: Once the paper recon is dry, it is cut into the desired size and shape.
7. Quality Control Systems: These are used to monitor the quality of the finished product, checking for things like uniformity of thickness, moisture content, and the presence of any impurities.
8. Packaging Machines: Finally, the finished paper recon is packaged for distribution or for further processing.

Please note that this is a simplified description of the process, and the actual equipment used may vary depending on the specific methods and technologies used by the manufacturer.

Slurry-type recon equipment

Slurry-type, also known as band cast recon, is another method used to produce reconstituted tobacco. The equipment used in its production may include:

1. Grinder: Used to grind tobacco leaves, stems, and other plant material into a fine powder.
2. Mixer: A device used to mix the ground tobacco with additives like water, glycerin, and binding agents to form a slurry.
3. Conveyor Belt: This is used to spread the slurry in a thin, even layer. The belt often has a non-stick surface to ensure smooth spreading of the slurry.
4. Roller or Press: This equipment applies pressure to the spread slurry, which helps to ensure uniform thickness and density.
5. Drying Equipment: This is used to dry the wet slurry into a solid sheet. It could be a long drying line or a dryer depending on the specific process employed.
6. Cutting Machines: These are used to cut the dried recon into the desired size and shape for use.
7. Quality Control Systems: Used to ensure the finished product meets the required standards. This might include checking for uniform thickness, correct moisture content, and absence of impurities.
8. Packaging Machines: The final reconstituted tobacco is packaged ready for shipping or further processing.

As with the paper recon process, this is a simplified description and the actual equipment used may vary based on the specific methods employed by the manufacturer.

Nano fiber technology equipment

Nano fiber technology is another method for producing reconstituted tobacco. The equipment required for this process can include:

1. Electrospinning Machine: This is the main equipment for producing nanofibers. It typically includes a high-voltage power supply, a syringe pump, a spinneret, a collector, and a solution containing the material to be electrospun.
2. Grinder: Similar to other methods, a grinder is needed to pulverize the tobacco leaves, stems, or other plant material into a fine powder.
3. Mixer: A device used to mix the ground tobacco with solvents and other additives to form a solution suitable for electrospinning.
4. Oven or Drying Equipment: After the nano fibers have been formed, they will need to be dried to remove any residual solvent. An oven or specialized drying equipment can be used for this purpose.
5. Collector: This is a part of the electrospinning machine. It can be a static plate, a rotating drum, or even a liquid bath. The collector’s shape and motion control the alignment and deposition of the fibers.
6. Quality Control Systems: Used to ensure the final product meets the required standards. This might include checking the nanofiber diameter, uniform thickness, correct moisture content, and absence of impurities.
7. Packaging Machines: The final reconstituted tobacco is packaged ready for shipping or further processing.

Again, this is a simplified description and the actual equipment used may vary based on the specific methods employed by the manufacturer.

TDA Equipment

The Tobacco Dust Amalgamation (TDA) process, developed by Garbuio, an Italian specialist in primary machinery and part of the Hauni Group, is a method for producing reconstituted tobacco leaf (RTL). It’s an evolution of the slurry technology and offers several advantages, including improved flavor retention, consistency of material thickness, and substantial energy savings compared to other methods.

In the TDA process, raw material such as tobacco, hemp, or clove is ground to a powder. Moist components, including glycerin, water, and binder, are added to produce a dough, and cellulose microfibers are added to stabilize the tobacco foil. This dough, which contains only 20-40% moisture (as opposed to up to 95% in other methods), is then pressed into pellets, rolled into an even paste under high pressure, and dried. The drying process is significantly reduced due to the lower moisture content, resulting in better retention of nicotine and flavor.

Garbuio has developed a TDA pilot plant at Hauni’s Hamburg-Bergedorf site, which manufacturers can use to try out new products from various starting materials and manufacture mini-batches for test markets. The pilot plant can produce recon at a material width of up to 300 mm and an output of up to 40 kg per hour. It’s designed for small production volumes but can be expanded and adapted according to the needs of the manufacturer. The pilot plant also offers the option for manufacturers to produce recon in-house, reducing the need to purchase it from specialized suppliers.

For further processing of the tobacco foil produced with TDA technology, Garbuio recommends a special cutting and rod making process. Hauni’s Strip Cut Maker (SCM) takes the recon sheet off the bobbin, cuts it into long, identical narrow strips, and turns it into rods for further combining of the final product. This process is essential for constructing heated tobacco products (HTPs), which have different models with specific challenges. The SCM allows for the creation of stable base rods which make it easier to insert and remove the heating element in HTPs.

The company is also working on a cross-cut process for its TDA recon, which involves cutting the narrow strips into shorter segments to increase their filling power. This process has more similarity with traditional cigarette making.

The role of recon tobacco in heated tobacco products

Reconstituted tobacco leaf (RTL), or “recon”, plays a significant role in heated tobacco products (HTPs). Here’s how:

1. Form of consumable: HTPs require a dedicated form of reconstituted tobacco, custom-made from carefully blended tobacco leaves. The reconstituted tobacco is used as the consumable component of these devices.
2. Consistency and quality control: Recon allows for the creation of a product with uniform and controlled thickness, which is critical for HTPs. The main application of recon in the future will be in HTPs, for which accuracy and constancy of material thickness will be decisive. This uniformity and control help ensure that important product specifications, such as nicotine content, are always within the specified range.
3. Final product construction: The recon is processed into sheets or flakes that can be used in the construction of HTPs. If used for HTPs, the rolled recon sheet is wound on a bobbin, optionally it can be cut into flakes if intended as an add-back for the primary.
4. Improved HTP design: The recon can be processed into stable base rods which make it easier to insert and remove the heating element in HTPs. Some HTP systems heat the consumable from the outside or from the center of the rod, both of which require specific product design considerations.
5. Flexibility in product design: Reconstituted tobacco allows for the creation of completely new products. It can be enriched with cloves for kretek cigarettes or contain hemp components, providing manufacturers with the opportunity to create a variety of HTPs with different flavor profiles and experiences.

In summary, reconstituted tobacco plays a critical role in the construction, performance, and variety of heated tobacco products.

TDA process vs paper-making process for recon tobacco

The Tobacco Dust Amalgamation (TDA) process and the paper-making process are both methods used in the production of reconstituted tobacco. However, they have some notable differences:

1. Moisture Content: In the paper-making process, the raw material has a water content of up to 95%. In contrast, the TDA technology needs less water, with the dough containing only 20% to 40% moisture. This lower moisture content significantly reduces the drying process.
2. Production Process: In the paper-making method, the mass is spread on a metal belt conveyor for drying. In the TDA process, the mass is pressed into pellets that are transferred into a rolling mill where it’s flattened into an even paste before being dried. This process results in a tobacco foil with uniform and controlled thickness, which is a significant advantage, especially for heated tobacco products (HTPs).
3. Resource Consumption: The TDA process requires less water and energy compared to the paper-making process. It also results in better retention of nicotine and flavor in the material because the paste dries much faster. The TDA process also uses fewer binders, reducing their potential impact on flavor during combustion.
4. Production Capability: The TDA process provides manufacturers with the option to produce reconstituted tobacco in-house instead of buying it from specialized suppliers, which might be a significant advantage for some manufacturers.
5. Output: The TDA process allows for a material width of up to 300 mm and an output of up to 40 kg per hour. While designed for small production volumes, the capacity can be expanded and adapted to the needs of the location, providing greater flexibility for manufacturers.

In summary, the TDA process offers several advantages over the traditional paper-making process, including lower moisture content, uniform thickness, lower resource consumption, and greater flexibility in production capabilities. However, the best choice may depend on the specific requirements and constraints of the manufacturer.

Conclusion

The invention of the TDA process and the development of advanced machinery have revolutionized the way recon tobacco is produced and used, opening up new possibilities for the tobacco industry. With these advancements, it’s clear that the future of recon tobacco is bright and full of potential.