Abstract: To investigate the effects of β-cyclodextrin intumescent flame-retardant coating on the sensory quality, combustion and thermal degradation behavior of reconstituted tobacco sheet (RTS), the sample of composite RTS was prepared by paper-making process and modified by quaternary flame retardant (IFR) coating via using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as carbon source, diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP) as acid source and gas source, potassium citrate (PC) and sodium citrate (SC) as synergist. The effects of quaternary composite coating on the structure, sensory quality and thermal properties of RTS were studied by micro-scale combustion calorimetry(MCC), thermogravimetric-Fourier transform infrared (TG-FTIR)spectroscopy and thermocouple system. The results showed that: 1) The quaternary coating with the recipe of m_β-CD∶m_DAP∶m_PC∶m_SC=1∶1∶1∶0.5 did not change the original style of the material, enhanced sweetness, decreased irritation and offered better overall quality and comfortableness. 2) Both cigarette samples made from composite RTS (C-RTS) and those containing 20% C-RTS exhibited obvious reduction in total heat release and maximum heat release rate. The incorporation of β-CD based coating greatly retarded the char decomposition and combustion, which resulted in about 30% increase of thermal residue at 850 ℃. 3) The maximum temperatures of burning cones of C-RTS cigarette samples and the samples containing 20% C-RTS decreased by 69.2 and 20.6 ℃ respectively accompanied with the decrease of instantaneous burning rate.