Application of natural sepiolite fiber to paper-making process reconstituted tobacco

In order to investigate the feasibility of partially replacing tobacco stem fiber (TSF) and unbleached sisal fiber (USF) with natural sepiolite fiber (NSF) in paper-making process reconstituted tobacco (PPRT) manufacturing, the influences of addition rates of TSF and USF on the sensory quality of PPRT were studied, the pyrolysis property and fiber morphology of NSF, meantime, the physical properties and sensory characteristics of finished PPRT containing NSF were researched by thermogravimetric analysis, fiber morphology analysis, paper physical property analysis and sensory evaluation. The results showed that:1) NSF presented pretty good chemical nonreactivity and fiber strength, its weighted average length and length/width ratio were 593 μm and 27.3 respectively. The fiber length distribution of NSF was close to that of TSF, therefore NSF was suitable for PPRT production. 2) USF affected the offensive odor and aftertaste of PPRT significantly, while TSF influenced the burning sensation, irritation and offensive odor of PPRT obviously. 3) NSF could replace USF and TSF up to 30% and 50% respectively, and the sensory quality of PPRT containing NSF was much better than that of conventional PPRT products.