Effects of coniferous softwood fiber and carboxymethyl cellulose contents on rheological properties of slurry processed reconstituted tobacco sheets

To clarify the effects of coniferous softwood fiber and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) contents on the rheological properties of slurry processed reconstituted tobacco sheets, the viscosity, viscoelasticity and thixotropy of slurries made with different contents of coniferous softwood fiber and CMC were tested and analyzed. The results showed that: 1) The slurry processed reconstituted tobacco sheets was formed by the shear-thinning fluids. As the contents of coniferous softwood fiber and CMC increased, the slurry's viscosity gradually increased. The higher the content of the coniferous softwood fiber, the more pronounced the shear-thinning characteristics of the prepared tobacco slurry. Conversely, the higher the CMC content, the less pronounced the shear-thinning characteristics of the prepared slurry. 2) As the coniferous softwood fiber content increased, the slurry tended to behave as a viscoelastic solid. Conversely, as the CMC content increased, the slurry behaved more like a viscoelastic liquid. 3) As the coniferous softwood fiber content increased, the fluidity of the slurry during the spreading process decreased and the storage modulus recovery rate increased. However, as the CMC content increased, the fluidity of the slurry during the spreading process increased, and the storage modulus recovery rate first increased and then decreased.