Innovative expandable stem--GUANGDONG GOLDEN LEAF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

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Innovative expandable stem

The volume of SMW stem increases significantly by superheated steam & microwave expansion and homogenizing techniques by utilizing stems, which providing a new formula module with characteristic of homogenization, harmonization, compatibility, comfortable taste, and gentle.

Technical advantages
Product Features
Product Application

Comparison between stem & SMW stem, and traditional stem shred and SMW stem shred

Stem raw material: this technology can be utilized in processing long stem, short stem, new stem and old stem with a wide adaptability.

Superheated steam-microwave expansion: steam/microwave energy ratio can be set to suit for different types of stem to get a consistent quality and appearance. With synergistic effect of steam and microwave, stem will have a rapid dehydration, with high processing intensity, low flavor release level, and macromolecules like hemicellulose will be pyrolyzed.

Cutting: expanded stem can be cut into different forms based on requirement, such as flake, slice, granular, and put them into cigarette formula application after functional treatment.

Table 1: expansion technology comparison between new type stem and traditional ones

Ltem	Traditional roll drying	Traditional pneumatic drying	SMW stem technology
Process	Cutting and expansion	Cutting and expansion	Expansion and cutting
Energy transfer	Conduction+ convection	convection	Radiation+ convection
Process temperature	80-140℃	140-350℃	140-230℃
Processing time	3-5min，relatively controllable	＜5s，uncontrollable	13-638s，Preciselycontrollable
Oxygen environment	Oxygen content21%	Oxygen content＜10%	Oxygen content＜10%
Reaction types	Oxidation reaction and compound reaction	It doesn’t have a chance to have a reaction.	Decomposition reaction
Stem fraction	increase	No change	decrease
Treatment effect	Little effect on organ sensory, poor expansion effect	Little effect on organ sensory, preferable expansion effect	good effect on organ sensory, good expansion effect

Significant expansion effect: macroscopic volume increases 2-6 times; micro-cavity of vascular tissue expands, clearance increases significantly.

Table:Electron micrograph before/after stem is expanded

Good purification effect: macromolecules pyrolyze before they are turn into offensive odor, which tasted more purely.

Good processing performance: expanded stem has a better permeability and flexibility to bearing higher mechanical processing intensity. Shapes, such as strip, flake, and shred, have been developed to meet different requirements from customers.

Good compatibility: SMW stem shred has improved in offensive odor, irritation, and after taste compared with traditional stem slice, and organ sensory is better than traditional stem slice.

Good carrier features: porous and multi-cavity structure of SMW stem makes it have a good carrier function, which allows tobacco extract and herbal extract entering the formula effectively.

Mimicry with tobacco shred: Particularly, the shred sample is not only similar to tobacco shred, but also the shred shape at a mimicry level.

High uniformity in blending: compared to traditional stems shred, blending uniformity of SMW in cigarette increase from 71.53% to 84.62%, with a 13.09% increase.

Significant tar and harm reduction: with same blend ratio, reduction of tar and CO release for SMW shred is superior to traditional stem shred.

GL has built a 300kg/h pilot line in Shantou (excluded cutting), which has achieved a continuous and stable operation, accumulated extensive experience, cultivated a professional technical team.

Based on the pilot line, Guangdong GL has the capability to produce 2000kg/h. Annual output can exceed 4000t based on 251 working days, 8h for each shift to meet large scale requirement from cigarette company.

Guangdong GL has carried out many types of cutting test on different types of cutters, including straight blade, straight blade with incline angle, curved horizontal blade, and rotary type. Cutting process is matured, which provide necessary conditions to SMW application.

Table：SMW cutting testing data

机型		切丝宽度	刀门压力	刀辊转速	刀门高度
NQ13	一切	0.50mm	5.5bar	400r/min	30mm
NQ13	二切	0.90mm	5.2bar	400r/min	30mm
SQ216D	一切	0.50mm	40kN	250r/min	65mm
SQ216D	二切	0.50mm	20kN	280r/min	65mm
SQ315	一切	1.00mm	53kN	300r/min	63mm
SQ315	二切	0.22mm	23kN	300r/min	63mm
SQ317G	一切	0.90mm	57kN	295r/min	60mm
SQ317G	二切	0.18mm	25kN	220r/min	70mm
SQ38A	一切	0.70mm	7.0bar	200r/min	70mm
SQ38A	二切	0.30mm	2.6bar	442r/min	100mm
SQ317G	一切	0.25mm	70kN	62.9%	73mm
SQ317G	二切	1.20mm	70kN	65.0%	73mm

Filling ratio of SMW is high, and after it is applied into cigarette, which can reduce the tobacco shred amount tremendously.

Table：SMW applied into cigarette and its technical economic effect

Item	Value	Item	Value
Cigarette circle	24.2	Raw material use amountfor single case before blending	33.288
Cigarette length	60	Raw material use amountfor single case after blending	31.259
Filling value of tobacco shred	4.2	Tobacco shred use amountfor single case after blending	28.417
Filling value of traditional stem shred	6.5	SMW use amountfor single case after blending	2.842
Filling value of SMW	7.2	Tobacco raw material saving amount for single case	2.03
Blending ratio of SMW	10%	Tobacco leaf saving amount for single case	4.871
Volume of cigarette	2.796	Tobacco leaf Saving amount per kilo SMW	1.714
Theoretical filling value after blended	4.47	Tobacco leaf Saving amount per case compared with same ratio of traditional stem shred	0.41