| Abstract:Steam blasting technology was used to pretreat tobacco stems, and the microstructure and chemical composition of tobacco stems, as well as the physical properties of the tobacco substrate and the organoleptic quality of reconstituted tobaccos under different water vapor pressure conditions were studied. The results showed that the steam explosion pressure exerts a considerable influence on the structure of tobacco stems and the physical properties of tobacco substrate. As the steam pressure rises, the structure of tobacco stems expands, the void and gap spaces enlarge and increase. After pulping, the beating degree of tobacco stem pulp increases. The tensile strength, flexibility and uniformity of the tobacco substrate are enhanced significantly, but it has a relatively small effect on the bulkiness. When the steam pressure was 0.6 MPa, the structural damage of tobacco stem was not obvious, and the total sugar content increased to the maximum, which could significantly improve the organoleptic quality of reconstituted tobaccos. Proper steam blasting treatment of tobacco stems can significantly improve the physical properties of tobacco substrates and organoleptic quality of reconstituted tobaccos, and the steam blasting pressure should be lower than 0.6 MPa in industrial application. |