Study on the influence of processing parameters on cigarette suction characteristics

To study the influence of different processing parameters on the porosity and dynamic resistance of cigarettes and their impact on cigarette smoking smoothness (CSS), an improved microfocus x-ray CT method was used to scan the porosity characterization of cigarettes. The axial stability and distribution consistency of dynamic resistance were characterized by the standard deviation of dynamic resistance between cigarettes. A cigarette-smoking smoothness evaluation method was established. The effects of different processing parameters on CSS and the correlation between porosity, dynamic resistance, and CSS were investigated. The experimental results indicate that, first, variations in cut width, steam temperature, and flow rate of the high-speed drying tower (HDT) leaf silk drying, as well as changes in the splitting knife arc length and groove depth, significantly influence cigarette porosity, its distribution uniformity, axial stability of dynamic draw resistance, and inter-cigarette consistency, with each factor exhibiting distinct impact trends. Second, cigarette drawability deteriorates markedly with increased cut width, while it improves significantly with elevated HDT steam temperature and reduced steam flow rate. Finally, under different processing parameters, both the uniformity of cigarette porosity distribution and dynamic draw resistance exert highly significant influences on cigarette drawability. The research results of this study have significant guiding significance for improving the quality of cigarettes.