Polymer encased smokeless tobacco products
Methods for encasing bodies including smokeless tobacco or a tobacco substitute with a polymeric casing can include coating a compressed body with microfibers, applying tubular casings to compressed bodies, printing netting and webs on compressed bodies, injection molding around compressed bodies, applying a webbing to compressed bodies, placing compressed bodies into a skin forming bath, and including thermoplastic polymers in a compressed body.
1. A method of making a polymer encased smokeless tobacco or tobacco substitute product comprising:
forming a compressed body including smokeless tobacco, a tobacco substitute, or a combination thereof;
forming a stretched webbing of polymeric material;
projecting the compressed body through the stretched webbing to form a webbing around the compressed body; and
curing the webbing to form an encased body.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming a stretched webbing includes forming the stretched webbing between two pistons.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the forming a stretched webbing includes forming a net between two pistons, and
retracting the two pistons to stretch the net and form the stretched webbing.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
absorbing an additive in the encased body.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to forming a stretched webbing, mixing an additive with the polymeric material.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
increasing an oven volatiles content of the encased body.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the increasing includes adding water to the encased body.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material includes an elastic polymeric material.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the elastic polymeric material includes polyurethane.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material includes a blend of a plurality of polymers.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed body includes the smokeless tobacco.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the smokeless tobacco includes widths ranging from 10 cuts/inch up to 110 cuts/inch and lengths ranging from 0.1 inches up to 1 inch.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the smokeless tobacco has a total oven volatiles content of greater than or equal to 10 weight percent.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the total oven volatiles content ranges from 30 weight percent to 61 weight percent.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the total oven volatiles content ranges from 50 weight percent to 60 weight percent.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed body includes the tobacco substitute.