Abstract:

【OBJECTIVE】 We mainly want to find out the general situation of tobacco leaf potassium and chlorine content and relationship between potassium and chlorine content of tobacco leaf and its smoking quality in northern area of China. 【METHOD】We collected 295 flue-cured tobacco samples from 5 provinces, detected their main chemical components, evaluated their smoking quality, and measured their combustibility. 【RESULTS】The results showed that the coefficient of variation of potassium oxide content, chlorine content and the ritio of potassium oxide to chlorine were bigger in the Northeast, there were abvious regional difference in potassium oxide content, chlorine content of tobaaco leaves amoung different provinces; the chlorine content of tobacco leaf was the principal factor which mainly reduced the scores of aroma quality, aroma quatity, offensive odor and aftertaste in Liaoning Province and Neimeng Province; the chlorine content of tobacco leaf was also the main factor which mainly reduced the scores of aroma quatity and irritation Shandong Procince. The chlorine was determining factor which reduced tobacco leaf combustibility. 【CONCLUSION】Based upon the above analyses, the authors conclude that fitting content of potassium oxide, chlorine and the ritio of potassium oxide to chlorine were ＞1.0 percent、＜0.6 percent and ＞1.5 in Liaoning Province and Neimeng Province and fitting content of chlorine and the ritio of potassium oxide to chlorine were ＜0.6 percent and ＞3.0 in Shandong Province.