P2PLeon
Try as I might, Trying to Quit Smoking
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Piratevape has given a very good guide to storing Nic
With the E.U. TPD regulations just around the corner, one way to minimise their effects on your vaping is to stock up with some 7.2%Nicotine Base so you can continue to make your own e-liquid the way you like it. Piratesvape is a specialist in providing Nicotine Base packaged specifically to make storing nicotine a matter of buying it, unpacking it and putting it in the freezer. But you say - why freeze it? how do I freeze it? how long will it last? Read on......
Nicotine WILL NOT degrade if it is 100% pure, nitrogen sealed in dark glass bottles, and kept at a low temperature. That's how professionals keep it, so it’s as close to a fact as you will get when it comes to nicotine storage! Obviously, you aren’t going to be able to achieve all those criteria at home (you won't have 100% pure nicotine being the main one). Still, the majority of us could accomplish two of those important criteria.
Once you add other chemicals such as PG or VG into the bottle and can remove all the oxygen, then degradation occurs. At what rate and the effect is open to question as no one has kept PG or VG nicotine base in a freezer for more than 5 years so far, but it will degrade to some degree even if you keep it in your freezer. The issue is with the oxygen either from air trapped in the bottle or through energy put into the chemical system via light (UV) breaking down the dilutant (PG or VG), which, unfortunately, being organic compounds, have oxygen in their make-up. It's normally fine because the oxygen in the dilutant is attached to hydrogen, making a diol (O-H) that will not compete with the nicotine. Still, suppose you add energy into the system. In that case, the one single covalent bond between the oxygen and the hydrogen can be broken, and you have the issue of the spare oxygen running around, causing problems. This is the reason to keep the nic base in amber glass bottles and is the same reason that nicotine is kept nitrogen sealed in labs -so there are no spare oxygen atoms. Keeping the nicotine base at low(freezer) temperatures also slow down the movement of the molecules, which obviously slows down any chemical reactions.
Oxygen is nicotine’s main enemy. It converts nicotine to nicotine oxide in an oxidation reaction. Nicotine oxide, being a charged molecule, has electrons, which is why the colour change occurs (free electron movement between the atomic energy levels). These free electrons can also target other substances in e-liquid, such as flavourings, and change their chemical structure, which coincidentally is the reason why e-liquid has a shelf life.
Storage Basics
Always buy the highest % nicotine base you can (currently 7.2% legal in the UK), as the less PG/VG you have in the bottle, the better. Also, always buy the best quality, freshest base you can find to start off with.
What to store it in?
Nicotine bases should be stored in dark amber glass bottles to prevent UV degradation and potential chemical leaching caused by plastic bottles.
How to store it?
Depending on your usage if you bought 1 litre+ bottle then you shoulddecant it into smaller quantity bottles containing the amount you wouldprobably use in 3 or 4 months so that you aren't exposing the majorityof the nicotine base to more oxygen every time you want to use it. Once you open a bottle, it’s best to store it in a fridge if possible rather than just a shelf at room temperature and ALWAYS out of sunlight. It is worth noting that PG nicotine base remains fairly free-flowing even straight out of the freezer, but VG base turns into a gel and will need several hours at room temperature to be useable.
Where in the freezer to store it?
From a safety point of view, it is best to store it at the bottom of the freezer so that if it leaks, it doesn't contaminate anything else in the freezer. I know that some people have a separate freezer for their nicotine base, but plenty just stick it in with the rest of the families shopping! Ensure the bottle is clearly labelled, not for you but for the other people using the freezer. If you have young children, it would be very wise, if not essential, to buy a small freezer to keep in the garage or similar just for your nicotine stocks.
What's better, PG or VG, for the dilutant?
A personal preference, but with regards to degradation then, VG has an extra O-H functional group (3 compared to 2 in PG), so it is possible that if degradation did take place, it would be quicker in the VG. However, VG has a better shelf life than PG, 2 years compared to 1 year generally, AND VG’s viscosity works in its favour for once as the more viscous a liquid, the less the molecules move about …… so it’s probably 6 of one half a dozen of the other really as to which is best!
How long will it last?
It would be expected to possibly see and experience noticeable degradation after 5 -10 years of storage, either in taste or colour. The strength drop would need chemical analysis once someone has stored it for that long to determine, but many believe it won't be anywhere near half.
What not to do
Leave the bottles alone! The less disturbed they are, the better. DO NOT open the bottles if you don't need to, and never shake them, as this introduces oxygen to more of the nicotine base rather than just the surface.
With the E.U. TPD regulations just around the corner, one way to minimise their effects on your vaping is to stock up with some 7.2%Nicotine Base so you can continue to make your own e-liquid the way you like it. Piratesvape is a specialist in providing Nicotine Base packaged specifically to make storing nicotine a matter of buying it, unpacking it and putting it in the freezer. But you say - why freeze it? how do I freeze it? how long will it last? Read on......
Nicotine WILL NOT degrade if it is 100% pure, nitrogen sealed in dark glass bottles, and kept at a low temperature. That's how professionals keep it, so it’s as close to a fact as you will get when it comes to nicotine storage! Obviously, you aren’t going to be able to achieve all those criteria at home (you won't have 100% pure nicotine being the main one). Still, the majority of us could accomplish two of those important criteria.
Once you add other chemicals such as PG or VG into the bottle and can remove all the oxygen, then degradation occurs. At what rate and the effect is open to question as no one has kept PG or VG nicotine base in a freezer for more than 5 years so far, but it will degrade to some degree even if you keep it in your freezer. The issue is with the oxygen either from air trapped in the bottle or through energy put into the chemical system via light (UV) breaking down the dilutant (PG or VG), which, unfortunately, being organic compounds, have oxygen in their make-up. It's normally fine because the oxygen in the dilutant is attached to hydrogen, making a diol (O-H) that will not compete with the nicotine. Still, suppose you add energy into the system. In that case, the one single covalent bond between the oxygen and the hydrogen can be broken, and you have the issue of the spare oxygen running around, causing problems. This is the reason to keep the nic base in amber glass bottles and is the same reason that nicotine is kept nitrogen sealed in labs -so there are no spare oxygen atoms. Keeping the nicotine base at low(freezer) temperatures also slow down the movement of the molecules, which obviously slows down any chemical reactions.
Oxygen is nicotine’s main enemy. It converts nicotine to nicotine oxide in an oxidation reaction. Nicotine oxide, being a charged molecule, has electrons, which is why the colour change occurs (free electron movement between the atomic energy levels). These free electrons can also target other substances in e-liquid, such as flavourings, and change their chemical structure, which coincidentally is the reason why e-liquid has a shelf life.
Storage Basics
Always buy the highest % nicotine base you can (currently 7.2% legal in the UK), as the less PG/VG you have in the bottle, the better. Also, always buy the best quality, freshest base you can find to start off with.
What to store it in?
Nicotine bases should be stored in dark amber glass bottles to prevent UV degradation and potential chemical leaching caused by plastic bottles.
How to store it?
Depending on your usage if you bought 1 litre+ bottle then you shoulddecant it into smaller quantity bottles containing the amount you wouldprobably use in 3 or 4 months so that you aren't exposing the majorityof the nicotine base to more oxygen every time you want to use it. Once you open a bottle, it’s best to store it in a fridge if possible rather than just a shelf at room temperature and ALWAYS out of sunlight. It is worth noting that PG nicotine base remains fairly free-flowing even straight out of the freezer, but VG base turns into a gel and will need several hours at room temperature to be useable.
Where in the freezer to store it?
From a safety point of view, it is best to store it at the bottom of the freezer so that if it leaks, it doesn't contaminate anything else in the freezer. I know that some people have a separate freezer for their nicotine base, but plenty just stick it in with the rest of the families shopping! Ensure the bottle is clearly labelled, not for you but for the other people using the freezer. If you have young children, it would be very wise, if not essential, to buy a small freezer to keep in the garage or similar just for your nicotine stocks.
What's better, PG or VG, for the dilutant?
A personal preference, but with regards to degradation then, VG has an extra O-H functional group (3 compared to 2 in PG), so it is possible that if degradation did take place, it would be quicker in the VG. However, VG has a better shelf life than PG, 2 years compared to 1 year generally, AND VG’s viscosity works in its favour for once as the more viscous a liquid, the less the molecules move about …… so it’s probably 6 of one half a dozen of the other really as to which is best!
How long will it last?
It would be expected to possibly see and experience noticeable degradation after 5 -10 years of storage, either in taste or colour. The strength drop would need chemical analysis once someone has stored it for that long to determine, but many believe it won't be anywhere near half.
What not to do
Leave the bottles alone! The less disturbed they are, the better. DO NOT open the bottles if you don't need to, and never shake them, as this introduces oxygen to more of the nicotine base rather than just the surface.
