Benzoic acid

[Liazard]

I am interested in cloning juul e-liquid (sold only in pods) by adding benzoic acid to nic salts. The JUUL juice seems elusive to replicate, especially the "feel" of the vapor, and I wonder if its because none of the recipes I've tried have benzoic acid in them. The one thread I found that seemed to be making progress on this ended without clear results earlier this year.

Also, why can't I find benzoic acid for sale anywhere for DIY? Any concerns about it?

 

[bombastinator]

It used to be available as crystals in pound bags a few months ago. As for concerns, there is argument. The biggest problem I personally have is that the only nic-acid reaction compound that has received any real testing that I know of is n-tartrate. That was quite extensively tested for nicotine gum, but not as an inhalant that I know of. It was found in all other ways to be pretty innocuous stuff. There is a real chance that n-benzoate is equally innocuous. No one has actually looked though.

As to reacting benzoic acid with nicotine it should be pretty simple. Mix with a little heat to speed things along. There may be problems I don’t know about though. One that could come up is actual really pure nicotine is ~1000mg/ml. It’s really really dangerous stuff like many high molarity substances. Benzoyl peroxide for example is used as a face treatment...at low percentages. At high percentages though it’s fantastically caustic and one of the more dangerous substances that exists. It makes an excellent rocket fuel but is considered too dangerous to use for that purpose.

If you’re trying to react say 100mg/ml nicotine the stuff you’re using is 90% something else.

 

[Liazard]

This is the thread I meant:
Making your own DIY salt nic with benzoic acid.

 

[Liazard]

I should add that I'm not a chemist! Would need a straightforward DIY recipe. And a source for the benzoic acid.

I'm currently using Nude Nicotine salts, but as I've been mixing it (just the nic salts 100 mg, VG, and PG, sometimes a flavor), just doesn't have that crisp clean JUUL feel.

 

[bombastinator]

I should add that I'm not a chemist! Would need a straightforward DIY recipe. And a source for the benzoic acid.

I'm currently using Nude Nicotine salts, but as I've been mixing it (just the nic salts 100 mg, VG, and PG, sometimes a flavor), just doesn't have that crisp clean JUUL feel.

JUUL very specifically does not reveal what they put in their juice. They do use n-benzoate, but they don’t say what else, and we only know even that because they were forced to reveal it as part of a class action lawsuit.
That whole “crisp clean JUUL feel” thing that sounds so much like a 1960’s cigarette ad could be your personal experience of just about anything. It may not have anything to do with nic type at all.

All that is broadly known is that JUUL uses n-benzoate as one ingredient, and that they have made some very high concentrations. One of the things they do that is non-standard is they avoid using mg/ml measurements going instead for percentages. This allowed them to make vapes with twice as much nicotine as was previously standard.

 

[AttyPops]

I thought they used the benzoic acid to make freebase nic into a salt. So if you already have nic-salt, you wouldn't need the benzoic acid....

but I might be confused on that.

 

[jandrew]

I am interested in cloning JUUL e-liquid (sold only in pods) by adding benzoic acid to nic salts....

You don't make nicotine-benzoate by adding benzoic acid to nic-salts --- benzoic acid is combined with freebase nicotine to make nicotine benzoate (one of several nicotine salts). For DIY you can just buy nicotine benzoate.

 

[Doffy]

pdib had fun/luck with this

this is not a nic salt thread, it is a former modder thread

but starting somewhere around this point https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/threads/◙-li’l-pinch-←thang-◙-pdib-←maker-◙-not-sayin’-←just-sayin’-◙-shuh-zam-←hyperbole.689647/page-1606#post-21226451

he goes into ratios, and how benzoic acid doesn't particlarly like dissolving in PG, it takes time and effort

 

[AttyPops]

P.S.
I'm pretty sure you need to be careful about the PH for the juice you inhale into your lungs. I'm not a chemist, and also don't know what normal juice's PH is, but I'm pretty sure if you're screwing around with adding an acid, you could f-up bad and burn your lung tissue if you're not careful. For that matter, too alkaline is bad too.

 

[Vapntime]

Just buy it from here 100mg Nicotine Salts

It is nicotine benzoate (salt). It was the best of all brands I tried by a fair way. The benzoic acid nicotine salts are definitely the best IMO.

 

[stols001]

I am almost 100% sure that you won't replicate Juul's liquid with benzoic acid, although you may find you prefer it on some level. If you aren't into chemistry though, I would agree about just buying the stuff if you must.

I think that if most nic salt manufacturers could "replicate" Juul nic they probably would have.

I am almost 100% certain they have a secret ingredient. I really, really am. AND I took ONE puff off ONE Juul once.

I handed it back to my kid, saying "That is WAY too rich for my blood." It was really something, that puff.

Also he had A WAY harder time quitting the juul than when he was at 3 mg nicotine. I think he actually went BACK to smoking for a while and then quit smoking because he said it was easier.

Special sauce, indeed. Good luck though, in all seriousness.

Anna