How To Store Nicotine? Method and Length of Time Needed

[ShowerHead]

I'm looking to get a LOAD of nicotine.
Only if it is stable for long term storage.

So, how long can you store 100mg nicotine?
What sort of a container, at what temperature?
Would you break it down in small quantities (250 ml, more?)?

Hoping for some answers while my sweetie is amenable to a purchase!

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Store in freezer. Best results if PG based.
Store in glass bottles with a bit of air space at the top to allow for expansion and contraction.
In a freezer (deep freezer) it should last for several years. perhaps 10? In a refrigerator freezer it will still last for several years.
with the PG base it will not actually freeze just get really thick. The freezing point of PG is around -60F.

 

[ShowerHead]

Thank you.
Ten years, well, by then I should either have quit or found a way to extract nicotine myself.
Now, I just have math to do to come up with a quantity to buy.

 

[bwh79]

Best results if PG based.

That's debatable. I believe our resident chemist @Kurt maintains that the higher viscosity of VG slows molecular movement and ......s oxidation moreso than PG.

with the PG base it will not actually freeze just get really thick. The freezing point of PG is around -60F.

VG doesn't freeze solid either, at least not at freezer temperatures. It does get awful thick, though. But you'll want to warm it up to room temperature before you open the bottle anyway, lest you introduce oxygen-containing water in the form of condensation inside the bottle.

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Yep BWH. but in any case ti will last for years in a freezer.
The vape world is full of debate. But I think we can agree that whether VG or PG it will last in a freezer .

 

[WillyZee]

vaping hasn't really been around long enough to know precisely how long frozen nicotine will last.

I would think properly stored in Boston Round bottles in the freezer ... even the oldest stashes going back to 2008 should still be good.

 

[herb]

Wondering how long VG/PG without nicotine would store in a dark place but not a freezer situation . I just got in two one gallon plastic containers of VG and PG .

 

[bwh79]

Wondering how long VG/PG without nicotine would store in a dark place but not a freezer situation . I just got in two one gallon plastic containers of VG and PG .

I think the shelf life is stated as 1-2 yrs at room temperature, but really, since there is no nicotine to oxidize, I don't see why it wouldn't last basically forever if kept in a sealed container (to prevent water absorbtion from the atmosphere, as both PG and VG are hygroscopic meaning they will "suck" water straight out of the surrounding air.)

 

[Robert Cromwell]

Wondering how long VG/PG without nicotine would store in a dark place but not a freezer situation . I just got in two one gallon plastic containers of VG and PG .

From what I can gather you should be good for at least 2 years kept in the dark and reasonably cool.

As bwh mentioned the more air there is int the gallon jug the faster it will deteriorate. Perhaps break it up into quart containers?
But I think it would likely be fine in the original gallon jugs.

 

[bwh79]

So, how long can you store 100mg nicotine?
What sort of a container, at what temperature?
Would you break it down in small quantities (250 ml, more?)?

To answer the other questions:
Glass bottles, to prevent oxygen seepage that can occur with plastic. Blue or brown glass, to prevent UV light from penetrating. -20C is the recommended temperature, but many of us just store it in our fridge freezers. What size depends on how fast you go through it; common practice is to keep about a 3-month supply handy at room temperature (for me that's 30ml at 100mg/ml), and the rest in the freezer. You can keep it all in that size, or for example keep the bulk of it in 120ml bottles, and dispense one of those into 4x 30ml's, keep three of those in the freezer, and have the one "working bottle" at room temp. After you go through those four, you can thaw out another 120ml, break it up, and put three of them back in the deep freeze (what I'm going to do when I finally get around to buying a liter.)

 

[Str8vision]

100mg liquid nic will, if stored properly, remain viable for over 10 years. Several here have stored for 6 years with no noticeable degradation (taste, clarity). Over years in storage, nic strength will decline so after 10 years your 100mg nic might end up closer to 80mg. Liquid nic has three enemies, light (UV), heat and oxygen. Eliminate these threats and it can be stored for a very long time. Here's my suggestions for long term storage;

Oxygen can't permeate through glass and colored glass filters UV protecting the contents from harmful light. Store liquid nic in small opaque, glass, air tight containers like these 120ml Boston round colored glass bottles with poly seal caps 120ml Cobalt Blue Glass Bottle Small bottles are ideal so that when needed you can retrieve a single bottle for use without disturbing the bulk of your stored supply. While at room temperature, fill each bottle <3/8" from the top to minimize head space, liquid nic doesn't freeze and won't expand when subjected to cold temperatures. Store in a freezer, the colder the better a "deep" freezer works best if you have one, I keep mine set well below -0F. Find plastic storage containers to house your bottles in, this protects and organizes them and provides a safety containment in case you somehow manage to break one. The plastic storage containers I use are stackable which is handy for storing large quantities of liquid nic in a relatively small area. Be sure to label each individual bottle listing the contents and the date it was stored (for stock rotation), I use white self adhesive labels (Avery), and a black fine point sharpie marker.

 

[ShowerHead]

Excellent, well thought out answers. Exactly what I expect from ECF!
While the wife is looking the other way while I get a stock of nicotine, she likely isn't going for a chest freezer. So, the -5F refrigerator freezer has to do. Luckily, there is nobody else in the house so I don't have to worry about anyone getting into it by accident.
I like the idea of breaking it into smaller containers for use while storing in larger containers.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Rossum]

So, how long can you store 100mg nicotine?

Nobody really knows. I think the longest reports are now pushing 6 years with no noticeable degradation. I suspect that properly stored, it may outlive us.

What sort of a container, at what temperature?

Glass bottles, sealed with quality caps, and with as little oxygen inside the bottle as possible. The colder the better.

Would you break it down in small quantities (250 ml, more?)?

Mine is all in 120ml bottles, each of which is represents about a 4 month supply for me.

 

[Rossum]

Over years in storage, nic strength will decline so after 10 years your 100mg nic might end up closer to 80mg.

I'm curious what you're basing that number on? The only thing that can really happen is oxidation. Assuming it's in glass, once whatever oxygen was in the bottle has reacted, oxidation should stop, and I can't see how you'd get enough oxygen into a nearly full bottle to come close to oxidizing 20% of the nicotine in there. Moreover, I would expect a solution containing 20% oxides to be brown and taste downright nasty, yet most reports of properly stored nicotine over a 5+ year period indicate it's as fresh and clear as when it was put in there.

 

[dannyv45]

I'm curious what you're basing that number on? The only thing that can really happen is oxidation. Assuming it's in glass, once whatever oxygen was in the bottle has reacted, oxidation should stop, and I can't see how you'd get enough oxygen into a nearly full bottle to come close to oxidizing 20% of the nicotine in there. Moreover, I would expect a solution containing 20% oxides to be brown and taste downright nasty, yet most reports of properly stored nicotine over a 5+ year period indicate it's as fresh and clear as when it was put in there.

There actually was some research done and I think it was done by wizardlabs several years ago. They figured degeradation at 2.5% a year stored at room temperature. It's some where on ECF. I did a search but could not find it. If my memory serves me correctly this was done over a years time at room temperature in ambiant light. A masuration test was done every 3 months on this sample and found to degrade .625% over this period. Now I remember thinking to myself at the time, Hmmm wouldn't it be nice if they would re-run this test storing it in the freezer. I'm sure the results would be very different. But this test was never done.

Now keep in mind this test was to measure potency loss and not rate of oxidation. Oxidation can occure very rapidly say over several months then stabilize to a constant. But the nicotine potancy will still reduce at the same rate as tested even after the oxidation has stopped and stabilized. When comparing oxidation to potency your comparing apples to oranges. There 2 completely different things. Also in testing, it was never said if oxidazion contributes to NIC potency loss. So that's a debate all on it's own.

 

[Rossum]

When comparing oxidation to potency your comparing apples to oranges.

So what other mechanism exists by which nicotine can lose potency besides oxidation?

 

[Str8vision]

I'm curious what you're basing that number on?

From an article I read two years ago written by an engineer (chemical), who worked with liquid nic, the report seemed to summarizing his experiences with shelf life under various storage conditions. Wish I could find it again, was very informative and went into great detail including room temperature storage. I believe it was written with us in mind (vaping), regular people storing liquid nic at home.

He stated that oxygen, heat and light (UV), all cause nicotine to degrade. Colored, airtight, -full- glass containers help negate the effects of oxygen and light leaving only heat to contend with. He indicated that liquid nic cryogenically stored would remain perfectly viable for many decades but that as storage temperatures rise (to that of home freezers), so does the rate of degradation. Stored in a typical -frost free- household refrigerator/freezer (+5 to +10F), nicotine still degrades albeit at a slower pace, it's just not cold enough and defrost (frost free), cycling was a concern. He "speculated" the loss to potency after 10 years could be 10 to 20% when using a typical household "frost free" refrigerator/freezer for storage. I believe a great many people will be storing it this way.

He did indicate the colder the storage temperature the slower the rate of degradation and recommended using a dedicated chest type "deep" freeze that is -not- frost free, they can achieve temperatures well below -20F and don't "warm" the freezer's contents in order to purge frost. I remember that maintaining temperature below -0F was important for longevity.

I'm hoping that liquid nic properly stored and kept below -10F (manual defrost, -no- warming cycles), will remain viable and potent far beyond the 10 year mark. That's how I'm storing the bulk of my liquid nic but just to be safe I've taken potential potency loss into consideration when calculating total storage quantities. Reports from several people who've properly stored nic for 6 years has been very positive so I'm pretty optimistic about the longevity. Personally, 15 years down the road I'm more concerned about taste than potency, as long as the nic tastes "fresh" I won't mind increasing the amount that's required when mixing.

 

[mightymen]

Nicotine - most vendors use Argon gas to displace all oxygen. Also most claim 1 1/2 to two years shelf life though I presume it can be longer that is if you order nicotine in small amounts. This is only my opinion when ordering a large amount and dividing into smaller bottles you lose the Argon gas protecting thus allowing oxygen to enter.

I'm ALSO looking to stock up, will be ordering from a vendor that supplies nicotine 250 ml in bottles - mix four to five months of supplies at a time.

Nude Armor Nicotine Base - EXTENDED SHELF LIFE - Nude Nicotine

 

[Rossum]

Nicotine - most vendors use Argon gas to displace all oxygen. Also most claim 1 1/2 to two years shelf life though I presume it can be longer that is if you order nicotine in small amounts. This is only my opinion when ordering a large amount and dividing into smaller bottles you lose the Argon gas protecting thus allowing oxygen to enter.

I'm ALSO looking to stock up, will be ordering from a vendor that supplies nicotine 250 ml in bottles - mix four to five months of supplies at a time.

Nude Armor Nicotine Base - EXTENDED SHELF LIFE - Nude Nicotine

I don't know about "most vendors". Nude is the only one I'm aware of that does it anymore, and they can supply your nic in amber glass bottles as well. I like buying it that way because re-bottling yourself is just an additional exposure to air (as well as whatever humidity is in the air) while it's being poured. I've been buying it that way from them for two years now, but I get the 125ml bottles, 'cause each one is about a 4 month supply for me and I don't wanna have more that that out of cold storage.

 

[mightymen]

I don't know about "most vendors". Nude is the only one I'm aware of that does it anymore, and they can supply your nic in amber glass bottles as well. I like buying it that way because re-bottling yourself is just an additional exposure to air (as well as whatever humidity is in the air) while it's being poured. I've been buying it that way from them for two years now, but I get the 125ml bottles, 'cause each one is about a 4 month supply for me and I don't wanna have more that that out of cold storage.

I believe Wizardabs adds the gas though they use plastic bottles.

I go though about 70ml of 48mg per month though I've started to cut down just recently.