Menthol and Solubility

[Smokin'Sandy]

Ok...I've been harping all over the forum about my menthol crystals and how wonderful they are, but there is something that I'm wondering. I dissolved the crystals in water, in which they aren't very water soluble and a waxy substance separated from the water, but they are soluble in alcohol. I was reading that propylene glycol is a diol alcohol and was wondering if it would be better to dissolve it in that?

Now, I ordered VG, which is vegetable glycerin and the crystals are not very soluble in glycerin either. I just don't want any of the waxy substance on my atomizer.

Any advise so I can go correct all those posts I made? (Dang newbie)

 

[Idahojo]

They seem to do much better dissolving in a PG based juice rather than VG.

 

[Smokin'Sandy]

They seem to do much better dissolving in a PG based juice rather than VG.

Ok thanks. I'm wondering if any of the waxy substance would still be there because the flash point is 195 F. I'm not certain how hot the atomizer is, but I sure don't want it to catch fire on me! 8-o

I may continue with the water separation just to be safe. I'm a weeny.

 

[C3-H8-O2]

Menthol Crystals dissolve in PG very well. especially if you give it a little heat. I put one ~1-inch long crystal in 15ml-20ml of PG, put in the microwave for 4-seconds, swirl it and it is all dissolved in just a few seconds. I use this to mix with a strong (24-36mg/ml nicotine) tobacco flavor or unflavored juice. Works great for me! I have not tried VG yet, but I imagine it would be more difficult to dissolve in VG.

 

[Smokin'Sandy]

Menthol Crystals dissolve in PG very well. especially if you give it a little heat. I put one ~1-inch long crystal in 15ml-20ml of PG, put in the microwave for 4-seconds, swirl it and it is all dissolved in just a few seconds. I use this to mix with a strong (24-36mg/ml nicotine) tobacco flavor or unflavored juice. Works great for me! I have not tried VG yet, but I imagine it would be more difficult to dissolve in VG.

Ok C3, from your name and your avatar, I'll go for that!

Do you know what happens to it after it's dissolved in PG and then it's mixed with VG? Would it again try to become a solid (waxy stuff)? I ask that because I ordered VG nicotine and VG plain to mix my own and then I ordered PG tobacco flavor liquid to add to the mix.

 

[C3-H8-O2]

SS, I have not tried VG yet. My guess is mixing the PG-menthol juice with even high concentrations of VG would be OK (remain soluble). Try it with just a small amount of fluid...what do you have to lose? I would love to hear your results.

This weekend I might pick up some VG. I just want to add small amounts of VG to my mixes to see how it increased vapor production.

With menthol mixes I like to add at least 20% of a tobacco flavored juice to kill that Vick's Vapor Rub taste of 100% menthol flavored mixes.

For me, tobacco/menthol mixes taste much closer to menthol cigarettes than tobacco juices do to regular cigarettes. Since I switched to smoking menthols ~6-months before stopping analogs and moving to e-cigs, the menthol-tabacco juice mixes are serving me well. Making my own menthol-PG and mixing with high-test tabacco makes my juice costs about 1/3 of commercial juice.