Nicotine level testing

[cyberjunkiefr]

Hello everybody,
This my first message on this forum.
I've been following you guys for some time now.
I'm very active on a french forum, bur some times there is more information here.
My vaping equipment is: Evic/Protank K103/I-Atty and some other stuff that I rarely use.
I rebuild all of my resistances, microcoil/coton for the protank and microcoil/coton for the I-atty.
I experimented also mesh/coil cable/ekowool/coil etc., but the microcoil/coton is wat I prefer.

I've tried to ask a question in this thread: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ny-interest-determining-nicotine-dvap-39.html , but because I'm a new member I can't.
So I'd like to do that here.

I make my own nicotine base and I I test the nicotine level with the method of DVAP after mixing.
I do that with a pool testing kit that contains bromothymol and 0.12N sulfuric acid.
Now I run out of the acid in the kit, and because it's autumn my shop doesn't carry any kits anymore.

My wife uses white vinegar to clean the house and I'm wondering if I could use that for titration.
So I did some maths and I would like to know if there's a chemist overhere that can confirm if I'm wright or wrong.

Vinegar = acetic acid = C2H4O2
Molar mass = 60.05 gr/mol
My vinegar concentration = 8%

Mass of vinegar in 1L = 80gr
Normality of 8% vinegar = 80 / 60.05 = 1.332N

Now to get 1L of 0.12N acetic acid I would have to use 0.12N/1.332N = 0.090L = 90ml of 8% vinegar and 910ml of distilled water.

Now I can test my nicotine level using the DVAP method and calculating 19.4712mg/mL of vinegar dilution.
I could even simplefy the maths by making a vinegar dilution of 0.062N wich would give 0.062 * 162.26 gr/mole = 10mg/ml .
Wich make calculating easy.

0.062N would be 46.55 ml of 8% vinegar + 953.45 ml of water.

I'm not a chemist, ol my knowledge date from university, but I thinks I did ok on the maths.
I just want to find if there's a chemist that can tell me if I'm wright and if using vinegar for the titration is ok.

Thanks for your answers and keep on vaping!

 

[dice57]

Can't answer you, but I did post your quote on thread that you wanted to ask it on.

Thanks very much dice57

My pleasure, Dvap answered, I just steered your question to him. Been to long since Chem 101 & 102, could follow 1/2 your stuff then my brain started to hurt.

I just buy my nic base from a highly trusted Lab, and just use a juice calculator to develop my recipes at the nic level and flavors that I want.

 

[cyberjunkiefr]

Thanks very much dice57

 

[DVap]

Looks good.

Of course, a Google search for 0.12N sulfuric acid will work too.

 

[cyberjunkiefr]

Thanks Dvap en dice57.
This morning I've tried several places to find 0.12N sulfuric acid. Of course I vever found it. I do find 32% sulfuric acid and make 0.12N with that, but that's no fun. As my wife acetic acid by 5L (lol) she won't mind me steeling a couple of ml. And that much more fun.
I think I've made just a small mistake in calculating de normality of 8% vinegar.
Normality = (8% x density * 1000ml) / (molar mass *100) = (0.08 x 1.05 * 1000) / (60.05 * 100) = 1.399N

So for 1L of 0.12N I need 0.12/1.399 *1000 = 85.76 ml of 8% vinegar
For 1L of 0.062N I need 0.062/1.399 *1000 = 44.32 ml of 8% vinegar

 

[markfm]

I'd be curious about how accurate the 8% vinegar value is, that it might have "small" errors, acceptable from a food use standpoint, that can throw your test results off.

 

[cyberjunkiefr]

I forgot something.

@DVAP
Is there a reason that you prefer sulfuric avid over acetic acid or doesn't it matter.

Of course I would prefer just to follow your instructions, but taking 10 ml out of a 1L bottle of sulfuric acid and then never using the rest of the bottle, is not very ecological.
So if I can use some acid 'laying" arround, that would be very nice.

 

[DKP#]

Here's a 4oz bottle of 0.1N for $5 or a kit for $9 if you're interested.
Nicotine Test Kits

 

[cyberjunkiefr]

Yep I saw that kit but they dont ship to France.

This evening a friend stop by and I can get some Hydrochloric acid 37% from him.

@markfm: Your question is a good one, didn't think about that.
I downloaded a couple of material security datasheets (msds) for white vinegar, and I found out that the concentration should be within a +- 1% range so an error of 2% is possible.
I also downloaded de msds for Hydrochloric acid 37%, and there it says that the concentration range is +-3% (concentration range = 35.5% - 38.5%) thats a 6% error. Looks like the common white vinegar is more precise.
I'll be making some base juice in a couple of days, and test the juice with de Hydrochloric acid and the vinegar juste for fun.
I'll report back here.