Where do they get the nicotine from anyway?

[Haadkoe]

Just wondering where the nicotine used in e-liquid comes from. Do they extract it from tobacco plants, or is it synthesized in a lab? Chinese Tomacco farm perhaps?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Dicot]

As far as I know it is extracted from tobacco. Synthesizing would probably be a lot more expensive.

 

[LadyLynx]

Very good question! and how do they extract it? perhaps they have thousands of nic-high gerbals that chew and spit?

 

[Kingbtheone]

its extracted from tobacco , not sure where, but good question! potatoes and tomatoes have nic too!!

 

[Cronus6]

Here you go : Investigations Into the Extraction of Nicotine From Tobacco

 

[breaktru]

its extracted from tobacco , not sure where, but good question! potatoes and tomatoes have nic too!![/QUOTE
No wonder why i have a hankering for a burger after vaping.

 

[LibertyValance]

Its extracted from tobacco. The Chinese sell it online by the ton. God knows whats it in, so I have hoped (but am not sure) that American made juice would use American (or any western country) nic.

But I have been afraid to ask because I suspect the answer would be "Chinese".

Halo claims on their website that they use:

highest quality USP Grade Nicotine with a Certificate of Analysis

I won't buy any juice not from a vendor where I suspect its Chinese.

 

[Old Chemist]

Halo claims on their website that they use:

highest quality USP Grade Nicotine with a Certificate of Analysis

I won't buy any juice not from a vendor where I suspect its Chinese.

Now you have a big, big problem. I am pretty sure over 90% nic on the market comes directly from China or India. It's being purified, analyzed, and then it can get the USP certificate provided it meets certain analytical standards.

 

[LibertyValance]

Nope, no big problem here. If its USA phrama grade, and they are getting it from the same sources where pharma gets nicotine for gum and patches, I'm OK with that. All the over the counter drugs come from India nowadays. I'm just not sure the stuff sold on Alibaba and lacking any documentation is the same thing.

Edit: That is a pretty comprehensive blog you have there, even given the limits of Google translation.

 

[Old Chemist]

The stuff on Alibaba is something absolutely different, I guess. Believe me, nic with USP certificate is not that expensive, so I hope serious vendors use only stuff from reliable sources.
The concentration of nic in e-liquid is quite low, so the cost of this chemical is smaller than the cost of the bottle. Rough estimation of the cost of nic (USP grade from Irish company selling it for Big Pharma) in 10 ml bottle (24 mg stuff) gives 5 cents.

 

[Cronus6]

The stuff on Alibaba is something absolutely different, I guess. Believe me, nic with USP certificate is not that expensive, so I hope serious vendors use only stuff from reliable sources.
The concentration of nic in e-liquid is quite low, so the cost of this chemical is smaller than the cost of the bottle. Rough estimation of the cost of nic (USP grade from Irish company selling it for Big Pharma) in 10 ml bottle (24 mg stuff) gives 5 cents.

I've lurked your posts for a while, you clearly know your stuff...(wish you e-cig/juice stuff was in english )

So tell us, what do YOU think about the extraction of nicotine by the average (or even skilled) DIYer?

Can it be done?

I've known for 20+ years that major tobacco (cigarette) companies do it. They use it in reconstituted tobacco as well as other "processes". But my understanding has always been; to get an decent yield out of the process it's a very caustic process with some pretty nasty by-products/wastes.

 

[Old Chemist]

I've lurked your posts for a while, you clearly know your stuff...(wish you e-cig/juice stuff was in english )

Thanks for you kind words, friend.

So tell us, what do YOU think about the extraction of nicotine by the average (or even skilled) DIYer?

Can it be done?

Theoretically it can be done, but only by someone really skilled. A professional chemist could do it, provided he has an access to some lab equipment and some stuff that he could use to determine nicotine content.
Doing it at home without support doesn't make sense. All you'd get is some mixed stuff containing not only nicotine, but also other chemicals like TSNAs (tobacco-specific nitrosamines), which are quite cancerogenic.
I haven't heard of any method of separating them from nicotine without really specialist equipment.

To sum up, as long as we can buy nic solution from reliable vendors, I wouldn't think of DIY nicotine extraction.