Tobacco Asia

34 tobaccoasia / Issue 4, 2018 September / October as ready-to-use e-liquids with and without nicotine, including "nic shots" and CBD liquids. "Depending on the client's needs, we can either provide raw materials for their own production or ready-made products for end-consumer use," says the company's sales manager, Emil Soltan. Purification with academic involvement In terms of nicotine, Chemnovatic produces the substance at its highly-spe- cialized factory, where it undergoes a meticulous purification process that was developed in cooperation with Polish universities. "The final product is fully made and certified in Poland," asserts company co-owner and c.e.o., Marcin Lawecki. The raw tobacco used for nicotine extraction presently is mostly being purchased from outside Poland. "as local tobacco leaf does not have a high enough nicotine content to allow for a cost-efficient extraction." This is why the company, in 2017, started developing its own strain of to- bacco seeds that will grow into plants with high nicotine concentrations. Again, Polish scientists from various institutions are involved in that project. "In 2018, we harvested the first plants [from those seeds], and the results have been very good," Lawecki discloses. "We eventually want to switch our entire nicotine production to be derived from our own leaves as the raw material, but it is going to be a slow process that might take another two to three years." About 98% of Chemnovatic's nicotine output is extracted from tobacco leaves utilizing a technical process known as "supercritical extraction", the remaining 2% being chemically synthesized. "Some countries prohibit the use of natural nicotine and thus companies there have to resort to synthetic nico- tine, which we are able to supply," explains Lawecki. The advantage of natural nicotine is its considerably lower production cost, while synthetic nicotine is many times more expensive. However, the synthetic form of nicotine is not without merits, as it is much easier to purify to a high level. Correspondingly, one of the cons of natural nicotine is that it contains more impurities, which however can be purged in the purification process. REACHing out The company is permitted by the European Commission's REACH regula- tion (which came into force only in May 2018) to produce up to 10 metric tons of nicotine per annum, plus one ton of nicotine salicylate and benzoate salts. But REACH also provides manufacturers with the option to apply and register for a production output exceeding 10 tons, which Chemnovatic plans to do "before the end of the year". Concerning Chemnovatic's product standards, regulatory affairs special- ist, Marcin Gorecki, asserts that all of the company's nicotine "is frequently Natural Nicotine or Nicotine Salts? Natural nicotine extracted from the tobacco plant is the most commonly used form of nicotine in the production of e-juice, as it is colorless and odorless and also extensively documented and scientifically examined. It also is easier to obtain and considerably cheaper than synthetic nicotine. However, nicotine salts, which are chemical compounds of nicotine with other substances, are growing in popularity. Nicotine salts mostly come in powder or crystal form and are less prone to oxidation (chemical deterioration) than natural nicotine. Which keeps them stable for longer periods of time even when dissolved in a carrier agent (e.g. propylene glycol) as is the case in vaping liquids. Furthermore, nicotine salts are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream ad provide vapers with a strong and long-lasting effect. Due to their lower pH level when compared to natural nicotine, they are also incredibly smooth, which means that one of the main sensory perceptions during vaping, the "throat hit," becomes less harsh. Table 1: Chemnovatic Customer Distribution Source: Emil Sołtan, sales manager, Chemnovatic Sp. z o.o. Sp. k. Market Region % Proportion Africa (excluding North Africa) 3% Asia (excluding Middle East) 2% Eastern Europe 4% Western Europe 65% MENA 10% North America 14% South America 1% Other regions 1% 100% Table 2: Common Forms and Concentrations of Nicotine and Nicotine Derivatives Source: Chemnovatic Sp. z o.o. Sp. k. Derivative or Type Natural Nicotine Nicotine Benzoate Nicotine Salicylate Nicotine Solutions Nicotine Benzoate Solutions Nicotine Salicylate Solutions Synthetic Nicotine Typical Concentration >99.9% >99.9% >99.9% 0.3 – 56.0% (depending on customer requirement) 1.8 – 20.0% (depending on customer requirement) 1.8 -10.0% (depending on customer requirement) >99,9% Typical Form Traded Liquid Crystals Powder Liquid Liquid Liquid Liquid Typical Unit Size Traded 1 liter 1 kilogram or above 1 kilogram or above 10 milliliters up to 100 liters 10 milliliters up to 100 liters 10 milliliters up to 100 liters 1 liter

• Cover