Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1506051
Tobacco Asia 51 Boegli.ch STORY TELL YOUR BRAND Boegli–Gravures can help you to develop subtle, refined and ingenious ways of elevating your brand's characteristics and enhance your consumer brand experience. Let us partner with you to bring new dimensions to your marketing. Half_pages_AD_2021.indd 1 Half_pages_AD_2021.indd 1 06.01.2021 14:48:05 06.01.2021 14:48:05 the vaping experience and taste perception, including providing "the smoothest draw and inhale," explained Anna Balconi, technical manager of global nicotine supplier Alchem Europe SA. However, it is not all as easy as it may sound. A nicotine salt conundrum solved Nicotine salts are not the most effective way of delivering nicotine, because they cannot penetrate cell membranes easily and also are not easily vaporized. But a few decades ago, researchers at Philips Morris discovered a solution to that conundrum. Natural nicotine salts that occur in tobacco plants (and, hence, are also present in rag for making cigarettes) can actually be converted into the freebase form of nicotine in situ by conditioning the tobacco with another salt compound, for instance diammonium phosphate, which releases ammonium ions once the cigarette is combusted. These ions then react with the actual nicotine salt to release freebase nicotine. And it is that free- base nicotine released in situ which can subsequently cross cell membranes, becoming bioavailable. But, wait a minute! Doesn't that mean that freebase nicotine would be the prime substance of choice for e-liquids in the first place? In theory, yes. However, when com- pared to its salt form, freebase nicotine is less stable. It is more susceptible to oxidation and the formation of impurities. "It has a high pH value, even higher than 8.0 or 9.0," explained Anna Balconi. "This makes an e-liquid containing freebase nicotine con- siderably harsher on the throat, especially when the nicotine dose per ml is increased, which is particularly important for transitioning heavy smokers." SMOORE's Tom Xie additionally noted that freebase nicotine, when used in vapes, is absorbed more readily by the throat's mucous membranes than nicotine salt. "That is the reason why freebase nicotine may cause excessive throat irritation, and it also does not make the satisfaction effect on the brain ideal," he explained. "E-liquids with nicotine salts cause less throat irritation, thus provide more comfortable inhala- tion and also better nicotine addiction relief than freebase nicotine e-liquid." Anna Balconi, technical manager, Alchem Europe SA. Credit: Alchem Europe SA