The vaping industry has been around for well over a
decade now, and its evolution has been rapid and impressive. We’ve all observed the radical advancements
in vaping technology in terms of the astounding hardware that has come out over
the years. But, e-liquids
themselves have evolved as well, in equally stunning ways.
The large majority of people who vape are primarily
interested in the nicotine that’s in e-liquids, unsurprisingly. But, few question how the nicotine in
e-liquids is derived. When the vaping
market first began, e-liquids were all made with freebase nicotine, which is
the same nicotine used in cigarettes.
Invented by the tobacco companies several decades ago, freebase nicotine
is chemically altered tobacco-derived nicotine that’s designed to be stronger,
thus making it more addictive. The issue
with freebase nicotine is that it was never designed to be vaporized, and even
proved to be extremely harsh and irritating along the throat when vaped at
higher output levels.
Then came salt-based nicotine, which is an alternative
to freebase nicotine. It’s nicotine extracted
from tobacco and combined with benzoic acid, which makes it more potent and
less harsh. This type of nicotine is now
extremely popular, and most e-cigarettes use it.
Now, there is a new development in the e-liquid
industry, and it’s tobacco-free nicotine,
which is commonly shortened to “TFN”. As
you will see, TFN could very well become the future of the vaping industry.
What Exactly is Tobacco-Free Nicotine?
Up until now, the only way to infuse nicotine into an
e-liquid was to extract the nicotine compound from the tobacco plant. Ideally, a nicotine concentrate derived from tobacco
contains pure nicotine without any trace levels of other compounds in the plant
material. But, the process of extracting
the nicotine compound is quite difficult, and it’s not as uncommon as one may
think for an e-liquid’s nicotine extract to contain other tobacco compounds
that disrupt the purity levels that vapers desire.
Tobacco-free nicotine, or TFN, is a synthetic
alternative that was developed using advanced molecular technology. Synthetic nicotine, by definition, does not
come from organic material, but chemicals produced in a laboratory. What’s fascinating about synthetic nicotine
is that on a molecular level, it behaves exactly like true, organic nicotine
when inhaled into the body. It provides
the same effects of traditional nicotine, and even has been found countless
times to satisfy nicotine cravings just as effectively as nicotine derived from
the tobacco plant.
Furthermore, tobacco-free nicotine is completely
flavorless, odorless and colorless. This
is the ideal for tobacco-derived nicotine, but the latter often falls short due
to the difficulty of isolating the specific nicotine compound from the other
compounds in the plant.
How is Tobacco-Free Nicotine Made?
Creating synthetic nicotine relies on extremely
advanced technology to which scientists now have access. Crafting nicotine on the molecular level is
no easy feat, and thus requires a reasonable deal of effort. Various chemicals are used to produce a
compound that mimics nicotine perfectly, including sulfuric acid and niacin. All of the ingredients used to produce TFN
come from FDA-approved suppliers, to ensure maximum safety.
Making tobacco-free nicotine isn’t simply a matter of
throwing a few ingredients into a mixing vessel and trying them out. Laboratory scientists work very hard to
analyze the molecular composition of tobacco-derived nicotine and match it
perfectly using synthetic ingredients.
To craft something that is biologically identical is nothing short of
impressive, given the distinctive properties of nicotine that formerly only
occurred in nature.
What Role Does Technology Have in Creating Tobacco-Free Nicotine?
Overall, tobacco-free nicotine wouldn’t be possible if
it weren’t for modern technology. To
craft a synthetic product that is molecularly identical to a compound that
occurs in nature simply can’t be done without the help of technological tools
and processes that are relatively new.
It requires the ability to carefully isolate individual compounds and
molecules, intensely studying each one for production and comparison to
traditional nicotine.
Even the testing process requires technology, as it
demands that the TFN be analyzed for its chemical composition and purity
levels. Once upon a time, analyzing
these compounds was a much more tedious and difficult process than it is today.
Ultimately, TFN offers yet another example of how
technology is used to improve our vaping experience overall. We’ve watched vaping go from a niche market
to a mainstream success story, and we have technology to thank. In an effort to make vaping safe and
effective, scientists have continuously developed new advancements that improve
the ability that vaping has to meet our needs and decrease the risk of vapers
going back to tobacco products. TFN is
just another way in which vaping has drifted from its direct relationship to
tobacco, by ensuring that no aspect of vaping exposes the user to any tobacco
derivatives.
Tobacco-free nicotine is still a new addition to the
vaping market, but we anticipate that it will continue to grow in popularity in
the years to come. And, as a result, we
will likely see TFN evolve itself, as more and more technology comes out that
streamlines and improves the process of developing it in a laboratory.
Tobacco-Free Nicotine and the FDA
Maybe you know that the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had a
complicated relationship with the vaping industry for years. According to the FDA, all vaping products
made with tobacco-derived nicotine are considered tobacco products. This has meant that standard vaping products
have been subjected to the same regulations as products like cigarettes and
chewing tobacco.
The Deeming Rule of 2016 developed by
the FDA determined that moving forward, all vaping products
would be subjected to the same standards and rules as traditional tobacco
products. Complicating matters further,
the FDA subjected the vaping industry to the PMTA deadline this year, which
stands for the premarket tobacco application.
This required all vaping companies to submit their products for FDA
approval individually, due to their being considered tobacco products.
This rule demanded that vaping products must be proven
to be conducive to public health. But,
the FDA’s guidelines regarding vaping products have been notoriously strict,
and some argue that they have been stricter than standard tobacco products like
cigarettes.
But, fascinatingly, the FDA has also determined that
tobacco-free nicotine is not classified as a tobacco product. Therefore, companies that produce e-juices
made with TFN rather than tobacco-derived nicotine are seemingly exempt from
these regulations and approval requirements.
Why are More Vaping Companies Using Tobacco-Free Nicotine?
Now, you can understand a major appeal of using TFN
rather than tobacco-derived nicotine.
E-liquid companies feel that they are essentially off the hook as they
are no longer classified as tobacco companies.
There are other appealing factors to using TFN as well.
Reason #1: Tobacco-Derived Nicotine is Known for Its Impurities
Nicotine that’s derived from the tobacco plant is
known for potentially having decently high levels of impurities. Many of these impurities are known toxins to
the human body. Regulating the
purification process of tobacco-derived nicotine compounds has been a struggle,
which means that users of e-liquids containing this derivative could be at risk
of inhaling potentially harmful impurities on a daily basis.
Tobacco-free nicotine does not contain such
impurities, because its production is completely controlled, and because,
obviously, it does not come from the tobacco plant. This is a huge advantage, and a serious
gamechanger for an industry constantly trying to prove its safety and
legitimacy.
Reason #2: It’s Molecularly Identical to Tobacco-Derived Nicotine
And, like we said, TFN behaves just like regular
nicotine in the body, and so there is no difference when it comes to how this
type of e-liquid affects a person. It
still provides the same satisfying nicotine buzz.
Reason #3: Offers a Cleaner Flavor and Aroma
Interestingly, because TFN is completely free of impurities,
it’s more flavorless and odorless than nicotine extracted from the tobacco
plant. What this means is that e-liquid
companies don’t need to use as much flavoring and sweetener in order to attempt
to mask the faint tobacco flavor of e-liquids.
This leads to cleaner formulas overall.
What Impact Will Tobacco-Free Nicotine Have on the Vaping Industry?
So, you’re now wondering what the future holds for TFN
in our industry. Well, for one thing, if
the entire e-liquid industry were to switch to this type of nicotine, then it
would be completely isolated from the tobacco industry. Right now, TFN is a patented substance, which
means that e-liquid companies cannot produce it in house. But, things could change in the future, which
would give these brands more control over their products, which is always a
good thing.
Again, Tobacco-free nicotine is a surprising addition
to vaping’s modern landscape, offering a completely synthetic alternative that
has the advantage of being 100% pure, flavorless, colorless, and odorless,
while still providing the exact same chemical response in the body when
inhaled. And, as the vaping industry
continues to evolve, we anticipate that this new technology will grow in
popularity, while allowing vapers to experience desirable doses of nicotine
without consuming any aspect of the actual tobacco plant.
At The Vape Mall, we’re excited about how tobacco-free
nicotine will take the world of vaping to new heights, offering a cleaner
product while helping e-liquid brands stay independent from the tobacco
industry.
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