I don’t use pods and don’t mix higher than 10mg these days. I only use salts for a smoother th.
4 Likes
I go from pods to sub ohming still… I bounce! haha!! 
2 Likes
I’m so sick of looking at bubble I’ve been researching old school taller tanks. Thinking the VG v6s clone will be my next buy. Enjoying the dvarw dl clone I recently purchased. Of course it has a bubble on it due to the pei tank the atty came with. Now that I know I’ll use it I’ll spring for the authentic with 6ml glass straight tank.
2 Likes
Thanks out to the Salty’s.
2 Likes
Question about NicSalts and vape wattage.
I just made a Nicotine River order and decided to get 150ml of 100mg Smooth NicSalts. After pulling the trigger for that along with a metric crap-ton of miscellaneous flavors (well, to me anyway), I watched the Nicotine River YouTube video on NicSalts. In the video they explain that at high Wattage the molecular bonds between the Acid and Nicotine break. They advised not to useNicSalts for sub-Ohm vaping for that reason. Well darn! I planned to use this for everything. Who has many months of Sub-Ohm NicSalt vaping under their belt that can share their thoughts? Any adverse health effects? Should I head the warning from the video? Before watching the video I thought the reason people said not to sub-Ohm vape with NicSalts was because the salts cause quick Nic absorbtion and Sub-Ohm vapeing delivers a bigger Nic punch to begin with so I thought they just said that as a general warning not to use 42g/ml juice Sub-Ohm or something like that. Now I’m wondering if it will lead to increased acid reflux, lungs melting, kidneys failing, etcetera…
Thoughts welcome from all! Many thanks in advance.
2 Likes
No experience vaping Nicotine Salts - but a few thoughts. It is not the coil-resistance, it is the coil-wick interface temperature as a result of the load power dissipated in the coil. If the mod can be restricted to lower wattages (by any means), it may not be a problem. (IMO), the sub-ohm resistance warnings assume little/no sense or discretion by users. Nevertheless, Benzene is no joke - and you do not want to be inhaling it in any amounts. It is in cigarette smoke - but the goal would seem to be avoiding this very toxic substance.
Base Nicotine (freed from the mostly ionic bonds of a salt with Benzoic Acid) is absorbed more by the lungs than a vaporized salt - albeit less well tolerated by mucus membranes between mouth and lungs. The more serious concern is likely the potential formation of Benzene at higher temperatures (due to decarboxylation of Benzoic Acid). This paper reports on a 2017 study that attempted to investigate mechanisms of Benzene formation from Nicotine Salts (using a JUUL, and two other devices identified). However, they appear to only note coil-wattages used (as opposed to the more useful measuring of the actual coil-wick interface temperatures that were reached under various test conditions) - leaving readers to guess. Some literature may exist regarding Benzoic Acid thermal decomposition (with more specific temperature ranges provided). Benzoic Acid existing as a salt with Nicotine may have a higher boiling (and decomposition) temperature.
Fig.1: Possible formation of benzene by four mechanisms:
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342216/bin/pone.0173055.g001.jpg
4 Likes
I do… Look if you are using nic salts… some folks might run a 9mg for a 3mg reg nic… but honestly my take on this… is you better use it in a mtl device… nic salts is a very good tool to help folks break the habit… but once you are there, and you have weened off smokes… ya need to just move on… You can over nic yourself… symptoms range from headaches stomach issues diarrhea and loss of sleep…
3 Likes
That is assuming that the salts are Benzoic Acid based far more common is Salicylic Acid.
3 Likes
Interesting information there (any links?). I believe (from reading) that the JUUL pods use Benzoic Acid salt.
3 Likes
I think Eonsmoke is using some sort of nut… but I can not find the link now… and that the nut they use is bad… Juul yes, its on every pod package Benzoic Acid… had to info a buddy today after they starting asking questions…
plus Eon and a few others are using nic salt at 6%+
2 Likes
Yes, Juul use Benzoic Acid but salts can be made using pretty much any acid and Salicylic Acid is a little more common. Not to say that Benzoic acid salts are not available.
I had a document but can’t put my finger on it with about 20 recipes for nic salts including using citric acid and a few others.
4 Likes
There is also a thread on Vaping Underground about making nic salts too…
3 Likes
Sounds like Jim needs to inquire of Nicotine River as to what components they use in what he has ordered. Previously found some troubling stuff on thermal decomposition of Citric Acid at relatively low temperatures. Don’t know about relative scale of Salicylic Acid use. Salicylic Acid is Benzoic Acid with a 2-Hydroxyl group.
4 Likes
Not the document I was looking for but for now it will suffice - Nic Salts can be made from
As an aside I meant to say this to @JiM210 It is really something you will have to research for yourself. Every study that is done saying nic salts (benzoic) produces benzene you will find one that says there is no noticeable amount of benzene produced. I don’t think anyone here will be able to give you anything other than an opinion although some claim to have all the answers you will have to satisfy yourself.
Anecdotally I have been vaping nic salts (including benzoic acid salts on occasion) exclusively for the past 3+ (nearly 4) years at high wattage and have not suffered from benzoic lung yet 
6 Likes
I vape my salts anywhere from 65w to 23w, you have nothing to worry about.
4 Likes
Lots of good replies. That’s why this forum is great! I will be ordering some regular non-salt nic in the future then I will mix salts for pods and MTL and mix regular for mods. It sounds like I’ll get by a couple or so months hitting nic salt based eliquid without an immediate threat of organ failure. Now I’m at ease. 
I hope my order comes quick or I’ll soon be buying store juice 
4 Likes
+1 for LNW
3 Likes
Regarding some decarboxylation attempts on “monomeric benzoic acid systems”.
Nicotine is a weak base with a pKa of 8.0 (from a very comprehensive paper on Nicotine - recommended).
2-Methoxy Benzoic Acid (same as Salicyclic Acid - but with a Methoxy, rather than a Hydroxy, group):
In the three experiments with this substrate, decarboxylation was almost complete, ranging from 84 to 88%. No starting acid was recovered …
The decarboxylation of 2-Hydroxy Benzoic Acid (Salicyclic Acid) was not attempted in study quoted above.
2 Likes