THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE LIQUID. IR STUDY

Abstract

Under the conditions which are characteristic for electron cigarette usage chemicals containing in cigarettes (nicotine (0-2% weight usually), propylene glycol, glycerol, distilled water and different flavors) are capable to thermal decomposing and the products of decomposition could react with each other. Thus, harmful compounds and carcinogens may evolve. Literature describes a number of experiments detecting the formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines, diacetyl and acetyl propionyl, toluene, ethyl benzene, o-, m-, p-xylene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, propenal, glyoxal.The present contribution describes our efforts to study the composition of vapors over the liquids for electronic cigarettes containing no flavors by means of IR-spectroscopy. The temperature range was 20 to 400 °C, and flow of air and argon was used. The electronic cigarette liquid was found to emit aqueous vapor, carbon dioxide, propylene glycol and glycerol mostly. Propenal was also detected in vapors in argon atmosphere at temperature of ~350 °C. No other compounds were found in neither liquid phase by 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy after heating to 150 oC or vapors at temperature lower than 250 °C.Forcitation:Gamov G.A., Smirnov N.N., Aleksandriiskii V.V., Sharnin V.A. Thermal decomposition of electronic cigarette liquid. Ir study. Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol. 2017. V. 60. N2. P. 7-12.