ECIG HISTORY

THE NICORX SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED:

The problems of reducing the smoking habit are relieved to some extent if a substitute routine is provided in place of cigarette consumption, having the same physiological effects and mental appeal, while reducing the detrimental effects, attributable to cigarette smoke. Our product attempts to achieve this in an engineered device, which will emulate the art of smoking while removing some of the toxic aspects of cigarette smoking and reducing the effects of passive smoking on ones friends, family and the general public. We begin by analysing the combustion of a standard cigarette, and then dissecting some typical electronic cigarette devices. We also look at some of the physiological effects of cigarette smoke products and the equivalent effects of electronic cigarette use. This analytical approach provides a firm basis on which to build a new and different device with modifications that make the product superior to and competitive with currently marketed alternatives to direct combustion and smoking of cigarettes and cigars, while reducing detrimental components of the smoking ritual.

THE COMBUSTION OF A STANDARD CIGARETTE

A typical cigarette weighs ~0.9g. the filter material is 0.2g and the smokeable material is 0.7g .The typical cigarette is 8mm diameter and 83mm long .30mm length is filter and about 3-5mm of smokeable material is usually left on the butt with the filter leaving 50mm which is consumed by burning. Subject to the smokers lung capacity and smoking habit a person may draw between 30 and 80ml of air into a cigarette when sucking on it. The amount of nicotine drawn in depends on the volume of suck and how often the smoker inhales as well as dilution with air in secondary breathing after each suck on the cigarette. A smoker with a suck volume of about 75ml was observed to reduce the unburned portion of the cigarette by 2 (two)mm and also was noted to take about 10 to 14 sucks on the one cigarette, which burns up to 28mm in length thus 22mm are left to smoulder on their own, delivering extra ‘passive’ smoke to bystanders.

Allowing for 0.2g of filter, 0.07g of unburned combustible material, 0.093g of ash, 0.012gof tar and 0.0012g of unburned nicotine, we are left with about 0.524g of oxidisable material. Considering that most plant material is cellulose (polysaccharides, (C6H12O6)n the oxidisable material will be in the ratio of 72g carbon to 108g of water, and the carbon, which is oxidised to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide requires a certain amount of oxygen( 0.5418g, or 0.0169moles ). Now as 1 mole of gas occupies 22.4litres at standard temperature and pressure (STP: 20C, 1 Atmosphere ) then 0.0169 x 22.4 = 0.379 litres of oxygen or 0.379 x 5 = 1.89 litres of air per cigarette are required to burn the burnable portion so for one suck to bun 2mm of the total 50mm length the air volume required is 1.89 x 2 / 50 = 0.0759 litres or 76 mls of air (this agrees with the size of the smokers suck and infers complete use of the available oxygen). If tobacco moisture of 15% is accounted for. The 76 mls of air is reduced to 64.6mls and this would be reduced further to close to 55mls (a standard 2 second suck), if the carbon in ash and tars was accounted for.The standard cigarette and combustion products are included in table 1 with other information on component toxicity and quantities produced in one cigarette and one suck of 55ml (this being the volume used in the current Canadian smoking machine tests for a standard suck). Quantities are approximate but representative of the type and concentration level of material in and produced by combustion of a cigarette. The standard metrology of a cigarette is provided on a web site http://tobaccodocuments.org/pm/2501077222-7229.html providing limits to additives, ash, tobacco content and other detail .This data together with observations of other smokers’ habits and some careful measurements and calculations were used to compile the numbers in table 1. It is worthy of note that these numbers may vary by 10-20% in some cases due to the smokers capabilities, the composition of the cigarette and the ventilation through the cigarette papers/filters used. Also a 0.9g cigarette burned with no hydration moisture will require about 75ml of air per puff, while the same weight cigarette with 15%moistureand a 10% ash component, as is common in most packaged cigarettes, will require 55ml of air for complete combustion References on light cigarettes suggest that addicted smokers still attempt to achieve their desired nicotine level by smoking more light cigarettes or inhaling more smoke and the resultant effect is that higher levels of carbon monoxide, particulates and tar are taken in, in achieving nicotine level satisfaction. This has a greater detrimental effect on the smoker.

1 Mole = 6.023 x 10 E23 Molecules (Avogadro’s Number )

TABLE I: The Approximate Composition and Combustion of a Standard 0.9g Cigarette