Nicotine is a dependence-producing
component in electronic cigarettes.
The nicotine release characteristics of electronic cigarettes are
closely connected with human exposure and respiratory health. In this
paper, a theoretical model was established to study the effects of
the compositions of e-liquids and the heating powers of device on
the emission and gas/particle partitioning characteristics of nicotine
in aerosols at equilibrium. The simulation results of nicotine emissions
were compared with the experimental data. The errors between them
were within a reasonable range. At a larger heating power level, a
higher nicotine yield and a larger vaporization amount of e-liquids
could be observed. Under the same heating power condition, a higher
vegetable glycerin content in e-liquids could result in a lower nicotine
emission. When the heating powers supplied by the device increased,
a larger mass fraction of particle-phase nicotine in aerosols at equilibrium
would appear. As more propylene glycol was added into e-liquids, a
lower mass fraction of gas-phase nicotine would exist in aerosols
at equilibrium. The results may provide more information for the industry
to set technical standards for electronic cigarettes and for the government
department to make regulatory policies.