Nicotine Test Kit

Basic Nicotine Test Kit for determining Nicotine content in 1ml to 3ml samples of nicotine solutions.

Basic Nicotine Test Kit contents:
(2) - 3ml syringes
(1) - 14 guage blunt tip needle for VG solutions
(1) - 16 guage blunt tip needle for PG solutions
(1) - 20 guage blunt tip needle for hydrochloric acid titrant
(1) - 11.8ml (.4 oz) bottle of bromothymol blue pH indicator
(1) - 120ml (4 oz) bottle of 0.1N analytical reagent grade hydrochloric acid
(1) - 8 oz white cup with lid
(1) - Instruction Sheet

Note: The chemical reagent in this test kit differs from other nicotine test kits on the market by using AR grade 0.1N Hydrochloric Acid for increased accuracy instead of the more commonly available 0.12N acid in pool supply test kits. This test kit can also be used with storebought 0.12N acid as a substitute, but in the step below for determining total nicotine content, you will need to multiply the final amount of acid used during titration by 19.471 instead of 16.223 to find the total amount of nicotine present.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse 8 oz white mixing cup and syringes well with distilled water. Expel all distilled water from syringes and needles.

2. Use one 3ml syringe with 16g (purple) or 14g (green) needle to accurately measure exactly 1ml, 2ml, or 3ml sample of nicotine solution to be tested, and dispense into mixing cup.

3. Add approximately 15ml to 20ml of distilled water to mixing cup, 6-8 drops of Bromothymol Blue pH indicator, and swirl to combine.

4. Use the second 3ml syringe with 20g (yellow) needle to accurately measure exactly 3ml of 0.1N Hydrochloric Acid.

5. Begin adding acid in small amounts to mixing cup and swirling until solution starts to turn green to greenish-yellow. This indicates you are nearing the endpoint of your titration.



6. Reduce the amount of acid being added to single drops, swirling after each drop until the solution turns from a pale greenish-yellow to all yellow.
Stop.
You have reached the endpoint of your test.
(If the color of the solution becomes hard to discern during titration, add a couple more drops of Bromothymol Blue pH indicator.)

7. Record the amount of acid used.

DETERMINING TEST RESULTS

Each 1ml of 0.1N Hydrochloric Acid used during titration will neutralize approximately 16.2mg of nicotine. To find the total amount of nicotine present in your sample, multiply the amount of acid used by 16.223

Divide the total amount of nicotine from above by the sample size to determine the nicotine concentration in mg/ml.
If starting with a 1ml sample of solution, divide total amount of nicotine by 1.
If starting with a 2ml sample of solution, divide by 2.
If starting with a 3ml sample of solution, divide by 3.

Example:

A 2ml sample of nicotine solution was added to the mixing cup.
During titration, 2.9ml of 0.1N acid was used to reach the yellow endpoint.
Multiply 2.9 by 16.223, this gives us a total nicotine content of 47.05 (rounded)
Dividing 47.05 by the 2ml starting sample size gives us a final test result of 23.5mg/ml (rounded)