Wow I would be scared to do ejuice just for that reason. That is strange to me that it is toxic at higher temps. They are not with the user and it can happen. This is not about TET just ejuice and the collective you that makes them. That is scary to me.
If this is a topic of interest, other forums dedicated to e-cigs, such as ecf have covered this in great detail. The concern for the production for acrolein from glycerol degradation has been a subject of active debate in the e-cig comunity for many years.
This process is not happening in any of our atomizers or cartridges. I do not type well enough to go into too much detail but the general concept of why this does not occur in our devices is simple (I am not saying it occurs in other carts, I just do not make them, test them, or own the IP, so I will not speak to those products).
First, know the production of acrolein is not subtle. It smells as if there were just a grease fire, pungent, obvious, and unpleasant. You WOULD notice.
Second, although glycerol will degrade to acrolein at 280 degrees C or 536 degrees F. That number can be deceiving. It is the direct application of temperature to glycerol in a controlled way, heating the mass to that temperature, while stabilizing the glycerol to prevent evaporation prior to the degradation event resulting in the acrolein as a byproduct/product. You have to prevent/avoid/mitigate the glycerol becoming a vapor (evaporating) at lower temperatures in order to produce acrolein from glycerol. What do I mean by this? Well glycerol is unstable at temperatures at or above 220 C or 428 F. So if you want to produce acrolein the glycerol must be stabilized (this is a big field as the stabilization glycerol at high (>220 C = 428 F) temperature is used in the production a lot of stuff, from fuel to food, so I am not going to cover it).
So in order to generate acrolein from glycerol, other steps must be taken, other then just exposing the glycerol to 280 degrees C or 536 degrees F. Why? Because it is unstable at temperatures below that, meaning that in an uncontrolled, open system, glycerol will evaporate before degrading.
Our cartridges are not capable of containing, and stabilizing the glycerol in a way that would allow us to produce acrolein.
However we cannot produce acrolein out of our cartridge. It is not the correct system, it i neither closed, nor controlled.
Also, just to mention, if we could make a device that produced acrolein, we would, and we would try and sell or license that technology as acrolein is a valuable industrial precursor that is challenging to produce. So if our patented technology was able to produce acrolein then we would explore that field as it would be another way we would use our technology to generate revenue. We would then use that money to build the Cera Mini in 6 months, rather then 12 months from now. However we are inthe vapor producing business, and not the acrolein producing business. Probably more money in acrolein as it is very popular ingredient in expensive biocidal agents.
Ok so now TET how do you accomplish getting the temps to stay low in the ejuice cart? That will be interesting to know.
That is part of our patented technology, and years of experience building cartridges. We are very proud, that still to this day, we are the only manufacture of a commercially available e-cig atomizer that is 100% made in the USA and 100% an American invention, all other high production atomizers come from China and our a different technology. I am not sure that I can explain this without a power point presentation and a half an hour, it is actually more complex then it may seem.
The proof is in the vapor, the vapor should be the right temp, and delicious, and for VG we think that is just mildly warm. If your VG vpor tastes great, qualitavley you can assume there is no way acrolein is in their, as you would smell and tase it, even in small amounts as it is VERY pungent.
Noah, if you don't mind, what was your profession before making vapes? You may still be in that profession but you have such a grasp on science and I was a science major and get lost. Even though I know the body well, chem was not my strong suit.
I have worked for the last decade in human medicine, new technology development, and co-inventing, co-developing, and manufacturing harm reduction devices to allow people more options, for the use of non-combustion vaporization, as an alternative to smoking.
I have a Medical Doctorate and I am a physician. I also have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Sciences/Pre-medical studies (although I still cannot type or spell).
My lifelong best friend and business partner is the other half of this effort, he is a Nuclear Engineer by training. Together we have multiple (>15) approved patents, and patents pending on vaporizer technology. We both have committed ourselves to the work of building vaporizers, and hoping we can play a role in helping people use vaporizers to never smoke again.
My mother died of lung cancer in 2007, she is the original inspiration for this effort. Her death, and my knowing how hard she tried to quit smoking, is the reason that I am building vaporizers, and not in a hospital taking care of patients. My personal goal is to build the vaporizer I wish I could of handed my mother, in time for her to have quit smoking, and lived.
Hope that is helpful.
Cheers,
Noah