Manufacturers/Suppliers: What's in your cartridges?

[squeezes]

That pic posted by sanneke has changed my mind :o I thought cores were made of processed cotton

Inhaling burned plastic -any kind of it- is worse than tobacco for sure. Without any knowledge about chemistry, I'll try natural sponge at times combined with plain "old" dry smoking. I suppose it has be less harmful than smoking any kind of burning plastic.

[jimldk]

I'm not a health freak, Trog. But what we need to be assured of is that the vapor cloud we place in our lungs does not contain a quantity of a mutagen or carcinogen that will cause Big Trouble down the road. I think most here consider e-smoking something to continue for a lifetime, as they did cigarette smoking until the dangers overwhelmed them.

Yes, even the air we breathe has dangerous chemicals in it. But it's the quantity that must concern us. We are concentrating the chemicals in that vapor and sucking it unfiltered into our lungs. If there are particulates present, they stick to the lung's walls. What's in those particulates? What price might we pay? We hope the vapor is harmless, used merely as a carrier for nicotine. That's my hope! But, hey, we don't even know how inhalation of propylene glycol on a regular basis will affect a person. No tests have been done.

A lab test analyzing the vapor seems very much in order. You can bet my country will do such testing when these things finally come on the radar here. I don't look forward to the regulations that will follow, but I do look forward to more safety assurances than we presently have -- trusting unknown manufacturers located somewhere in China. That doesn't give me great confidence. Their numerous product failures is even less inspirational. Do they really "know what they're doing?"

Actually TB..it has been analysed..I have seen the full report...but right now I can't seems to find it(can't remember which Uni.done that)...a full analysis that was done by a medical university or something like that....If I Find it , I will try to put a link for all to read..hopefully it will somehow re-assured you TB..I know all the fears..it is like the Thalidomine era again...don't worry my dear TB...I will put your fears aside...just give me some time..I will find that answer....

[jimldk]

It is done by the NZ group...and it is sponsored by Ruyan ....it was sometimes ago...below is the website link...you do need Acrobat Adobe to read it though....
http://www.healthnz.co.nz/Portland2008ECIG.pdf

Take your time to read it..or maybe you have seen it before??
Hope it is what you want TB....

[leaford]

That pic posted by sanneke has changed my mind :o I thought cores were made of processed cotton

Inhaling burned plastic -any kind of it- is worse than tobacco for sure. Without any knowledge about chemistry, I'll try natural sponge at times combined with plain "old" dry smoking. I suppose it has be less harmful than smoking any kind of burning plastic.

Except as far as we actually know, we're not burning it. Heck, we shouldn't even be melting it. Not to mention it's not plastic. All that test establishes is that it's synthetic, not a natural fiber, and we already knew that. Let's not succumb to hysteria and leap to conclusions.

[jimldk]

That pic posted by sanneke has changed my mind :o I thought cores were made of processed cotton

Inhaling burned plastic -any kind of it- is worse than tobacco for sure. Without any knowledge about chemistry, I'll try natural sponge at times combined with plain "old" dry smoking. I suppose it has be less harmful than smoking any kind of burning plastic.

Except as far as we actually know, we're not burning it. Heck, we shouldn't even be melting it. Not to mention it's not plastic. All that test establishes is that it's synthetic, not a natural fiber, and we already knew that. Let's not succumb to hysteria and leap to conclusions.

Agreed with you bro...put all fears aside as long we don't put real fire to it....you are safe....

[TropicalBob]

Thanks Dr. Loi. I had read that before and re-read it carefully just now. Over and over, it says tests need to be made on the vaporized content. I agree. It's not enough to analyze the content before it is subjected to vaporization. I'm sure new tests are coming. And, rest assured, I'm not panicked or in any kind of hysteria.

What got me thinking were the accumulating posts here on "bad taste" or "strange taste" etc. They referred to something akin to burning. One post said the vapor from his e-cig tasted like "burnt pantyhose." What material is used in pantyhose? You got it. I went back and looked at some other posts: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/php...-t219s200.html and http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/php...-t158s225.html.

I thought these might be complaints based on failing atomizers. If an e-smoking device is working as it should, we shouldn't have burned tastes. But many atomizers are failing. Some are failing by burning out at high temperatures. Another poster noted that when he repeatedly used cartridges by refilling them, they seemed to shrink the more they were used. A logical question is whether any of the core material is being converted to particulates in the vapor. Is that why they "shrink?"

Now, all my stuff is working fine. I'm e-smoking my pen style as I write this. I won't panic and assume I'm inhaling death fumes. Yet. But I still want to know positively that the fiber material used for cores is NOT the same polyester compound used in aquarium filters as has been stated by others. If it is, I'll start my panic.

[katink]

Just to be complete: you did also get this one along Bob?

http://www.healthnz.co.nz/2ndSafetyReport_9Apr08.pdf

(better put the file on your computer somewhere: they are shifting those things around in New Zealand, Portland 1 is allready a 404...)

[TropicalBob]

Thanks. Did NOT have that one, which is his newest. Again, no problems found, just as in the original report released in late January. All good so far. This does say testing for volatile organic compounds has yet to be done, along with undone draw-over vapor analysis. Those tests are needed. But he says the filter fiber is "silicone foam." Very interesting. This would be true for Ruyan products, of course, and I haven't used anything but E-Cig cartridges to date. On the surface, silicone foam (also used for fire insulation) would seem a much safer choice of a material to put into contact with an atomizer reaching 400C. We'll await the VOC and draw-over tests anytime now.

[RatInDaHat]

do we know how hot the atomizer itself gets? might have just given me a new cleaning idea.

[TropicalBob]

1. It is not so necessary to clean the atomizer inside actually, which can have 300-400°c degrees to clean itself when vaponizing.

That's from E-Cig's FAQ.