Ceramic element.

[Applejackson]

I don't have the technical skills and I'm not even sure this is possible, but maybe something a more savvy person could run with. Do you think it would be possible to make an atomizer with an all ceramic element, maybe something like those ceramic glow rods used for heating herbs, but in a slightly smaller contained unit? It might help with the carbonized coil issues, though might make the unit more fragile to dropping/jarring. Not sure about size/technical issues. I know that in herbal vaporizers it is recommended to have an all ceramic heating element so as not to inhale anything from the metal. I don't even know what the specific concerns are, or if they're just taste related.

Here's the kind of device I'm referencing(it's a soldering iron with the ceramic element exposed):

 

[ylleK]

i think that it would work. and to keep it from breaking if you dropped it or whatever, just have it on a springy thing so that it would bounce. i was actually wondering if a regular soldering iron would be a bad idea to use or even one of those nifty "cold heat" irons that are instant cool. maybe those are ceramic.

 

[ProtoType]

The notion that our liquid is being heated by 80% Nickel and 20% Chromium doesn't really make me happy ...

 

[lachirris]

I guess that heating to white a ceramic coil it does not take the same amount of energy as heating a thin metal element. Besides, creating a spiral with metal is easy, now just try to do one with ceramic and with that size...

 

[framitz]

Cold heat doesn't heat at all, it puts current through the connection causing THAT to heat, totally worthless.

Ceramic would work, but we need near instant heat, so I don't think it's practical.

 

[UptownRiot]

Cold heat doesn't heat at all, it puts current through the connection causing THAT to heat, totally worthless.

Ceramic would work, but we need near instant heat, so I don't think it's practical.

Someone on this very board turned a Cold Heat soldering iron into a PV. It's in their signature.

EDIT: Found him - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat - View Profile: surbitonPete

 

[framitz]

Someone on this very board turned a Cold Heat soldering iron into a PV. It's in their signature.

EDIT: Found him - e-cigarette-forum.com • The place for electronic cigarette reviews, news and chat - View Profile: surbitonPete

Yes, but he used it as the power source with an adapter like any other PV.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modders-forum/16130-cold-heat-soldering-iron-mod.html

 

[Applejackson]

I guess that heating to white a ceramic coil it does not take the same amount of energy as heating a thin metal element. Besides, creating a spiral with metal is easy, now just try to do one with ceramic and with that size...

Why would you even want to make it a spiral or coil shape? That was one of the main points of the idea so that there's no coil to get gunked up. Then you could scrape any carbonized stuff right off of it. Maybe not for modding, but a whole new style of atomizer. This device would be too big, though I suppose it could be used. Like I said, I don't have the technical knowledge to know if this would work, but I imagine you could make it heat up pretty quickly if the element were small enough.

 

[mnealtx]

because you need a shape that will hold the liquid

 

[Applejackson]

because you need a shape that will hold the liquid

Not so. One guy actually used a straight up soldering iron tip stuck in an empty atty tube and it worked. There's video of it. It's under "ghetto vaping" or something like that. It doesn't seem like a good idea, but it shows you don't need a coil shape to hold the liquid. As long as you had something that wouldn't melt wicking the juice to the ceramic element, I don't see why it would have to be any specific shape. I would think a rod shape, or even a small disc would work.

The second post down has the video: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/30726-ghetto-vaping-atm.html

 

[mnealtx]

I can't do youtube, so can't see the video. I do see your point, though.

 

[h8isgr8]

The problem with using devices like this is that they have a very large thermal inertia. They simply take too long to heat up, and when they do, they stay hot for too long.

The point of using a small gauge nichrome heater element is that it heats up and cools down almost instantly.

 

[Applejackson]

The problem with using devices like this is that they have a very large thermal inertia. They simply take too long to heat up, and when they do, they stay hot for too long.

The point of using a small gauge nichrome heater element is that it heats up and cools down almost instantly.

Would that be the case even if size were drastically reduced though?

 

[Winslow]

Here's the kind of device I'm referencing(it's a soldering iron with the ceramic element exposed):

[cant post urls]

Hah, Im the person who took that photo.

The device is great for gasless combustion, it is large though, and this model does take about 45 seconds to become fully red. Its the 60 watt model, which is considered medium-high, the other models go down to 10 watts.

 

[Father Luke]

Using Butane to heat a smaller element would work.
Thus eliminating the need for batteries, and making it
practical.

Hope that helps.

- -
Okay,
Father Luke