Fiber material in cartridge

[ralphot]

I have tested to replace the fiber material with steel wool and it works absolutely great. I am getting much more vapor then before.

If I fill the cartridge too much it tends to spill outside the inner cartridge but with moderate fill it works fine.

I have the Abslolutely E-cig model M402.

Ralph in Sweden.

 

[desertlover]

Steel wool?? Really? Gonna give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

 

[GRTWHT]

Intriguing idea, thanks.

Mandatory post count: 2

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

I think that'll rust. Not so good for flavor. Blech.

Check out some of the replacement filler threads for some better ideas.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ask-veterans/93586-best-cart-mods-510-atty.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/85886-carts-filler-materials-tests.html

Like many, I've been using Aquaclear (aquarium filter medium) foam in my cartridges for about a year. Great stuff, lasts forever and wicks liquid well (even thick stuff).

 

[GRTWHT]

I've been experimenting with the quilt batting, but not living in a major city there are no 'fish stores' around to try out the aquarium filter types, so one more readily available alternative is definitely appreciated, even if it will end up rusting after a bit.

I'm beginning to suspect that I'll just move (back) to some form of tank system, stick with dripping or maybe there's another good alternative that removes the need for trying to find something that will actually wick the juice but not leak. I'mstill trying to figure out all the lingo, acronyms (you folks are worse than the military!) and such to determine just what is out there.

Mandatory post count: 4

 

[ancient puffer]

I've had good success with the furnace REGISTER filters they sell in most home improvement stores (and Walmart). Its cheap, lasts well, and easy to cut to size.

I'm using WEB brand vent filters. Comes in a 12 pack and should last around 17 years worth of refills

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

The fiber found in manufactured e-cigs is just polyfill.

You can buy a big bag of it at Walmart in the fabric department (or any other fabric/craft store). If you look, sometimes you can find it in a thin sheet batting (for quilts) which is great to cut and easy to fold and store. You buy it off a bolt, so can get a small amount.

Why buy a furnace filter? By the way... IF any material you consider using has any kind of fire ......ant on it, you CAN'T use it!! This includes quilt batting or pillow stuffing (polyfill).

Aquarium fillers such as Aquaclear can be purchased cheap on line at Petsmart and other on line stores... the 20gal 3 pack is $2.69. AquaClear Foam Filter - Filter Media - Fish - PetSmart I bought the 70gal pack and it's lasted forever. I think I change out the filler around month 4 or 5 (or when I think about it... LOL). It never slumps down like polyfill and I can rinse and reuse it for different flavors (well, except for menthol... that sticks to everything!) Aquaclear is great stuff.

 

[dormouse]

M401 - I use the popular blue foam. I don't know if they ship internationally but strictlyejuice for 75 cents sells 10 piece precut for a 510 cart. I cut those down for M401. The bulk material in the US is an squarium product carred by Petsmart - Marineland Rite-Size U Bonded Foam Sleeve for H.O.T. Magnum Canister Filters.

 

[ralphot]

I think that'll rust. Not so good for flavor. Blech.

Check out some of the replacement filler threads for some better ideas.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ask-veterans/93586-best-cart-mods-510-atty.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/85886-carts-filler-materials-tests.html

Like many, I've been using Aquaclear (aquarium filter medium) foam in my cartridges for about a year. Great stuff, lasts forever and wicks liquid well (even thick stuff).

You can find stainless steel wool.

 

[Cage024]

Ive always wondered, if silica is such a great wicking material why cant it be used as filler? Has anyone ever tried it?

 

[ralphot]

I think that when the hot air flows into the fiber material not enough juice is vaporated because of the materials temperature insulating effect. The steel wool on the other hand is heated up as well and makes more juice vaporate. Compare when you put a drop on the metal mesh just above the heating coil - more vapor.

I have used this thoughout the day and it works very well. I don't think ordinary steel wool will rust because it takes water for that. The juice contains very little water if any.

Time will tell.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

ralphot - Air doesn't flow into a cartridge. The indentations on the sides of the carts provide the air flow bringing out the vapor through the mouthpiece. The wicking action is caused by the filler material sitting on top of the metal mesh on the bridge inside the atomizer along with aramid fibers which help to hold some liquid which create some flow into the pot below the nichrome wire and Aramid fibers in the coil of nichrome that go to the pot that heats above the liquid in the pot.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-suppliers-whats-my-atomizer-5.html#post41087

And a great thread with pics of a 510 atty disection: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modders-forum/48467-510-atty-disassembly.html

That's where you get your vapor. If your material doesn't wick right, you won't get much vapor (not releasing it or flooding your atty). If the material in the cartridge could heat up... you'd melt the cartridge. The liquid actually helps keep a cooler temperature, but optimal for vaporization.

Cage - just about EVERYTHING you can image has been tried (and if you search the forum, you'll find a zillion threads).

The stainless/steel wool and mesh (similar to what is in a bridge in an atomizer, but what is in the atomizer is nickel foam) will give you a nasty flavor to your eliquid (not right away, but guaranteed it will) as well as any other brass, etc. metal mesh. It doesn't hold on to liquid well and floods your attys, is brittle and breaks off in little bits and travels inside your atty. Many have tried it and several reported a gunky residue inside their atomizer after using it a while (chemical reaction with the metal and liquid? don't really know). There are so many other alternatives that have been tried and work (see my earlier post and links) that are inexpensive and others have used it for well over a year so it's safe.

Experiment if you want, none of it is anything new. Some of the other tried materials tried on the forum since early 2008 are sponge, human hair (yeah, FAIL... went to the Not Recommended section of the forum), natural lamb's wool, cotton, cheese cloth, paper napkins, coffee filters, toilet paper, Sham Wow, roll your own cigarette filters, rayon and nylon underwear , lollypop sticks, paper towels, tea bags, twine, gauze (rayon/polyester), plastic pot scrubbers, Buff Puff facial scrubbers (has a binding agent in it, so I wouldn't ever try it but people used it with reported success), and the list of weird stuff goes on.

What works that I've read about and tried with success (other than fish filter medium which we know is safe) is Lipton Pyramid Tea Bags (known as PTB, which is a PET plastic and many had decent success with it in the small 510 carts but is a pain to roll right to fit and wick right), Rayon or Nylon ribbon (similar to the Lipton Tea bags), Straw modification (small coffee straw added to the side of the regular fiberfill found in carts, helps get air to bottom of cart to end airlock holding in juice and works well in all models) http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/11421-cart-mod-better-refilling.html, small spring modification with polyfill (called ADP mod. Here's the thread: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/experiments-equipment/46125-i-call-adp-mod-auto-drip-mod.html) and ZFM (zero filler mod) http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...supplier-forum/53487-zfm-zero-filler-mod.html

See most of the ideas for cartridge fillers and modifications are here in this section of the forum (27 pages of threads on cartridge fillers and mods!) Cartridge Mods

 

[ralphot]

ralphot - Air doesn't flow into a cartridge. The indentations on the sides of the carts provide the air flow bringing out the vapor through the mouthpiece.

but what is in the atomizer is nickel foam

Thank you for an expert view! Very nice.

And of course air doesn't flow into/trough the cartrige but at sides as you describe. But the juice that the fiber material is holding is exposed to heat from the nickel foam and helped with air flow. When steel wool ( or nickel foam) is exposed to the heat my theory is that it heats up also and helps produce more vapor. The "ordinary" fiber material does not benefit from that (no heat conductivity) and less vapor is produced.

OK, steel wool is only what I am trying out and it works very well. Maybe it will make vapor taste bad eventually. Have not noticed any difference yet (two days).
In that case nickel foam could be the solution.

"It doesn't hold on to liquid well and floods your attys, is brittle and breaks off in little bits and travels inside your atty."
It depends och what kind of wool you use. My wool is having long straws and keeps together very well.

So far I am very satisfied with the result anyway.

We'll see.