Question about wicking- why cotton instead of wool?

[glassgal]

I have been trying to understand rewicking coils, and I keep reading about cotton. Is there a reason everyone uses cotton instead of real wool for wicking? Wool is MUCH more fire resistant... the most flame resistant of all natural materials, and a higher burn temp too. Has someone tried this and rejected it for some reason?

Thanks!!!

 

[steved5600]

Pros and cons of both.
Bleached cotton:
Pros: plentiful and in may fiber densities.
cons: it is bleached and you have to boil it to make it safer.
Unbleached cotton:
Pros: It's unbleached and much safer than the bleached stuff.
Cons: hard to find in many fiber densities.
Cotton in general pros and cons.
Pros: Very absorbent and no silica fibers to possibly (low possibility) inhale.
Cons: It has a low burning temp. Can't really be dry burned.
Silica
Pros: High melting point and easier to clean than cotton.
Cons: It's can be brittle and some fiber can break off. Though not much if any can be inhaled.
This is all IMO/IME I am no expert but do Rebuild a lot. 40% of my attys are rba's or rda's.
Hope this was of some help. If I missed something or am wrong I'm sure someone else will fill in the blanks.

 

[steved5600]

I believe wool is not used as it can be loaded with chemicals. I had friends and family that were firemen and firemen hate textile fires. Burning wool produces hydrogen cyanide gas. Silk too.

 

[tmcase]

In all my reading on the forum I've never heard of anybody using wool as a wick. That doesn't mean it hasn't been tried but it isn't heralded as good wicking material. On the other hand, cotton is used by quite a few people including me. It tastes great and hasn't been said to be harmful in any way.