Titanium coils taste issue

[Nimaz]

I recently get myself into RTA and I've been using the Unkamen Ti coils for my builds and noticed a chemical type of taste when I first vape on them with eleaf TC40 mod with Ni to Ti temperature adjustment. I clean my wire with ethanol before building my coil (~0.4-0.5 ohms).This bad taste dissipates after awhile but it bugs me... I noticed that weird taste with different tanks, the same juice, Japanese cotton or rayon and I don't have have it from kanthal or the Ti coils from Sweet Vapor using the same juice. Does anyone experiences that issue? What should I make out of this?

Thank you!

 

[TheKman]

I've noticed that some titanium wire takes quite a bit more cleaning than others. Elbow grease has been the simplest solution.

I think (and without an electron microscope it's difficult to say) that the wire can have some micro fissures which the machining oils get stuck in. This can leave it looking a little grey after cleaning, rather than silvery.

The only other solution I have for this is to mount the coil and dry heat it in Ni mode at about 300 degrees Celsius. This is within the safe limits for Ti dry heating and burns off most of the stuff you can't clean.

Also, you can unlock Ti mode on the iStick 40.

 

[Nimaz]

I've noticed that some titanium wire takes quite a bit more cleaning than others. Elbow grease has been the simplest solution.

I think (and without an electron microscope it's difficult to say) that the wire can have some micro fissures which the machining oils get stuck in. This can leave it looking a little grey after cleaning, rather than silvery.

The only other solution I have for this is to mount the coil and dry heat it in Ni mode at about 300 degrees Celsius. This is within the safe limits for Ti dry heating and burns off most of the stuff you can't clean.

Also, you can unlock Ti mode on the iStick 40.

Thank you for your prompt reply. I din't now that there was an unlock option for Ti on the TC40... I'll check the web to find out. I already ordered the latest from Joyetech (eVic VTC Mini) for the Ti option and also because there is removable batteries on that device. There is definitively a dark product in Unkamen Ti coils that comes off with ethanol. I didn't know where that taste was coming from at first, and since I am a beginner in RDA I am experimenting different elements including different wick material, coil types, juices and nicotine stock. Also, I didn't notice that taste with the Ti from Sweet Vapor but looking at their wire, there is no statement that it's grade 1, plus it's quite expensive for experimentation. I am thinking that if it's left over oil, soap should take it off but the heat cleaning option sounds good and TiO2 is easy to identify on the coil. Thanks again!

 

[TheKman]

I have the VTC mini as well, awesome bit of kit.

Interestingly, the main difference between the two is that you can vary the maximum power on the eVic. I've found that very lower power configurations tend to result in a highly volatile power delivery, fluctuating from cool to hot continuously. So, a couple of small coils or a 30w plus single coil configuration get the best result with the iStick.

The eVic doesn't suffer from this issue if you set the max power correctly.

 

[jefx]

I've had the same experience. The Unkamen Ti wire definitely has a black oily coating that comes off with alcohol (I use Everclear).

However, I get the same nasty taste from the Sweet Spot Ti Wire as well (but no black residue)

Neither soap and water or alcohol has remedied the problem for me.

My solution is the same as Kman's. But I pulse my Ti coils at 10 watts in "power mode" while in a dark room. Just enough to see a mild glow. The coils turn a cool blue color and the nasty taste disappears. From what I've read, this method is all still in the safe levels of heating Ti wire.

 

[TheotherSteveS]

Thank you for your prompt reply. I din't now that there was an unlock option for Ti on the TC40... I'll check the web to find out. I already ordered the latest from Joyetech (eVic VTC Mini) for the Ti option and also because there is removable batteries on that device. There is definitively a dark product in Unkamen Ti coils that comes off with ethanol. I didn't know where that taste was coming from at first, and since I am a beginner in RDA I am experimenting different elements including different wick material, coil types, juices and nicotine stock. Also, I didn't notice that taste with the Ti from Sweet Vapor but looking at their wire, there is no statement that it's grade 1, plus it's quite expensive for experimentation. I am thinking that if it's left over oil, soap should take it off but the heat cleaning option sounds good and TiO2 is easy to identify on the coil. Thanks again!

Sweet Spot Ti wire is overpriced, Gr2 titanium. It is a total scam....

 

[macis]

just grabbed sm Ti1 from fasttech, clean it with alcohol swab, do a 1-2secs pulsed under 10w to make it contact, n it taste heaven..!!

 

[Nimaz]

The heat cleaning is working very well. After having a good look at TiO2 formation with my first coil (~0.44 ohms) at 10W for more than 2 sec repetitively, this thick yellow layer that turn white and break apart, I cleaned up a second coil (~0.5 ohms) at lower wattage for few seconds letting the Ti coil getting slightly orange. The coil turned blue/purple. I noticed a white smoke coming out of the dry coil during the first heat pulse, which didn't appear after the second or the third pulses. I suppose that the white smoke coming off the coil, what ever it contains, is what gives the bad taste. Maybe the slight smoke is the water left on the coil after the 50% alcohol that I use to take off the oil.

 

[TheKman]

Unlikely it was water, what little may have been left probably evaporated before you fired it. You'd be surprised how much oil your skin can leave on a coil!

I've seem the guys dry firing ti to a dull glow, but i'm personally uncomfortable with that. This is why I use ni mode to dry fire.

 

[Nimaz]

Unlikely it was water, what little may have been left probably evaporated before you fired it. You'd be surprised how much oil your skin can leave on a coil!

I've seem the guys dry firing ti to a dull glow, but i'm personally uncomfortable with that. This is why I use ni mode to dry fire.

You're most likely right, oil from fingers may explain that smoke. I've heat the coil to yellow/white on power mode to have a good idea of what the TiO2 residues look like and over dull orange for few sec, the oxide is forming. I also used the Ni mode at 180oC to dry fire, and I noticed that at the first pulse, the coil get bright orange and a thin layer of oxide may form. I look at my coil with a magnifier for careful observation. I've been using a Kafun Lite V2 1:1 clone that I received few days ago. The springiness of Ti wires makes it quite difficult to secure the coil legs to the tiny screws on the upper deck, often messing with the integrity of the coil, and leading to uneven distribution of the heat along the wraps. In some cases, one wrap is blowing orange while the rest of the coil remains unchanged after a pulse and I noticed some white on that wrap. TC doesn't block the power in some cases. I am new at RDA though but I am already looking for a different RDA tank, more convenient to install the coil and also with more resilient threads. I am a Mouth To Lung vaper and I am getting a bit overwhelmed by the number of choices available out there.