Chemist’s Advice: Never Dry Burn Vaping Coils!

Dr. Mirosław Dworniczak is a chemist who quit smoking a few years ago and became interested in vaping. In the Nicotine Science and Policy blog, he comments on a common practice—dry burning, which involves heating bare coils before use.

To dry burn or not to dry burn?

This Hamlet-like choice is more about safety. The chemist states that dry burning involves heating bare coils to "clean" away manufacturing errors, and it is also used for calibration and spacing.

Experts indicate that this practice can affect the structure of the alloys or metals used to manufacture the coils, potentially leading to particles being released into the vapor that users inhale.

The issue of dry burning was previously raised by Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, who sought help from materials science expert Pedro Carvalho. Their conclusion is to advise against dry burning any type of coil.

What are coils made of?

The chemical composition of heating elements is influenced by trends. Heating elements are made of resistance wire.

The use and quality of different types of resistance wire vary by brand. According to Dr. Dworniczak, Kanthal wire, stainless steel wire, nickel-chromium alloy wire, and recently used pure metal wires like nickel or titanium are common.

Kanthal wire is an alloy of iron (Fe, 70%), chromium (Cr, 20-30%), and aluminum (Al, 4-7%). When heated, aluminum oxide forms a protective layer on the surface of the wire.

Nickel-chromium alloy is an alloy of chromium (80%) and nickel (Ni, 20%). When heated to a so-called glowing temperature, the outer layer of chromium (III) oxidizes, protecting the heating element from further oxidation.

Stainless steel (SS) has recently been introduced to the market. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. The stainless properties of steel are due to the presence of at least 13% chromium. Classic SS316 stainless steel wire also contains small amounts of molybdenum (Mo, 2.5%) and manganese (Mn, 2%).

Why is dry burning dangerous?

Three reasons:

1. The oxidized material's coating forms on the surface and may detach during vaping, being inhaled into the lungs as particles.

2. These particles can cause allergies. For example, nickel can lead to skin rashes, itching, and redness.

3. These particulate substances are toxic to biological organisms. For instance, welders exposed to manganese oxide environments provide a good example.

Accidental dry burning

Accidental dry burning can occur when the e-liquid runs out or the cotton is not sufficiently moist. Our recommendation is to replace it with a new one if this happens.

Similarly, do not reuse old coils, as they may have corroded and the metal surface may have become brittle. Users are also advised not to share used coils with others.

Relative perspective on the issue

There is no reason to believe that dry burning makes vaping worse than smoking. However, it increases the risk of releasing potentially harmful compounds that may be inhaled by users. But based on the experiences of e-cigarette users, moderate heating is useful for checking the consistency of a homemade coil and removing manufacturing errors.

Nowadays, there are heating elements made of ceramic on the market. Theoretically, this material is a safer choice than alloys or metals. #p#分页标题#e#

Current trends are to vape more safely by choosing the best e-liquids and purchasing more advanced temperature-controlled devices, so when using coils, one should heed expert advice and never intentionally dry burn coils!