Variations In Electronic Atomisation Technology

For e-cigarettes, the two most important supply chain links are cigarette oil and atomisation components, which are independent of each other but complementary to each other, and jointly affect the performance and experience of the product, as well as determining the success or failure of the product.

In recent years, driven by the expanding global e-cigarette market, e-smoke atomisation technology has entered a phase of rapid development. Brands have emerged in an endless stream, atomisation core technology has surged, and the atomised taste experience has been constantly innovated and surpassed.

A brief history of atomisation technology

The first generation: glass fibre rope + heating wire

In 2003, Hanli invented the first nicotine e-cigarette based on heating atomisation technology, and the "glass fibre rope" wrapped around a metal heating wire became the first generation of atomised e-cigarette atomisation components.

As an oil-conducting material, glass fibre rope has the advantages of high temperature resistance, large oil absorption rate and fast oil-conducting speed, which could achieve a good atomisation effect at that time. However, glass fibre rope was not originally a material used in the field of medicine or food, and it is irritating to the skin, producing redness, itching, allergy and other reactions.

Second generation: cotton + heating wire

With the development of e-cigarettes, glass fibre rope has been difficult to meet the needs of the user experience, and from the safety point of view, glass fibre rope is not suitable for use as the atomization element of e-cigarettes. Therefore, cotton replaced the glass fibre rope and began to be used as the oil-conducting material in electronic cigarettes.

The combination of cotton and heating wire is the most widely used form of atomiser in e-cigarettes, and this technology is still widely used in many e-cigarette products today. In particular, the introduction of "organic cotton" has improved the safety and taste of cotton wicks compared to glass fibre rope. In the era of high smoke DIY, cotton wicks have become the only choice for users.

But no material is perfect, cotton core is the same, although the cotton core has a good oil storage and oil conductivity, but it is difficult to control the consistency of the heating wire, while the cotton core is not easy to assemble in large quantities, there is also a risk of oil leakage, paste the core and so on.

The third generation: column ceramic core

With the introduction of pre-injected oil cartridges (POD), e-cigarettes from the product form, supply chain, users, the market, the entire chain has changed dramatically, POD also began to really link e-cigarettes with smokers, so that e-cigarettes have the attribute of becoming a fast moving consumer goods.

At that time, the mainstream atomised core form cotton core is easy to oil leakage, paste core, not conducive to the shortcomings of the mass assembly in the POD on the more prominent, so there is a third generation of "column ceramic core".

Ceramic core using "microporous ceramics" as raw materials, the heating wire in the ceramic centre hole, compared to cotton core, more stable taste, conducive to assembly. But at the same time, there is also a heating wire easy to deformation, by the sintering process, consistency is not good, and occasionally there is a risk of paste core.

The fourth generation: film ceramic core

As the name suggests, the film ceramic heating core is a microporous ceramic substrate, the use of metal paste thick film printing process, the metal "printed on" the ceramic substrate. Relative to the column ceramic core, film ceramic core heating faster, better taste. Coated ceramic core is also one of the most widely used atomisation technologies in POD cartridge e-cigarettes.

Fifth generation: steel ceramic core

The steel ceramic core is also based on microporous ceramic, and the metal mesh is embedded in the surface of the ceramic substrate through inlay technology. It is durable, more resistant to high temperature and not easy to break. As the metal mesh has a more uniform heat generation, larger heating area and faster heating speed, it has a higher atomisation rate and larger smoke volume in terms of experience, with a purer and fuller taste and a stronger sense of throat hit.

Due to the safety risk of glass fibre rope and performance short board, so the cotton core technology to replace; due to the cotton core easy oil leakage, not high temperature resistance is not conducive to large-scale assembly, so ceramic technology has become the mainstream. So what will the next generation of atomisation technology look like?