Archive for the ‘what is the e-cigarette’ Category

Nicotine liquid, also known as e-liquid or e-juice, is a liquid mixture for the electric cigarette. Nicotine liquid comes in a variety of flavors and a few basic nicotine levels.

Flavors of Nicotine Liquid

From the many nicotine liquid flavors offered by different manufacturers, two seem to be more popular: tobacco and mint. These two flavors have different names and slightly different tastes depending on the brand—names like Original Tobacco, Cured Tobacco, or Arctic Mint may be names for the same flavor or variants of the flavor.

There are nicotine liquid flavors made to taste like those of traditional cigarettes, for example, Marlboro, Camel, Winston, or Kent. The most common of those is Marlboro.

Smokers using the electric cigarette have a better choice of flavors than those who smoke traditional cigarettes. While it is rare for traditional cigarettes to have flavors of coffee, vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate, most nicotine liquid and electric cigarette makers and sellers offer those flavors.

Nicotine Liquid: What Is It Made of?

All main ingredients in nicotine liquid are food products generally considered as safe. There are two common main ingredients in it—propylene glycol and nicotine. Nicotine liquid can be 80 to 90% propylene glycol and 0 to 6% nicotine. Other less common ingredients are menthol—for the mint flavor, glycerol, and even pure water that can be about 10% of the solution.

Throat Hit Origins

Throat hit is the tingling sensation smokers feel at the back of the throat. It is felt when the inhaled smoke hits the throat. The term is more relevant to e-cigarette smoking because by their very nature e-cigarettes taste lighter than conventional cigarettes. Throat hit is a major concern for e-cigarette smokers because most of them converted from conventional smoking and they are used to the stronger throat hit of a burning tobacco leaf.

So, the stronger the throat hit, the better because  it’s closer to the real thing. Let’s look at some of the factors involved in producing stronger throat hit, starting from the most important.

Throat Hit Factors

#1 E-liquid Quality: Overall quality of e-liquid is cited as the most important factor in producing stronger throat hit. First time buyers of e-cigarette should research the brands that offer e-liquid that ranks high in throat hit.

#2 Nicotine Dosage in E-liquid: The dosage of nicotine can also affect throat hit. High dosage equals stronger throat hit, but again it depends on the overall quality of the e-liquid.

#3 Condition and Proper Maintenance: Life of equipment and maintenance may determine throat hit. Often uncharged batteries and clogged atomizer may cause weak throat hit; so do defective ones.

#4 Device Parts Quality: Throat hit also depends on the quality of the separate parts of the e-cigarette: atomizer, batteries, and cartridges. The model, batch, and brand play a part too.

#5 Smoking Technique: Smoking e-cigarettes takes some time to learn. It is about three times harder to draw on an e-cigarette than on a conventional cigarette. Plus getting more vapor and throat hit depends on the particular way an e-cigarette is drawn on.

Let’s try to explain the atomizer technology of the e-cigarette in plain English. The atomizer is the part of the e-cigarette that converts the e-liquid into water vapor. The atomizer is a small metal tube. Inside it, there’s a tiny c l uster of metal wires—the heating component, and a micro pump. Depending on the model of the e-cigarette, atomizers vary in shape and size.

The Process of Atomization During E-Smoking

When a smoker takes a drag from an e-cigarette, a sensor (located inside the main body of the e-cigarette) activates the circuit board (also inside the main body). The circuit board, powered by the battery, sends two electrical currents—one to the pump and one to the heating component of the atomizer. The pump forces the e-liquid through the atomizer where the heating component starts vaporizing the e-liquid.

To most people, this sounds confusing because the atomizer comes before the cartridge with e-liquid. And suction goes in opposite direction—from the atomizer to the cartridge. If you want to solve this mystery, and the mystery of scientific writing, check my source—the European patent office. Who knows, you might come up with your own atomizing device.

Atomizer is the Most Sensitive Part of an E-cigarette

Every new e-smoker, sooner or later, learns this. It’s a good idea to keep a supply of spare atomizers, because most atomizers have a short life; and if your only atomizer dies, you risk going back to conventional cigarettes.
PS: Updated June 17, 2009

The model for how the e-cigarette works comes from information I found at the website of the European Union Patent Office. Many e-cigarette enthusiasts claim there’s no micro pump and that it exists only in the patent to confuse future competition.

Miao Nan, the executive director of Ruyan. He is the Chinese equivalent of the popular character in the movie "Thank You for Smoking"

Ruyan ( or Ruyan Group Holdings Limited, based in Hong Kong) was the company that invented the e-cigarette. In 2004, Ruyan first introduced the e-cigar and the e-pipe, and in 2006 the Ruyan E-cigarette, orV8, became available on the Chinese market.

Ruyan’s Patent Wars

The company is involved in several patent lawsuits: Ruyan claims that other e-cigarette manufacturers, in China and abroad, are using Ruyan’s technology illegally. Recently the High Court in China stated that Ruyan is the rightful owner of the atomization method in e-cigarette products.

The Atomizing Technology

The ultrasonic atomizing technology, patented by Ruyan, is a method of dissolving the e-cigarette solution called e-liquid. When a smoker takes a drag on an e-cigarette, the atomizer heats up the e-liquid—this produces the water vapor or the smoke of e-cigarettes.

The Problem of Comparing E-cigarettes with Conventional Cigarettes

With every technological invention comes new vocabulary. E-cigarette and electronic cigar are examples of words borne on the winds of science; the words have proper place in the English vocabulary. But now we have two main kinds of cigarettes—e-cigarette and what?

We can’t refer to e-cigarettes and the cigarettes invented before them with the same name because they are two different things. I’m offering a number of solutions to this problem, starting with the most suitable term.

How to Talk about Conventional Cigarettes

A conventional cigarette is a cigarette made of finely cut tobacco leaves and wrapped into paper. Conventional smoking is the activity of smoking conventional cigarettes. Use the following expressions to refer to conventional cigarettes when you have to compare them with e-cigarettes:

• conventional cigarette / conventional smoking

• regular cigarette / regular smoking

• traditional cigarette / traditional smoking

• ordinary cigarette / ordinary smoking

How Did I Come Up with These Expressions

The old-fashioned way: by looking into the Roget’s Thesaurus, Merriam Webster’s Dictionary and Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

What Is a Typical E-cigarette Kit

An e-cigarette starter kit is the basic equipment for your new e-cigarette device. All e-cigarette sellers offer starter kits that usually include:

• 1 atomizer

• 2 batteries

• 1 charger

• 5 cartridges filled with e-liquid.

With their starter kits, some sellers may offer bottles with e-liquid, additional cartridges, or an additional atomizer.

Tip: What to Buy with Your First E-cigarette Kit

Bottle of e-liquid: you should buy at least one bottle of e-liquid. This is important because the cartridges that come with the starter kit will not last long enough—you risk going back to your old smoking habits.

Cartridges: try cartridges with different tastes and nicotine doses (some sellers include this in their starter kits). Ask sellers if they have starter kits with all their flavors and doses—even if they don’t offer the package you’d like.

Before I ordered my first e-cigarette kit, I asked the seller to include all flavors, and he did without charging extra.

Tip: Defective E-cigarettes and Seller Return Policy

E-cigarettes often come defective, my first did. I decided it’s the atomizer and the seller sent me a new one, a defective one. So, I had to purchase another starter kit from a different seller. Here’s what I learned from my mistake:

• Check seller return and exchange policy–-many e-cigarettes come with one year warranty.

• If you e-cigarette is defective (you’ll find out in the first two weeks), don’t try to figure out if it’s the batteries or atomizer. Just return or exchange the kit.

E-cigarettes are a new invention that created a unique culture with a language of its own. I did some research and found information that I think will be helpful to anyone interested in e-cigarettes. Now let’s look at the language of e-cigarettes and e-smoking, starting with the most common words and expressions:

e-cigarette (also electronic cigarette or e-cig) noun: an electronic device converts special liquid (e-liquid) into water vapor that looks like a conventional cigarette

e-smoking noun: the activity of smoking e-cigarettes or other similar devices like the electronic cigar

e-smoker noun: someone who smokes e-cigarettes or electronic cigar

conventional cigarette (also regular cigarette or traditional cigarette) noun: is a cigarette made of finely cut tobacco leaves and wrapped into paper

conventional smoking noun: the activity of smoking conventional cigarettes

e-liquid (also e-juice or smoke juice) noun: the special liquid mixture that is converted into vapor and used with e-cigarettes or electronic cigars

mouthpiece noun: the part of the e-cigarette that you put in your mouth to smoke;  most people consider this part the cartridge but the word is necessary because the actual cartridge (polyester batting stuffed in a mini tube)  is inside the mouthpiece

e-cigarette starter kit noun:  the basic equipment that comes with a new e-cigarette device, which usually includes 1 atomizer, 2 batteries, 1 charger, and 5 cartridges filled with e-liquid

throat hit noun: the sensation an e-smoker feels at the back of the throat-usually the stronger this sensation, the better because the experience becomes closer to conventional smoking

vape (synonym: to smoke) verb: to smoke e-cigarettes or electronic cigars

vaping (synonym: e-smoking) noun: the activity of smoking e-cigarettes or electronic cigars

fogger noun: an e-cigarette or electronic cigar

hot cigarette (synonym: conventional cigarette) noun: cigarettes made of finely cut tobacco leaves and wrapped into paper

hot smoking (synonym: conventional smoking) noun: the activity of smoking hot cigarettes

analog (or analogue) noun: a conventional cigarette made of paper and tobacco leaves.

This is the current vocabulary of e-cigarettes, which will change with time. I don’t think that word e-cig will survive–I just can’t see people using it in a face-to-face conversation.

An e-cigarette, or electronic cigarette, is an electronic device that converts nicotine liquid into water vapor. The e-cigarette has three main parts: a battery, atomizer, and cartridge. The battery, the largest part, has an indicator light on one side and it screws onto the atomizer. The heart of every e-cigarete is the atomizer, which converts the e-liquid into smoke. The cartridge, a cylindrical inhaler that contains the e-liquid, attaches to the atomizer.