A vape pen looks like a simple gadget, but a good deal of engineering sits inside it. The name describes the job: the pen heats a liquid solution, which holds varying amounts of nicotine, until it becomes vapor you can inhale. Four pieces of hardware and the liquid itself make that happen. Here is what each part does and how they depend on one another.
The battery
Every e-cigarette has a battery to power it. For convenience these are generally rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and they come in two styles:
- Automatic: the battery switches on when you draw on the mouthpiece.
- Manual: you press a button on the side of the device to engage it.
The atomizer
The battery is wired to the heating element, known as the atomizer. When the battery engages, the atomizer receives power and heats a coil, and the hot coil vaporizes the e-juice. In short, the atomizer is the vaporizer.
The tank
The tank is where the e-juice is stored. On a reusable device you buy bottles of e-juice and refill the tank yourself. On a disposable, the tank is more often called a cartridge, and most disposables build the cartridge and atomizer into one unit, which goes by the name “cartomizer”.
The liquid waits in the tank until the heating element gets hot and turns it to vapor. From there it travels to the mouthpiece.
The mouthpiece
This is the part that touches your lips. When you inhale, it channels the vapor from the heated e-juice into your mouth. On automatic devices, drawing on the mouthpiece is also what activates the heating element. On manual ones, the button by the battery switches the atomizer on before you inhale.
The e-juice
E-juice is the liquid a vaporizer runs on. It is made with propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin and usually carries a set amount of nicotine. It is sold in a range of strengths, from lower to higher nicotine content, and most retailers stock a broad choice of flavors, from sweet and sour to milk and fruit.
How the parts depend on each other
No single part is more important than the rest, and each one relies on the part before it:
- Without the battery, the atomizer has no power.
- Without an engaged atomizer, the e-juice in the tank never turns to vapor.
- Without a tank of e-juice, nothing reaches the mouthpiece.
Together they move the e-juice from the tank to your mouth. For more reading, our blog has a post on e-juice flavors suited to beginners.