...I am extremely freaked out by all of the ceramic flakes that come off of it. If you touch it with your finger even when it is soaked with eliquid you will get a sludge of ceramic flakes and juice on your finger. I believe that I am inhaling the ceramic flakes or dust into my lungs and I am not ok with it. I did not find that it wicked any better than silica or cotton.
@Smokenmist I’m glad you brought this topic up as it is a valid concern, and one that I often talk to customers about when they call…
In terms of “safety”… the fact that you can SEE the particles is actually a GOOD thing. I know that sounds strange, but please allow me to explain. In terms of what the scientific community feels is regarded as a “non-health risk” in terms of particle size, the guidelines are this:
Anything UNDER 5 “microns” in size and under (that is the unit of measure for particle sizes) is generally considered TO BE a health risk. The reason for this is that this particle size (5 microns and UNDER) can penetrate flesh. So when you inhale it, it can lodge itself into your flesh and fester, possibly causing cancer.
Anything OVER 5 microns is generally considered by the scientific community to be a NON-Health risk. The reason for this, is just the opposite of the example above. Anything OVER 5 microns can generally NOT penetrate flesh, and passes through the system just the dust particles that we breathe that are floating around in the air would do.
This is what makes silica so dangerous. The “dust” particles ARE there, they are just so fine that you can’t SEE them as easily.
The fact that you CAN see them with READYxWICK is in fact a GOOD thing. READYxWICK’s particle size has been measured and found to be between 7 and 13 microns in size, most of which are actually registered in the 10-12 particle size. This size means that although you CAN see them, according to scientific research, they are not considered to be a “health risk”.
Another thing to consider of the fabric based materials before they break down and become unusable is the following (on average):
The average life span of a wick made of ekowool is about 1-2 weeks.
The average life span of a wick made of silica is about 1-2 weeks at most.
The average life span of a wick made of cotton is 1-4 days
The average life span of a wick made of READYxWICK is 1 to 6 MONTHS (or more)
So why is that important?
The first reaction is usually “Wow RxW lasts FOREVER! That’s one of the reasons that it’s so great!”
But it’s MUCH more important than that… and here is where I address your concerns of the “flaking” that you have noticed with RxW, and the answer is really simple when you think it through…
Cotton, Silica, Ekowool, etc, all break down pretty quickly and have at most a lifespan of a couple of weeks, so what happens that makes us change those wicks out? Simple right? They break down and become unusable. BUT… the important question is this…
If the materials are breaking down so quickly… where do you think the materials that have broken down end up? Yup, you guessed it, you inhale them. And that’s what makes READYxWICK so great! It’s not that it lasts forever, it’s that it doesn’t break down so quickly, which means that all those fibers and materials that you would otherwise be inhaling, you don’t have that problem with RxW. Can you get noticeable flakes on your fingers if you rub the material? Yes, sometimes you can, but this is because those flakes get locked into the material and stay put unless you force them loose by rubbing them. And remember, IF they do break loose, they are generally not considered to be a health risk by the scientific community because of their particle size (7-13 microns).
So the question really should be, do you want to use a material (cotton, silica, ekowool, hemp) that breaks down and ends up being partially inhaled over a 1-14 day breakdown period – OR- would you rather use a material that has been known to last 150+ days? To me, the answer is pretty obvious. A material that can last 150+ days is the winner because of one simple fact… if it lasts that long, it means it’s NOT breaking down, which means that I’m NOT inhaling breakdown particles during my vape.
@Smokenmist I truly do appreciate you bringing this question to the table and I hope that I have been able to shed some light on a proper answer to your concerns. Many people have asked the same question and once they have a more clear picture of what’s going on, they usually feel MUCH more comfortable in using the product!