Conduction VS Convection

"Conduction" and "Convection" might be terms you're familiar with from high school science. These scientific concepts relate directly to the design of vaporizers. If you're getting flashbacks, strap in, because you're about to get schooled, again.

What is Conduction?

Conduction is defined as "the process by which heat is directly transmitted through a substance". In the case of conduction, direct contact is made between the heat source and the object which is to be heated. Most smokers prefer conductive vapes. In general, these vaporizers are cheaper and less complex than other ones.

What is Convection?

We think of convection as "the process by which heat is transmitted through a liquid or gas, to a substance". A convection oven is a good example of this thermal concept. Convection ovens heat their foods by circulating hot air around them.

Problems with Conduction Vapes

A conduction vape has an increased risk of combusting whatever product it is meant to vaporize. This is because the product is making direct contact with the heating element. To prevent combustion, users must move their product constantly to prevent it from combusting. Lots of beginning vapers combust their products accidentally when they first begin using their conduction vaporizers.

Problems with Convection Vape

Circulating heat in a chamber, within small form-factor device is a complex task. Naturally, the internal components of such a device are comparatively more expensive than their counterparts. Convection vapes are also slower to heat their products than their counterparts are. If you're patient, you'll be rewarded with cleaner hits from your convection vape!

A freshly unboxed Dabox. (Julia Sumpter for Leafly)

First Impressions

DH: So I use a standard dab rig pretty regularly, and I enjoyed using the Dabox. I’m used to pulling as much as I can, and so the first few times, I held it down for a nice long time. I realized later that you don’t really have to hold the heating button down for more than five seconds or so to get a perfectly good pull off this and blow out a cloud that was pretty massive.

IC: It’s probably more reflective of how new I am at this, but it took me a couple of times putting it through its paces for me to be comfortable and feel like I knew what I was doing. But once I had a handle on it, the Dabox did really right by me.

DH: It’s kind of odd that there’s a learning curve, because functionally, it’s very simple—it’s one button, no temperature changes, you just hold and inhale. The thing you need to figure out about that is how long do you need to hold the button. For me, it took a day or two to learn that I could really just hold it for a second or two and kind of sip off of this. Because if you want to get super-smacked, you can just rip this thing two or three times and you’ll be right there. But if you want to work your way up to that level of high, you have to kind of learn to finesse it.

IC: Design-wise, I really liked the Dabox too. It fits right in the palm of your hand, and it’s got a nice heft to it that I wasn’t necessarily expecting. It feels really good when you’re holding it. The heating coil was easy to swap out, and the swing-open chamber was really smooth. Taken as a whole, it just feels really well-crafted.

DH: Yeah, I’ve used a number of concentrate vaporizers that feel cheap, whether it’s a plastic mouthpiece or the actual construction. This does not feel like something you’d expect to find at this price point.

The chamber of the Dabox swings out for easy loading and coil replacement. (Julia Sumpter for Leafly) Just Add Wax

IC: So what concentrate were you using with this?

DH: I was using the Middlefork honey crystal from Oleum, which is one of my favorite brands. And in the Dabox, you really get that blast of terpenes that is so tasty. Then later, I tried a sugar resin from Oleum, which was not as messy as the honey crystal. How about you?

IC: I was using an Oleum sugar resin as well, which was really kind and very easy to load. I’m not sure would want to go with anything that was much viscous than that.

DH: Yeah, loading honey crystal into the Dabox, which has kind of a shallow chamber, was tough; sugar resin was a lot easier to break off and drop in. I’d definitely recommend a more solid concentrate like sugar resin or shatter that you can break apart easily over a more viscous product, which is going to be more time consuming and involve some extra cleanup.

On The Go

IC: As far as portability, I would be super happy to take a Dabox to a friend’s house for a barbecue or for a hike in the woods. But because you are going to regularly be loading wax into the chamber, I would feel on the conspicuous side using this vaporizer at, say, a concert or a park.

DH: Yeah. I think that this won’t be my main go to piece for dabs, but if I’m going to a friend’s place or going to be on the road for a weekend, it makes a perfect side accessory to get that experience on the go. And that’s one place I’d give this an edge over even some things that bill themselves as portable dab rigs, which still have things like an e-nail that are gonna get you some looks.

IC: This is definitely pretty anonymous. I felt like once this is loaded, I could walk around downtown Seattle without anyone giving me a look.

DH: Well, that’s exactly what I did, so yeah, you can.

An included scoop and charger make sure the Dabox is ready to go right out of the box. (Julia Sumpter for Leafly)

ow To

IC: As someone who is new to using concentrates, and especially to a concentrate vaporizer, I feel like I could have done with some more documentation. For something that bills itself as easy to customize by swapping out coil heads, I would love to have seen that explained out just a little more.

DH: I agree. I would have liked a little bit of a warning on that front and some pointers on how to easily clean stuff.

IC: Even as someone who’s generally disinclined to read instructions, I read these thoroughly and I still had some questions. And as we talked about, most of that stuff I figured out just through use, but I think they could have eliminated some of that trial and error period.

DH: Something I did find annoying was the silicon filter, which got clogged a lot.

IC: Yeah, I was taking a toothpick to mine pretty regularly.

(Turns out, there’s an instruction manual available online that was more thorough than the one that came packaged with the Dabox we tested.)

Dabbing for Beginners

DH: I was curious, since you’re new to this experience, did it make you more likely to use a vape in the future, either for concentrate or for flower?

IC: Yeah, this thing definitely piqued my curiosity on vaping, and also on concentrates. I’ve been curious about things like sugar resin and shatter since I moved back to Washington, but I think any process where two of your main tools are a torch and a nail… you’re going to scare some people off, me included. The Dabox, though, is pretty simple and feels familiar.

DH: I think this is a great entry point device. I have friends who are curious about dabbing, but often I end up kind of doing everything for them—it’s an intimidating process. If you’re interested in dabbing but you’re not quite sure where to start, the Dabox is a great way to affordably give yourself a dab experience before you jump in entirely.

In today’s world technology is moving at a breakneck speed. It is exhilarating to live at a time when new innovations are a daily occurrence.

There is a new model of your favorite phone, car, or technology every few months. As a consumer there is almost always something new to upgrade.

The same trend can be seen in the vaporizer industry. From 2015 to 2017 Pax has released three new version of their flagship vaporizer. Now one might ask why should I upgrade to the new model when my original device is working fine. Well the new models are usually an improvement in terms of size, function, and features. Sometimes that is not the case and the manufacturer wants to capitalize on the mentality of having the newest product. The consumer needs to evaluate if these changes are worthy of buying a completely new device. Quickly this becomes a costly decision. If you want to be on the cutting edge of technology and have the latest and greatest, you have to spend a lot of money.

Our engineers and designers saw this as a solvable issue. What if we built a Cannabis vaporizer with interchangeable parts that can be upgraded as technology improves?

The answer to that is the VIVANT RIFT. The RIFT is a modular vaporizer where the heating unit can be completely removed and replaced. Our current available heater is a three chambered conduction/convection heater. This RIFT heater technology (RIFT Core) is made in the U.S and tested by an independent U.S laboratory.

The next design that we are working on is a pure convection heater. Using convection heating we are able to extract more flavor from Cannabis.

You will not have to buy a completely new device. Simply remove the old heater and replace it with the new convection heater. This is just one of the designs that we are currently prototyping.

We want to make sure that if you buy our products, you are able to use it for a long time. This perspective keeps our product on the cutting edge while at the same time lowering the cost for our users.

For at least 10,000 years, Cannabis has been used as a medicine, as an intoxicant, and in religious rituals ^{[1, 2]}.

Cannabis remains both one of the safest intoxicants and one of the most versatile medicines in the world. It’s capable of offering a vast amount of nuanced delights and inspiration, while providing therapeutic liberation from ailments small and large.

The most common method of Cannabis consumption is smoking.

Smoking requires the combustion of the Cannabis flower and leaves where the psychoactive chemicals such Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are released as smoke. These chemicals are absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs through inhalation.

There are other methods to use Cannabis such as ingestion and topical creams.

These methods are less predictable since dosages are not perfectly controlled. The onset of effects, duration, and intensity will vary from person to person based on each individual’s metabolism.

Combustion of any plant material releases toxic compounds and irritants, and Cannabis is no exception.

Cannabis smoke contains gaseous and particulate matter with the potential to create symptoms of respiratory problems. Burning medical marijuana, just like burning tobacco, produces tar and other carcinogens that actively harm your lungs ^[3]. Although Cannabis creates fewer problems than cigarette smoking ^[4].

Inhalation of combusted Cannabis is associated with large airway inflammation, increased airway resistance, and lung hyperinflation, and those who smoke marijuana regularly report more symptoms of chronic bronchitis than those who do not smoke ^[5].

Vaporizers are able to circumvent these risks by gently heating marijuana to a thermal sweet spot that releases active compounds without creating smoke.

This is achieved by hitting temperatures above the boiling point of cannabinoids like THC, but below the combustion point of the plant. Most cannabinoids and terpenes, the therapeutic compounds found in Cannabis, boil in the range of 315-440°F (157-227°C). Beyond 451°F (233°C), combustion begins to occur. For reference, the lowest possible temperature of the butane flame in your Bic lighter is 761°F (405°C). These essential oils contain the majority of the cannabinoids and terpenes which give Cannabis its effects, so in essence, vaporization gives you all the good stuff and very little of the bad ^{[6, 7]}.

Vaporizers are also more efficient than smoking.

When Cannabis is combusted, it reaches high enough temperatures to instantly destroy 50 percent of the cannabinoids. As a result vaporizers will require less Cannabis to reach the same level effectiveness.

Another positive of using vaporizers is the lack of smell compared to smoking.

Vapor is less dense than smoke and it quickly dissipates especially in a ventilated area. On the other hand, smoke contains more particulates as byproducts of combustion such as tar, and many of these small particles are sticky and easily attach to the walls or fabrics.

Lastly vaporizers allow the user to truly tastes the flavor of their Cannabis product.

The high heat of combustion leads to burning and smoke which overpowers the natural flavors of the plant. Cannabis plants get their unique aroma from molecules called terpenes. Terpenes are natural aroma chemicals found in plant resins, and they also impact how different Cannabis varieties make you feel. Different terpenes have different boiling points. This means that when heated to low temperatures, some flavors and aromas are more likely to express than when heated to high temperatures. Adjusting the temperature on a vaporizer will allow you to fine-tune the Cannabis experience.

In conclusion:

- Vaporizers allow you to truly taste Cannabis.
- Vaporizers are less smelly.
- Vaporizers are more efficient at using Cannabis.
- And most importantly Vaporizers are safer for your health.

References

1. Abrahamov, Aya et al. "An Efficient New Cannabinoid Antiemetic In Pediatric Oncology". Life Sciences, vol 56, no. 23-24, 1995, pp. 2097-2102. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/0024-3205(95)00194-b.

2. Bouaboula, Monsif et al. "A Selective Inverse Agonist For Central Cannabinoid Receptor Inhibits Mitogen- Activated Protein Kinase Activation Stimulated By Insulin Or Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1". Journal Of Biological Chemistry, vol 272, no. 35, 1997, pp. 22330-22339. American Society For Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (ASBMB), doi:10.1074/jbc.272.35.22330.

3. Tashkin, Donald P. "Effects Of Marijuana Smoking On The Lung". Annals Of The American Thoracic Society, vol 10, no. 3, 2013, pp. 239-247. American Thoracic Society, doi:10.1513/annalsats.201212-127fr. Accessed 4 Oct 2018.

4. Melamede, Robert. Harm Reduction Journal, vol 2, no. 1, 2005, p. 21. Springer Nature, doi:10.1186/1477-7 517-2-21. Accessed 4 Oct 2018.

5. Owen, Kelly P. et al. "Marijuana: Respiratory Tract Effects". Clinical Reviews In Allergy & Immunology, vol 46, no. 1, 2013, pp. 65-81. Springer Nature, doi:10.1007/s12016-013-8374-y. Accessed 4 Oct 2018.

6. Clark, Robert. "Vaporizer-Selection System Malfunction In The Dräger Narkomed 2C Machine". Anesthesiology, vol 104, no. 4, 2006, p. 891. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), doi:10.1097/000005 42-200604000-00042.

7. Gieringer, Dale et al. "Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery Of THC With Effective Suppression Of Pyrolytic Compounds". Journal Of Cannabis Therapeutics, vol 4, no. 1, 2004, pp. 7-27. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1300/j175v04n01_02.