We have seen the history of herbal medicine and vaporizers and will now refocus on the vaporizer and how it works!!
What is a herbal spray?
A vaporizer is a device used to release the components and active ingredients of any plant material such as aromatic plants, herbal herbs and herbal aromatherapy plant concentrates!
It's quite anecdotal but the vaporizer is also used in gastronomy by great chefs and sometimes for molecular cuisine!
How is a vaporizer made?
1 – A vaporizer has a vaporizing bowl or chamber that can be made of stainless steel, aluminum, ceramics, wood, quartz or glass…).
This bowl is where the plant material should be placed.
2 – A vaporizer must have a heat source!
A portable vaporizer can work with batteries, lighters or other heat sources by conduction for some models!
A salon vaporizer works connected to the area.
This heat source will power the heating element.
This heating element may be in direct contact with the bowl or plant matter for a conduction vaporizer, but the heating element may also be removed from the bowl.
In this case, it is connected with the filling chamber by an air duct.
The warm air will therefore move from the heating element to the plant thanks to the air call of your suction or more rarely by pulsed air (breath).
This is called a convection vaporizer.
3 – A vapo has a mouthpiece to carry steam from the bowl to your mouth.
Other vaporizers like the famous Volcano for example have an inflatable balloon system with valve to prevent steam from escaping!
How does a vaporizer work?
The vaporizers heat the plant to a lower temperature than the cellulose's combustion temperature (231oC), so that the active compounds in the plant can be released as aromatic vapour, instead of emitting smoke that can include thousands of gases and toxic particles.
This principle, which is called "Sublimation" is the passage of a molecule from the solid state to the gaseous state without going through the liquid state.
Why is the vaporizer so effective?
Each active ingredient contained in a plant, at its own optimum vaporization temperature, and vapo is the device that heats the plant at this precise temperature, in a fast and incredibly efficient way.
In addition, by choosing one temperature over another, it is possible to favour different effects depending on the sublimated molecules!
Is it magic? Are they futuristic superconductors? Quantum physics?
Not at all! The vaporizers simply use one of three types of heating mechanisms that extract the active molecules from plant matter or dry grass by converting them into steam (gas), i.e., conduction, convection and radiation/Radiation. (see article on different types of heaters).
To conclude this short article, we remind you that in order to make the most of your vapo, you must grind your vegetable material manually or with a grinder in order to facilitate the passage of hot air on the largest possible surface. Good vapes!
