How Do Heated Tobacco Devices Work

In recent years smart smokers have turned to heated tobacco devices as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. These devices heat tobacco leaves to release a flavorful nicotine-containing vapour without burning the tobacco.

As the name suggests, heated tobacco products, also called heat-not-burn products, are designed to heat tobacco rather than burn it. The idea behind these products is to reduce the harmful chemicals released when tobacco is burned.

Traditional Cigarettes

Let’s start with conventional cigarettes and the science behind how they work.

Cigarettes are made with a paper filter containing thousands of tiny holes. This paper is wrapped around a cylinder of tobacco leaves, which are then tightly rolled up.

The heat from the burning tobacco ignites the paper filter once the smoker lights a cigarette.

When you take a drag on a cigarette, the tobacco leaf is burned, and the smoke inhaled contains nicotine, tar, and other harmful chemicals. These harmful chemicals are released when the tobacco is burned at high temperatures.

To produce the inhaled smoke, a traditional cigarette must be heated to around 900°C.

In contrast, heated tobacco devices heat the tobacco leaves to a much lower temperature, around 350°C. When the tobacco is heated at this lower temperature, it releases nicotine-containing vapour rather than smoke.

While not entirely risk-free, this vapour contains far fewer potentially harmful compounds than cigarette smoke.

The Science Behind Heated Tobacco Products

Heated tobacco products work by heating tobacco to produce a vapour, which is then inhaled. As we mentioned earlier, tobacco is heated to a temperature of around 350°C, which is below the point at which combustion occurs. This means that there is no smoke produced.

There are many different tobacco heating products on the market, but they typically use either an electric battery or a carbon ember to heat the tobacco.

The electric battery version is the most common. It works by heating a metal coil that gets hot enough to heat the tobacco.

The carbon ember version uses a small piece of lit charcoal, which is placed in contact with the tobacco. As the charcoal burns, it heats the tobacco and produces vapour.

How Do e-Cigarettes Work?

E-cigarettes operate by vapourising a liquid that includes flavourings, glycerin, propylene glycol, and nicotine. The liquid is heated by a battery-powered coil, which turns it into a vapour that the user inhales.

In contrast, heated tobacco products heat actual tobacco leaves to produce a nicotine-containing vapour. There is no liquid involved in the process.

How Do NEAF Heat-Not-Burn Products Work?

NEAF sticks work pretty much like other heat-not-burn tobacco products, minus the tobacco! Rather than tobacco leaves, herbal tea leaves are infused with nicotine and different flavours. The leaves are then heated using an electronic heat-control system providing an alternative nicotine delivery system with no tobacco or smoke to ruin the experience.

In addition, NEAF has its own proprietary TEO heating device that delivers four times the usage of other competing products.

In Summary

Cigarette smoking is something that is slowly being phased out. In its place, people are turning to heat-no-burn products to enjoy their nicotine. You now know how a heated tobacco product works and NEAFS tobacco-free sticks, the heated alternative that comes without tobacco and even nicotine if you so wish.

We hope this article helped you understand the inner workings of heat-not-burn products.