Ni80 Wire – What is it in Vaping?
Definition
Ni80 wire (short for Nichrome 80) is a resistance heating alloy made from 80% nickel and 20% chromium. In vaping, it is the metal strand that coil builders wrap into spirals to create rebuildable atomiser coils. Because Ni80 heats up faster than kanthal and offers a cleaner flavour profile, Australian vapers prize it for both mechanical-mech and regulated devices. The wire’s low resistance and rapid ramp-up time deliver almost instant vapour production, making it ideal for cloud-chasing and flavour-focused setups without the need for temperature-control circuitry.
Technical Details
Ni80 wire works by converting electrical energy from your battery into heat through Joule heating. Its specific resistance is roughly 1.1 Ω per foot for 24 AWG, giving builders predictable ohm readings when winding coils. Common Australian retail sizes range from 20 AWG (0.8 mm) for low-ohm competition builds to 34 AWG (0.16 mm) for intricate Clapton wraps. Unlike stainless-steel or titanium, Ni80 is purely a power-mode material; its TCR is too unstable for accurate temperature-control. It is sold on 3 m, 10 m, and 30 m spools, often pre-annealed for softness and finished with a bright silver polish. Variations include flat ribbon, twisted, and pre-made staggered-fused reels.
Usage & Tips
- Always dry-burn Ni80 coils at 15–20 W until they glow evenly; pinch gently with ceramic tweezers to remove hot spots.
- Keep final resistance above 0.1 Ω on single-battery mechs to stay within safe continuous discharge limits of your 18650/21700.
- Wash hands after handling; nickel can irritate sensitive skin.
- Never use Ni80 in temperature-control mode—your mod will misread the live resistance and may over-fire.
- If you taste metallic notes, re-wick and re-fire; persistent flavour means the coil is oxidised—replace it.
History & Context
Nichrome was patented in 1905 for toasters, but the early 2010s vaping boom made Ni80 the “next step” after vapers tired of slow-heating kanthal. Australian cloud comps of 2014-15 cemented its reputation for sub-ohm showmanship, and today Ni80 remains the middle ground between cheap kanthal and exotic stainless-steel or Ni200 temperature-control wires.