Materials

Materials Glossary

Knowledge Base · Pixie’s Pantry

Every material in contact with heat and airflow in a vaporizer or filtration device affects what you inhale. This glossary covers the materials Pixie’s Pantry evaluates, accepts, and watches for.

Accepted materials in the vapor path

Material	Grade	Use Case	Why It Passes
Borosilicate Glass	3.3 (Schott-type)	Mouthpieces, vapor tubes, bubblers	Chemically inert, thermal shock resistant to 500°F+, zero off-gassing
Stainless Steel	316L (surgical)	Ovens, screens, condenser tubes	Corrosion-resistant, biocompatible, withstands repeated ISO cleaning
Titanium	Grade 2 (CP)	Heating tips, screens, caps	Lightweight, extremely corrosion-resistant, no nickel leaching
Ceramic	Alumina (Al₂O₃) or Zirconia	Heating chambers, atomizers	Electrically insulating, heat-stable, chemically inert
PEEK	Medical / Industrial	Insulators, airpath seals	High-temp polymer (up to 480°F continuous), no off-gassing
Silicone	USP Class VI / Platinum-cured	Seals, gaskets, flexible tubing	FDA food-contact safe, stable to ~450°F, no plasticizers

Materials that raise concerns

Material	Risk	Where It Appears
ABS plastic	Off-gasses at 200–300°F	Cheap vaporizer housings near heat
Zinc alloys (Zamak)	Can contain lead, off-gasses at high temp	Budget grinders, cheap fittings
Copper (uncoated)	Oxidizes, reactive with solvents	Cheap screens, decorative fittings
Industrial adhesives	Thermal breakdown releases VOCs	Seam bonding near heating chambers
Generic “alloy” (undisclosed)	Unknown composition = unknown risk	Any component where the grade is not named

The Pixie’s Pantry standard

We require that every material in the contact path (the route air and vapor take from intake to mouthpiece) be explicitly identified by grade. “Stainless steel” is not enough—we need “316L.” “Glass” is not enough—we need “borosilicate.” If a manufacturer cannot or will not disclose material grades, the product does not enter the catalog.