How to Choose Empty Vape Cartridges: Capacity, Cores and Fit

Empty vape cartridges are unfilled 510 cartridges supplied to licensed producers, who fill them with their own oil and cap them for sale. The choices that matter when sourcing them are capacity, heating core and fit, and our CCELL range covers 0.5ml to 2.0ml tanks, SE, EVO and EVOMAX ceramic cores, and a standard 510 thread on every cartridge listed here. We supply the hardware empty and never sell oil. Our team sets out what each specification means so a UK brand can match cartridge to oil and battery, and what to check before the first order reaches the filling line.

Ready to buy rather than compare? Shop empty CCELL vape cartridges on the cartridge category page, and use this guide to decide which ones to order.

Key takeaways

• Capacity markings are nominal tank volumes. Every fill should leave a small air gap, so validate your fill level on your own oil.
• Cores differ by family: SE, EVO and EVOMAX for the glass 510 range, and CCELL 3.0 Bio-Heating for the postless Vita and Diama.
• Intake aperture, body diameter and resistance decide whether a cartridge suits your oil and your battery.
• Our listings state that the hardware is sold empty and is intended for CBD use only.
• Run a ten-unit trial tray before committing to a production order.

What empty vape cartridges are

An empty vape cartridge is a refillable 510 thread tank with a heating core, a centre post and a mouthpiece, supplied without oil so a licensed producer can fill and cap it. The cartridge screws onto a 510 battery and the battery heats the core when the user draws. Our guide to the 510 thread cartridge explains the thread in detail.

Searchers use several terms for the same product: empty carts, empty 510 cartridges, empty cartridge vape and empty 1ml cartridge. They all describe an unfilled cartridge, and the 1ml size is the most common starting point.

Our listings state that CCELL hardware is intended for CBD use only and not for minors. We supply licensed businesses and filling operations, and we do not produce or sell oil. Every producer must make sure their own fill, licence and product meet the rules that apply to them.

Capacity: what the markings mean

The capacity marking is the nominal volume of the tank, such as 0.5ml, 1ml, 1.2ml or 2.0ml. It is the rated tank size, not a fill instruction. The product pages tell fillers to fill to a validated line and leave a small air gap, because the ceramic core absorbs oil and the headspace helps flow and limits leaks.

Nominal and usable volume therefore differ, and no listing publishes a usable figure. Establish your own by weighing or measuring a trial fill on your oil. The postless Vita and Diama are an exception to explain, because our Vita listing says a postless tank shows the oil clearly and lets more of it be used than a tank with a post. Test that on your own oil.

Our product pages describe the common sizes this way:

• 0.5ml: suits strong or premium fills where a small unit is part of the appeal.
• 1ml: the everyday choice for most ranges.
• 1.2ml: gives a little more per cartridge and is offered on the TH2-SE.
• 2.0ml: offered as a shop option on the Ceramic-EVOMAX. Confirm the size on your order.

Capacity also interacts with the mouthpiece. On the TH2-SE, the 0.5ml and 1ml sizes take a snap-fit or screw-on mouthpiece, while the 1.2ml takes snap-fit only. Plan your capping equipment around the largest size you intend to run.

Core types: ceramic, cotton and CCELL families

A ceramic core draws oil through porous ceramic and heats it, while a cotton-wick core uses fibre wrapped around a coil. Ceramic moved to the front of the market for thick cannabis oils, and our news piece on ceramic core hardware for wholesale buyers explains how to specify it on an enquiry.

CCELL’s ceramic families are listed by generation on its product pages:

• SE: the original ceramic platform from 2016, positioned for distillate and pourable oils.
• EVO: introduced in 2022, positioned for distillate and terpene-rich oils.
• EVOMAX: introduced in December 2023, positioned for all oil types.
• 3.0 Bio-Heating: introduced in December 2024, used in the postless Vita and Diama for higher capacities.

Those positionings come from CCELL, so test your own oil before you commit to one core.

Table: cartridge family, capacity and core

The table lists five CCELL glass and thermoplastic cartridges from our range with their listed capacities and cores.

Resistance is the other number worth recording beside capacity and core. The TH2-SE, M6T-SE and Kera list 1.4 ohm, while the Ceramic-EVOMAX and the TH2 EVOMAX list 1.7 ohm. Resistance decides which voltage suits the cartridge, so keep it in your specification sheet.

The Vita and Diama are postless 3.0 cartridges in 1ml and 2ml with CCELL 3.0 Bio-Heating, and they sit outside this table because they use a different core family.

Our TH2 cartridge comparison and Kera cartridge guide expand on the first four families.

Intake apertures and oil fit

The intake aperture is the opening through which oil reaches the ceramic core, and its size affects how easily thick oil enters during filling and wicking. A wider opening helps viscous oil, while a narrow port suits thinner, pourable oil.

The listed values differ by family:

• The TH2-SE, TH2 EVOMAX and Ceramic-EVOMAX list four 2mm apertures.
• The TH2 EVOMAX also lists open top-fill, which our page says suits viscous oils better than a narrow port.
• The Kera RR variant has a 2.5mm inlet.
• The Vita and Diama list a wide filling opening.

Viscosity is the property that links aperture to oil. Thick oil flows slowly and needs time to settle into the core after filling, so allow that time before you cap. Our guide to choosing hardware by oil type explains how viscosity changes the choice of core and aperture.

Mouthpieces, materials and thread

Every cartridge in the table above has a standard 510 thread, and each sets a different combination of mouthpiece, body and centre post. These are the listed options:

• Body: borosilicate glass on the TH2 EVOMAX, TH2-SE, Kera and Ceramic-EVOMAX, and BPA-free thermoplastic on the M6T-SE, Vita and Diama.
• Centre post: stainless steel on the TH2 EVOMAX, low-lead brass on the TH2-SE and M6T-SE, zirconia ceramic on the Kera, and ceramic on the Ceramic-EVOMAX.
• Mouthpiece: snap-fit or screw-on options for the TH2 family, a snap-fit ceramic piece for the Kera, snap-fit for the Ceramic-EVOMAX, and snap-fit or press-in for the M6T-SE.
• Colour: Black or White on the TH2 and Ceramic-EVOMAX cartridges, White only on the Kera, Clear on the M6T-SE.

These are CCELL’s own descriptions, repeated as they appear on the listings. If your compliance file needs a materials statement, ask our trade team what documentation is available.

Body diameter matters for the battery. Most of the range is 10.5mm wide, the Ceramic-EVOMAX is 11.0mm, and the Vita 2ml is listed at 14.1mm, so check fit before ordering trays.

Diameter and height for packaging

Heights vary by model even where the diameter matches, which changes the insert, carton and display you need. The table gives the listed dimensions in millimetres.

The Ceramic-EVOMAX 2.0ml shop option is not in the specification table, so confirm its height against your packaging before you order volume.

How to choose empty vape cartridges: what to check before sourcing

A supplier checklist protects you from the commonest sourcing problems. Work through it in order.

1. Confirm the supplier is an authorised distributor of authentic CCELL hardware.
2. Match the product name, capacity, resistance and core to the live product page.
3. Ask how batches are recorded, and keep the delivery reference with your own records.
4. Check what packaging the cartridges arrive in, and whether it suits your storage and labelling.
5. Confirm mouthpiece style against your capping equipment.
6. Order a trial tray in each size you are considering before a production order.

Build a one-page specification sheet for each cartridge you buy. Record capacity, core, resistance, diameter, height, mouthpiece, post material and the date you copied the details from the product page. When a listing changes, the difference shows at once.

Check the listed dimensions against your packaging inserts as well, because heights vary even within one 10.5mm family. Authenticity is part of the specification, because the listed resistance, diameter and materials describe authentic CCELL parts.

Filling and testing a first order

Fill to a validated level, let the oil settle, cap evenly and test before you pack. Our guide to filling ceramic cartridges without leaks covers the method, so here we set out only the pilot.

1. Fill ten cartridges of one model to your validated level with a small air gap.
2. Cap them with the mouthpiece style and tool your line will use.
3. Stand them upright for 24 hours and check for leaks at the base.
4. Fire each on the battery you plan to recommend, starting at the lowest voltage step.
5. Record wicking time, draw quality and any clogging, then change one variable at a time.

Overfilling is the usual cause of leaks on every listing, so reduce the fill before you change the hardware.

Thick oil needs patience. The product pages advise letting dense oil soak into the core before the first draw, and warning against pushing the voltage up to compensate. A burnt core is hard to recover, so a slower start protects the cartridge.

Planning ranges and assortments

Start small and expand on evidence. A first range often needs one cartridge family in one or two sizes, tested on one oil, before you add anything else.

Three planning rules keep a range manageable:

• Hold one body diameter where you can, so one battery shortlist covers the range.
• Pick a mouthpiece format your capping equipment handles and keep it constant across SKUs.
• Add a second core only when a specific oil fails on the first.

New brands can follow our guide to building a first trial tray to choose what to test. Browse the full CCELL cartridge collection to compare every family, and contact our trade team for volumes. Trade pricing is shown on each product page, and free shipping applies over £80, so confirm at checkout.

FAQ

What are empty vape cartridges?

Empty vape cartridges are unfilled 510 thread cartridges with a heating core and mouthpiece, supplied so licensed producers can fill them with their own oil. They screw onto a 510 battery. Our CCELL cartridges are sold empty, and CCELL and 3Devices do not produce or sell oil. Listings state the hardware is intended for CBD use only.

What size empty cartridge should I choose?

Choose by product positioning. The 0.5ml suits strong or premium fills, the 1ml is the everyday choice, the 1.2ml adds a little volume on the TH2-SE, and 2.0ml is offered as a Ceramic-EVOMAX shop option. Wider formats need a battery with a wide slot, so check diameter first and run a trial tray.

Are empty cartridges compatible with every 510 battery?

No. A standard 510 thread lets a cartridge screw onto a standard 510 battery, but diameter, magnetic nuts, resistance and voltage still matter. Our 10.5mm cartridges fit almost every battery we list, while the Ceramic-EVOMAX at 11.0mm and the Vita 2ml at 14.1mm need a wider slot. Test each pairing.

What is the best core for empty cartridges?

It depends on your oil. CCELL positions SE for distillate and pourable oils, EVO for distillate and terpene-rich oils, and EVOMAX for all oil types. Thick or varied oils usually point to EVOMAX, and thin oils to SE. Test a small batch of your own oil on two cores before you choose.

Can I fill empty cartridges myself?

Our hardware is supplied empty to UK businesses and licensed filling operations, and the listings say it is intended for CBD use only. Filling must meet the laws and licences that apply to your product. If you fill, use a validated level, leave an air gap, let thick oil settle and test every batch.

Where can I buy empty vape cartridges in the UK?

3DevicesCCELL supplies authentic CCELL empty cartridges to UK trade buyers as an authorised distributor operated by 3Devices Ltd in Bolton. Tiered trade pricing is shown on each product page, and free shipping applies over £80, so confirm at checkout. Contact the trade team for volumes and mixed assortments.