Hi Oraculo
Batting stands for "guata". Sort of fabric stuff. The most accurate spanish term for the item used in smoke gens would be "mecha", similar in texture to "guata" but weaved around a cotton core.
I've made tests with NiCr foam cutting wire at voltages ranging from 6V to 11.3V but the current draw was too high, best solution if you want a working smoke unit is replacing the mechanical pump with a PC fan and keep always wet the stuff at the heating element (just wet, not inmersed in smoke liquid)
Regards
Jose