Water Resistance Vs Solvent Resistance

[KellyMcJ]

I have occasion to test a lot of inks against solvents, namely isopropyl alcohol (we use a ton of this at work and for non-quality documents I use a FP). I've noticed that, with noteable exceptions, the higher water resistant inks are vulnerable to alcohol, and the inks with lower water resistance are impervious to alcohol.

 

I'm not saying this is a rule across the board but I have noticed this and choose alcohol resistance over water resistance when choosing an ink to use for notes at work where there is no water to be found but plenty of alcohol.

 

Has anyone else noticed this or had occasion to test it?

[Chrissy]

I have noticed on some ink reviews that alcohol resistance is tested, but it's not something that I've ever needed to do.

[frankb3]

I never tested it, but Noodler's bulletproof inks are supposed to be water and solvent resistant.

[Ron Z]

I never tested it, but Noodler's bulletproof inks are supposed to be water and solvent resistant.

 

...and I'm sure, a real joy to clean out of a pen.

[KellyMcJ]

I never tested it, but Noodler's bulletproof inks are supposed to be water and solvent resistant.

HoD is at least. It even stands up to industrial degreaser lol! (Sometimes I get bored and put chemicals on writing samples). Alcohol I do frequently test though, since I am so likely to spill it on my writing!

[dcwaites]

 

...and I'm sure, a real joy to clean out of a pen.

 

I've not found the bulletproof inks any harder to clean out of a pen than any other highly saturated ink (Private Reserve, Wancher, are you listening?). The bulletproof property is specific to its interaction with cellulose fibres.

 

I haven't tried any current inks for the property the OP is discussing, but when I was a large format inkjet printer technician, I did find an inverse relationship between the permanence of an ink, and how easily I was able to wash it off my fingers. Perhaps it's the same phenomenon.

[wallylynn]

BSB, infamous for staining, is very water resistant but wipes away with alcohol.

 

 

As a chemist, you should know more than my 20 years ago chem class: various bonds, water vs alcohols vs oils, cellulose vs protein, etc.

[otblue]

BSB, infamous for staining, is very water resistant but wipes away with alcohol. As a chemist, you should know more than my 20 years ago chem class: various bonds, water vs alcohols vs oils, cellulose vs protein, etc.

 

BSB had been my go to ink until I realised just how suscepible it was to isopropyl alcohol. I was just playing around doing basic chromatography on ink samples using 70 % isopropyl alcohol as the solvent and BSB just disappears.

 

Considering how much isopropyl is around my workplace (think hand sanitiser etc) I am looking for an alternative. Bad Blue Herron is bulletproof but but the color is not as vibrant for me.

 

Other inks that I have tested so far that easily survive the alcohol environment include the nano carbon inks and the Koh i Nor document inks. Hero 028 cartridge smears but remains readable.

 

Noodlers publishes this chart with their ink properties.

 

http://noodlersink.com/wp-content/uploads/NoodlersInkProperties.pdf

[Mech-for-i]

Its to be expected when one examine what these ink are make of anyway .. its sort of like shellac , a material used a lot in fountain pen, its totally waterproof but will succumb to alcohol in no time at all. One of the side effect os using alcohol on some ink though is that it would change their color or even discolor them completely.

[wallylynn]

 

Considering how much isopropyl is around my workplace (think hand sanitiser etc) I am looking for an alternative. Bad Blue Herron is bulletproof but but the color is not as vibrant for me.

 

 

 

Elysium blue is (mostly) bulletproof and quite bright. You can try that. I think Midway blue has good water resistance too. Didn't try alcohol on my sample.

[martinbir]

Not something I had thought about before, but I do happen to have some isopropyl alcohol left by a helpful copier engineer.

 

Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue hardly effected. Diamine Asa Blue and Violet both smudged. Waterproof Montblanc Permanent Blue untouched.

 

Not an exhaustive test but an apparently opposite result!

 

KellyMcJ, have you tried MB Perm Blue?

[Sasha Royale]

I wish that I had access to "bullet proof" inks in college. You wouldn't believe some of the things that got spilled. In adulthood, however, I only use such inks in rare occasions of fraud concern. In everyday use, my only concern is survival of information against rain drops and condensation from cold drink glasses. My only test is drip water; 30 second pause; blot with a dry cloth.

[KellyMcJ]

Martinbir I have not tried MB Permanent Blue but perhaps I should!

[kiavonne]

I use the "bulletproof" inks from Noodler's. The only one I've had any issues with, via staining, is Baystate Blue (although it is not considered "bulletproof," just specialty). I still use the ink, just in a dedicated pen (a White Tiger Pilot Metropolitan, haha).

 

The "bulletproof" inks from Noodler's were designed to resist alterations once set to paper and dry. This is why I gravitated to Noodler's originally. Now, I just plain love the inks overall, "bulletproof" or not.

 

Once, to discourage a co-worker from using standard cheap ballpoints (which were pilfered from work quite a bit) on his checks, I took out my own checkbook and told him to write himself a check for any amount he wanted using his ballpoint. Then, using my fountain pen with Noodler's, I wrote "VOID" on the signature line (I'm not quite ready to let someone else take over my checkbook). I poured a little bit of isopropyl alcohol into a little paper saucer, and laid the check within it. 10 minutes later, we came back, the ballpoint ink was completely gone, only my big bold "VOID" remained. Took the check out of the alcohol, let it dry, and it looked like I'd just ripped it fresh from the checkbook with no residues, no strange feel to the paper, nothing out of the ordinary to the average eye except for that big "VOID."

 

My former co-worker didn't switch to fountain pens, but he did go out and buy some of those gel writers claiming to be fraud proof.

 

Edit to add a side note, Brian and Rachel Goulet of Goulet Pens came up with a Noodler's Ink properties chart that shows the various properties of Noodler's Ink, from standard to water resistant to fraud proof. It can be found on their site https://www.gouletpens.com/ under the Education link, but here is a direct link, too.

https://cdn-tp1.mozu.com/6639-m1/cms/files/noodlers-ink-properties.pdf?_mzts=635922838920000000

Edited August 1, 2017 by kiavonne