Just What is Solv-X

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

I know Slov-X is an ingredient put in ink that is suppose to clean your pen as you write.What I would like to know is just what the ingredient Solv-X is made from?

Edited March 19, 2009 by Parker Quink Turquoise

[richardandtracy]

I know Slov-X is an ingredient put in ink that is suppose to clean your pen as you write.What I would like to know is just what the ingredient Solv-X is made from?

I think it was Phenol/ carbolic acid. Now declared a carcinogen and was removed, which is why 'Wrights Coal Tar Soap' also smells wrong because ther's no carbolic acid in that either any more.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

Very interesting Richard.I have noticed that my older bottles of Parker Quink Turqoise have a very acid smell to them.My later bottles Made in UK seem to have a sweet smell.Both contain Solv-X.I am guessing that the older bottles have a different smell because of age.

Edited March 19, 2009 by Parker Quink Turquoise

[navolok]

I think it was Phenol/ carbolic acid.

 

Hmm... I thought the phenol acid is the aseptic and fungicidal ingridient. But Parker declared the Solve-X is the cleaner.

 

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

I think it was Phenol/ carbolic acid.

 

Hmm... I thought the phenol acid is the aseptic and fungicidal ingridient. But Parker declared the Solve-X is the cleaner.

 

 

Phenol would do both. A solution of phenol in water is what Lister used to sterilize his surgical instruments for what became known as "antiseptic surgery". It is nasty stuff.

 

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

Some more questons concering quink ink and Solv-X.

 

I have a numder of old blue diamond shaped bottles of Parker Super Quink Permanent Turquoise ink.It does not say contains Solv-X on the box.It states only,"Cleans you pen as it writes".

1.Would these bottles contain Solv-X or was something else used before the introduction of Solv-X?

 

The next questons has to deal with Quink and Super Quink.

2.What is the difference if any?

3.From what I have seen it started out as Quink,then went to Super Quink and in the 1980's or 90's went back to just Quink again.Am I correct in this?

[johnboz]

Some more questons concering quink ink and Solv-X.

 

I have a numder of old blue diamond shaped bottles of Parker Super Quink Permanent Turquoise ink.It does not say contains Solv-X on the box.It states only,"Cleans you pen as it writes".

1.Would these bottles contain Solv-X or was something else used before the introduction of Solv-X?

 

The next questons has to deal with Quink and Super Quink.

2.What is the difference if any?

3.From what I have seen it started out as Quink,then went to Super Quink and in the 1980's or 90's went back to just Quink again.Am I correct in this?

 

 

1. The blue diamond shaped Quink bottles had Solv-X in them, as ink that was made after that ink also had Solv-X in it. I'd assume it was a marketing decision to not include that information on the box or label. Here's a selection from a Parker 61 insert:

 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/johnboz/ParkerQuink62.jpg

 

2. As far as I know, there is no difference between Quink and Super Quink except for manufacture date. Once again, I'm pretty sure it was all marketing. Super Quink should not be confused with Superchrome! Both were made by Parker around the same time, but Superchrome was manufactured exclusively for Parker "51" and "21" pens. It is known to damage pens due to it's high alkalinity. Super Quink was advertised as "the ink that's best for all pens".

 

3. You are correct.

[psfred]

Solv-X is likely a non-ionic detergent. These substances are non-corrosive and do a great job of cleaning. Given the name "Solv-X" I would hazard a guess that the chemical in question is Triton-X, which I think appeared about the same time.

 

Peter

[maxS]

Peter, very interesting. Don't you think it's a Phenol?

[mr T.]

Solv-X is likely a non-ionic detergent. These substances are non-corrosive and do a great job of cleaning. Given the name "Solv-X" I would hazard a guess that the chemical in question is Triton-X, which I think appeared about the same time.

 

Peter

 

Maybe the safety datasheet can help: http://www.solvaychemicals.us/static/wma/p...v-X_CAN_ENG.pdf

 

 

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Peter, very interesting. Don't you think it's a Phenol?

 

Yes, I do think it was phenol -- I guess my answer wasn't very clear. Phenol is quite nasty stuff, but was widely used before 1960 in a variety of consumer products because it killed germs and helped a wide variety of substances dissolve in water. Unfortunately, the properties that make it so effective in doing these jobs also make it hazardous to one's health.

 

Often in health and environmental issues you get similar good news / bad news stories.

[gyasko]

Solv-X is likely a non-ionic detergent. These substances are non-corrosive and do a great job of cleaning. Given the name "Solv-X" I would hazard a guess that the chemical in question is Triton-X, which I think appeared about the same time.

 

For what it's worth, i've heard that, too.

[grebmar]

Peter, very interesting. Don't you think it's a Phenol?

 

Yes, I do think it was phenol -- I guess my answer wasn't very clear. Phenol is quite nasty stuff, but was widely used before 1960 in a variety of consumer products because it killed germs and helped a wide variety of substances dissolve in water. Unfortunately, the properties that make it so effective in doing these jobs also make it hazardous to one's health.

 

Often in health and environmental issues you get similar good news / bad news stories.

 

Last time I looked, phenol was still the active ingredient in some throat lozenges and throat sprays (eg Chloraseptic), because it's also a topical anesthetic. Must not be all that bad....

 

From the name Solv-X, I would guess it was something like a surfactant, that makes the ink flow better.

[ramshacklemann]

A decade or so ago, I remember Camlin claimed their inks contained Camli-Solvx...It said so on the box that contained the bottle. I never knew what it meant at the time..

[maxS]

What I want to say - Parker Pen Company declared the Solv-X as a "Magic Ingredient", they even registered the trade mark, but we know that the Phenol was widely used by many ink-manufacturers.

It turns out that in fact the most of the inks contained Solv-X somehow.

Edited March 24, 2009 by maxS

[psfred]

I doubt that Solv-X is phenol. Phenol is not a detergent, it's a preservative (and a very good one) but is required in amounts too high for safety if a child were to drink some of it, or stick a filled pen in their mouth and suck on it -those with small children will understand how this happens.

 

Phenol was the preservative of choice in many, many inks, and is in fact the source of the "ink" smell of many vintage inks. Very effective at preventing fermentation and mold growth. Formaldehyde also works very well, and is even more toxic, but I can smell it in some vintage inks, too.

 

Neither has any real impact on flow or detergent qualities.

 

Peter

[pengoddess]

Solv-X was a detergent used to aid flow (surfactant) and since it was a detergent, Parker could claim it cleaned, too. Much like many of you use a drop of liquid dish soap it further aid flow in your current bottles of ink. All the ink companies used a surfactant of one kind of another. Solv-X is memorable and well known amongst pen people because Parker was a great advertiser!

 

Phenol was used to inhibit mold growth.

 

Sam

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Peter, very interesting. Don't you think it's a Phenol?

 

Yes, I do think it was phenol -- I guess my answer wasn't very clear. Phenol is quite nasty stuff, but was widely used before 1960 in a variety of consumer products because it killed germs and helped a wide variety of substances dissolve in water. Unfortunately, the properties that make it so effective in doing these jobs also make it hazardous to one's health.

 

Often in health and environmental issues you get similar good news / bad news stories.

 

Last time I looked, phenol was still the active ingredient in some throat lozenges and throat sprays (eg Chloraseptic), because it's also a topical anesthetic. Must not be all that bad....

 

From the name Solv-X, I would guess it was something like a surfactant, that makes the ink flow better.

 

Look again. The active ingredients in Chloraseptic are benzocaine and menthol. See http://www.chloraseptic.com/lozenge-cherry.htm

 

Try looking up phenol on the EPA's website or any of the "toxicity" databases on the web.

 

 

Edited to add phenol information from weblakes.com:

 

 

Health Hazard Information

 

 

 

Acute Effects:

 

 

* Inhalation and dermal exposure to phenol is highly irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes in humans. (1-3)

 

* Phenol is considered to be very toxic to humans through oral exposure, with ingestion of 1 g reported to be lethal, with symptoms including muscle weakness and tremors, loss of coordination, paralysis, convulsions, coma, and respiratory arrest. (1-3)

 

* Blood changes, liver and kidney damage, and cardiac toxicity including weak pulse, cardiac depression, and reduced blood pressure have been reported in humans acutely exposed to phenol by the oral route. (1,2)

 

* Acute (short-term) animal tests, such as the LD50 tests in rats, mice, and rabbits, have shown phenol to have high acute toxicity from oral exposure. (4)

 

 

More information is available from EPA's IRIS database.

 

Edited March 24, 2009 by Peter from Sherwood Park

[RLTodd]

Solv-X was a detergent used to aid flow (surfactant) and since it was a detergent, Parker could claim it cleaned, too. Much like many of you use a drop of liquid dish soap it further aid flow in your current bottles of ink. All the ink companies used a surfactant of one kind of another. Solv-X is memorable and well known amongst pen people because Parker was a great advertiser!

 

Phenol was used to inhibit mold growth.

 

Sam

 

That was exactly my understanding also.

 

As far as being a harmful substance, Phenol is not that bad. I think toxicity is somewhere in the neighborhood of LD50 140mg/kg for humans and it has not been found to be a human cancer risk in the States. As with all things this is relative as I understand doctors find Warfarren useful for blood thinning and even Curare and Nitroglycerin have medical uses.

 

However, if anyone still is living in fear of having those old bottles of Parker ink with Solv-X in the house there are several here who are willing to take them off your hand. Just wrap them up nicely and mail them to us through the Post.

 

 

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

1. The blue diamond shaped Quink bottles had Solv-X in them, as ink that was made after that ink also had Solv-X in it. I'd assume it was a marketing decision to not include that information on the box or label. Here's a selection from a Parker 61 insert:

 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b222/johnboz/ParkerQuink62.jpg

 

2. As far as I know, there is no difference between Quink and Super Quink except for manufacture date. Once again, I'm pretty sure it was all marketing. Super Quink should not be confused with Superchrome! Both were made by Parker around the same time, but Superchrome was manufactured exclusively for Parker "51" and "21" pens. It is known to damage pens due to it's high alkalinity. Super Quink was advertised as "the ink that's best for all pens".

 

3. You are correct.

Thank-you for the information,John.Very interesting.

 

I have about half a bottle of turquoise Parker Superchrome.Thanks for the heads up on its use.