Does Ink Volume Expand With Elevation Gain?

[Bookman]

On our return home from a trip to Death Valley two weeks ago my wife and I decided to drive over Tioga Pass (elev. 9,943 feet) to eat lunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. To make a long story short, when we arrived in Yosemite I discovered three of my four pens had had serious, unprecedented leaks. After I returned home and cleaned all my pens, I had no further problems.

 

This was my first trip over the Sierras with fountain pens. I suspect the ink volume in the pens expanded when I went from sea level to 9,943 feet in a matter of hours. Does this sound right? What else could have caused the conspiracy of leaks?

[Northwoods]

The inks didn't expand (liquids aren't compressible) but any air in the system would have has elevation increased. Mean air pressure at 10K' is about 2/3 of it at sea level, so any air in the system would have expanded when elevating (pressure*volume remains constant), and compressed again on descent.

[JohnS-MI]

Since aircraft cabins are pressurized to the equivalent of about 8000 ft (or lower), the pressure change you experienced was worse than in an airplane at 35000 ft.

 

My pens have been OK in aircraft if I kept the nib up during climb (easily done if in my shirt pocket). If your pen is full, there is less air to expand. If empty, there is no ink to burp. In between is the worst of both worlds.

[lapis]

Yes, air, but not ink, is compressible and decompressible.

 

The average pressure in a jet above earth is usually held at a constant value of 0.75 bar. That means that the pressure within is decreased by 25%.

If your pens were all filled up tight and not closed enough, that could cause a leak, because the pressure inside the pen expands accordingly.

In your case, I would either leave your pens empty or only slightly filled with ink.

 

Mike

[12345Michael54321]

To make a long story short, when we arrived in Yosemite I discovered three of my four pens had had serious, unprecedented leaks.

So, which 3 pens leaked, and (more importantly) which pen laughed at the change in air pressure and refused to leak?

 

Inquiring minds with nothing better to do want to know.

 

I'd be interested in learning which fountain pens are designed so as to be least likely to leak as a result of air pressure changes brought about by flying (even if only half filled). I might even buy 1 (assuming it's not ridiculously expensive, repulsively ugly, or something like that) and make it my official Air Travel Pen. Otherwise, maybe I should make one of my cartridge fillers my Air Travel Pen, and simply toss the cartridge before boarding, and pop in a new one upon arrival, relying on a cheap rollerball while actually in flight.

 

New or vintage suggestions; I'm flexible.

--

Michael

[Johnny Appleseed]

There are a number of threads on pens and air-travel that can be searched for tips et. al. In general, if you keep the pens tip-up you should not have much trouble with pressure changes (the air is above the ink, so it vents through the feed without forcing much ink out). The exception is certain vintage pens with breather tubes, which are more likely to leak when tip-up. Modern comb-feeds also help signficantly.

 

The always-full or always-empty rule might help, but I have flown and been involved with other elevation gains with pens in various states of partially-full, and never had a problem. Also many sac-filled pens are very difficult to completely fill - they often have a bubble of air in the sac even when filled multiple times.

 

John

[FPFan]

Never had any problems with my Pelikan's or my Nakaya in taveling from the mid-west to Rocky Mountain State park or at Yosemite on numberous trips west and east.

[Bookman]

To make a long story short, when we arrived in Yosemite I discovered three of my four pens had had serious, unprecedented leaks.

So, which 3 pens leaked, and (more importantly) which pen laughed at the change in air pressure and refused to leak?

 

Inquiring minds with nothing better to do want to know.

 

I'd be interested in learning which fountain pens are designed so as to be least likely to leak as a result of air pressure changes brought about by flying (even if only half filled). I might even buy 1 (assuming it's not ridiculously expensive, repulsively ugly, or something like that) and make it my official Air Travel Pen. Otherwise, maybe I should make one of my cartridge fillers my Air Travel Pen, and simply toss the cartridge before boarding, and pop in a new one upon arrival, relying on a cheap rollerball while actually in flight.

 

New or vintage suggestions; I'm flexible.

--

Michael

 

My Waterman Phileas refused to join the rebels. I first discovered ink on my fingertips in the hotel lobby while I was writing with my Pilot Knight. Later, at our lunch table and after I had cleaned the pen, I saw more ink on my fingers. After another cleaning I went to my car to swap pens. I looked at my Dollar demonstrator and I didn't have to uncap it to see it had leaked too. I uncapped my Waterman Exclusive and found the nib and section coated with ink.

[macaddicted]

I've taken pens to Mammoth Lakes (about 8,000 ft; south of Lee Vining) without problems.

[psfred]

If the pens are in any position other than nib up, air pressure will force ink out of the reservoir and into the feed. Going from sea level to 8000 ft will pretty much empty the reservoir into the cap, making a huge mess.

 

Nib up, you would not have noticed.

 

Peter