Results Of Chemical Tests On Inks

[Lunoxmos]

Yesterday I had a science class where we were testing the acidity and alkalinity of different liquids. I saw that as the perfect opportunity to put the permanency of some "permanent" inks to the test as there were a few chemicals on hand. I had three inks on hand: Noodler's Bulletproof black, Rohrer und Klingner Salix and Parker Quinkflow ballpoint ink.

The Noodler's didn't budge, while the iron-gall was obliterated by the bleach, and changed colour for the ammonia and hydrochloric acid, and the Parker ballpoint turned red with bleach and then faded some more, and hydrochloric acid life a blue dye component.

 

Just a little something to fuel one's curiosity

 

Edited August 31, 2019 by Lunoxmos

[lapis]

Nice test... although an ink's own acidity or alkalinity can't easily be detected (or abandoned/eliminated/reduced) just by inclusion of an alkali or an acid.

PS: Image orientation now fixed

[Lunoxmos]

Sorry, I forgot to put in that though we were testing the pH of other liquids, I only wanted to test the permanence of some inks against said liquids. Using the universal pH indicator wasn't very useful as the black ink stayed black, and though not shown on the paper, Baystate blue stayed blueish and then thickened.

 

Baystate Blue is a weird ink

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

This is cool

 

Thanks for posting it

[DrDebG]

Great test! Thanks for posting! I find it the results interesting and somewhat revealing.