Anyone Ever Look At Ink Through A Microscope?

[nicholasyeo]

Incredible!

[pen2paper]

Sam, a request: if not already doing so, will you also include the container type from which you take the samples? Wondering, as this may factor.

I do use vintage pens, and would like to avoid contamination. Am considering that sanitizing in connection with older materials might be harmful to the pen body if not super cautious.

I do use inks that need a saturation swirl, example: Lux Blue

Just wary of actual possible contaminates.. Thanks!

[777]

WOW! This is such a neat thread! What a cool idea! Makes me wish I had a microscope...

 

Regards,

777

[SamCapote]

Sam, a request: if not already doing so, will you also include the container type from which you take the samples? Wondering, as this may factor.

I do use vintage pens, and would like to avoid contamination. Am considering that sanitizing in connection with older materials might be harmful to the pen body if not super cautious.

I do use inks that need a saturation swirl, example: Lux Blue

Just wary of actual possible contaminates.. Thanks!

 

Good idea.

 

Most always, I am looking at original bottles that have not been opened or used. All my Diamines are the 30ml plastic bottles purchased directly from http://www.diamineinks.co.uk. This steel blue was purchased 12/22/2010, so is relatively recent. There are others that have similar whitish collections at the top that are visible through the amber bottles. I worry less when I see something like this as a sediment at the bottom, as almost always that turns out to be smutz of varying concentration, but no evidence of fungal/bacterial contamination.

 

Something floating on top is a whole other category of concern. I just went through all my Diamine bottles, and there are others I will want to check. Here is a couple of photos of other bottles to show what I mean. I have very rarely seen this type of floating smutz with new ink bottles...with DeAtramentis being another infamous one.

 

 

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/Inks/Diamine/Diamine-Floaterss.jpg

 

 

 

.

[thorn]

I'm gonna start using a "Smutz" categorization. This Diamine Steel Blue is 5 out of 5. In addition if it looks like there are fungal elements, blasts, hyphae, or bacteria, I may add a comment of how likely an infection may be present. This is not the same as the obvious slimy SITB, but may be a precursor. . I treated both with biocides, and will recheck them in a while.

 

 

What biocide did you use? And what does SITB mean?

 

Thanks

[SamCapote]

I'm gonna start using a "Smutz" categorization. This Diamine Steel Blue is 5 out of 5. In addition if it looks like there are fungal elements, blasts, hyphae, or bacteria, I may add a comment of how likely an infection may be present. This is not the same as the obvious slimy SITB, but may be a precursor. . I treated both with biocides, and will recheck them in a while.

 

 

What biocide did you use? And what does SITB mean?

 

Thanks

 

I used a phenol biocide (Sporicidin Disinfectant Solution) in one 3ml sample pipetted into a Goulet Pens plastic vial, and a proprietary ink maker's biocide in another 3ml bottle.

 

SITB = Slime/Stuff/etc. In The Bottle....the main characteristic being that you can see it on gross inspection. There may be a fluffy white fungal colony floating visibly on top of ink, or there is a slimy/mucous/jelly property when drawing up ink with a pipette, or less severe--a slimy character to the ink against inside bottle wall when rotating.

[thorn]

 

 

I used a phenol biocide (Sporicidin Disinfectant Solution) in one 3ml sample pipetted into a Goulet Pens plastic vial, and a proprietary ink maker's biocide in another 3ml bottle.

 

SITB = Slime/Stuff/etc. In The Bottle....the main characteristic being that you can see it on gross inspection. There may be a fluffy white fungal colony floating visibly on top of ink, or there is a slimy/mucous/jelly property when drawing up ink with a pipette, or less severe--a slimy character to the ink against inside bottle wall when rotating.

 

 

Do most ink manufactures use phenol?

 

Thanks again!

[SamCapote]

I used a phenol biocide (Sporicidin Disinfectant Solution) in one 3ml sample pipetted into a Goulet Pens plastic vial, and a proprietary ink maker's biocide in another 3ml bottle.

 

SITB = Slime/Stuff/etc. In The Bottle....the main characteristic being that you can see it on gross inspection. There may be a fluffy white fungal colony floating visibly on top of ink, or there is a slimy/mucous/jelly property when drawing up ink with a pipette, or less severe--a slimy character to the ink against inside bottle wall when rotating.

 

 

Do most ink manufactures use phenol?

 

Thanks again!

 

They used to...but then after all the furor to ban everything that might be dangerous, even if only tested at 10,000 times any normal dose on rats swimming in a vat of fuming acid, phenol got caught up in that dragnet. Never mind the fact that phenol is still used and approved for Chloraseptic Throat Spray for children.