Ink Developed The Weirdest Smell

[PandaPen]

I have a bottle of Noodler's black that I sometimes dump other inks(mostly other black inks) into from converters and such when I change inks. Inks like Parker Quink, Noodler's red black, Pelican black, etc. This black ink has developed a strange but pleasant floral smell. I'll call this black, floral black. I've used this ink for a few years like this with no problems. No mold, sludge, discoloration or anything besides the floral smell. It's a very well behaved ink.

 

Recently I've been dumping off blue-red inks into a small amount of distilled water from ink changes. The inks have been Noodler's Navajo Turquoise and Plains of Abraham, Namiki Blue, Sheaffer turquoise and red, generic magenta printer ink, and PR plum. At first, it also developed the same floral smell as floral black but lately it had also developed a strong corn smell. Like the smell you get from opening a fresh can of corn along with the original floral smell. The smell is far too pungent though, unlike floral black. This I'll call corny blue also no problems with mold, sludge, sediment etc. I haven't inked a pen with it and I don't know if I should.

 

Neither corny blue or floral black have have any trace of "mold-like" smells. Just incase it was mold I added a small amount of benzalkonium chloride to each but it smells the same. I'm thinking it might be a chemical reaction instead of something biological. Does anyone know why these might be like this? Should I just throw away corny blue?

[amberleadavis]

I would be hesitant to put this mix in any pen that would not be easily disassembled and cleaned. I might start by putting small amount into a vial and testing it with a brush or brush pen so see if it has any precipitate. I don't suggest putting a brush into your ink because brushes can carry all kinds of microbes. Perhaps some of our other posters and some chemists can chime in here.

[Arkanabar]

I have a bottle of Noodler's black that I sometimes dump other inks(mostly other black inks) into from converters and such when I change inks. Inks like Parker Quink, Noodler's red black, Pelican black, etc. This black ink has developed a strange but pleasant floral smell. I'll call this black, floral black. I've used this ink for a few years like this with no problems. No mold, sludge, discoloration or anything besides the floral smell. It's a very well behaved ink.

 

Recently I've been dumping off blue-red inks into a small amount of distilled water from ink changes. The inks have been Noodler's Navajo Turquoise and Plains of Abraham, Namiki Blue, Sheaffer turquoise and red, generic magenta printer ink, and PR plum. At first, it also developed the same floral smell as floral black but lately it had also developed a strong corn smell. Like the smell you get from opening a fresh can of corn along with the original floral smell. The smell is far too pungent though, unlike floral black. This I'll call corny blue also no problems with mold, sludge, sediment etc. I haven't inked a pen with it and I don't know if I should.

 

Neither corny blue or floral black have have any trace of "mold-like" smells. Just incase it was mold I added a small amount of benzalkonium chloride to each but it smells the same. I'm thinking it might be a chemical reaction instead of something biological. Does anyone know why these might be like this? Should I just throw away corny blue?

No problems? Really? Because in general, printer/ inkjet ink is pigmented, not dyed like FP ink. I wouldn't put it in any pen of mine.

[PandaPen]

I would be hesitant to put this mix in any pen that would not be easily disassembled and cleaned. I might start by putting small amount into a vial and testing it with a brush or brush pen so see if it has any precipitate. I don't suggest putting a brush into your ink because brushes can carry all kinds of microbes. Perhaps some of our other posters and some chemists can chime in here.

I've tried it with a dip pen and it seems to write normally. I don't have a brush but I'll get around to q-tiping it soon.

 

No problems? Really? Because in general, printer/ inkjet ink is pigmented, not dyed like FP ink. I wouldn't put it in any pen of mine.

No, inkjet CMYK is usually dye based since photo paper likes dye and I'm sure it's dye based for my printer. There's also PK (pigmented black) used for text.

[Sasha Royale]

FP inks contain solvents to facilitate good ink flow, and delay clogging. There is no way to know what reaction(s) will occur, when mixing unknown solvents.

[PandaPen]

Did a swab with a q-tip and everything seems normal. No particulates or anything out of ordinary, besides flowers and corn.

 

FP inks contain solvents to facilitate good ink flow, and delay clogging. There is no way to know what reaction(s) will occur, when mixing unknown solvents.

I'm not necessarily asking for the specific chemical reactions involved. It's just because they both have the same floral smell that this might be a known thing.

[The Good Captain]

I've recently had success using a baby's bottle strerilising solution - called Milton here in the UK - diluted with distilled water in the first instance. Seemed to work, but I took the pen apart, just in case. Pilot 823 and the TWSBI spanner is perfect for the rear piston section.

[PandaPen]

I've recently had success using a baby's bottle strerilising solution - called Milton here in the UK - diluted with distilled water in the first instance. Seemed to work, but I took the pen apart, just in case. Pilot 823 and the TWSBI spanner is perfect for the rear piston section.

I just Googled it and Milton antibacterial solution is just a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite and sodium chloride (household bleach and table salt). I personally would not mix that into my ink.

 

Anyways benzalkonium chloride is quite a good antiseptic so I don't think the problem is biological.

Edited June 7, 2016 by PandaPen

[The Good Captain]

I just Googled it and Milton antibacterial solution is just a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite and sodium chloride (household bleach and table salt). I personally would not mix that into my ink.

 

Anyways benzalkonium chloride is quite a good antiseptic so I don't think the problem is biological.

Perhaps I've been misunderstood. I just used it to 'clean' out the pen. I didn't add it to any ink. I'm using Pilot/Namiki Blue in the 823 now - just to let the phenol in that brand do its job from now on.

[PandaPen]

Perhaps I've been misunderstood. I just used it to 'clean' out the pen. I didn't add it to any ink. I'm using Pilot/Namiki Blue in the 823 now - just to let the phenol in that brand do its job from now on.

Oh, yes then you have misunderstood. The ink within the ink bottle has developed this floral and corn smell. I was just contemplating if I should add the ink into a pen. I've sort of decided not to though, since I have enough ink to last a couple generations anyways

 

On another note, I discovered my 4 year old Sheaffer Red has all sort of suspended flakes in it when shined with a flashlight. I bought a brand new one and the same thing was in it, but to a slightly lesser degree. I filtered out the flakes in the old Sheaffer Red, but now when I open the bottle, it has that same floral smell !!

 

What is going on?!....