Solvent/carrier For A Polar Ink?

[Brin]

I'm just getting started in homemade inks. I live up in the North, where liquid water is regarded as unnatural. Ok, it's not that bad, but we do have cold winters, especially in hiking areas.

 

Noodler has a line of inks called "Polar". The first generation of Noodler's Polar was resistant to much lower temperatures, but the later versions only work down to -15 - -20°c. Right now it's -25°c here, and -35°c is common. I would very much like to write in my journal while hiking, so I want to make a freeze resistant ink that can handle the coldest winters, let's say -45°c.

 

When it comes to freeze resistant inks, what carrier liquids do they typically use?

 

I usually use a pigment ink, but sometimes use KWZ Iron Gall ink. Pigment and iron gall have different requirements on their carrier fluids. Which freeze resistant carriers could I use for iron gall and pigment inks respectively?

[sciumbasci]

I don't think that wherever you will store your pen while hiking (backpack, a pocket) will ever reach that temperature. Unless you plan to leave the pen and you gear outside the tent overnight.

[Steveg58]

You have two routes to your goal. Firstly you use some kind of antifreeze to lower the ink's freezing point or, secondly you can replace the water completely with some other solvent.

In your position I would research antifreeze mixtures and see if I could find something that is sufficiently non-toxic and will still dry that can be used to dilute a nano-particle based ink such as the Platinum or Sailor nanoparticle blacks.

Small companies such as Blackstone make their own nanoparticle inks from commercially available powders. Maybe have a talk to Kevin (he's on FPN) and see if you can source a sample from him. Then try mixing it with anything that is fluid at your target temperature.

Experiment with a dip pen first. Getting a fountain pen to work without seals, pistons and construction materials fracturing or reacting with the solvent is a whole other problem.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Steveg58

[Flaxmoore]

An old recipe for freeze-proof ink I have in an 1860s manual called for “best whiskey”, so high-proof alcohol. However, beware it will bleed a ton.