Blocked squeezy bottle needle

[Emulator]

Thanks @mikling for all your input and work towards improved ink, we all benefit in the long term.

Apart from better control of manufacturing processes, I think the answer is an improved biocide so that the problem is controlled down stream. I had a look through a number of website articles and the odd patent and there is clearly a great deal of work going on in this field for commercial printing inks.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

I don't know if these bacteria need light, but it seems like a good precaution to store ink in total darkness.

There is, unfortunately, one other thing to keep in mind. Those of you who use a CIS and are bothered by air in the lines should know that air becomes more soluble as the temperature is reduced. Thus, if you store it in a refrigerator to reduce biological growth, air will dissolve in the ink, and you can look forward to degassing again when it warms up. All this happens very slowly--possibly over a period of days to weeks, so it could degas slowly in the lines.

I don't know whether this is a problem in practice, but I would not be surprised if it is. If I were doing this, I would let the ink warm for a few days in a secondary container.

 

[stratman]

Are the ink bottles impervious to dessication from storage inside a refrigerator?

 

[PeterBJ]

I don't know about the ink bottles from Precisioncolors, but the ink bottles from Octoinkjet either look to be polyethylene (PE) or are marked PET at the bottom. Polyethylene is used for food containers, and PET is used for soft drink bottles, so I think there is no problem with storing the bottles in the fridge. I don't think water or other solvent will diffuse through the plastics.

 

[websnail]

...the ink bottles from Octoinkjet either look to be polyethylene (PE) or are marked PET at the bottom.

Correct... Just for completeness:
LDPE: 50ml and 125ml volume bottles from around December 2014
MDPE: 125ml up to December 2014
PET: 250 and 500ml bottles

 

[Ron350]

A question for Pharmacist.

Hypothetically how would you go about preserving 50ml of ink using 37% formaldehyde?

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Ron,

That would about 0.5 ml or 10 drops. Personally: I don't like this chemical at all, because of its carcinogenic nature.
It however will stabilize dye molecules from oxidation, which means the dye molecules will stay longer good and fading will be slowed down.

 

[cls]

the apotheker strikes again with his knowledge
#Ilovewherethisisgoing

 

[Ron350]

I ask because the formaldehyde would cost about $10 and the 18% methylparaben + 2 % propylparaben would cost about $30.

 

[Emulator]

As Ron has brought this thread back into the daylight, I have re-read through from the beginning, it makes interesting reading.