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The smog of megacities can be turned into ink
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Printing ink is widely used all over the world, because it is needed for printers, copying machines, they are used not only in offices, but also at home. And the production of ink is a very profitable business for many companies. Modern ink is made on the basis of a solvent, coloring pigment, various additives (surfactants, preservatives, modifiers, etc.). But some scientists are sure that the basis for ink can be soot, which is present in abundance in the polluted air of megacities.
An alumnus of the International Research Laboratory, which is considered the center of digital avant-garde, Anirudh Sharma noted that such large companies producing printing devices, cameras, computer equipment, etc., as Canon or HP, receive approximately 70% of their turnover from the sale of ink for printers, copiers or MFPs. The production of ink is associated with complex chemical processes and companies receive 400% of their profit from their sale, but Sharma's invention can radically change the situation.
People don't even realize that the ink they buy is made from simple materials and can be made independently, but the cost of such ink will be several times lower.
Sharma came up with a way to produce ink from soot when he visited his hometown, where residents no longer pay attention to smog. But at that moment, Sharma wondered if it was possible to use soot from the air to produce ink and use it for printing devices. Then a demo version of a soot-collecting device was developed - the device collected soot from a burning candle, which accumulated in a syringe adapted to the system. Sharma also changed the cartridge of an HP inkjet printer. The new soot ink includes soot itself, alcohol and oil (Sharma used olive oil). According to the developer, such ink is quite suitable for printing with a resolution of 96 dpi.
The operating principle of the device is based on the same ones that work in conventional chimneys to reduce the amount of carbon particles entering the air.
The powdery black soot separates from other impurities in the air and forms the basis for future ink.
Currently, the soot ink is uneven, but Sharma is confident that with a little tweaking, the ink will acquire a rich black color that will be no worse than those produced using standard technology and used everywhere.
Also, before the ink hits the market and becomes available for purchase, it must pass all the necessary tests. Sharma noted that his ink will be able to compete with well-known brands of ink, for example, from HP.
Sharma had already done some calculations and noted that refilling an ink cartridge requires carbon, which is emitted by chimneys (when burning coal, peat, natural gas), cars, factories, etc.
The latest diesel engines can fill the cartridge in about an hour. A chimney can do the job in just 10 minutes.
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