AIR-INK™ |
|
In the last few decades, Asia has grown exponentially. But this growth has come at a cost - air pollution. AIR-INK is the first ink made entirely out of air pollution. After capturing air-pollution through pilot trials of KAALINK™ and other pollution source we repurpose carbon rich pollutants into tools for art. Thank you for making our Kickstarter a great success.
“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve been ignorant of their value.” ~ R. Buckminster Fuller We have successfully formulated tested and piloted AIR- INK™ over the last 3 years.
AIR-INK™ is still under advanced Research and Development and only available via collaborations.
|
|
0.7MM ROUND TIP
Fine point marker for everyday creativity. Approx. 40 minutes of diesel car pollution |
2MM ROUND TIP
Perfect for shading and small detail. Approx. 50 minutes of diesel car pollution. |
15MM CHISEL TIP
Thick lines, smooth strokes, great feel. Approx. 130 minutes of diesel car pollution. |
50MM WIDE TIP
Made extra wide for murals and large-scale pieces. Approx. 130 minutes of diesel car pollution. |
Why?
|
Over the last 150 years, mankind has depended on burning fossil fuels directly or indirectly for their energy needs. Soot is the major byproduct of the burning of fossil fuels. Research has shown that many premature deaths are directly related to soot in the environment. Particle exposure leads to around 20,000 premature deaths in America each year. Data also shows that soot annually causes almost 300,000 asthma attacks and 2 million lost workdays due to respiratory problems.
|
Our vision is to arrest the urban PM air pollution in a way that it doesn’t reach our lungs or waste streams. The process of creating AIR-INK™ carefully ensures that the end product is safe-to-use*.
The pollutants which could have been in the lungs of millions of people, or mixed into our water, land streams are now beautifully resting as art. *Basic artist caution must be exercised. Please read the Usage Instructions here if you're new to working with inks. 3rd party lab tested by our clients and us. |
How it's made
|
In lab we use our proprietary KAALINK prototype to capture particulate matter emitted from direct and ambient sources. This happens without considerable backpressure. Depending upon the carbon content- pollution from other sources is also taken for recycling
|
Pollution collected by KAALINK undergoes various proprietary processes to make the end product is safe to use.
|
During the final stage, the carbon is taken through another chemical process to make different types of inks and paints.
|
We later collaborate with artists, printing companies to make carbon-negative prints with a high degree 'carbon impact' on the environment.
|
So What’s the deal? You capture air pollution, and make inks, or both? Why?
Air Pollution has been one of the most conspicuous of all the problems we face today. If not captured it causes health problems, global warming, haze- billions of dollars worth of losses to governments. We capture pollution and then we turn it into Inks.
Very few industries around the world have proper means to dispose off the captured pollution waste. Several industries that use fossil fuels, brick kilns, pyrolysis plants currently capture pollution and dump it into waste streams. AIR-INK is made by recycling the PM 2.5/soot that is produced by several industrial air polluting sources. PM2.5 has a fine particle size with an ability to penetrate the lungs. When in dump streams it can pollute soil, crop, and seafood. Hence, the idea is to confine and bind that captured pollution into high grade inks that everyone can use and express themselves with through art or writing.
“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value. "
- Buckminster Fuller
Very few industries around the world have proper means to dispose off the captured pollution waste. Several industries that use fossil fuels, brick kilns, pyrolysis plants currently capture pollution and dump it into waste streams. AIR-INK is made by recycling the PM 2.5/soot that is produced by several industrial air polluting sources. PM2.5 has a fine particle size with an ability to penetrate the lungs. When in dump streams it can pollute soil, crop, and seafood. Hence, the idea is to confine and bind that captured pollution into high grade inks that everyone can use and express themselves with through art or writing.
“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value. "
- Buckminster Fuller
How do you GET pollution?
KAALINK is a post tailpipe retrofit that works on diesel generators. It’s a mechatronic system which consists of filters, sensors, and a capture unit. Our capture technique is a fusion of electrostatic filtration, depth filtration etc. The filtration technologies are pipelined with each other to achieve the desired filtration granularity. The system is under rigorous testing process right now, and is installed on diesel generators, that produce fossil fuel emissions. We've also recently started collaborating with other industrial sources that require better means to handle their pollution 'waste'. This helps us do more recycling.
How to you purify captured pollution?
The captured pollution can contain toxic impurities like re-entrant dust, heavy metals, oils, VOCs etc. This is purified by proprietary chemical processes beginning with gravity based separation for high-mass particles, to comminution and catalysed activation. Finally the recovered soot is taken through a grinding process to bring to a consistent particle size, as good as an ink pigment. Our inks are tested safe by two independent international testing labs.
However making inks by recycling air pollution is a new process and the certification processes for the same do not exist. Hence AIR-INK is not available for consumer sale yet.
However making inks by recycling air pollution is a new process and the certification processes for the same do not exist. Hence AIR-INK is not available for consumer sale yet.
How is AIR-INK better than regular black ink?
The process of making AIR-INK not only eliminates soot from polluting the air, but it also doesn’t burn extra fossil fuels that making regular ink does. Quality wise AIR-INK is a very sharp black matte color. Please see the the Usage Instructions document for more details.
When will you release more details
Graviky is a small startup. Certain portions of our work are trade secrets and will be released as research papers after the patents are granted.
Why make inks? Why not just bury the captured pollution?
The particulate matter derives its carcinogenic properties from its ability float in air and thus being able to enter into our respiratory system and settling in lungs. By binding the captured pollution into inks, we are able to take away its ability to float in air. Also when its thrown in water or soil it turns into other forms of pollution.
Are these inks harmful?
No, AIR-INK is as safe as any other ink available in the market. However, Graviky is yet to test and declare it safe for children. And, our inks are not edible, no! :) As with any other ink - we do highly recommend artists to watch-out for allergies and to use necessary precautions to work with AIR-INK.