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An ink eraser is an instrument used to scrape away or chemically bleach ink from a writing surface. This is a more involved process than removing pencil markings. Pencil marks can be gradually adhered to natural rubber fragments by rubbing the mark with a pencil eraser (this action is what prompted Joseph Priestly to give solidified
Metal ink erasers were generally used before chemical ink erasers were introduced, and when permanent writing was done in ink. The erasers were essentially small
The chemical ink eraser was invented by the German manufacturer Pelikan in the 1930s and was introduced as a novelty in Germany in 1972 under the name ''Tintentiger'' (ink tiger).
Chemical ink erasers break down royal blue ink by disrupting the geometry of the
An ink eraser is an instrument used to scrape away or chemically bleach ink from a writing surface. This is a more involved process than removing pencil markings. Pencil marks can be gradually adhered to natural rubber fragments by rubbing the mark with a pencil eraser (this action is what prompted Joseph Priestly to give solidified latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosper ...
its common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...
.) Ink, however readily penetrates the fibers of most papers and is therefore more difficult to extract by mechanical action.
Older ink erasers are therefore small knives designed to scrape off the top few microns of a sheet of paper, removing the ink that had penetrated. In concert with bladed ink erasers an eraser similar to those at the end of pencils was also used, with additional abrasives, such as sand, mixed into the rubber. Fibreglass ink erasers also work by abrasion. These erasers physically remove the ink and the paper it has marked from the larger sheet.
The chemical ink eradicator contains a substance that reacts with some inks removing their pigmentation and hiding the writing.
Metal ink erasers
Metal ink erasers were generally used before chemical ink erasers were introduced, and when permanent writing was done in ink. The erasers were essentially small knives
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...
. This was the downfall of Metropolitan Life office
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific d ...
boy George Millet, who fell on an ink eraser kept in his breast pocket while trying to evade the kisses of six steno girls on his 15th birthday. Millet was stabbed in the heart and died instantly.
Chemical ink erasers
The chemical ink eraser was invented by the German manufacturer Pelikan in the 1930s and was introduced as a novelty in Germany in 1972 under the name ''Tintentiger'' (ink tiger).
Chemical ink erasers break down royal blue ink by disrupting the geometry of the dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...
molecules in ink so that light is no longer filtered. The molecules are disrupted by sulfite
Sulfites or sulphites are compounds that contain the sulfite ion (or the sulfate(IV) ion, from its correct systematic name), . The sulfite ion is the conjugate base of bisulfite. Although its acid (sulfurous acid) is elusive, its salts are wide ...
or hydroxide
Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH−. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water ...
ions binding to the central carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes ...
atoms of the dye.{{cite web, url=http://www.chemieunterricht.de/dc2/tip/09_03.htm, title=Prof. Blumes Tipp des Monats, work=chemieunterricht.de The ink is not destroyed by the erasing process, but is made invisible. It can be transformed back into a visible work with aldehyde
In organic chemistry, an aldehyde () is an organic compound containing a functional group with the structure . The functional group itself (without the "R" side chain) can be referred to as an aldehyde but can also be classified as a formyl group ...
s.
The eradicator only works with certain inks. Erasable inks of various colors exist, but royal blue is the most common.
After applying the eradicator, erasable ink cannot be applied in the erased area of the paper, where the chemicals remain.
For this reason, eradicators usually include a permanent blue felt tip that allows the user to write in the erased area.
See also
* Deinking * EraserReferences