Preparation of black lyophilic ink using the carbon soot emitted by vehicles

The carbon soot is formed as a consequence of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons and organic matter. It causes respiratory diseases like lung cancer and asthma and contributes to 1.6 million premature deaths every year. The primary source of soot is the vehicular emissions which can be controlled using a simple device retrofitted to the silencer. In the present study, various additives were added to the collected soot, forming a homogenous adhering suspension which can be used as an ink. Tests proved that this ink is safe to use and it also complied with the standards of the Indian Government for fountain pen ink. The ink had excellent water-resistant properties as a result of its R f (retention factor) value was found to be 0.0133. When compared with conventional black inks, the ink dries quickly, and on varying the temperature of the surroundings from − 30 to 50 °C, the ink remained in the writable viscosity range of 4.6 to 4.9 mPa s, thus making it universally malleable. The ink also proved to be UV resistant and neither exhibited feathering, show-through, bleeding nor shading. The ink is versatile; it can be used for a wide range of applications including writing, painting, and spraying.