SBIR Phase I: Self-Erasing Inkjet Ink for Paper Reuse

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to provide a new source of no-cost, pollution-free office paper. Despite advances in electronic displays society still uses tons of paper. Printing and copying remain ubiquitous. In 2013 the United States consumed 3.6 million tons of office copy paper, which according to the EPA?s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) added the equivalent of 28.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, paper copies are only needed temporarily and most of that 3.6 million tons of paper is discarded or recycled within a few days. A reputed survey found that 21% of hardcopies are discarded the same day they are made. With the technology of Self-Erasing Inkjet Ink, the paper used for temporary hardcopies reverts to a blank sheet and can be re-used like new paper. In all subsequent uses the paper is pollution-free. For every 1% of the inkjet ink market captured by self-erasing ink, carbon emissions are reduced by 17 thousand metric tons per year, thereby supporting national goals of reducing pollution, conserving resources, and fighting climate change. The intellectual merit of this project lies in the development of a novel self-erasing ink for inkjet printing and photocopying. The water-based ink derives its color from an acid-base indicator which is dark blue in an alkaline solution but otherwise colorless. The ink is alkaline so it is colored when printed. After printing the ink begins to self-erase due to a neutralization reaction with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When the reaction is completed the ink is colorless and the paper appears as new. The project will leverage existing, unmodified inkjet printer/copiers and ink cartridges. This project will address remaining technical challenges in making the ink compatible with existing printers which were not designed for this type of ink chemistry. Specifically the project will determine how to ensure the ink does not clog the inkjet nozzles between infrequent printing sessions. The additives used for this purpose in conventional inks are not necessarily compatible with self-erasing ink chemistry and new ways to prevent clogging will be developed during the project. The anticipated results from this effort will be an ink that approximates the print quality and reliability of conventional ink but also self-erases.