KAALINK: CAPTURING AIR POLLUTION AND CONVERTING IT INTO INKS
Across your lifetime, we have heard people say that we should take positive things out of negative things. But the question arises how many people are able to do so. While we rack our brains for converting adversaries to our benefit, there are some people in the world who has already done it.
Air ink is a private company founded by Anirudh Sharma in the year 2013. The company is mainly based in Singapore and India. The most unique feature of this company is that it utilizes pollution as the foundation materials through which ink is manufactured. The company has come up with a unique way of reducing pollution and that too air pollution which has been on the rise in the country. This company utilities carbon emissions from the vehicles and turn them into ink. These inks are non-hazardous and completely free from any poisonous substances.
Anirudh Sharma the founder of Graviky lab came up with this idea when he and his friends observed the staining caused due to pollution from the exhaust pipe from the vehicles on their clothes. They came up with the idea of using carbon emissions for inks used for painting and other such activities.
Air ink utilizes a patented product ‘Kaalink’ to capture the carbon emissions. Kaalink is actually a component fitted just above the exhaust pipe. It can collect about 93% of emission. The unit is activated automatically when the engine starts and the gases starts flowing through the exhaust pipe. The mechatronic capture system is activated next. Gas is allowed to pass through this system but the fine soot particle are captured in the equipment. The lights when turned from red to blue indicates that the catchment is fully filled. The ink is then taken back to the lab to purify it. The captured soot undergoes various laboratory test to remove heavy metals and carcinogens. The end product is purified carbon based pigment. Finally the carbon is taken to another round of chemical filtration which gives different types of inks and paints. The test performed for purification includes gravity based separation and catalyzed activation. The soot is grinded to ensure fine particle size.
Various types of inks are then generated. Thy include the following
0.7MM round marker tip – it can be used for daily purposes and require about 40 minutes of diesel car pollution.
2MM round tip – for shading and small detail. Requires 50 mins of 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.
Considering their initiative to control pollution it is a best example of how we can make use of waste and save the environment that we are destroying in the name of advancement. These inks and paints also have a certain advantage over the conventional paint as they require burning of carbon particles to form them in the first place. The world needs more invention to conserve the environment rather than destroying it.
Pic Courtesy: GRAVIKY LABS
Editor: Anuj Gupta
Editor: Anuj Gupta