Researchers from the University of Cambridge have found a way to erase ink from paper, making the paper reusable. Julian Allwood and Thomas Counsell have discovered that a certain mixture of solvents can remove toner print from paper, allowing the paper to be reused.
Although the pair admits that the concept isn’t new (mediaeval monks scraped parchments to remove print) and that there are already several patents trying to do the same, they said that existing techniques are still quite vague.
Allwood and Counsell have been studying print removal techniques since 2006. Their latest study demonstrates a new toner removal method, which utilises a certain solvent combination that can erase toner print without damaging the paper. The resulting paper; however, is not as white as a new one.
For their experiments, the researchers used one toner-paper combination. An HP 4200 black-and-white laser printer provided the toner, while the paper they used was uncoated, white, wood-free 80 gm-2 Canon copy paper. The researchers, after experimenting with a number of solvents and their combinations, found that using a mixture of 40% chloroform and 60% dimethylsulphoxide and ultrasound agitation could remove the toner and make the paper adequately usable. They have found that dimethylsulphoxide alone is not very effective in removing print, but it could produce white paper. On the other hand, chloroform can successfully remove print, but it produces greyish paper. When used in combination, the two produce an off-white paper with a surface slightly rougher than new paper but still very much reusable.
Although the pair admits that the concept isn’t new (mediaeval monks scraped parchments to remove print) and that there are already several patents trying to do the same, they said that existing techniques are still quite vague.
Allwood and Counsell have been studying print removal techniques since 2006. Their latest study demonstrates a new toner removal method, which utilises a certain solvent combination that can erase toner print without damaging the paper. The resulting paper; however, is not as white as a new one.
For their experiments, the researchers used one toner-paper combination. An HP 4200 black-and-white laser printer provided the toner, while the paper they used was uncoated, white, wood-free 80 gm-2 Canon copy paper. The researchers, after experimenting with a number of solvents and their combinations, found that using a mixture of 40% chloroform and 60% dimethylsulphoxide and ultrasound agitation could remove the toner and make the paper adequately usable. They have found that dimethylsulphoxide alone is not very effective in removing print, but it could produce white paper. On the other hand, chloroform can successfully remove print, but it produces greyish paper. When used in combination, the two produce an off-white paper with a surface slightly rougher than new paper but still very much reusable.
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