A ballpoint pen is a pen that uses tiny rotating balls made of brass, steel, or tungsten carbide that release ink onto the paper as you write. The ballpoint pen is very different from its predecessors - reed pens, quill pens, metal nib pens and fountain pens.

Use common sense

1. This pen is stronger and more durable than ordinary pens, but if it is used and stored improperly, it is often impossible to write. This is mainly due to the dry ink adhesion. This is because it blocks the flow of ink around the steel balls. Ink is a viscous oil, which is prepared from linseed oil, synthetic pine nut oil (mainly containing terpene alcohols), mineral oil (oil obtained by fractionating minerals such as petroleum), hard glue and oil smoke. .

2. When using a ballpoint pen, do not write on paper with oil or wax. Otherwise, the oil and wax will embed in the copper bowl along the edge of the steel ball, affecting the ink flow and making it impossible to write. Also avoid If the pen is hit or exposed to the sun, keep the pen cap on when not in use to prevent damage to the pen tip, deformation of the pen barrel, and oil leakage from the pen core, which may cause contamination. In case of cold weather or if it has been left unused for a long time. When the pen does not produce oil, you can soak the pen tip in warm water for a while and then stroke the pen tip on the paper to write.

3. The ballpoint pen has a big shortcoming: the handwriting it writes is very clear at first; but it cannot withstand the test of time. Over time, the handwriting will slowly become blurred. This is because ballpoint pen ink is made from dyes and castor oil. Oil is different from water. It is not easy to dry. Over time, the oil will slowly soak into the paper and the writing will become blurred.

Therefore, the ballpoint pen can only be used as an ordinary writing pen. If you want to preserve your handwriting for a long time, you need to use a pen. ?

4. If the ballpoint pen falls to the ground, if the pen tip hits the ground at 90 degrees, the ballpoint pen tip will not be damaged. However, if the closing area is damaged, "oil leakage" will occur at the gap. In severe cases, , the balls will fall off, and writing difficulties will occur.

Ink Properties

Ballpoint pen ink is usually a paste containing about 25% to 40% dye. The dye is suspended in a mixture of solvent and fatty acids. The most common solvents are benzyl alcohol or phenoxyethanol, which are mixed with dyes and oils to form a smooth paste that dries quickly.

As you write, fatty acids help lubricate the nib. Hybrid inks also contain added lubricants in the ink to provide a smoother writing experience. The drying time of the ink depends on the viscosity of the ink and the diameter of the ball.

Generally, the higher the viscosity of the ink, the faster it dries, but more writing pressure is required to dispense the ink. However, although they are less viscous, hybrid inks have a faster drying time than regular ballpoint pen inks. Likewise, larger balls will dispense more ink and therefore increase drying time.

The dyes used in blue and black ballpoint pens are basic dyes based on triarylmethane and acid dyes derived from diazo compounds or phthalocyanines. Common dyes in blue (and black) ink are Prussian blue, Victoria blue, methyl violet, crystal violet, and phthalocyanine blue. The dye eosin is commonly used in red ink.

The ink is water-resistant when dry, but can be smeared by certain solvents, including acetone and various alcohols.

Reference for the above content? Baidu Encyclopedia-Ballpoint Pen