wotaen
Harmless
Posts: 22
Registered: 3-8-2015
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Printer cartridge cleaning fluid
Hi all, this is very specialized, but maybe someone came across this. I've got a special carbon-based printing ink that I use as a replacement for a
regular ink in an ink-jet printer (Epson P600). My printer has 9 heads and one of the cartridges does not contain an ink but a cleaning solution.
The problem is that this solution runs out very quickly (much quicker than the ink itself) and is not cheap.
According to the seller this is to prevent head clogging and of course they won't disclose what is it made of.
To your best experience, what could this be? The liquid does not add to the picture in any way, so it really is just to prevent clogging. I've smelled
it and it resembles isopropyl alcohol...but it's a wild shot.
I want to mix my own solution.
Thanks
|
|
|
Bert
Super Administrator
Posts: 2821
Registered: 12-3-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: " I think we are all going to die. I think that love is an illusion. We are flawed, my darling".
|
|
Start by Googling the product name/number and SDS/MSDS/PSDS. Won't give you everything usually, but it will give any hazardous ingredients (flammable?
Poisonous? Irritant?).
(Safety Data Sheet, Material Safety Data Sheet, Product Safety Data Sheet)
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
|
|
|
wotaen
Harmless
Posts: 22
Registered: 3-8-2015
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Unfortunately it has no MSDS or any other ID attached. I was curious if there are any people with this specific domain knowledge
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by wotaen  | To your best experience, what could this be? The liquid does not add to the picture in any way, so it really is just to prevent clogging. I've smelled
it and it resembles isopropyl alcohol...but it's a wild shot.
I want to mix my own solution.
Thanks |
IPA sounds feasible, especially if it smells like it. It could be blended with something else... but why not just try some IPA?
If the heads get blocked I have wiped them with an acetone dipped tissue before - that seemed to work. IPA would be fine too... maybe acetone would
be too volatile for the actual solution, but it should help remove dried gunk. So should the IPA, but the IPA will dry out slower in the solution but
probably wont be as effective when using it for cleaning.
Just thoughts - It sounds like IPA and it is probably a component. Try it and see.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
NedsHead
Hazard to Others
Posts: 409
Registered: 9-12-2014
Location: South Australia
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I would have guessed xylene since it's commonly used as a solvent for ink, or maybe toluene
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
Except that Xylene and toluene have distinctive smells and are both hazardous... IPA also has a distinctive smell and is non haz. I would expect that
toluene and xylene are being used less and less due to more stringent labelling requirements and improvements in H&S laws.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
Bert
Super Administrator
Posts: 2821
Registered: 12-3-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: " I think we are all going to die. I think that love is an illusion. We are flawed, my darling".
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by wotaen | | Unfortunately it has no MSDS or any other ID attached. I was curious if there are any people with this specific domain knowledge
|
If it comes in a package with the manufacturer/distributors name and a prouduct number, the information should be available. Post manufacturer and/or
brand name along with any available product information here if you would?
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
|
|
|
Texium
|
Thread Moved
20-12-2017 at 06:05 |
woelen
Super Administrator
Posts: 8027
Registered: 20-8-2005
Location: Netherlands
Member Is Offline
Mood: interested
|
|
If it smells like IPA, then try IPA. IPA is non-toxic and non-corrosive. You will not kill your printer with it.
I hardly can believe it is toluene or xylene. The use of these compounds is banned almost completely for indoor uses and I cannot imagine that it is
allowed as a cleaning agent for ink-jet printer heads, which are allowed to evaporater each time you switch on your printer or do some forced cleanup.
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by woelen | If it smells like IPA, then try IPA. IPA is non-toxic and non-corrosive. You will not kill your printer with it.
I hardly can believe it is toluene or xylene. The use of these compounds is banned almost completely for indoor uses and I cannot imagine that it is
allowed as a cleaning agent for ink-jet printer heads, which are allowed to evaporater each time you switch on your printer or do some forced cleanup.
|
This were my thoughts exactly - the only reason I mentioned acetone to wipe and clean with is because I have used acetone for exactly this purpose
and it works very well. IPA is less harmful though, even if it isn't quite as powerful as acetone and it should still work.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
OldNubbins
Hazard to Others
Posts: 136
Registered: 2-2-2017
Location: CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Comfortably Numb
|
|
If the print head is piezoelectric like the direct-to-garment printers then the cleaning solution is a mix of approximately 4 parts water, 3 parts
polyethylene glycol (PEG 600), and about 1 part each of IPA, glycerin, and propylene glycol. I have an Anajet printer that would clog if you turned
your back to it.
|
|
|
aga
Forum Drunkard
Posts: 7030
Registered: 25-3-2014
Member Is Offline
|
|
Occam's Razor : It smells like IPA. What might it be ?
Most likely IPA.
|
|
|
wotaen
Harmless
Posts: 22
Registered: 3-8-2015
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Thanks for the suggestions. This are the inks I'm using (https://www.farbenwerk.com/Carbonprint-Museum-Ink, looks awesome btw for BW photographers). There is really no usable information on the
bottles...it's just home-printed label 
I've already asked them for MSDS, but they have not answered.
IPA is probably diluted, does not smell like the kind 98% I have in a bottle. Can you give me your best educated guess as to how much?
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by wotaen | Thanks for the suggestions.
IPA is probably diluted, does not smell like the kind 98% I have in a bottle. Can you give me your best educated guess as to how much?
|
To revitalise the solution in the cartridge you could just try a few drops of neat IPA... or I'd just use it neat on a wipe to clear the heads.
The guy above gave you a formulation for something similar if you want to formulate the solution - but I don't think you want to actually reformulate
the whole solution the ink comes in.... you just need to let it down a bit once it dries out.... which you could do by adding a few drips of neat
IPA, probably. Try it and see.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
Bert
Super Administrator
Posts: 2821
Registered: 12-3-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: " I think we are all going to die. I think that love is an illusion. We are flawed, my darling".
|
|
Send the manufacturer an email and ASK for the SDS/MSDS. You are entitled to do so.
They are in EU, they are required by law to have assembled this information for THEIR OWN WORKERS, and to furnish it on request to employees and
customers as their customers are under a similar obligation to have SDS available on request for all hazardous materials used or stored to any
employee working around these chemicals.
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Bert |
They are in EU, they are required by law to have assembled this information for THEIR OWN WORKERS, and to furnish it on request to employees and
customers as their customers are under a similar obligation to have SDS available on request for all hazardous materials used or stored to any
employee working around these chemicals.
|
Whilst this is true - the SDS might only contain the chemicals within the product that are considered hazardous and have to be put on their by law
according to the latest REACH regulations. The manufacturer is not obliged to give full formulation detail by law - just a list of what is classed as
hazardous according to the latest REACH regs.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
Sigmatropic
Hazard to Others
Posts: 307
Registered: 29-1-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
From what I once looked up (from a msds) printer inks are dissolved in a mixture of acetone 50-95% and methanol 5-25% with the remainder being water.
If it dissolves ink, it can clean it. As to it running out, this is probably due to too low viscosity. Perhaps add several percent water, increase the
amount of alcohol or just use a higher viscosity solvent such as IPA.
|
|
|
Mesa
Hazard to Others
Posts: 264
Registered: 2-7-2013
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by woelen |
I hardly can believe it is toluene or xylene. The use of these compounds is banned almost completely for indoor uses... |
In Australia, the majority of permanent markers still use xylene as the solvent. Usually australia is ahead of everyone when it comes to restricting
chemicals. strange.
|
|
|
Mr. Wizard
International Hazard
Posts: 1042
Registered: 30-3-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I’ve had good luck using automotive antifreeze (ethylene glycol) to clean print heads and ink cartridges. It worked very well with the HP wide
format inkjet ink. It should be easy to test and it won’t dissolve plastics like some of the other solvents.
|
|
|
Mr. Wizard
International Hazard
Posts: 1042
Registered: 30-3-2003
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I’ve had good luck using automotive antifreeze (ethylene glycol) to clean print heads and ink cartridges. It worked very well with the HP wide
format inkjet ink. It should be easy to test and it won’t dissolve plastics like some of the other solvents.
|
|
|
NEMO-Chemistry
International Hazard
Posts: 1559
Registered: 29-5-2016
Location: UK
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I got a very old bottle of chloroform, its sat on the window ledge for many years. Its gone cloudy so i smelled it, just to see what it is. Smells
alot like dry grass/hay.
So does my bottle now contain hay????
Actually if your grass smell like hay, get a new dealer  .
Occam's Razor while totally off topic (sorry), is interesting in its historical context. While for some things I could find loads of stuff it for crap
for, when it came to less complex things it seems to work, so Occam's Razor really only works for Occam's Razor, if you see what i mean.......
Anyway, carry on. Ignore this off topic wandering, but aga made me go look up something i hadnt heard of before, so you all get to suffer.
|
|
|
wotaen
Harmless
Posts: 22
Registered: 3-8-2015
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Thanks everyone for their suggestions.
Now, there's been some good suggestions on various solvents. Now I don't feel like just trying and potentially ruining.
So I'm prepared to do some experiments. I do have some basic glassware, basic chemicals. The solution is most likely diluted and I'm not able to get
rid of this water (if there is anything apart from distillation, I'm happy to try it).
Can I do some basic tests over the diluted solution to find out which solvent (or solvents) it contains? Or at least eliminate some of the suggestions
here?
Thanks
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by wotaen |
Now, there's been some good suggestions on various solvents. Now I don't feel like just trying and potentially ruining.
So I'm prepared to do some experiments. I do have some basic glassware, basic chemicals. The solution is most likely diluted and I'm not able to get
rid of this water (if there is anything apart from distillation, I'm happy to try it).
Can I do some basic tests over the diluted solution to find out which solvent (or solvents) it contains? Or at least eliminate some of the suggestions
here?
|
You are WAY over thinking this. If the printer cartridge clogs then just get a few drops of IPA on a tissue wipe and clean the heads with it. The
solvent will wipe it away in seconds. End of story.
If you do not have IPA then virtually any industrial solvent is going to do a similar job with ease. You don't need to re-formulate the exact make up
of the solvent in the ink.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
OK - sorry - re-reading the above suggests you want to fill the 9th cartridge which contains the cleaning solution (ot just wipe the heads). It's
still probably IPA and I would guess any similar solvent will work. I'd try it neat or diluted to see what is best.
GCMS of the mix would give you an exact breakdown.... but surely not necessary when plain old IPA will clearly do the job.
I still reckon you are over thinking it - just re-fill it with IPA... if that seems too strong then dilute it. Easy.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
