Iron gall ink
Iron gall ink ( or in short: gall ink ) is from the 3rd century BC common indelible black ink ( risk of obstruction ) can be written well with steel springs, but poorly with fountain pens.
Manufacturing and composition
The production in the Middle Ages was of iron (II ) sulfate ( green vitriol ), gall nuts or plant galls, water and gum arabic (or cherry or plum rubber). The dried gall-nuts are ground and overcooked, with gallic acid is formed ( tannin ). In addition, the iron sulfate and the gum arabic is added. The gum arabic prevents flocculation, causes a better writability and acts as a binder. Through airtight seal the ink can also be conserved and better protected against flocculation.
The finished ink is formed only on the paper by the oxidation of divalent iron to trivalent iron by atmospheric oxygen, which enters into a dark black complex compound with the gallic acid. This will take approximately one day. Thus, the ink while writing is more visible, a dye is still as added methylene blue, which faded later. This was partially exploited in the contract inks as a style element. The inks enrolled black and blue after drying were more or less black.
But the iron gall ink itself may fade over the years under adverse conditions. Faded iron gall fonts can be made with a solution of potassium hexacyanoferrate ( II) with excess hydrochloric acid visible again.
Dissemination
This contract inks ( and partly also firm inks) were also common for fountain pens until the 1960s, at least in the business. Since iron gall ink in fountain pens was the danger of clogging due to the oxidation also takes place there of the starting material of the dye, the use of such inks was associated with some care the fountain pen.
The only remaining large market for fountain pens is the duty of school, and there dominate practical reasons usually reducible dye inks (such as royal blue fountain pen ink) the market, which are more easily to handle and also from linen are easily washed out, which is not true for iron gall inks.
In addition to iron gall inks according to ancient recipes, which are not suitable for fountain pens, there are only very few manufacturers who produce such an ink for fountain pens. The most famous is the Füllfedernproduzent Montblanc, whose own blue black ink also contains iron gall ink. The ink manufactory De Atrementis manufactures of iron gall inks. In addition, the company is still Rohrer & Klingner been two füllfedertaugliche iron gall inks each have a bluish or violet color. In addition, the company also offers diamines to a blue-black " Registrar 's Ink ." This is also füllfedertauglich.
Ink cartridges are rare in iron gall inks, since Patronenfüllfederhaltern the required periodic flushing is more difficult. The blue-black ink of Mont Blanc is therefore eisengallushaltig only in the over-the glass mold.
The iron gall ink corrosion caused ink and is nowadays used only for important documents (documents authenticity ) and in calligraphy.
Recipes
Government regulation for certificate inks ( 1933)
- In one liter of at least 27 g of tannic acid and gallic acid, and at least 4 g of metallic iron must be included. The maximum content of iron should not be more than 6 g / l in amounts of O..
- The ink is after 14 days in the glass leaves neither education nor wall fitting, still showing sediment.
- Eight days old lettering must remain deep dark after washing with water and alcohol.
- The ink has to flow easily from the pen and may even be non-tacky immediately after drying.
Iron gall inks are (if the official rules are met) as " indelibly ". For this condition to be fulfilled reliably, are fresh lettering will not be " quenched " because for ink to be removed and the penetrating into the paper structure quantity is reduced.
Recept, good Dinten zemachen ( 1716)
Take 2 liters of clean rain water into a clean Dintenhafen. Thu 18 therein Lod black Gallus, roughly pushed and gesiebet the dust Darvon. Then into it tu 8 Lod white rubber. Let sending you three days and nights required are available. Then do it 8 Lod Lod vitriol and 1 alum, together with a glass full of vinegar and a spoonful of salt. Stir it well einanderen below. Place the port Summer Wedding in the warm sun in winter but on a warm oven kick fourteen day long and stirred every day once. Returns a ausbündig beautiful black Dinten.