Talk:Air-Ink
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Close connection
[edit]I believe the article has now been suitably modified to warrant the removal of the banner. There is little in the way of negative views visible on the web as it is such a new product, also the advertising from the product advertising sponsor has been decreased. Lastly, I have no connection with the product. Ânes-pur-sàng (talk) 08:26, 23 October 2016 (UTC)
This thing will create more CO2 due to the increase in back pressure on the engine. Increases in back pressure have shown to increase fuel consumption by 0.6% to 2% [1] DieselDude (talk) 21:17, 13 June 2018 (UTC)
The second reference is not available now.
[edit]Recently (between 5 Jun and 9 Jun), the website has been redesigned. As a result, the reference 2 is not (no longer) available. Besides, this webpage has been excluded from the Wayback Machine. Xlrbxgs (talk) 13:10, 9 June 2020 (UTC)
Edit Request: Addressing notability tag and updating technology/sourcing
[edit] | The user below has a request that an edit be made to Air-Ink. That user has an actual or apparent conflict of interest. The requested edits backlog is very high. Please be extremely patient. There are currently 338 requests waiting for review. Please read the instructions for the parameters used by this template for accepting and declining them, and review the request below and make the edit if it is well sourced, neutral, and follows other Wikipedia guidelines and policies. |
Hello, I am Anirudh Sharma, the founder of Graviky Labs and the creator of AIR-INK. I am writing to request an update to this article to address the "Notability" maintenance tag placed in October 2020, as well as to update outdated information regarding our technology and supply chain.
Per Wikipedia's Conflict of Interest guidelines, I am not editing the article directly. I have prepared an updated version below that removes primary sources and replaces them with highly reliable, independent secondary sources that demonstrate significant, ongoing coverage.
Key updates in this draft include:
- Notability & Commercial Impact: Added the 2019 TIME Magazine 'Best Inventions' recognition, and major commercial partnerships with Diageo (Johnnie Walker), Mastercard/Doconomy, and Pangaia.
- Technology Correction: A 2018 Talk Page comment raised concerns that our capture device acted like a mechanical filter, increasing engine backpressure. The article has been updated to reflect that the KAALINK device actually uses electrostatic filtration to prevent backpressure.
- Current Sourcing & Value Proposition: The article now reflects that captured pollution usually enters waste streams with no value. By converting this waste into AIR-INK, the process replaces conventional carbon black, which is manufactured by deliberately burning fossil fuels.
Below is the updated Wiki markup. I would be grateful if an independent editor could review these changes, implement them, and remove the Notability tag.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Materials science, Industrial inks |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | MIT Media Lab |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Anirudh Sharma, Nikhil Kaushik |
| Products | 'Kaalink,' Pens, industrial inks, spray paints, markers |
| Website | www |
AIR-INK is a proprietary brand of ink and composites products made by condensing carbon-based gaseous effluents generated by air pollution due to incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.[1] Founded by Graviky Labs, a spin-off group of the MIT Media Lab, AIR-INK produces its materials through a multi-step process which involves capturing emissions, separating the carbon, and mixing it with various oils and solutions to achieve specific material properties.
Initially marketed as a solution to offset the print industry's carbon footprint, AIR-INK has expanded into commercial applications across the fashion, finance, and beverage industries.[2]
History
[edit]Anirudh Sharma, the founder of Graviky Labs, first conceived the idea of AIR-INK during an experiment at MIT, while designing a printer that could print with carbon nanoparticles. Sharma and his team spent close to three years researching how to purify and repurpose carbon soot from auto and factory emissions.[3]
In 2016, AIR-INK products were supplied to graphic artists in Hong Kong to paint murals as part of a campaign highlighting the city's high levels of air pollution.[4][5]
Technology and industrial sourcing
[edit]AIR-INK captures 2.5-micrometer black carbon particles found in petrol or diesel carbon emissions through a proprietary device called 'Kaalink.' Unlike standard mechanical diesel particulate filters which can increase engine backpressure, Kaalink utilizes electrostatic filtration technology to capture soot from the exhaust stream.[6] The system ensures that carbon particulate is recycled into inks free of heavy metals and toxins.[7]
While initially piloted on vehicular exhaust, Graviky Labs has since scaled its carbon sourcing to static industrial emissions. As of 2020, AIR-INK partners with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), capturing recovered carbon black (rCB) from brick kilns and tire pyrolysis factories. Historically, this captured pollution enters waste streams with no financial value. By converting this waste into high-grade pigment, AIR-INK replaces conventional carbon black, which is traditionally manufactured by deliberately burning fossil fuels.[8]
As of 2019, Graviky Labs reported it had cleaned over 1.6 trillion liters of air and captured more than 1.6 billion micrograms of particulate matter.[9]
Commercial partnerships
[edit]Diageo (2022)
[edit]In 2022, Diageo partnered with Graviky Labs to release a limited-edition series of Johnnie Walker Black Label. The "Keep Walking City" collection featured bespoke bottle designs printed using AIR-INK, highlighting global cities like Madrid, Warsaw, and Bangkok.[10]
Mastercard (2019)
[edit]Mastercard partnered with Graviky Labs and Swedish fintech company Doconomy to produce sustainable payment cards printed with AIR-INK, as part of a wider climate-friendly financial initiative to reduce PVC plastic and decarbonize payment methods.[11]
PANGAIA (2021)
[edit]The sustainable materials-science brand PANGAIA partnered with Graviky Labs for a capsule collection featuring apparel printed with AIR-INK. This marked a shift in the fashion industry to utilize pollution-derived ink for commercial clothing.[12]
Tiger Beer (2016)
[edit]AIR-INK partnered with Heineken-owned Tiger Beer to create street art and murals in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan district, marking the commercial launch of the product. The campaign later expanded to global cities including London, Berlin, and New York.[13]
Museum collections and exhibitions
[edit]AIR-INK has been inducted into several major design museum collections:
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: Featured in the "Nature—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" (2019–2020) and part of the Smithsonian Learning Lab collection.[14]
- Design Museum, London: Added to the permanent collection and nominated for the Beazley Product Design of the Year in 2017.[15]
Awards and recognition
[edit]In 2019, TIME named AIR-INK one of the "100 Best Inventions of the Year" in the sustainability category.[16]
In 2021, the Berlin-based Falling Walls Foundation named Graviky Labs the global "Science Start-up Winner" of the year in the "Engineering of the Future" and "Sustainability" clusters for its carbon sequestration technology.[17]
The 2016 commercial launch campaign with Tiger Beer won multiple global advertising and design awards, including:[18]
- Cannes Lions (2017): Gold Lion (Outdoor/Transit) and Silver Lion (Product Design).
- D&AD Awards (2017–2018): Graphite Pencil for Environmental Sustainability, and Wood Pencils for Packaging Design and Innovative Media.
- Spikes Asia (2017–2018): Innovation Award and Bronze Spikes for Integrated Campaign and Outdoor.
- Edison Awards (2018): Bronze for Scientific Achievement.
- The One Show (2017): Finalist for Corporate Social Responsibility.
References
[edit]- ^ "Pollution ink". Dwell (2): 34. 2019.
- ^ "AIR–INK®". Museum of 21st Century Design (M21D). Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "This company is turning car exhaust into inks and paints". Business Insider.
- ^ Jamshed, Zahra (28 July 2016). "Here's how to paint with pollution". CNN.
- ^ Ouellette, Jennifer (17 August 2016). "This Ink For Artists Is Made From Air Pollution".
- ^ "Air Pollution in India: A Looming Crisis Impacting Health". TriumphIAS. 21 September 2023.
- ^ "These Pens Use Ink Made Out Of Recycled Air Pollution". IFL Science. 17 August 2016.
- ^ "This Indian Startup Turns Polluted Air Into Climate-Friendly Tiles". EcoWatch. 8 January 2021.
- ^ "How a New Tech Turns Air Pollution Into Ink". HowStuffWorks. 9 September 2019.
- ^ "Johnnie Walker re-releases Black Label with Air-Ink". The Spirits Business. 8 June 2022.
- ^ "Mastercard and Doconomy Launch the Future of Sustainable Payments". Mastercard Investor Relations. 2019.
- ^ "PANGAIA's Game-Changing Collaboration Draws Carbon From Air Pollution To Print Textiles". Forbes. 20 April 2021.
- ^ "New graffiti ink made from pollution hits the streets of Hong Kong". Inhabitat. 21 June 2016.
- ^ "Air-Ink". Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Beazley Designs of the Year 2017". Design Museum.
- ^ "TIME Best Inventions 2019: Air-Ink". TIME. 21 November 2019.
- ^ "Science Start-up Winner 2021: Graviky Labs". Falling Walls Foundation. November 2021.
- ^ "Tiger Beer: Air-Ink Case Study". Holly F. Alexander.