Kaalink AIR-INK: The world's first ink made out of air pollution

1. “Kaalink”
Turning Air pollution into Air Ink

2. Introduction
• AIR-INKTM is an ink brand which produces
ink and ink-based art products by condensing
soot-based gaseous effluents generated by
motor vehicles due to incomplete combustion
of fossil fuels.

3. Introduction
• Founded by Graviky Labs, a spin-off group
of MIT Media Lab, Air Ink produces its
materials through a step-by-step process
which primarily involves capturing of
emissions, separation of carbon from the soot,
and then mixing of this carbon with different
types of oils and solutions.

4. Air Ink

5. Introduction
• It uses a patented device called 'Kaalink' to
carry out the filtration of soot, which contains
carbon and other polluting agents like heavy
metals and carcinogens.

6. 'Kaalink'

7. Introduction
• Air Ink is marketed as a solution to air
pollution and its negative effects on human life.
• Dubbed as "the first ink made out of recycled
air pollution," its products were used in August
2016 in association with Tiger Beer to create
street art and murals in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan
district
• 30–50 minutes of car pollution can supply
enough carbon to fill one Air Ink pen.

8. "the first ink made out of recycled
air pollution,"

9. Air Ink is marketed as a solution to
air pollution

10. Introduction
• Anirudh Sharma, founder of Graviky Labs,
first conceived the idea of Air Ink in 2013
after he and his friends observed that his
clothes were being stained by air pollution.
• Sharma and his team spent close to three
years researching how to purify and
repurpose carbon soot from auto emissions,
a major contributor to air pollution

11. Anirudh Sharma, founder of
Graviky Labs

12. Introduction
• In 2013, the Fluid Interfaces research group, at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated
the process of converting carbon residue into ink for
use in an inkjet cartridge
• In 2016, Air Ink products were given to graphic
artists in Hong Kong, which is known for its high air
pollution, who were requested to paint murals. An
artist, who participated in this campaign, said of the
product, "genius, and deserves a chance.“
• Products in the form of markers of varying sizes
became available for the public to purchase in early
2017

13. Fluid Interfaces research group, at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology demonstrated the process of converting carbon residue into
ink for use in an inkjet cartridge

14. Air Ink products were given to graphic artists in Hong Kong,
which is known for its high air pollution, who were requested
to paint murals

15. Air Ink products were given to graphic artists in Hong Kong,
which is known for its high air pollution, who were requested
to paint murals

16. Air Ink

17. Technology
• Soot composed of 2.5-micrometer black carbon
particles found in petrol or diesel carbon
emissions is captured from the tailpipes of cars
through a device called 'Kaalink.'
• A separate process removes heavy metals and
transforms the carbon residue into paint or ink. A
single Air Ink pen contains 30–50 minutes of
air pollution.
• The emissions from 2,500 hours of driving one
standard diesel vehicle produces about 150
litres of ink

18. Soot composed of 2.5-micrometer black carbon particles
found in petrol or diesel is captured from the tailpipes of cars
through a device called 'Kaalink.'

19. A single Air Ink pen contains 30–50
minutes of air pollution

20. The Emissions From 2,500 Hours Of Driving One Standard
Diesel Vehicle Produces About 150 Litres Of Ink

21. Technology
• Graviky Labs, the company behind Air Ink,
claims the ink products can help reduce
vehicular pollution in cities.
• However, one of the company's lead engineers
said, "Unless it is deployed on a large scale
and there is an entire ecosystem around it, its
effect will be minimal.

22. Graviky Labs, the company behind Air Ink, claims the ink
products can help reduce vehicular pollution in cities.

23. Block Diagram Of Air-ink

24. How Air Pollution Is Turned Into Ink

25. Kaalink
• Kaalink is a cylindrical device that is
retrofitted into a vehicle's exhaust system to
collect the emissions.
• It can collect up to 93% of the total exhaust,
which is then processed to remove heavy metals
and carcinogens.
• The end-product from this device is a purified
carbon-based pigment. Kaalink has been tested
on cars, trucks, motorcycles and fishing boats
in Bangalore and Hong Kong.

26. Kaalink

27. Kaalink

28. Kaalink is a cylindrical device that is
retrofitted into a vehicle's exhaust system to
collect the emissions

29. Kaalink
• It is estimated that the collecting device
fixed to an old car will be carbon neutral
after 200-300km

30. Kaalink

31. About Kaalink
• 1. Kaalink is a contraption retrofitted to the exhaust pipe of
vehicles to capture the outgoing pollutants.
• 2. This does not affect vehicle/engine performance.
• 3. Soot collected by Kaalink undergoes various proprietary
processes to remove heavy metals and carcinogens.
• The end product is purified carbon based pigment.
• 4. In the final stage, the carbon is taken through another
chemical process to make different types of inks and paints.
• 5. Kaalink, a device that, once placed on exhaust pipes, captures
pollutants.
• 6. It’s a mechatronic system which consists of electrostatics
filtration, depth filtration, wall flow filtration etc to filter soot.
• 7. The final product called carbon is then mixed with different
types of oils and solutions to form inks and paints.

32. About Kaalink

33. Process Of Air-ink
• Kaalink is developed primarily for mitigating
some of the world’s most harmful emissions.
• The device is prepared well, and it is doing so
on a small scale.
• Kaalink is being used to capture pollution from
vehicle exhausts.
• It is then removing all toxic components from
the harvested pollution to create clean and safe
black ink that artists can use as normal ink.

34. Process Of Air-ink

35. Process Of Air-ink
• According to the company “45 minutes worth of
vehicular emissions captured by the Kaalink
device can produce 1 fluid ounce of Air Ink.”
• While cheaper carbon black inks are
manufactured through the deliberate burning of
fossil fuels, we use our proprietary device––what
we call KAALINK––to capture soot that is
already being emitted from vehicles.
• KAALINK is retrofitted to the exhaust pipe of
vehicles/generators to capture the outgoing
pollutants.

36. Process Of Air-ink

37. Harvesting Pollution & Creating Ink
• The unit automatically turns on when an engine is
activated and gases start flowing through the exhaust.
• This activates the flow and thermo sensor, which, in turn,
engages a mechatronic capture system.
• All fine particle matter is then captured within the walls of
the unit.
• However, gases are allowed to pass through, leaving the
engine unaffected.
• When the lights on the exterior of the unit turn from blue
to red, the catchment is full.

38. Harvesting Pollution & Creating Ink

39. Harvesting Pollution & Creating Ink
• Back in the lab, the captured pollution is taken through
a process that removes trace heavy metals and
carcinogens.
• The purified soot goes through several industrial
processes to make different types of inks and paints.
• The soot we collect undergoes various proprietary
processes to remove heavy metals and carcinogens.
• The end product is a purified carbon rich pigment .
• We purify the carbon pigment by cutting out the heavy
metals, dust particles, and all other harmful materials.
• The carbon is then used to make different types of inks
and paints.

40. Harvesting Pollution & Creating Ink

41. The Air-ink Range
• Every drop of ink in these products has been
made from air pollution. Whenever they’re used
to draw, write, paint or create, they’re literally
making our streets more beautiful.
0.7MM ROUND TIP
• Fine point marker for everyday creativity.
• Approx. 40 minutes of diesel car pollution.
2MM ROUND TIP
• Perfect for shading and small detail. Approx. 50
minutes of diesel car pollution.

42. The Air-ink Range

43. The Air-ink Range
• 15MM CHISEL TIP Thick lines, smooth strokes, great
feel. Approx. 130 minutes of diesel car pollution.
• 50MM WIDE TIP
• Made extra wide for murals and large-scale pieces.
• Approx. 130 minutes of diesel car pollution.
• 600ML SPRAY CAN
• Quick action, fast dry, covers any surface with ease.
Approx. 2000 minutes of diesel car pollution.
• 250ML REFILL
• For when you run dry.
• Approx. 830 minutes of diesel car pollution.

44. The Air-ink Range

45. The Air-ink Range

46. Features
• Every 45 min worth of car emissions- 30 ml of ink.
• 600 ml spray- holds the equivalent of 2000 hrs of
pollution
• Kaalink can even fit over the polluting mouths of
boats, chimneys and cranes.
• It not only stops CO2 gas enter into air but also
captures a dangerous carbon soot called PM 2.5.
• here P.M Particulate matter
• 2.5 size of particle in microns
• Each device can collect up to 95% of pollutants.

47. Features

48. Conclusion
• AIR-INK is currently available as 2mm, 15mm, 30mm and 50mm
markers, and a 150ml screen printing ink set. With the success of
campaign is AIR-INK will work towards releasing oil based paints,
fabric paints, outdoor paints, and more.
• AIR-INK follows industrial grade guidelines, and artists have been
using AIR-INK for the past 6 months without issues.
• AIR-INK provides an environmentally friendly option for creatives
and is high quality. The ink itself is thicker than most and can
paint on rough surfaces without bleeding. The color of the ink is
solid black which fits perfectly with practice.
• On top of that, AIR-INK presents an incredible opportunity to form
a creative community of human beings who hope to make the world
a little more sustainable and beautiful.

49. Some Of The Arts Made By Air-ink

50. Artist Kristopher Ho using AIR-INK to
beautify a public space in Hong Kong.

51. AIR-INK

52. AIR-INK

53. AIR-INK Team

54. AIR-INK Team
• Anirudh Sharma, Co-founder, Innovation
Lead: Anirudh is a graduate from the Fluid
Interfaces Group at MIT Media Lab, at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Nikhil Kaushik, Co-founder, Business Lead:
Nikhil leads the business and strategic
development at Graviky Labs. He handles the
overall business relations, supply chain and
operations.

55. AIR-INK Team
• Nisheeth Singh, Technical Development
Lead: Nisheeth leads technical development
on pollution capture technologies.
• Nitesh Kadyan, Co-founder, Electronics and
AI lead: Nitesh holds a degree in CS from
IIIT, Bangalore and did his Masters thesis at
Freie University.

56. AIR-INK

57. References
• AIR-INK
• https://www.graviky.com/air-inktrade.html
• Air Ink
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Ink
• AIR-INK: The world's first ink made out of air pollution
• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1295587226/air-ink-the-worlds-first-ink-
made-out-of-air-pollution
• AIR-INK
• Turning air pollution into writing ink
• https://designtoimprovelife.dk/air-ink/
• KAALINK
• http://www.graviky.com/kaalink.html

58. Air Ink Documentaries
• Air-Ink
• https://youtu.be/cwy549sOYb8

59. Thanks…

60. Kaala
Nice Movie “Must Watch”