Converting Air Pollution into Usable Ink

Have you ever gazed at the thick, smog-filled air and imagined it could be transformed into art? It might sound far-fetched, but AIR-INK is making this seemingly absurd idea a reality by converting air pollution into a usable ink product.

Graviky Labs is repurposing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from machinery exhaust, a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, into black ink. This soot, emitted by cars, trucks, generators, and factories, which would otherwise harm human health and the environment, is now being used for creative purposes like drawing and printing. As stated on the Graviky Labs website, "Our mission is to capture urban air pollution, preventing it from entering our lungs or contaminating ecosystems, and instead turn it into high-quality inks for artistic and written expression."

Graviky Labs originated from the innovative work of Anirudh Sharma, cofounder and creator of AIR-INK, during his time as a graduate student at MIT Media Labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2012, while visiting India, he captured an image of a white wall stained with soot from diesel generator exhaust, sparking the idea to harness pollution for creative use.

Carbon black, a residue from the incomplete combustion of petroleum, is traditionally used in ink production and as an ingredient in rubber, paints, and plastics. Instead of relying on new fossil fuels, Sharma and his team aimed to repurpose vehicle and machinery exhaust into ink, simultaneously reducing airborne particulate matter.

A 2013 experiment using candle soot and a makeshift printer cartridge evolved into a full-fledged lab in India by 2015. The country's less stringent pollution regulations facilitated easier particulate collection and more efficient testing.

Through experimentation, a unique device called KAALINK was developed in Bangalore, designed to attach to car exhaust pipes. This compact, retrofittable device captures 95 percent of PM2.5 emissions without impacting engine performance.

After capturing the particulate matter, it undergoes filtration, sizing, and a proprietary liquefaction process at Graviky Labs, resulting in a rich, smooth black ink. A single 30-milliliter pen contains the equivalent of 45 minutes of diesel exhaust pollution.

Several Indian companies have approached Graviky Labs to manage their particulate waste, preventing it from polluting rivers or landfills. A 2017 Kickstarter campaign successfully raised over 40,000 Singapore dollars (approximately $29,000 USD) from more than 680 backers. Additionally, Tiger Beer collaborated with Graviky Labs on an art initiative, providing AIR-INK to artists in cities like Hong Kong, Berlin, and London for creating murals and public art installations.

AIR-INK is now showcased at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York as part of the "Nature — Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial" exhibition, running until January 2020. It is also available for purchase.

Since 2016, Graviky Labs has purified 1.6 trillion liters (98 trillion cubic inches) of air, producing over 1,200 liters (73,000 cubic inches) of AIR-INK. With the KAALINK device adaptable for larger applications, such as factory smokestacks and direct air capture, these figures are expected to grow significantly.

Sharma and his team aim to expand their efforts to address industrial uses, such as inkjet printing, textiles, and publishing. As innovators and business leaders, the Graviky Labs team can take pride in their work, and so can the rest of us.

This article is part of Covering Climate Now, a global initiative involving over 250 news organizations to enhance climate change reporting.