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Below is some interesting
information about ink cartridges in general
(their longevity)
Inks are water solutions and cartridges are made of what seems to be
polyethylene. Over a period of years, water molecules will migrate through
the walls of the cartridge--it has nothing to do with whether the cartridge
is sealed properly or not--it will happen anyway. This situation is
roughly analogous to a balloon filled with air. After several days, air
leaks through the rubber, no matter how well it is sealed. The bottom line
is that cartridges have a shelf-life on the order of years. They should be
fine for about 3 years or so at room temperature. They can last much
longer at lower temperatures, but don't allow them to freeze--the water
will expand and possibly break the cartridge.
In theory, a way to make cartridges last *almost*
indefinitely, would be to
store them in a jar filled with water. This would
*essentially* keep the
water inside the cartridge in equilibrium with the water outside--i.e.
about as much water would leak in as would leak out. The reason that I
said *almost* is that there is a very weak force of osmosis at work. This
is because there is a difference in the concentration of molecules
dissolved inside the cartridge (i.e. the ink and small amounts of other
additives) and outside, where there is nothing dissolved). This force will
very slowly pull water into the cartridge as the exact concentrations
attempt to reach equilibrium (this is the principal od dialysis). However, we
are now talking about a process that would take perhaps decades. Also in
theory, if the water in the bottle had the exact concentration of large
molecules as inside the cartridge, the cartridge would last more than a
lifetime. Chemistry in (very slow) action.
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