subject: New Technologies For Greener Printing [print this page] Many printing equipment manufacturers have set making of environment-friendly products as their priority. OEM companies have started producing casings for their cartridges and printers out of non-toxic and food grade plastic. Still, it is consumables - toner and ink - that are responsible for the major part of wastes.
People are still agitated in connection with the problem of printers and copiers being dangerous for human health. In Australia and Germany, the scientists ran several tests in order to find out if small particles of toner can be harmful and cause cancer in the human organism. For example, scientists from Fraunhofer institute of Wilhelm Klauditsa focused only on the exhaust level of the dangerous agents in the form of dust, but also on the source of this exhaust. The tests showed that the printers' dust emission level is 5 times higher than that of the street. At the same time it is believed that printer parts are prepared from different organic materials, from which some substance is naturally emitted. Tests also showed that printers fuser emits the small particles, when constantly heated to 220 degree Celsiuss for toner fixation.
Nevertheless, researchers usually consider that release of this type is the property of any household equipment with heating aggregate or engine: toasters, vacuum cleaners, etc. However, such moods to establish new, rarely positive relation to printers. In attempt to justify the printers and make them greener, companies develop new, less harmful products.
EcoToner
Some companies are devising a safer toner. OKI working with University of Niigata is developing new ecotoner. The new form a toner consists of small biological particles, which can be consumed by microorganisms. This year, OKI presents new ecotoner in the market and begins equipping its printers with the toner.
Today, toner is either created in the laboratory (chemical toner) or produced from the organic materials, obtained from the oil (usual toner). During the combustion it gives the decent sum of greenhouse gases, which promote the ejections of carbon dioxide. From other side, the repeated use of paper requires additional energy, and the chemical bleaching of recycled paper is dangerous for the chemical reagents being used.
The new ecotoner consists of a special protein degrading outdoors, coloring agents and other adhesive compounds.
The member of toner development department, Masato Tanaka, states the carbonic footprint of this toner, will be cut in zero, and the amount of energy necessary for processing of paper will drop, too.
SoyToner
OKI is working out its product from the chemically pure materials in the laboratory, PRC Technologies company, a branch of Print Recovery Concepts Inc, is using another approach. In cartridges that the company makes, under the specific technical specifications toner is made from soybeans. The president at PRC Technologies, Mr. Overhaug, believes that the price of soybean toner cartridges will correspond to that of regular cartridges.
The marketing campaign of soybean toner emphasizes its ecological friendliness. In a single country of the US, about 100 million cartridges per year are used, which makes up 50,000 tons of standard toner produced from the petroleum products. The manufacture of soybean toner is claimed to preserve the energy consumption due to the cheaper materials.
So, soy toner with "Make Your Office a Greener Place!" slogan is being launched into the market. A product has a brand name 'SoyPrint'.
Reusable paper
Some vendors find more unordinary approaches to the problem of materials saving and ecology. The Xerox scientists have worked out paper that printed text disappears gradually on over 16-24 hours or instantly, if heated. After that paper comes blank again and can be reused. The paper looks very much like any regular paper, except for the pale yellow color.
Inkless Printing
Zinc Company chooses not to rely on cartridges at all. Instead, it invests in paper. Zinc's paper is manufactured of composite materials. Zinc printing technology differs from that of other printers. The printer is very similar to a heater that "sense" color. Temperature, which corresponds to color, is used for image creation. This paper is the major part of a tandem and consists of a composite material with red, yellow and blue polymer-coated crystals. When heat is applied, the material changes the color depending on temperature. In an initial condition, the paper is completely white and is similar to many other photographic paper.
This technology, where paper being the corner stone and no bulky cartridges are needed, can be realized in very small devices as cell phones, cameras and smartphones. Obviously, sales of this paper will make Zinc's capital gain.
A lot can be told about the future ways of printing supplies development, but the technologies must pass the test of time to manifest which one is strong enough to survive and become popular with the people.
