Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Print Paste Update

My print paste experiment has been in place for three months. My theory was that the Print Mix from ProChem had additional ingredients that gave the paste a longer shelf life than print paste made from scratch with sodium alginate and urea.

I had been checking the paste weekly until a month ago.  There wasn't much to report at that time. Both the print paste made from scratch and the one made from ProChem's print paste mix were about the same consistency.  However both were thinner than when I started. When I checked the paste yesterday, there was a noticeable difference. The print paste made from sodium alginate was much thinner than the ProChem mix.  It was still usable, but definitely on the decline.

The results weren't as dramatic as I expected. I did the experiment because it seemed like my print paste (made from scratch, not Print Mix) went bad very quickly - within 3 weeks. Yet, this batch lasted for three months. So now I'm not sure if it's a time perception issue, or if my real-life approach of leaving the print paste out of the fridge for a few days after using affects the shelf-life. If I really want to know, I guess that means another experiment!


1 comment:

  1. After you posted about your print paste a while back, I checked mine. I made my last batch (a double, no less!) on May 22nd, thinking I'd be using a lot of it over the summer. I had just received a new studio fridge for my birthday and I was excited about having a brand new appliance AND loads more space. Well, that print paste is just the same today as it was on May 22nd! I'm pretty good about putting it back in the fridge after using what I need. So, who knows? Maybe it's the new fridge, maybe it's the length of time it's left out, maybe it's the fact that our climates are different! Sorry your results weren't more conclusive.

    xo

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