In this work, the influence of ink composition on the tribological properties of ballpoint pens has been examined with a view to improve writing smoothness and pen lifetime. Friction experiments were performed using a ball on plate tribometer in order to simulate the sliding contact of a ballpoint pen. Ballpoint pen ink is composed of various solvents, resins, friction modifiers, colorants. To determine the basic tribological properties of ballpoint pen ink, this study focuses on the investigating the influence of different ink compositions: solvents, resins, and phosphate on the tribological behavior. The worn surfaces of specimens from tribological tests using different ink compositions were analyzed by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Tribological tests were performed on eight different lubricant compositions including: i) the solvents without additives ii) the solvents with the resins and iii) the solvents with the friction modifiers. The results showed that for Oil A the tribological properties were affected by the molecular weight of the resin and the addition of phosphate reduced the coefficients of friction. Similar results were not observed for Oil B. In addition, it was found that the ratio of the components of the base oil affects the tribological properties of ballpoint pen ink.
