Preservation of Knowledge: The Life Cycle of a Ballpoint Pen

Human nature lies in an insatiable nature to preserve knowledge. Throughout history, mankind have sought ways to transmit and record information, creating legacies that endure beyond their own lifetimes. Writing is a concept often associated with humanities and literature and overlooks the significance of engineering in the preservation of knowledge. Take, for example, the ballpoint pen—a seemingly ordinary item. The writing instrument found its place in our pockets, offices, and homes, serving as a reliable tool for inking notes, thoughts, doodles, and information with ease. Despite its surface simplicity, the creation of a ballpoint pen can be accredited to the work of engineers, inventors, designers, manufacturers, factory workers, delivery drivers, salespeople, and much more.

The life cycle of a common ballpoint pen began from raw materials. Material engineers have carefully selected polypropylene carbonate (PPC), tungsten carbide, brass, steel, and aluminum as common materials for manufacture. PPC, a thermoplastic aliphatic polymer, is typically used due to its strong barrier properties. Chemical engineers derived PPC from carbon dioxide and polonium and heated the plastic, shaped as small pellets, into molds of the pen cap, barrel and ink tube.

The ball of the ballpoint pen is made from tungsten carbide, a material with strong resistance to deformation. Made possible by mine laborers and mining engineers, the compound is synthesized through the combination of powdery tungsten metal or tungsten oxide with carbon black or graphite. This process occurs at high temperatures between 2600°F to 3600°F in a graphite-lined furnace. The resulting textured tungsten carbide ball features over 50,000 polished surfaces and pits, interconnected by continuous channels throughout the entire sphere. Its perfectly spherical design facilitates grip on most writing surfaces and allows ink to be distributed on both the surface and interior of the ball. At the end of the ink reservoir, the ball acts as a barrier to prevent air from entering and drying out the ink. Physics principles of capillary action are considered to ensure smooth ink flow. The ink reservoir prevents leaks by employing the forces of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension. At the tip of the pen, the tungsten carbide ball is only partially exposed and seated in a socket. The rest remains inside the pen and is continuously bathed in ink from the reservoir. When pressed onto a writing surface, the ball rolls and transfers ink from the interior of the pen to the writing surface.

Brass—an alloy of zinc and copper—was chosen for its corrosion resistance and easy formation to create the spring and ink cartridge. Additionally, aluminum and steel are sometimes employed in crafting the pen body and other components. These materials are sourced through the arduous efforts of miners, chemists, manufacturers, and suppliers.

Manufacturing and mechanical engineers have developed machines and efficient processes to enable the large-scale production of ballpoint pens. The first step is injection molding, where PPC pellets are carefully mixed and distributed into pen molds. The pellets are then melted and injected into the molds through a machine. Initially attached to a plastic framework called a runner, the pen caps, clutches, barrels and more are formed. Once the metal nibs are attached to the plastic barrels, the empty pen casings proceed along an assembly line to be filled. Ink refills are administered through the pen's tip into the ink cartridge then securely closed. The pens undergo rigorous testing, assembly, and inspection before logos are printed. It is worth acknowledging the indispensable contribution of factory workers, often working under challenging conditions and low wages, who make this entire process possible. Finally, the pens are packaged and transported through the dedication of delivery workers, suppliers, and retail personnel.

Like many other industries, ballpoint pens faced significant challenges in production and supply during Covid-19. The pandemic brought labor shortages, temporary and permanent shutdowns of manufacturing units, unstable supply chains, shipping restrictions, and financial turbulence, which have collectively reduced production and distribution numbers of ballpoint pens. Furthermore, the shift towards remote work and virtual learning necessitated by the pandemic resulted in a greater reliance on digital platforms. Meetings, note-taking, and various tasks were increasingly conducted online, prompting a digital transformation in how information was processed and preserved. Many individuals found that digital devices offered enhanced typing speed, autocorrect features, convenience, and other advantages, making them a preferred choice for preserving and sharing information efficiently.

However, as the development of vaccines progressed, restrictions were lifted, and Covid-19 cases gradually declined, the distribution of ballpoint pens resumed much of its wide reach. Ballpoint pens are readily found in numerous stores or delivered directly to homes, schools, offices, and various other locations. These pens continue to maintain their position as a popular writing instrument, with an average of 4.3 pens used per person each year in the United States, solidifying their status as the most widely used writing tool globally.

Ballpoint pens serve a multitude of purposes across different settings. Students rely on them to take notes during classes, ensuring they can capture information quickly and efficiently. Professionals in various fields, such as teachers, office workers, and even the engineers who developed its mechanism, also heavily rely on ballpoint pens in their day-to-day activities. Pens are used to write cheques, sign documents, plan events, and perform countless other writing tasks.

The average ballpoint pen is capable of writing approximately 100 pages of text before it becomes drained and reaches the end of its life. At this point, many people simply discard the pen into the trash can. Retired ballpoint pens often pile up in landfills, where they can take hundreds of years to decompose. PPC, tungsten carbide, and many other materials are non-biodegradable and do not naturally break down over time. This poses an environmental obstacle, because ballpoint pens are at best difficult to recycle and at worst not recyclable at all. Efforts are dedicated from environmental engineers and scientists to find feasible yet innovative solutions, with the goal of redesigning pens in a way that facilitates easy recycling and developing more sustainable materials.

As a disciple, engineering aims to design creative solutions to problems. The contributions of various fields of engineering, including but not limited to chemical, materials, mining, mechanical, manufacturing, and environmental engineering, has revolutionized the ways in which we write and continues to be refined to preserve human knowledge. However, it is crucial to recognize the collective efforts of countless individuals beyond the engineering community, including factory workers, miners, suppliers, retailers, chemists, and many others who play vital roles in the complex supply chain that brings these pens to our hands. Next time when you pick up a pen, take a moment to reflect on its life and cycle and the collaboration between numerous people involved in its creation. From its initial concept to its manufacturing process to its large-scale distribution, the ballpoint pen is a testament to human ingenuity and the contributions of many engineers and individuals working behind the scene.