What makes the eraser erase? The erasing properties of an eraser depend on its composition. Therefore, first we will look at what the well-known eraser is made of, and then we will answer the question posed.
The classic eraser consists of synthetic rubber, to which a hardener (sulfur) is added, vulcanized vegetable oil, calcium carbonate, dyes, fillers, catalysts. If the eraser is gray or blue, then an abrasive material is added to it - pumice. This enhances the erasing properties, making it harder and rougher so that the eraser can erase the ink. The mass is mixed on special heated drums. Then the rubber cools, is cut into sheets and dried in a drying press. Thanks to the press, the rubber is compacted and dried at high temperature. Next it is immersed in cold water to slow down the hardening process. Then the rubber sheets are cut and the erasers take the desired shape. Then they are poured into a drum and talc is added to prevent the rubber from sticking together. The rotating drum mixes the erasers for a long time. As the erasers rub against each other, their edges become smooth and rounded. This is how the eraser takes on a familiar look to everyone.
But how does an eraser erase pencil lines? Speaking in simple language, the pencil graphite on the paper sticks to the rubber. In the process of rubbing against the paper, the dirty surface of the eraser crumbles. This way the rubber cleans itself. This happens thanks to the oil that is part of the eraser. It makes the rubber loose and capable of crumbling. If the eraser didn't crumble, it would stain the paper. Therefore, this is an important property of an eraser.
If the eraser is blue or gray, then the abrasive added to it removes the surface layer of paper fibers, and with it the ink. Thus, the blue type of eraser is more suitable for erasing ballpoint pen paste or ink. But it will not completely remove such lines. To do this you need to use other methods. The classic white (red) eraser is softer than the gray (blue) eraser. Therefore, it is designed for erasing such graphic materials as pencil, charcoal, sanguine, sauce, dry pastel. A white eraser (or red) does not remove paper fibers because no abrasive is added to it. Therefore, the eraser does not damage the paper. Therefore, it is well suited for correcting drawings. In addition to the types of erasers described above, there is also an eraser called a “klyachka”. It is so soft and flexible that it resembles bread crumb. The nag seems to “impregnate” the graphite. This type of eraser is most often not used to rub on paper. It is applied to paper and the pencil lines become lighter.
As you can see, a stationery eraser is not just rubber. This is a tool that has a special composition and different properties. Therefore, when you once again pick up a regular eraser, remember what a difficult path it went through in the production process and how difficult it would be to do without it in your work.
An eraser is a small thing, but in drawing a good eraser is very important! Through trial and error, we found good erasers - I’m posting photos.
These erasers erase really well and do not stain the paper.
Good erasers. They do not damage the paper even with repeated erasing.
The photo shows the following erasers:
Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers provide soft, easy erasing.
They erase not due to friction, like ordinary rubber erasers, but due to the presence of a special solvent in the microcapsules. They do not damage the paper even with repeated erasing. Indeed, they do not form a pellet on paper.
Eraser size 43x17.5x11.5 mm.
Manufacturer: Pentel
Hi-Polymer Erasers and others, in packages, pictured next to the 18 cm doll.
Pentel Hi-Polymer Eraser Ain high-polymer erasers provide ideal erasing due to the presence of a special solvent in the microcapsules. Ideally erases marks from stylus, barcodes, stickers. Collect garbage into a single crumb!
Eraser size 65x13.6x13.6 mm.
For erasing polymer and graphite pencil lines from all types of surfaces. The flexible white plastic eraser contains no abrasives so ink lines are not damaged. Graphite and dirt particles coagulate into washable dust. The surface with erased inscriptions remains clean, without stains or marks. Dust is easily brushed off the application surface.
Some erasers are in cardboard holders, some are not. It is more convenient to use without a holder.
The eraser easily erases black lead and colored pencil without leaving a mark. The surface on which the pencil is applied always remains clean due to the use of additives that capture dirt and the absence of harsh abrasives.
Size: 50x23.5x9.5 mm. A soft and also very good eraser - it erases perfectly and does not stain the paper.
Manufacturer: Factis.
Series: Erasers.
Folder with files for drawings
In the photo there is a folder with files - 100 pieces under one cover, very convenient for storing drawings. We simply insert the drawings into the files - we get an album.
There are a lot of such folders, you can choose with the required number of files, .
File folder, A4, for 100 files, next to the 18 cm doll.
The files are completely transparent - it is very convenient to store drawings.
Notebook with robots
An ordinary notebook with an unusual cover.
The notebook attracted me with its cover; one of the favorite themes for boys is Transformers. The picture may differ from the sample in the store (labyrinth), but all of them are with different transforming robots.
Cover thick, paper good quality, does not shine through. Ideal for school.
Stickers Cats and dogs
Another very necessary purchase for school is stickers. They decorate notebooks and diaries, textbook covers, design drawings, simply change with each other, etc.
Let's start with the fact that erasers, aka erasers, aka erasers, are made from different materials. They are made from natural or artificial rubber and plastic or synthetics.
In general, the pencil appeared earlier than the eraser. And before the discovery of America and the subsequent discovery of rubber, which later began to be used in the most different industries, bread crumb was used to erase graphite from paper in Europe.
In 1736, the French traveler and explorer Charles Marie de la Condamine brought from South America rubber, which in those days was called "Indian rubber". The first mention of the use of rubber to erase lines left by an ordinary black graphite pencil appears already in 1770.
Alas, pure rubber did not last long and deteriorated quite quickly. The solution was found in 1839, when Charles Goodyear discovered the process of rubber vulcanization - a reaction in which rubber molecules are “stitched” into a single network. And the first person who thought of attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil was the American Hyman Lipman, and this happened in 1858.
Rubber erasers
They are usually designed to remove lines left by black graphite or colored pencils and to remove ink lines.
The former should be soft and crumbly so that small fragments of the eraser come off as you erase. Thanks to these properties of the eraser, its erasing surface is constantly replaced and updated. Since small fragments of the eraser have an adhesive structure, they easily “stick” to the particles of lead forming the line and remove them from work surface.
If the eraser is correctly matched to the paper and lead used, then the working surface remains without or with minimal damage.
The latter must mechanically remove colored paper fibers. It is for this reason that such erasers contain a large number of abrasive additives and be hard. These erasers must be washed carefully to avoid severe damage to the working surface. All rubber erasers become harder over time. The more the eraser is left outdoors or in the sun, the faster this happens.
Synthetic erasers
Sometimes called “plastic”, they are made of soft materials that contain the least amount of abrasives. Often during the manufacturing process of this type of eraser, additional softeners are added to increase elasticity.
These erasers can erase pencils and colored pencils from paper, tracing paper, and drawing film. When using synthetic erasers, wide, long pieces come off. This means that fewer strokes are required to remove lines from the surface, and the particles themselves are easily brushed off the work surface. Some vinyl erasers have special solvents added to remove ink lines.
How to choose the best
It all depends on which pencil we erase. If it is simple black graphite, then you need to take into account its hardness/softness. Colored pencils are more difficult to erase because the lead contains fats and waxes that penetrate deep into the fibers of the paper. Therefore, to erase colored pencils, it is better to take harder erasers.
If you are going to erase ink, take an even harder eraser, but be careful: along with the ink, with strong friction, you can also remove a layer of paper, severely damaging the surface.
In addition, we must remember that old erasers erase much worse than new ones: the material crumbles worse, the erasing surface ceases to clean itself, and unsightly slate stains remain on the paper.
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Today we will talk about the eraser. When I was in school, it was difficult to get a good eraser. In the store, the seller gave us a box of erasers, and we stood and bent them until we found the softest ones - and bought them. Artists soaked erasers in kerosene before using them. So what has changed since then? Let's try to figure it out.
According to the encyclopedic dictionary, an eraser is a piece of specially treated rubber for erasing what has been written. Of course, an eraser is a stationery item. It is rightfully classified as a stationery product, since there is an eraser in almost every workplace and certainly in every schoolchild’s backpack. IN Ancient Rome They used planks coated with wax. They wrote on them with the sharp end of a drop-shaped stylus, and erased the writing with its blunt, rounded end.
Today, erasers are used to erase pencil notes. different forms, rigidity and quality. It is better to choose erasers not according to appearance. Most often, colored erasers do not erase, but smear the pencil, leaving dirty marks on the paper. It is best to choose the best soft, white or light erasers. gray. Do not forget to clean the eraser on a hard surface, then they will erase better and not leave marks. The main producers of cheap and lower quality erasers are the countries of Southeast Asia, China and Turkey. More expensive and high-quality products are supplied by European companies (Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Czech Republic), as well as South Korean ones (such stationery is cheaper than European ones, but of sufficient quality).
Erasers are made from natural, artificial rubber, plastic (or synthetics).
The choice of eraser depends on what we will erase (black lead pencil, colored pencil or ink) and on the quality of the paper.
Erasers designed for erasing black lead pencil must have good adsorbing properties, must be very soft and crumbly, since small particles of the eraser must separate during the erasing process. Thanks to this, the eraser always erases on a clean, “fresh” surface. The small pieces of the eraser are slightly sticky and therefore they easily catch the pieces of lead. The choice of eraser also depends on the hardness of the black lead pencil.
Colour pencils It is more difficult to erase than black-graphite ones, because the fats and waxes contained in the pencil lead penetrate deep into the fibers of the paper. For this reason, it is better to use harder erasers that have abrasive properties.
Erasers for erasing ink should remove ink stained paper fibers. For this reason, erasers contain large quantity particles (for example, pumice) that affect the quality of friction and are therefore harder. These erasers must be used very carefully, as rubbing too hard can damage the surface. And low-quality thin paper may tear.
Major eraser manufacturers:
"Koh-1-Noor" (Czech Republic)
"Factis" (Spain)
Swan Stabilo (Germany)
Faber Castell (Germany)
Natural rubber erasers flexible and plastic, have abrasive properties, i.e. erased by removing the surface layer, therefore they are used for erasing from thick paper and whatman paper. It is better to use for erasing black-graphite, colored pencils and ballpoint pens.
Artificial rubber erasers soft, easy to break and crumble. They significantly reduce the abrasive effect during use and have good adsorbing (absorbing) ability. Suitable for use on any paper of varying density, and can be washed repeatedly in the same place without fear of damaging the surface being erased.
Rubber erasers Over time they dry out and become crusty. This process is accelerated if erasers are stored incorrectly.
It is better to use black graphite pencils for erasing.
Plastic erasers or synthetic, made from soft vinyl, which contains very few particles responsible for the quality of friction. They are often replaced with softeners that increase elasticity. Plastic erasers have good adsorbing ability and do not damage the surface being erased. These erasers are designed for erasing thin paper, film and tracing paper. And when using them, less static electricity is generated, which reduces the likelihood of removed particles being reattached.
Vinyl erasers, containing softeners may transfer some of the softening agent to other synthetic materials upon direct contact with them. To prevent this, vinyl erasers are sold wrapped in special cardboard strips. Unlike rubber erasers, vinyl erasers do not deteriorate over time and therefore last much longer.
I hope that my advice will be useful to you and that you will find an eraser that will serve you for a long time.
Erasers are one of the compulsory subjects when drawing, sketching in study and creativity. Younger schoolchildren often focus on the attractiveness of the product when choosing - fortunately, the modern variety of assortments allows you to choose eraser interesting shapes, colors, with the image of your favorite character for every taste. Those who are older try, in addition to the aesthetic qualities, to evaluate the practicality of the eraser - experience shows that often colored and too hard copies do not cope with their task, only smearing the pencil mark when erasing and leaving colored, untidy spots.
Types of erasers
Erasers are produced not only in Russia; on store shelves you can find the following products:
- economy class, usually produced in Asian countries, China, Turkey;
- middle segment from South Korea;
- traditionally more expensive and high quality, produced in Europe - Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, France.
The most famous manufacturers, with impeccably high-quality products, which are always chosen by experienced and novice artists, draftsmen, and architects, are Koh-1-Noor (Czech Republic), Factis (Spain), Faber Castell and Swan Stabilo (Germany).
The quality characteristics of the eraser are largely determined by the properties of the materials used in its manufacture. Currently, it can be plastic (vinyl), natural and artificial rubber.
Criterias of choice
The ideal eraser should be flexible, not too soft, and not too crumbly when erased. When choosing plastic, you have to rely on visual inspection - it’s rare that a seller will allow you to test the eraser in action before purchasing or allow it to be checked for elasticity, crumpled and crumbled, because these procedures “suffer” the presentation. Professionals advise considering it as optimal option products of light, neutral colors - too bright, with the obvious use of dyes, will inevitably stain the paper when erased.
Universal erasers, for effective removal It will not be possible to pick up traces of ordinary, “simple” or colored pencils, ink pens:
- Black graphite pencils are easier to erase from paper using soft erasers.
- Traces of colored pencils can be removed with harder and more flexible erasers with moderate abrasive properties.
- Ink can only be erased from sufficiently thick and smooth paper, carefully removing the top layer of its surface along with the part of the design being removed. Only a very hard eraser with particles of abrasive substances can cope with this task, which is often “cut” at a certain angle for better efficiency.
It is advisable to choose erasers made from natural rubber to solve the last two problems - they perfectly erase traces of colored pencils and ink.
Rubber bands made of artificial rubber are the softest, crumble in the process, and are more pleasant to work with when drawing with a black graphite pencil on paper of any thickness.
Vinyl and plastic erasers may have various properties, be softer and harder, depending on the use of various additives in manufacturing. Unlike rubber ones, they are more durable.