eli5: What makes ‘permanent’ markers more permanent than regular markers?
In: Chemistry
Pigments that dissolve in water tend to wash away quickly due to the common availability of water. Even the water in the air causes them to break down and fade.
More permanent inks dissolve in alcohol or acetone, which aren’t in normal air and are harder to come across.
Nothing is truly permanent. The ink in permanent markers is typically not water soluble, and uses alcohol, or an oil based solvent. The ink’s lack of water solubility gives it resistance to wiping away, and thus the desired effect of “permanent”. However, paint markers, or sharpies, or any permanent marker can usually be dissolved using a paint thinner, or even acetone or alcohol may remove them.
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