Correction fluid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Correction fluid is an opaque, white fluid applied to paper to mask errors in text. Once dried, it can be written over. It is typically packaged in small bottles, and the lid has an attached brush (or a triangular piece of foam) which dips into the bottle. The brush is used to apply the fluid onto the paper.
Before the invention of word processors, correction fluid greatly facilitated the production of typewritten documents.
One of the first forms of correction fluid was invented in 1951 by the secretary Bette Nesmith Graham, founder of Liquid Paper (the mother of Michael Nesmith, a member of The Monkees).
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[edit] Thinner
Because it contains organic solvents (volatile organic compounds), unused correction fluid thickens over time due to exposure with the air. It can become too thick to use, and sometimes completely solidifies. Some correction fluid manufacturers also sell bottles of organic solvents as "thinner", a few drops of which will return the correction fluid to its original liquid state.
Bottles of thinner originally contained toluene, which was banned when it was shown to be carcinogenic. Later bottles contained 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, a skin irritant now widely banned under the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, and then the slightly safer trichloroethylene. Thinners currently used with correction fluid include bromopropane.
[edit] Abuse as an inhalant
Organic solvents are psychoactive when deliberately inhaled. Such solvents are common inhalants for adolescents [1] due, in part, to the fact that they are inexpensive in comparison to other recreational drugs. Use of correction fluid as an inhalant can cause the heart to beat rapidly and irregularly, which can cause death. An unpleasant smell is added to some brands in order to deter abusers [2].
[edit] Correction pens
More recently, correction fluid has become available in pen form; the pen is spring loaded and is dabbed onto the paper. The pen form has the advantage that it applies the fluid more evenly and thinly, and does not dry out in the bottle so quickly.
[edit] Famous brands
Correction fluid is commonly referred to by the leading brand names. These brands include:
- Liquid Paper
- Wite-Out
- Tipp-Ex
- White Away
- Twink
Generally, "Liquid Paper" and "Wite-Out" are used in the United States and Australia, while "Tipp-Ex" is used in Europe. Twink is the leading brand, and colloquial term, for correction fluid in New Zealand. In the US, White-Out and in the United Kingdom, Tipp-Ex are used widely as a colloquialism for correction fluid, and is probably the more prevalent term.
Both "original" and "solvent free" varieties of correction fluid are available, along with colored varieties for use on colored paper. The "solvent free" variety has the disadvantages that it takes a long time to dry, and some inks soak through it.
[edit] Trivia
Most correction fluid is inflammable, as demonstrated by the movie Gremlins 2: The New Batch wherein Gizmo makes a bow and flaming arrow out of a paperclip, rubberband, and bottle of Wite-Out.
