Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

In exploration, researchers found various ways on how to make Alugbati

ink useful in many ways. The aim of this study is to use the product as an
alternative for the commercialized ink made of chemicals. Through this study,
the said product will be able to be used as ink in different ways such as; ballpen
ink, whiteboard marker, stamp, etc.

Local Literature

Long before, ink is usually made from natural products such as berries,
barks and leaves extract. They have been used for centuries to create
numerous color and when mixed to other substances can be an ink, dye or
paint. Tea leaves have been also used for centuries to make ink because of its
various shade that create yellow, green, brown or black ink. (Lopierre, Lopi. .)

Plants that contain tanning color can be reliable for making ink. For
centuries, galls nestled from oak trees as primary ingredient to make a black ink.
The rich tanning color of dogwood and alder tee also results to natural inks. Galls
and barks achieve more intense, lasting inks than most of the flower-based inks.
Also, Egyptians achieved quality red ink with poppies. (.) According to
Helmenstine, any acidic fruit juice can be used to make an invisible ink when
combined with vinegar to make the ink last longer. (.)
Robbins (2010) described marker pens as pens which have their own ink source
and usually has a tip made of absorbent and pressed fiber and was first created
by Sidney Rosenthal in 1952. This marker pen had been one of the commonly
used writing instruments for about fifty years.

Ink, according to Encyclopedia.com (2011), is a combination of a coloring

agent, pigment and a liquid containing oils, resins and chemical solvents. In the
past, ink was fashioned from different colored juices, plant and animal extracts.
But today, synthetic materials are used in adition to these natural ingredients to
improve the quality of ink making; however, ink must have two basic
components: the pigment coloring and the vehicle, a liquid which allow the ink
to be dispersed. In addition, according to the article found in the Student’s
Encyclopedia, “The ink should make a clear permanent mark that when dry
does not fade from exposure to light or run from exposure to moisture. It should
flow freely and dry quickly when written in a surface and it must contain nothing
that might damage either the pen or the paper.” Neumman’s an Schluttig’s
definition of ink as cited in Lindquist, clearly stated the properties of ink that
would be helpful in having a good quality ink. The ink must be clear, filterable
solution but not a suspension, should flow easily from the pen and should not
spread on paper. Since the ink is natural, no mold must be seen on the solution
and has no pronounced unpleasant odor.
Likewise, it must have an intense color which does not become paler nor bleach
out entirely as it is used in writing. Furthermore, Lindquist added that every good
ink, whether writing, or combined writing and copying, should have qualities
that give writing that, after drying for eight days, is not removed by water or
alcohol – even by treatment for days – to such an extent that it becomes
illegible. (Lindquist, Evan. Old Ink.n.d..)

Foreign Literature (Commercialized Ink Ingredients)

There are probably as many different definitions of ink as there are types.
Perhaps the simplest description is that ink is a liquid or semi-liquid material used
for writing, printing or drawing. Chemists view it as a colloidal system of fine
pigment particles dispersed in a solvent (Chem. Br., February 2003, p28). The
pigment may or may not be coloured, and the solvent may be aqueous or
organic.

The earliest black writing inks, developed before 2500BC, were suspensions of
carbon, usually lampblack, in water stabilised with a natural gum or materials
like egg albumen. Modern ink formulations are rather more complex. In addition
to the pigment, they contain many other ingredients in varying levels.
Collectively known as ’vehicle’, these additional ingredients include pH
modifiers, humectants to retard premature drying, polymeric resins to impart
binding and allied properties, defoamer/antifoaming agents to regulate foam
efficiency, wetting agents such as surfactants to control surface properties,
biocides to inhibit the fungal and bacterial growth that lead to fouling, and
thickeners or rheology modifiers to control ink application.

Over 90 per cent of inks are printing inks, in which colour is imparted by pigments
rather than the dyes used in writing inks. Pigments are insoluble, whereas dyes
are soluble, though sometimes these terms are used interchangeably in
commercial literature. Ink pigments are both inorganic and organic. Most red
writing inks are a dilute solution of the red dye eosin. Blue colour can be
obtained with substituted triphenylmethane dyes. Many permanent writing inks
contain iron sulfate and gallic and tannic acids as well as dyes. Ballpoint ink is
usually a paste containing 40 to 50 per cent dye.

Most white inks contain titanium dioxide as the pigment, as rutile and anatase in
tetragonal crystalline form. However, growing concerns over the known toxicity
of heavy metals have led to the replacement of many inorganic pigments such
as chrome yellow, molybdenum orange and cadmium red with organic
pigments, which offer better light fastness and reduced toxicity. Furthermore,
carbon black now replaces spinel black, rutile black and iron black in nearly all
black inks. In fact the ink industry is the second largest consumer of carbon
black.
Other inorganic materials such as clays serve as fillers or extenders, which
primarily reduces the cost of pigments, though some also improve ink properties.
Metallic pigments like aluminium powder (aluminium bronze) and copper-zinc
alloy powder (gold bronze) are used in novel silver and gold inks. Miscellaneous
inorganic pigments provide luminescent and pearlescent effects.

Changes in ink chemistry over the years closely reflect developments in the
instruments for ink coating: the pen and the printing machine. The ballpoint pen,
the felt-tip marker, and the fibre-tip pen have led to inks containing solutions of
dyes in water or organic solvents such as propylene glycol, propyl alcohol,
toluene or glyco-ethers. Other ingredients like resins, preservatives and wetting
agents are also added.

Similarly, the composition of printing inks depends on the type of printing process
- specifically, how the ink-distribution rollers are arranged in the printing press.
The major classes of printing processes are lithography or the offset process,
flexography, gravure printing, screen printing, letter press and digital printing.
 I nk, as scientists view it, is a colloidal system of fine
pigment particles dispersed in a solvent. There are different types of inks,
ranging from invisible inks, typewriter ribbon inks, printing inks, fountain pen inks,
India ink, ballpoint pen inks, and more (Stinky ink shop, 2012). Composition
and consistency of inks are varied according to their specific use (Ezine
Articles, 2012). Inks are complex mixtures of colorants, vehicles, and additives,
which are adjusted in composition to produce the preferred writing
characteristics (Hunger, 2003). Vehicles or carriers are usually solvents that allow
the ink to flow and bring t h e c o l o r a n t t o t h e s u r f a c e . I t a l s o s u p p l i e s
t h e i n k ’ s c o h e s i v e a n d a d h e s i v e properties (ATS Rheo Systems, 2011). In
this research, water was used as the vehicle or carrier of the ink. Additives serve
as flow [viscosity] modifiers, surface activators, corrosion controllers,
solubility enhancers, and preservatives (Brunelle et. al., 1993). I t
stabilizes the ink and provides its desired characteristics. Proportions
change depending on the medium that the ink is being made for pens,
printing presses, or printers (How StuffsWorks, 1998-2012). The additives used in
this research are Gum Arabic, Carbolic Acid, and Ferrous Sulfate. Gum Arabic
is a type of gum that comes from the hardened sap of the Acacia Senegal
and the Acacia Seyal trees. Also called chaar gund, gum acacia, meska,
or char gund, this natural gum is usually free of4color, odor, and taste. It
can be in the form of powder, syrup, oil, chunks or pellets. It is considered a vital
component in traditional lithography, particularly when used in paints, inks,
glues, and printing. It is sometimes used to control viscosity (Wise Geek,2003 -
2012). One gram of Gum Arabic dissolves in 2 ml of water forming a solution
which flows readily, acid to litmus and insoluble in ethanol (FAO, 2012).
However, too much Gum Arabic will cause the dried ink to become inflexible,
and it can crack and flake off the surface (Karnes, 1998). Meanwhile,
Carbolic Acid, C6H5OH, or C6H6O,—also known by the names Phenyl
Alcohol, Phenic Acid and Phenol, is obtained by fractional distillation and
subsequently purified (Rootsweb, 2003). It was first used to clean and dress
wounds by a surgeon named Joseph Lister.

According to Glorex_Einstein about year 2008, suggests that Alugbati

stems as a skin moisturizer. To produce an effective product to the
population of the people who has skin problems. Written by Ferdinand
Mortel, shows that the Alugbati seed can be extracted as Organic Stain for
Hematologic Blood Smear. The blood cells can be stained by the extracted
dye coming from fruit of Basella rubra. Stated by Kathrina about year
2009,proposes the Feasibility of Alugbati (Basella Rubra Linn) Fruit Ex tract as
biological Stain. The Alugbati stain is feasible and it is comparable to the
commercial stain in terms of clearness but its permanence did not last
longer. Based on Maricar Daling about year 2009, it illustrates the feasibility of
Alugbati seed as Food coloring. As based on the results the Alugbati seed
can be made into a food coloring and can be a potential source of food
coloring production. Established by Nildo Olivera about year 2012, it states
that Colored Ink for Computer Printer out of Malabar nightshade extract.
Alugbati berries can be extracted to produce colored ink for computer
printer.
Bensurto about year 2008, suggested that alugbati seed can be extract as
fabric dye and it can be potential source of fabric dye. The dye can
produced from Alugbati berries.According to Riezen about year 2011,
proposeMalabar Night Shade or Alugbati for Abscess and Furuncle (Naknak
at Pigsa).Alugbati is also best in healing Abscess and Furuncle. Based on All
About Alugbati about year 2014, it unvocates that Alugbati can heal
Diabetes. The studies that show that as an antioxidant, action of B. rubra in
alugbati showed potential ability to reduce blood sugar levels. The positive
results however only applies to rats and has not been confirmed or validated
if the same effect happens to diabetic humans.

Sources:
Commercialized Inks
-https://sciencing.com/chemical-composition-pen-ink-17194.html

-https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/ink-chemistry/3002158.article

Natural Ink (Alugbati Ink)

-https://www.coursehero.com/file/pjojvr/Alugbati-on-the-other-hand-is-native-
to-Asia-and-East-Indies-including-
the/https://www.academia.edu/15111945/Alugbati_as_Ink
https://academia.edu/22466483/Plants_Extract_as_an_Alternative_Ink_for_Mark
ers