ST.

PAUL COLLEGE OF MAKATI

D. M. Rivera St., Poblacion, Makati City

A Quantitative Analysis on the Effectiveness

of Tea as an Alternative Ink to
Carbon Black

SCIENCE INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements
for Science 9

Submitted to:

Submitted by:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 To their parents, who supported the researchers and helped them in gathering

materials that made this SIP successful.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEGEMENT…………………………………………………………………..i

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………...iii

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES………………………………………………….….iv

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM……………………………………………………...1

HYPOTHESIS…………………………………………………………………………….2

SCOPE AND LIMITATION……………………………………………………………...3

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE………………………………………………...5

METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………..…..11

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS…………………………………………….…………12

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………..……14

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………..15

APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………...17

APPROVAL……………………………………………………………………………..21

APPROVAL

Research Adviser
 ABSTRACT

The research sought to investigate if tea can be used as ink. It aims to create ink

that is resourceful, easy to find and create, and environmental friendly. Its main purpose is

to reduce the amount of carbon black that is often used in making ink that is used in our

daily life through the usage of objects such as pens and printers.

The research followed a qualitative methodological approach specifically using the

descriptive method. St. Paul College of Makati was selected as the research local where

the experimentation was conducted. Different instruments were used in order to get better

results such as vinegar and dissolved cornstarch. The researchers, given various

experimental set-ups, had discovered that the consistency will vary according to the

dissolved cornstarch used, while the pigmentation will vary according to the vinegar used.

The researchers also discovered that the color will vary according to the kind of tea used.

Therefore, the researchers concluded that using tea as ink is possible, effective, and

could help solve multiple problems caused by ink. It may be a lengthy process and may
seem inconvenient but the results compared to the original ink are very similar. It will also

have good effects for the environment, making it more efficient to use.

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

FIGURES:

(fig 1.1) - 7 Tea Bags per Kind

(fig 1.2) - Tea Bags with 1 cup of water
(fig 1.3) - Different Kinds of Tea Bags
(fig 2. 1) – swatch A
(fig 2.2) – swatch B

TABLES:

(table 1.1) - Results

(table 1.2) - Materials

(table 1.3) – Time Table

(table 1.4) – Budget

(table 2.1) – Investigation period

 INTRODUCTION

Tea is a something often seen. It is commonly found in most households. It is

known to be a very diverse product especially for the health status of the people. It can be

drank to make us feel better, heal sickness, soothe throats and relieve our bodies from stress

and anxiety. According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, the British drink 165

million cups daily. On the other hand, Americans consume 1.42 million pounds of tea

(Tea Association of the USA, 2017). Tea is made from the Tea plant or shrub also known

as Camellia Sinesis. It is packed in bags that are seen in the packages of the tea you can

see in homes. That color is created by a pigment known as theaflavin. According to

[Link], theaflavin are antioxidant polyphenols that are formed from the

condensation of flavan-3-ols in tea leaves. It is a reddish brown pigment that serve different

uses. This research will use the pigment of the theaflavin as a pigment to the ink that the

researchers will create. The researchers will be brewing tea in order to get the color and

see if it is possible to tea as ink. This is to see if there is an alternative to carbon black

which is commonly used in ink and to find other purposes to the ink.
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research attempts to make ink out of tea and determine its factors such as

different types of teas and teabags, amount of additives or ingredients and the effects of

these factors to the ink. The researchers would be going to sought an answer to the

following research problems:

1. Does different types of teas and tea bags affect the color and texture of the ink?

2. Does the amount of additives or ingredients affect the pigmentation and consistency

of the ink?

3. Is tea bag extract used as an ink a better alternative to commercialized ink?

 HYPOTHESIS

The trait of the ink made from tea will vary on the factors considered. The

researchers, with various experimental set-ups, will consider factors such as the kind of

tea, the type of tea, the amount of vinegar and dissolved cornstarch used to determine the

product or the ink’s traits.

The researchers formulated these null hypotheses, for this science investigatory

project, to support this experimental study:

 Ho1 – The kind of tea used does not affect the color of the ink.

 Ho2 – The type of tea bag used does not affect the texture of the ink.

 Ho3 – The amount of vinegar used does affect the pigmentation of the ink.

 Ho4 – The amount of dissolved cornstarch used does not affect the

consistently.
 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The research study covers the uses of tea as ink. Tea bags are commonly created

from filter paper which helps extracts its flavor and color from the tea leaves. The research

will use the pigment of the theaflavin as a pigment to the ink that we will create. This is to

see if there is an alternative to carbon black which is commonly in ink and to find other

purposes for ink such as ink used in pens and in paint. It does not cover all the possible

uses of tea nor the uses of the final ink. It will not cover how tea can be used for cleaning,

medical needs, gardening, etc. Its only scope is the tea’s possibility to be used as an

alternative to ink. In addition, it will not cover all the uses of theaflavin such as its

antioxidant purpose, medical uses, and oral cavity effects. It will only focus on the pigment

it gives off and how it can be turned into ink.

The researchers will be using a qualitative method. With this type of method, the

researchers will be conducting experiments where they would obtain the final results. With

that, the results of the research are limited to the tea itself. Since it is based on tea, the

researchers will not use different substances that have pigment to create the ink. The

research is also limited to the materials available to be used.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Related Literature

The World Wide School (1999) explained the origin and history of ink, this history

of Chinese inks can be traced back to the 18th century BC, with the utilization of natural

plant dyes, animal, and mineral inks based on such materials as graphite that were ground

with water and applied with ink brushes. The India ink used in ancient India since at least

the4ath century BC was called masi, and was made of burnt bones, tar, pitch, and other

substances applied with sharp pointed needle. Saffron is well know as the source of a truly

brilliant if rather fugitive yellow and there is evidence of it’s use, both as a colorant and

medicine, in the Greek and Persian civilizations of the same period. 10. Indian skill in

vegetable dyeing and painting reached high point in the two centuries from 1600 to 1800

AD, when the painting and resist dyeing of cotton cloth known to us as Chintz became the

basis of the largest trade in textiles that the world had ever seen. The Strasbourg manuscript

of an earlier period, also describes the use of a whole range of plants used in the

manufacture of inks and water-colours. Later we see developments in vegetable block-

printing inks in 17th and 18th century Japan where it is interesting to note that some colours

were actually leached from previously dyed cloth. Early historical accounts of tea are

unclear, for the Chinese character for tea had not been standardized, and several other

Chinese characters appear in books referring very likely to the same plant, Camellia
Sinensis, what we now call tea. 11. Tea dyeing is an easy way to mute fabrics or give them

an older, antiqued look. Tea stains the fibers and gives a semi-permanent dull brown “dirty”

tone to the whole piece. It is used when you want to “antique” a craft textile such as a doll

dress or small quilt. Griffiths uses the medium of tea and ink (sometimes graphite, vodka,

whiskey, and others) to create the pieces. Tea and ink as a medium has become a trademark

for Griffiths in the art world.

In this literature, the researchers learned the history of tea and how civilizations

used it for dyeing. Civilizations also used different natural resources to apply it to

their ink brushes. They might have used tea, but they mainly used it on clothing to

make it look antiqued. This is why the researches took this idea to make tea for

writing.

According to Naghma Khan and Hasan Mukthar (2013), tea, next to water is the

cheapest beverage humans consume. Drinking the beverage tea has been considered a

health-promoting habit since ancient times. The modern medicinal research is providing a

scientific basis for this belief. The evidence supporting the health benefits of tea drinking

grows stronger with each new study that is published in the scientific literature. Various

studies have reported beneficial effects of regular tea consumption against squamous cell

carcinoma of the skin. It also reduces the risk of other developing chronic diseases such as

cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and diabetes.

 This literature made the researches believe that tea is one of the best alternatives to

commercialized inks. It shows that tea can also be used against chronic diseases and used

to benefit the skin.

Related Studies (Local)

The researchers in St. Mary’s Academy of Talisayan, Misamis Oriental (2016)

stated that, markers play an important role in writing and in artworks in different ways.

Markers are valuable and productive to create various writings on objects with enormous

creative and practical possibilities. Aside from its use in writing, it is also used in labeling,

poster creation and calligraphy. It is also important to the students considering the

advantages of technology. It helps them to do their reports and present it as though power

service interruption occurs. With infinite use of markers, many did not know that markers

have limitations. Usually, it is a problem for students, artists and calligraphers to supply

ink for the markers they are using. Typically, the inks used in most markers are made from

synthetic materials like the petroleum and chemical solvents. These kinds of materials are

hazardous especially to the health of the users and to the environment as well. The creation

of ink with alternative ingredient is a demand for the students’ artists, calligraphers as well

as for the people. The researcher thinks that mayana and alugbati have great potentials in

having an alternative marker ink due to its advantages. The researcher decided to test its

effectiveness as an ingredient for marker ink.

 They used plant extracts as an alternative ink for markers and shows similarity with

making ink out of tea as replacement for commercialized inks. The similarities

includes the target audience and purpose which the researchers can use as basis.

A study conducted by Russen Charlotte (2012) states that, tea bags can be used to

create an ink. Vinegar can strengthen the color of the product, ink. Cornstarch effectively

contributes to achieving to the right consistency of the ink. The processes boiling and

straining are efficient in taking the extract out of the tea bags.

Russen’s study showed different ingredients that makes ink out of tea better and

more efficient. The researchers have applied this and saw the effects on the ink.

The vinegar did strengthen the ink’s color. The cornstarch also help to achieve the

ink’s correct consistency. This study was helpful for it made the ink more visible

and last longer.

In the study of Geberlyn (2012) it states that, these other manufactured inks

nowadays come quite expensive prices, but since the materials to be used in the project are

common and easy to find, you will be spending less money. In addition, no harmful

chemicals will be used in the making of the ink. Therefore, it is non-toxic compared to

commercially sold inks which have the tendencies of causing harm to one’s health and to

the environment.
 Geberlyn explained how tea is a good alternative to the manufactured inks. It states

that ink is cheap and can be easily found. It also states that tea is safer than

manufactured ink when it comes to the health of the users and the surrounding

environment. This made tbe researchers convinced that tea is one of the best

alternatives for manufactured ink. The researchers believe that the best alternatives

would be the cheapest, safest and have decent quality.

In the study of Lopierre, Lopi (2011), it showed the existence of ink made from

natural products in the past, 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

colors 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 shades that create yellow,

green, brown or black ink.

This is another study to prove that tea can be used as an ink. It was also stated that

tea leaves can have various shades of color which can be useful to the research.

Different shades of color would be important for students now a days does not only

use black pen, but other various colors too. The researchers also believe that it

would help different artists. This could make artists have unique artworks for using

tea as their writing tool.

Related Studies (Foreign)

 In the study of Kathy Miller (n.d.), when a pen runs out of ink, people tend to simply

throw the used pen away and buy a new one. It is a cheap and convenient way to refurbish

your stock of writing utensils, so this is what most people do. However, an alternative to

throwing away your empty pens is to refill the ink cartridges, rather than creating plastic

waste from unwanted pens. You can make your own, environmentally friendly ink at home

through the use of various common household items. It is possible to make pen ink from

home ingredients. First, pour one-half cup of ripe berries into a strainer. Types of usable

berries include blueberries, blackberries, cherries and raspberries. Second, hold the strainer

over a bowl or container. Smash the berries against the strainer using a wooden spoon or

similar utensil. Continue to pummel the berries until the juices have been strained out and

only the solid remains are left. Afterwards, add one-half teaspoon of vinegar and one-half

teaspoon of salt into the liquid. These will help preserve the color and freshness of the ink.

Finally, extract small amounts of ink from the bowl using a pipette or syringe. Release the

ink into an empty ball pen cartridge. Repeat until the cartridge is full, then replace the

cartridge in the ball pen.

Kathy M. shows a step-by-step process on how to make an alternative ink using

berries and how to apply it on ball pens. This is very helpful for it will reduce plastic

wastes and it shows how we can reuse these plastic wastes as our tool to write with

the ink out of tea.

In the study of Patricia Lehnhardt (2015) she stated that, in the recipes, we’re producing

only a small amount of ink—about 3 or 4 ounces—so it doesn’t take a lot of plant material
or time, leaving you room to experiment with a lot of different colors. Then you can mix

the inks to produce even more colors. You will need only a few specialty items from the

craft store or dye supplier to make the inks last longer and not fade quickly:

Mordant: Some natural dyes, including black walnuts, onion skins, tea or turmeric, are

called substantive, meaning they don’t require a mordant to bind with the fibers or retain

wash and light fastness. However, most other plants do. Mordants are generally tannins

or mineral salts. The most common and safest mordants are alum and iron. Iron can be

obtained by boiling the dye in an iron skillet or adding a rusty piece of iron to the pot.

Soda ash is also known as washing soda or sodium carbonate. It is an alkaline mordant

and will bring out different colors from the plant material.

This study states that specialty items from craft stores and dye suppliers

can make ink last longer and not fade quicker which is crucial for the

research. It also states that mixing inks would produce more colors which

is also important when making variety of ink made from tea. It was

mentioned that tea does not need mordant for it to bind with fiber which

makes fiber a great paper for the ink.

 METHODOLOGY

A. MATERIALS

For the experiment in this investigatory project, the researchers used

different varieties of tea namely: Stevia tea, English breakfast tea, Biguerlai Tea,

Ginger Tea, Green Tea, and Turmeric Tea. Vinegar and dissolved cornstarch were

also used to determine the pigmentation and consistency of the ink.

B. PROCEDURE

PREPARATION:

Prepare the materials needed for the experiment such as the tea, bowls,

vinegar, dissolved cornstarch and water. Label the bowls for each designated kind

of tea in order to avoid any mix up. Make sure that you have already boiled some

water for brewing the tea.

BREWING:

Place 7 teabags in 1 cup of boiling water. Brew the tea for 6-8 minutes.

Remove the tea bags from the water. Use a strainer and a fork to remove all the
 extracts. Make sure to squeeze out any remaining tea from the bags. While stirring

the tea, add a tablespoon of vinegar for the pigmentation. Continue to stir it. Add

atleast 1 tablespoon of dissolved cornstarch for the consistency. Add more

cornstarch if necessary in order to get your desired consistency. Remove it from the

heat and let it cool. When done, store it in a container and prepare for testing.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

After the experiment was conducted, the researchers discovered multiple things

about the tea and how it would work as an ink. Adding more water to the tea lessens the

pigment of the ink. The more watery it gets, the less pigment and color can be seen on

paper. The vinegar does help with this, but a lot has to be added in order to get a more

pigmented color. The dissolved cornstarch really does help with the consistency of the ink

and helps it become more thicker rather than being watery.

During the making of the tea, the researcher noticed that the color of the tea changed

once the cornstarch was added. The following are the changes of color because of the

incorporated cornstarch in the mixture:

Type of tea Without the presence of cornstarch With incorporation of

cornstarch in the mixture

Stevia Tea Green Light yellow

English Breakfast Tea Reddish brown Dark dirty yellow

Biguerlai Tea Dark brown Neon yellow

 Ginger Tea Yellowish light brown Dark dusty yellow-green

Green Tea Dark green Yellow with green undertone

Turmeric Tea Yellow Light bright yellow

(table 1.1)

Through research, the researchers believe that the pigment coming from the cornstarch

is from the starch present in it. Starch is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of a large

number of glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. The starch appears as a white color

which can be clearly seen in cornstarch. The reaction of the starch to the tea may have

cause it to change color just like how it changes the consistency.

 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

After the research was conducted, the researchers have concluded that tea is a

possible alternative to ink. It is more resourceful and environmental friendly. The results

do vary in the kind of ink and the ingredients used in the ink. The process may be lengthy

compared to just buying regular ink but it is more helpful to the environment. It also isn’t

very hard to do so it is easy to conduct it in your own homes with the right materials, precise

measurements and accurate step by step process. In the end, the pigment of the ink

depended on the color after the vinegar and cornstarch were added.

The researchers did notice that there are things to improve that could have been

changed in order to get better results. One of those, is adding less water so it would not be

as watery as it ended to be. Also, making sure that each tea got the precise measurement

and not one has less or more is also significant.

Recommendations the researchers could relay to other researchers, who would be

replicating this study, is to use less water, have precise measurement, and use other kinds

of tea that were not used in the past researches. The researchers recommend this
investigatory project to students who want to be innovative with materials they can easily

access and afford. Furthermore, the researchers would recommend this SIP to students who

want to make a difference and help in making the condition of their environment better and

the giving the people around them alternatives for objects that are healthier.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Jamie Q. (2012, March 12). Ink Out of Teabags. Retrieved from:

[Link]

2. David N. Carvalho (2003). Forty Centuries of Ink. Retrieved from:

[Link]

y/books/tech/printing/fortycenturiesofink/[Link]

3. Jaylord A., Carol G., Justine C., Dominic C., Julius L., Richard M. II, Jovilyn M.,

Danikha Q., Jenesio S. Jr., Clint T. (2015). Plant Extract as an Alternative Ink for Markers.

Retrieved from:

[Link]

4. Geberlyn (2012, November 30). Ink made from teabags. Retrieved from:

[Link]

5. Russen C. (2012, April 21). Ink out of Teabags. Retrieved from:

[Link]
6. Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc. (2018). Tea Fact Sheet – 2018 – 2019. Retrieved

from: [Link]

79adyd3Z-j28051ZKGPnPdbJ7W_4TeV-ZI0Xnw28

7. UK Tea & Infusions Association (n.d.). Tea Glossary and FAQ’s. Retrieved from:

[Link]

faqs?fbclid=IwAR0epifhSmlSdeMnu2ouX6I0hGfTdtL55PP1ezsbZD1d8E3RKbK5HcR

AOxo

8. Antonio C. (2013). Handbook of Biopolymers and Biodegradable Plastics. Retrieved

from: [Link]

and-biodegradable-plastics

9. Naghma K., Hasan M. (2013). Tea and Health: Studies in Humans. Retrieved from:

[Link]

10. Patricia L. (2015). 5 Natural Ink Recipes. Retrieved from:

[Link]

11. Kamel P., published on 12 February 2013, last updated on 14 June 2018. Retrieved

from: [Link]
 APPENDICES

A. Materials

7 Tea Bags per Kind Tea Bags with 1 cup of Different Kinds of Tea
(fig. 1.1) water Bags
(fig. 1.2) (fig. 1.3)

(Table 2.1)

B. Time Table

TASKS TARGET DATE TEACHER’S

DEADLINE

1. Submission of problem October 12, 2018 October 12, 2018

and Title

2. Writing the IP Proposal October 11, 2018 October 12, 2018

3. Submission of IP October 12, 2018 October 12, 2018

Proposal

4. Investigation Period December 2018 November 2018 –

January 2019
 5. Submission of Gathered Every Science Meeting Every Science Meeting

Data (SIP LOGBOOK) (SIP LOGBOOK)

6. Writing the IP Written January 2019 January 2019

Report

7. Submission of IP written 4th quarter AEOTA week 4th quarter AEOTA week

Report

8. Making the Exhibit January 2019 January 2019

Board

9. Preparing for the oral January 2019 January 2019

defense

10. Oral Defense 4th quarter AEOTA week 4th quarter AEOTA week

(Table 2.2) - Time Table

C. Budget

EXPENSES AMOUNT

RAW MATERIALS

Vinegar 11.50Php / available at home

Cornstarch 29.95Php

Biguerlai Tea 38.00Php (pack)

Green Jasmine Tea 127.00Php (pack)

Turmeric Tea 99.00Php (pack)

English breakfast Tea 127.00Php (pack)

 Ginger Tea 87.50Php (pack)

Stevia Tea 109.00Php (pack)

TRANSPORATION ALLOWANCE 00.00Php

FOOD ALLOWANCE 0.00Php

OTHER EXPENSES

GRAND TOTAL  P628.95 or P617.45 Php

(Table 2.3) - Budget

D. Investigation period:

SWATCH A SWATCH B

(fig. 3.1) (fig. 3.2)

(Table 3.1)