General Acceptability of Atsuwete Extract ( Bixa Orellana ) as an Alternative Red Ink, for

Ballpoint Pens and Markers

IBALE, ARJAY D.

A Research Capstone Project Submitted to the Faculty of the Senior High School
Department, Aurora National Sciences High School, Buhangin, Baler Aurora

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Senior High School

FEBRUARY 2022
 CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction
To start with, regarding so many documents, books, and other materials that will talk

about the printing process and writing process ink are widely used since it was invented and

continue to evolve until now with different colors. Even if we are now studying with different

modalities, including modular learning, online learning, and a mix of the two modes, ink is

usually one of the main priorities of schools and teachers in printing modules, writing

documents, lectures, checking students' papers, etc. Also, students who are under modular

learning have now used also ink as one of the important tools in doing modules with their

ballpoint pen nor marker.

Due to widespread demand for using ink and also due to the increase of prices, we

as a consumer have no choice but to buy ink, ballpen, color pen, markers, etc. With the

continuation of my study since I was in grade 9, we produced, brown ink with the use of Melina

fruit, and black ink with the use of “Bunga” simply known as nga nga. And having and creating

red ink will be beneficial when it is worked and mass produce in reducing the cost of buying red

ink, this ink with annatto extract will be open in different uses like in ballpen, marker, and

highlighter (6Wresearch,2020).

According to the publication from noissue on 12 August 2018, the ink has been

used for the past 4500 years ago and mainly produced by the Egyptians and Chinese at the same

time. Pigment from the burnt woods that makes charcoal is the main ingredient of the ink at that

time, the reason why some notes are written in fading color black. As it grows, ink is now widely
evolving and experts have now discovered the use of chemicals, and petroleum as ingredients of

ink that has characteristics of quickly drying that are used for news printing.

According to Ryan Raman September 10, 2019, What Is Annatto? Uses, Benefits,

and Side Effects Annato is an orange-red color food coloring pigment used by different countries

all over the world. It was mainly found in tropical countries like South and Central America and

also including the Philippines.

As one of the best binding agents is cornstarch and vinegar, this experiment will

focus on determining the effectiveness of annatto commonly known as atsuete as ink by the use

of cornstarch and vinegar as a binding agent to it to become ink. (Innerchefone, 2012)

Back ground of the study

Ballpoint pen is a pen that is used in drawings, lectures, writing having a liquid color

ink inside with different color depending on the type, quality, brand and application of the users

regarding on pen. It uses a ball that is made from steel, brass and etc. at the end tip of the pen

making it to rotate when we are writing the reason why ink flows through and write on the paper,

just with right concentration.( Russell-Ausley, 2000)

According to publication sites ourpastimes.com the book entitled “How does a

Markers Works” Markers as one of the writing tools used by teachers, students, etc. in making

reports for school works, and other related activities. It is mainly found to be in plastic container

or even in stainless steel for the expensive ones, that has a absorbent material containing the ink

of specific color with a mixture of alchohol that make it faster to dry in paper.

According to magazines by Drukkerij Van der Poorten Ink can be simpy explain as a

colored liquid, or a semi color liquid that is used for, writing, drawnng, printing, etc that are
developed before the year 2500 BC. We can classify ink as organic, an ink that is based from

plant binder and inorganic a ink that is based on chemical, or dry compound material based.

As for the fast growing uses of organic inks, that contains some toxic mataerials, I as

a researcher came up with the conclusion on making organic ink based on a plant study,

regarding on the Annatto extract as an alternative red ink.

Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

General Acceptability of Atsuwete

Extract ( Bixa Orellana ) as an

Annatto Extract
Alternative Red Ink, For Ballpoint

Pen and Markers

Figure 1

Research Paradigm of the Independent and Dependent Variables of the Study “General

acceptability of Annatto extract’( Bixa Orellana) As an alternative ink for ballpoint pens

and markers.

In this study, the independent variable was the Atsuwete extract. The dependent

variable was the general acceptability of Atsuwete extract as an alternative ink for ballpoint pens

and markers while the concentration of Atsuwete extract was controlled in this experiment.
Statement of the Problem

This study would like to determine the effectiveness of cornstarch and vinegar in Annato extract

as an alternative red ink. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions

1. Can atsuwete extract be an alternative ink for ballpoint pens?

2. Can atsuwete extract be an alternative ink for markers?

3. How acceptable is the atsuwete extract as an alternative ink for ballpoint pens in terms

of :

a. Writing Performance?

b. Drying Time?

c. Readabilitye?

d. color

e. odor

f. viscosity

4. Is there a significant difference between the Atsuwete ink and the standard ink in terms of

Writing Performance, Drying Time, Readability, Color, Odor, and Viscosity.

Hyphotheses

Based on the research questions identified, the researcher formulated the

following hypotheses:

1. HO ; atsuwete extract can be an alternative ink for ballpoint pens?

HA ; atsuwete extract cannot be an alternative ink for ballpoint pens?

2. HO ; atsuwete extract can be an alternative ink for markers?

HA ; atsuwete extract cannot be an alternative ink for markers?

3. HO; atsuwete extract as an alternative ink is acceptable in terms of

a.Writing Performance?

b. Drying Time?

c. Readabilitye?

d. color?

e. odor?

f. viscosity?

HO ; Dragon Fruit extract as an alternative ink is not acceptable in terms of

a.Writing Performance?

b.Drying Time?

c. Readability?

d. color?

e. odor?

f. viscosity?

4. HA: there is a significant difference between the Atsuwete ink and the standard ink in

terms of Writing Performance, Drying Time, Readability, Color, Odor, and Viscosity

HO: there is no significant difference between the Atsuwete ink and the standard ink

in terms of Writing Performance, Drying Time, Readability, Color, Odor, and Viscosity
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

For teachers, This research study about the use of cornstarch and vinegar as a binding agent in

our main ink-making ingredient annatto extract will be useful for teachers as one of the most

common users of red ink as for in reviewing exams, lectures, and so on. by using a red ballpen or

marker. This will now make them not have to worry about buying red inks, red pens, red

markers, making them save money and have used ink that is organic and not harmful to health if

it is inhaled and to the skin, whether it is accidentally discarded.

For Students, this research will help them in reducing the cost of buying red inks as for

requirement sometimes in projects, lecture notes, etc as the most media of students is writing,

This organic ink will now help them in not to buy ink for refilling markers, and this will help

them in highlighting lectures.

For parents, This research will now help parents in saving money in buying commercial red

inks for the use of their children, and help them cope with importance of money in todays

pandemic.

For school, the study will now be beneficial for the school in having income on making the red

ink and selling it to buyers and customers in low cost than the commercial ones making the

school have its own mini company of red ink

For farmers, as for the farmers, since annatto or what we all know atsuete is used only on food

coloring and enhacing the flavor of different dishes, this now may lead farmers for having an

income on planting atsuete.

For future researcher, this research will now be beneficial for the future researcher for helping

them in some cases or process involving this type or this topic on guiding them to improve more

the process involve in this study making their experiment more useful.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study was limited to the effectiveness of using cornstarch and vinegar as

binding agent for making ink and generalizing the acceptability of atsuwete extract as an

alternative ink for ballpoint pens and markers. To be accepted as an alternative ink the study was

limited in conducting survey questionnaire that will address the following ; .Writing

Performance, Drying Time, Readabilitye, Color, Odor, and Viscosity. After the test of sample

with different concetrations, the researcher will now distribute the survey questionnaire for the

target population. The population will include 10 students from Wesleyen University Philippines

Aurora Campus and 10 teachers from Eliseo C. Ronquillo Memorial National Highschool. to be

selected by the use of fish bowl sampling technique.

Time and Place of the Study

This study was conducted in our house at Brgy. Detailen, Maria Aurora, Aurora

which started from February 21, 2022 until April 21, 2022 for the preparation, and testing of

different samples. Distribution of survey questionnaire and completing the research paper will be

conducted on April 30, 2022 until June 2022.

Definition of Terms

To clearly understand some of the terminologies used in the study, the following were

operationally defined:

Acceptability - it is the state of being tolerated or being accepted by the means of terms and

condition being given by the people, situation or by the law

Atsuwete - a plant growing mostly in the area of tropical countries including Philippines, that

proudes a red pigment to to use as spices in food but food coloring to it, giving some aroma and

beautiful color.

Atsuwe Extract -

Extract - the end product of extracting a raw material, it is commonly produce in liquid state

Bixa Orellana - it is the scientific for “ Atsuwete” commonly known for its English term

Annatto.

Ballpoint pen – a tool that is used for, drawing, writing etc, by the use of a lead container of ink

having a ball on the end that are capability of rolling to make the ink flow through and reach the

paper, it has different length of product, and materials being used, sometimes in brass and

sometimes in steel.

Marker – a tool used also for writing bigger fugures, and drawing with used of bigger container

mostly in plastic, with an absorbent material inside that keeps the ink to stay for the use.

Cornstarch – a type of flour from corn that are used in different purposes especially as

thickening agent.
Vinegar - a solution that is consist of acetic acid and some trace compounds used for seasoning

dishes.

Viscosity - a state or movement of liquid to form a shape or to flow in place

Readability – the state of the writing of figures is clearly seen and understand by the reader or

viewers.

Organic ink - A type of ink that is plant based binders.

Ink - A liquid state colored pigment used for coloring and refilling ballpoint pens and markers or

even used for printing documents,books etc.

Concentration – consisting or having different amount of materials being put in a single

container or state of matter.

Writing Performance – The quality of the ink being used in writing different figures, such as,

letters, numbers, signs etc.

Drying Time – the time being measured when the ink touches the paper for writing, drawing etc.

purposes, how fast it will absorbed by the paper.

Readability – Deals or talks about how ink being absorbed by the paper and appear to the users

or reader, can text, words letter be seen/ read.

color – The color being projected by the organic ink, fade, dark, or neutral.

odor – talks about the smell coming from the organic ink

viscosity – how the ink flows