PREPARATION OF INK

AIM: TO STUDY THE PREPARATION OF INK

HISTORY:

Ink has its origins around 4500 years ago, and was invented by
both the Egyptians and the Chinese around the same time. As far as
components go, ink is made up of two key parts: the pigment and the
carrier.
The pigment is the dye itself, and is what is delivered by the vessel to the
paper or printing medium. Ink is typically colored, but the very first inks
used charcoal or soot from the fire as the main pigment, hence why most
of the early written works found were written in black ink. Charcoal was
also a relatively inexpensive and easy to find pigment, whereas pigments
for other colors were quite rare.
The carrier (or vessel) is what the pigment is blended with in order to
transfer it to the medium. While this solution has to be some sort of
liquid, oil-based vessels work better for binding the pigment to the
medium. Today this is usually some sort of vegetable based oil, but in the
initial days of ink creation, the vessel was often some sort of animal fat.
As technology developed, different pigments (chemical based as opposed
to naturally occurring) began to be used, as well as petroleum/chemical
based carriers. These chemical ink combinations gained popularity in the
early 1900s as the quick drying properties of petroleum based inks
enabled newspapers to be printed and dried much faster than with non-
petroleum ink carriers. In the 1970s, with the oil crisis, printers began
looking for alternatives as petroleum prices sky-rocketed.

INTRODUCTION:

Many say that pen is mightier than sword, but ever thought
that what makes the pen mightier? Yes it is the wonder liquid INK. You
might have used ink many times for writing but have you ever bothered
that from where it comes? How it is prepared? What materials are used
in its preparation? Etc
I’m sure your answer would be NO!
But, don’t worry this project includes answer of all your

questions . This project throws a light on types of inks from

manufacturing point of view and includes method for preparing them
either in chemistry laboratory or at home.

WHAT IS INK ?

Ink is an element based on a support by means of which signs,

writing or drawings are represented; in general ink is any substance
suitable for writing, printing or colouring with the use of the
appropriate techniques and tools.

For an ink to fulfil its function it must have certain basic components:
a colouring matter (pigments which colour the ink), a solvent (a
medium in which the pigment is dissolved or dispersed), a binding
agent (which holds the particles of pigment together and binds it to
the support) and a mordant (a chemical substance which fixes the ink
to the support and which may replace the binding agent), irrespective
of whether among the components there may be other elements
such as thickeners, fragrances, antiseptics, etc.

Inks which are specifically used in manuscripts are known as writing

inks. The oldest of these is carbon-based ink; this is obtained by semi-
combustion of organic materials which are dispersed in water and
bound together by an adhesive substance although they may also
contain a fixative. An ink of similar components but of poorer quality
is bistre ink which is obtained by boiling soot.
Of very common use in manuscripts are metallo-acid inks which are
characterized by the fact that their colour is obtained from a metal to
which acid, which acts as a fixative, is added. Foremost among these
inks are the ferro-gallic inks (formed by an iron salt with gallo-tannic
acid), logwood inks (made by boiling the roots and branches of the
Campeachy tree combined with a variety of metal salts according to
the desired colour, alizarin inks (iron salt dissolved in acid, plus indigo
in sulphuric acid) and vanadium inks where basically the iron of the
ferro-gallic inks is replaced by this element.

Modern marker pen, ball-point and fountain pen inks are, generally
speaking, aniline inks dissolved in different media. Today they are
obtained synthetically from the transformation of benzene, although
before the process was industrialized, they were obtained from
indigo.

The inks used for printed matter are printing inks which are
characterized by the use of a greasy substance as a solvent, and of
pigments which are generally lamp-black or carbon-black.

Their specific features depend on the printing method in question;

inks for photo-engraving are characterized by having aromatic
hydrocarbons as solvents; letter-press inks used for newspapers and
offset have a quick-drying agent which contributes to the rapidity of
the printing process; lithographic inks contain a greasy substance
(wax, fat, oils...) so that the ink will not stick to the plate, etc.

There are four major groups of coloured inks (used in drawings and
pictures); inks with solid elements, water-based inks, oils and acrylic
inks.
Solid colours are those which, although they might have included a
solvent during the manufacturing process, at the time of application
do not. They are mainly graphite pencils, coloured pencils, wax
crayons, pastels, red chalks, charcoal pencils, etc.

The aqueous water-bound group uses water as a solvent. The main

types of ink in this group are India ink, which has carbon as the
pigment; water colours which have gum arabic as the binding agent;
tempera, a medium which differs from water colours in that it has a
thickener producing an opaque quality; and egg tempera which uses
albumen as the adhesive agent.

Oils differ from water colours in that the pigment is dissolved in an

oil, generally linseed or walnut oil.

Finally, acrylics are the most modern inks, whose main feature is that
they have a synthetic binding agent which may be either an acrylic or
a polyvinol substance.
TYPES OF INK
 ON THE BASIS OF USE

Blue ink
Black ink
Blue- black ink
Green ink
Red ink
Stamp pad ink

 ON THE BASIS OF MANUFACTURING

Aniline ink
Gallo-tannic ink

 PREPARATION OF INK;

ALILINE INK

1) MAIN MATERIALS:

Blue-black color - Naphtha blue-black

Blue color - Acid blue, Methylene blue
Red color - Scarlet red, Eosin
Black color - Aniline black
Green color - Malachite greenSome
Some aniline colors are also used in preparing ink which is
dissolved directly in water.

2) OTHER MATERIALS:

(I) Glue:
Gum Arabic (or gum acacia) is dissolvedin hot water and this
results in a sticky solution. Mixing of this in an ink solution, helps
in many ways :

(a) The ink turns bright.

(b) The color of ink does not fade with time.
(c) The flow of ink is maintained smooth.

(ii) Glycerine:
Sometimes, glycerine is also used inpreparing ink. The mixing of
glycerine checks theearly drying of ink. This is mainly used in
preparingthe stamp pad inks.

(iii) Alcohol :
Spirit or alcohol is mixed in ink because ithelps in :

(a) Quick drying of ink, and

(b) The ink does not diffuse on papers after writing.

(iv) Boric or carbolic acids:

The principal constituents of ink are organic in nature. The
breakdown of thesematerials spoils the ink and this causes
deposition of constituents in fountain pen of in the ink
pot.Incorporation of boric or carbolic acid to the ink preparation
checks this problem.

(v) Scented materials:

The organic decay of ink gives itsometimes, foul smell. To avoid
this, scented materialsare incorporated at the time of ink
preparation.

Method of preparing Aniline Ink

 For preparing a particular colored ink, first of all a

2.5%
solution of that color in distilled water is made.

 To this, is added a suitable amount of glue solution.

 Now the solution is mixed well and heated for

5 minutes.
 During heating, the contents are constantly agitated.

 On cooling, the solution is filtered. The process of filtrationis a very

important step and is carefully repeated severaltimes.

 To this is now, mixed a little amount, each of boric acid orcarbolic

acid, alcohol or spirit and scented material.

 This preparation is filtered again and bottled.

 If one desires to get a stamp-pad ink then glycerine shouldbe used

in place of alcohol during preparation.

GALLO-TANNIC INK

The following substances are used in its preparations:

(1) Chief constituents :

Following substances are the chief constituents

(i) Tannic and Gallic acids are used as chief constituents to get blue-
black ink.
 (ii) Ferrous sulphate and hydrochloric acid alsohelps in providing
blue-black color to theink and check the growth of fungus.

 Other materials:
The other materials used are carbolic acid or boric acid,
gum Arabic or gum acacia, spirit or alcohol, glycerine and scented
material etc. These substances play the same role in this case as in
aniline ink.

Basically, it is a mixture of ferrous sulphate, tannic acid and Gallic

acid; it is, therefore, also called Iron-gall ink

Method of preparation of Gallo-tannic ink

 Dissolve 250 gm of tannic acid and 80 gm of Gallic acid in about

5 liters of distilled water.
 To this solution 250 ml dilute HCl is added.
 Dissolve in separate container 300gm ferrous sulphate 20gm
carbolic acid about 4 liters of water
 In a third container, the desired color is dissolved in a little
water.
 All the three solutions are mixed together.
 Also add a little of glue solution, alcohol, scented material, mix
well, filter and keep the filtrate for a few days.
 Filter once again and store in bottles. The ink is ready for use
 HOW TO PREPARE INK AT HOME:

Ink is one of the practical contributions of chemistry. Using

basic materials found at craft supply stores, you can make invisible inks
and tattoo inks in addition to writing and drawing inks. Although some ink
recipes are closely guarded secrets, the basic principles of preparing ink
are simple. All you have to do is mix pigment with a carrier (usually
water). It helps to include a chemical that will allow the ink to flow fluidly
and adhere to the paper (typically gum arabic, which is sold in powdered
form).
3

Black Permanent Ink :

 The most popular ink, black permanent ink can be

prepared at home using the following materials:

 1/2 tsp lamp black (This you can buy or make yourself by
holding a plate over a candle and collecting the soot, or
by collecting another form of char.)
 1 egg yolk
 1 tsp gum arabic
 1/2 cup honey
 Mix together the egg yolk, gum arabic, and honey. Stir in
the lamp black. This will produce a thick paste that you
can store in a sealed container. To use the ink, mix this
paste with a small amount of water to achieve the
desired consistency. Applying a small amount of heat may
improve the consistency of the solution, but be careful—
too much heat will make the ink difficult to
 write with

Brown Ink
Brown ink is a popular alternative to black ink and can be
prepared without any char or lamp black. All you need to
make it is:

4 teaspoons loose tea or 4-5 tea bags

 1 teaspoon gum arabic
 1/2 cup boiling water
 Pour the boiling water over the tea. Allow the tea to
steep for about 15 minutes. Squeeze as much tea (tannin)
as possible from the tea or teabags. Stir in the gum arabic
and mix until you have a consistent solution. Strain the
ink so that you are left with a thick paste and allow it to
cool before bottling it.

Prussian Blue Ink Recipe

 An even simpler recipe, and one that produces a bold
color, is this recipe for Prussian blue, which painters have
been using since the early 1700s. All you need to make it
is:

 Prussian Blue pigment (sometimes sold as laundry bluing)

 Water
 Mix the pigment into the water until you have a rich blue
ink with a thick consistency.
 Unless you happen to have a calligraphy pen, the easiest
way to use these inks is with a homemade quill or a
paintbrush.

Blackberry Ink Recipe

 Like the recipe above, this one produces a rich blue ink,
but one that is darker and made entirely of natural
materials. To make it, you will need:

 1 cup blackberries
 1/2 cup water
 1/2 tsp gum arabic
 4 drops thyme oil
 First, heat the blackberries in the water, pressing them to
release the juice. Once the mixture is dark blue and all of
the juice is released, strain the mixture and stir in the
gum arabic until you have produced a thick paste. Add
the thyme oil and stir. Allow the ink to cool before
bottling it.

COMPOSITION OF BLUE INK:

Azure Blue Cobalt Blue

Cu-phthalocyanine

MOLECULAR FORMULA;

C37H29N3O9S3 (Blue ink)

USES OF INK
Ink provides much of the color on paper in the modern world
and has many uses in different cultures around the globe. Cornell
University explains that inks consist of dyes or pigments suspended in
liquids, such as water, oils or alcohols. Although many inks are relatively
easy to make, developing the correct formulation for a specific ink use
can require some effort and chemistry skills.

PRINTER CARTRIDGES
Printers use ink-filled cartridges to add color to paper.
Many printers have separate cartridges filled with different colors
of ink, which the printer mixes together to form a wide range of
colors. Other printers use one color cartridge that contains small
amounts of multiple colors. Inks from printers make many
appearances throughout the world on a variety of items, including
children's school papers printed at home, book pages, product
labels, packaging, stickers and signs.

TATTOO
Tattoo artists create tattoos by placing ink beneath the
skin with tiny needles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
warns that some types of tattoo ink can cause allergies in certain
people and warns that the FDA has not studied tattoo inks enough
to know how the body handles them. The FDA plans to research
tattoo inks to figure out how the body reacts to them and how light
affects tattoo ink.

ART
Many art supplies contain ink, including pens, printing
machines, markers, stamp pads and sometimes paints. Some artists
also use bottles of ink to create designs on paper by dipping a hard
tool in the ink and using it to draw or spread the ink on the paper.

WRITING AND CALLIGRAPY

Modern pens used for everyday writing contain ink.
People also used to write by dipping feather quills into ink. Chinese
and Japanese calligraphers dip brushes in ink to write characters.
According to Columbia University, Chinese calligraphy is a well-
respected art form that looks attractive while also teaching
students how to write the language properly. The Chinese ink
comes in dried sticks, which calligraphers mix with water to create
the perfect ink consistency. Western calligraphers also use ink to
write, either by dipping their pens into ink or using replaceable ink
cartridges within the pen. The University of Sunderland in the
United Kingdom even offers a degree in calligraphy.

HARMFULNESS OF INK

When most people think of ink poisoning, they

imagine someone swallowing ink from a pen. If you’ve consumed ink — for
instance, by chewing on the end of a pen and getting ink in your mouth — you
don’t need to be overly concerned.

According to a publication by the World Health Organization (WHO), “ball-point

pens, felt-tip pens, and fountain pens contain so little ink that there is not
enough to cause poisoning if it is sucked from a pen. Some inks may cause
soreness in the mouth. Large amounts of ink swallowed from a bottle could be
an irritant, but serious poisoning has not been reported.”

The WHO suggests drinking water if you’ve swallowed ink and indicates that
there’s no need to do anything else.

Ink poisoning symptoms

Ink from pens, markers, highlighters, etc., is considered minimally toxic and in
such a small quantity that it’s commonly not a poisoning concern.

Symptoms are typically a stained skin or tongue and, although unlikely, mild
stomach upset.

Because of the amount of ink in printer cartridges and stamp pads, seek medical
attention if the ink from one of these sources has been consumed.

Poisoning from ink in your eye

Unlike skin, eye irritation from ink is a common problem. If you believe you got
ink in your eye, try rinsing the irritated eye with cool water until the discomfort
is gone.

Although the white part of your eye may be stained temporarily, ink in your eye
is unlikely to cause permanent or long-term complications. If the irritation
continues or if you have blurred vision, see your doctor.

CONCLUSION
Ink has played a very important role throughout human
history. From being used to transfer information to being used
in the election to used to getting permanent body
marks(tattoo). Ink has helped in human evolution. Also, the
usage of ink has been widened to various fonts.