Ink Made from Teabags Essay

* 1. Background of the Study Tea is created by using the leaves of a plantknown as Camellis sinensis. This plant is native tomainland China, South and Southeast Asia, but it istoday cultivated across the world in tropical andsubtropical regions. It is an evergreen shrub orsmall tree that is usually trimmed to below 2 m(6.6 ft) when cultivated for its leaves. It has astrong taproot. The flowers are yellow-white, 2.5-4cm (0.98-1.6 in) in diameter, with 7 to 8 petals. * 2. Tea-drinking can be traced back to the 10thcentury BC in China before it was spread toKorea and Japan. Basically, this drink is madeby brewing tea leaves to create an extract. Dueto the chlorophylls and other pigments in theleaves, the extract commonly appears with abrown color. * 3. Objectives This research is being done to find out thepotency of the extract of the leaves from theplant Camellis sinensis as an ink. Nowadays,ink is a pigment in a liquid or paste form used ascolorants and dyes. Also, they are becomingmore and more expensive because of theirincreasing purposes. * 4. Our research aims to produce this ink as acheaper alternative to those commercial ones.Compared to the ink we are aiming to create,commercially produced inks are toxic and canbe hazardous to a person’s health once there isa inappropriate contact with it.To match with the color and consistency ofother inks, we will be adding other substances,specially vinegar and cornstarch, which arecommon and easy to find. * 5. Statement of the Problem Generally, this investigatory project aims to find out iftea bags can be used to create an ink. Specifically, it aimsto answer the following questions:1. Can vinegar strengthen the color of the product, ink?2. Can cornstarch contribute to achieving the rightconsistency of the ink?3. Are the processes boiling and straining efficient intaking the extract out of the tea bags? * 6. Hypothesis of the Study†¢ Extracts taken from tea bags have thepotential to be made into an ink. †¢ If vinegar and cornstarch are added to themixture, then the product would have astronger color and thicker consistency than toan ordinary ink. * 7. Significance of the Study This investigatory project will benefit us byproducing an alternative for other inks. Theseother manufactured inks nowadays come quiteexpensive prices, but since the materials to beused in our project are common and easy to find,you will be spending less money. Also, no harmfulchemicals will be used in making our ink.Therefore, it is non-toxic compared tocommercially sold inks which have the tendenciesof causing harm to one’s health and to theenvironment. * 8. Scope and Limitations Our research and experiments are onlylimited to making a simple ink as a colorant. Itdoes not include inks that are used in machinessuch as printers, copiers, etc. Also, our studyincludes the effects of vinegar and cornstarchon the product. To have accurate observations,we will be creating two set-ups: an ink withoutvinegar and cornstarch and one with vinegarand cornstarch. * 9. This history of Chinese inks can be traced back tothe 18th century BC, with the utilization of naturalplant dyes, animal, and mineral inks based on suchmaterials as graphite that were ground with water andapplied with ink brushes.The India ink used in ancient India since at least the4ath century BC was called masi, and was made ofburnt bones, tar, pitch, and other substances appliedwith sharp pointed needle.Saffron is well know as the source of a truly brilliant ifrather fugitive yellow and there is evidence of it’s use,both as a colorant and medicine, in the Greek andPersian civilizations of the same period. * 10. Indian skill in vegetable dyeing and painting reached ahigh point inthe two centuries from 1600 to 1800 AD, when the paintingand resist dyeing of cotton cloth known to us as Chintzbecame the basis of the largest trade in textiles that the worldhad ever seen. The Strasbourg manuscript of an earlier period, also describesthe use of a whole range of plants used in the manufacture ofinks and water-colours. Later we see developments invegetable block-printing inks in 17th and 18th century Japanwhere it is interesting to note that some colours were actuallyleached from previously dyed cloth.Early historical accounts of tea are unclear, for the Chinesecharacter for tea had not been standardized, and severalother Chinese characters appear in books referring very likelyto the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, what we now call tea. * 11. Tea dyeing is an easy way to mute fabrics or give theman older, antiqued look. Tea stains the fibers and gives asemi-permanent dull brown â€Å"dirty† tone to the wholepiece. It is used when you want to â€Å"antique† a craft textilesuch as a doll dress or small quilt.Griffiths uses the medium of tea and ink (sometimesgraphite, wodka, whiskey, and others) to create the pieces. Tea and ink as a medium has become a trademark for Griffiths in the art world. * 12. Set-Up AExperimental Set-up * 13. Materials:ââ€"  7 teanagsââ€"  1  ½ cups of waterââ€"  1 tablespoon of vinegarââ€"  Cornstarchââ€"  Strainer and forkââ€"  Bottle * 14. PROCEDURE ââ€"  Place the 7 teabags in 1  ½ cups of boilingwater. * 15. ââ€"  Create the tea for 6-8 minutes * 16. ââ€"  Remove the teabags from the boilingwater. Use a strainer and a fork to removeall the extracts. * 17. ââ€"  While stirring the tea, add a tablespoonof vinegar. * 18. ââ€"  Continue to stir it. Add as muchdissolved cornstarch as you need to haveyour desired consistency. * 19. ââ€"  Remove it from the heat and let itcool. When done, store in a bottle * 20. Set-Up BControlled Set-up * 21. Materials:ââ€"  7 teanagsââ€"  1  ½ cups of waterââ€"  1 tablespoon of vinegarââ€"  Cornstarchââ€"  Strainer and forkââ€"  Bottle * 22. PROCEDURE ââ€"  Place the 7 teabags in 1  ½ cups ofboiling water. * 23. ââ€"  Create the tea for 6-8 minutes * 24. ââ€"  Remove the teabags from the boilingwater. Use a strainer and a fork to removeall the extracts. * 25. ââ€"  Remove it from the heat and let it cool.When done, store in a bottle. * 26. FINDINGS During the procedure itself, we have observed theboiling is an effective process of extraction. Rightafter we have placed the teabags in the boiling water,the change of color is very noticeable. During thisstep the mixture had a very strong smell form the tea.While following the procedures for the set-up Awhich included the placing of vinegar, there was noimmediate change in color as we expected. Instead,the vinegar’s effect was seen when we tried to paintthe two Inks on paper. While applying the ink onpaper, it was harder to use Ink B because it’sconsistency was very watery. Thus it became runnyand scattered unlike ink A. * 27. After letting them dry, it was seen thatink A had darker color while ink Bswritings faded. * 28. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS Our hypothesis which states that teabags have thepotential to be made into an ink if vinegar andcornstarch is added is proven correct. We had twoset-ups which were Set-up A that has vinegar andSep-up B that has no vinegar. Vinegar is mainly adilute aqueous solution of acetic acid which is animportant reagent and industrial chemical, mainlyused in the production of cellulose acetate. * 29. A cellulose acetate is used as film base inphotography and a film base is a transparentsubstance which acts as a support medium for thephotosensitive emulsion that lies atop it, its basegenerally accounts for the vast majority of thethickness of any given film stock. The addition of vinegar and cornstarch in making anink can result to a thicker consistency and consistentcolor which is better for the usage of the ink. Ourobservation prove that adding vinegar to themixture can be made into an ink because withoutthe vinegar there would be no consistency on themixture and it will be less seen. * 30. SUMMARY There are many different kinds of ink. In ourexperiments we will use tea bags as the maincomponent of out ink. Having two different set-ups will provide the chance to compare the colorsand consistencies. Cornstarch is an efficientadditive to have the right consistency of theproduct. Also vinegar is also efficient, throughthere is no obvious change in color, it was seenthat it gave the ink a consistent color whetherwere dry. * 31. We therefore conclude the one can create animprovised ink using the extract from tea bags.This will be very convenient and cheapbecause the ingredients to be used arecommonly found around the house. Also, thesaid processes, boiling and straining, are canbe easily done. * 32. CONCLUSIONââ€"  Tea bags can be used to create an ink.ââ€"  Vinegar can strengthen the color of theproduct, ink.ââ€"  Cornstarch effectively contributes toachieving to the right consistency of the ink.ââ€"  The processes boiling and straining areefficient in taking the extract out of the teabags.