SIP Final
SIP Final
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
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEGEMENT…………………………………………………………………..i
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………...iii
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1
HYPOTHESIS…………………………………………………………………………….2
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.
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.
FIGURES:
TABLES:
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
Examine.com, 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
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?
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
The researchers formulated these null hypotheses, for this science investigatory
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
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
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
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
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
commercialized inks. It shows that tea can also be used against chronic diseases and used
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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
A. MATERIALS
different varieties of tea namely: Stevia tea, English breakfast tea, Biguerlai Tea,
Ginger Tea, Green Tea, and Turmeric Tea. Vinegar and dissolved cornstarch were
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
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
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.
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
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
(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
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
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
https://www.slideshare.net/grantmethreewishes/ip-powerpoint-11971157
https://web.archive.org/web/20030608045119/http://www.worldwideschool.org:80/librar
y/books/tech/printing/fortycenturiesofink/toc.html
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:
http://www.academia.edu/22466483/Plants_Extract_as_an_Alternative_Ink_for_Markers
4. Geberlyn (2012, November 30). Ink made from teabags. Retrieved from:
https://www.slideshare.net/Geberlyn/ink-made-from-teabags
https://www.slideshare.net/Charlotte122899/investigatory-project
6. Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc. (2018). Tea Fact Sheet – 2018 – 2019. Retrieved
from: http://www.teausa.com/14655/tea-fact-sheet?fbclid=IwAR0uQukaiJyLxtR89v-
79adyd3Z-j28051ZKGPnPdbJ7W_4TeV-ZI0Xnw28
7. UK Tea & Infusions Association (n.d.). Tea Glossary and FAQ’s. Retrieved from:
https://www.tea.co.uk/tea-
faqs?fbclid=IwAR0epifhSmlSdeMnu2ouX6I0hGfTdtL55PP1ezsbZD1d8E3RKbK5HcR
AOxo
from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9781455728343/handbook-of-biopolymers-
and-biodegradable-plastics
9. Naghma K., Hasan M. (2013). Tea and Health: Studies in Humans. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055352/
https://www.hobbyfarms.com/5-natural-ink-recipes-2/
11. Kamel P., published on 12 February 2013, last updated on 14 June 2018. Retrieved
from: https://examine.com/supplements/theaflavins
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
DEADLINE
and Title
Proposal
January 2019
5. Submission of Gathered Every Science Meeting Every Science Meeting
Report
7. Submission of IP written 4th quarter AEOTA week 4th quarter AEOTA week
Report
Board
defense
10. Oral Defense 4th quarter AEOTA week 4th quarter AEOTA week
C. Budget
EXPENSES AMOUNT
RAW MATERIALS
Cornstarch 29.95Php
OTHER EXPENSES
D. Investigation period:
SWATCH A SWATCH B
(Table 3.1)