THE FEASIBILITY OF AVOCADO SEEDS (Persia americana) AS AN INK PIGMENT

Submitted by: Angelica Rose Eclevia Sanny Malagum Jr. Rachelle Padron VIII-Convincing

Submitted to: Mrs. Hannah G. Permites Research Teacher

September 2013 MOGCHS, Cagayan de Oro City

I.

INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study

Inks are relatively expensive because the materials used in manufacturing them are imported from other countries. Also, the synthetic chemical components present in the ink may be harmful to the humans and the environment. These are the primary reasons why there is a need to look for alternative sources of substances used to make inks. This experiment aims to develop a product that would serve as an alternative for expensive and environmentally hazardous commercial markers.

B. Hypothesis
Null: Avocado seeds are not effective as an alternative ink pigment. Alternative: Avocado seeds are effective as an alternative ink pigment.

C. Significance of the Study

Inks are very useful to people. This study is very important for all of us, especially students because nowadays, the majority of us are using these marker inks in making visual aids and other outputs. It could be much cheaper than the commercial ones because it is made up of indigenous materials. This study also aims to reduce the use of toxic chemicals which are harmful to our health.

D. Scope and Limitations

This study is only limited in making an ink pigment from avocado seeds.

E. Definition of Terms

Additives- component of ink which binds and preserves color. Agar- gelatinous substance obtained from various kinds of red seaweed and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods.

Colorant- component of ink that contains pigment. Ethanol-the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors; used pure or denatured as a solvent or in medicines and colognes and cleaning solutions and rocket fuel; proposed as a renewable clean-burning additive to gasoline.

Glycol- a sweet but poisonous syrupy liquid used as an antifreeze and solvent. Indelible- inks that are permanent Mordant- a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material.

Phenol-a corrosive poisonous crystalline acidic compound present in the tars of coal and wood that in dilute solution is used as a disinfectant.

Tannin- any of a group of yellow to light brown amorphous substances widely distributed in plants and used chiefly n tanning leather, dying fabric, and making ink.

Vehicle- the component of ink wherein the color is dispersed.

II.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Avocado seeds (Persia americana), is a tree native to Puebla, Mexico. The word avocado comes from the Spanish Greek word aguacate. It is classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae, along with cinnamon, bay laurel, and camphor. Avocado or alligator pear also refers to the fruit, botanically a large berry that contains a single seed. An avocado tree can reach up to 65 feet tall, and an avocado fruit can weigh from 8 ounces to 3 pounds depending upon the variety.The oldest evidence of avocado use was found in a cave located in Coxcatln, Puebla, Mexico, that dates to around 10,000 BC. The avocado tree also has a long history of cultivation in Central and South America; a water jar shaped like avocado, dating to AD 900, was discovered in the pre-Incan city of Chan Chan. The first written record in English of the use of the word 'avocado' was by Hans Sloane in a 1696 index of Jamaican plants. The plant was introduced to Indonesia in 1750, Brazil in 1809, the Levant in 1908, and South Africa and Australia in the late 19th century.

An avocado seed contains or yields a milky fluid with the odor and taste of almond. This milky fluid is called Tannin. Because of its tannin content, it turns red on exposure, providing an indelible red-brown or blackish ink which was used to write many documents in the days of the Spanish Conquest. These are now preserved in the archives of Popayan. The ink has also been used to mark cotton and linen textiles.

Avocado seeds also have many uses. To overcome diarrhea and dysentery, a roasted and pulverized avocado seed is given. Powdered seed is also believed to cure dandruff. A piece of the seed or a bit of the decoction, put into a tooth cavity may relieve toothache. An ointment made of the pulverized seed is rubbed on the face as a rubefacient to redden the cheeks, and oil extracted from the seed has been applied on skin eruptions.

Ink is a pigment substance of viscous consistency and liquid state used for writing, printing, or drawing. All inks contain four basic components: the colorant, which contains the pigment; the vehicle, wherein the color is dispersed; the additives for binding the ink to the surface and preserving its color; and the solvent.

Pigment inks are used more frequently than dyes because they are more colorfast, but they are also more expensive, less consistent in color, and have less of a color range than dyes. Pigments are solid, opaque particles suspended in ink to provide color. Pigment molecules typically link together in crystalline structures that are 0.12 m in size and comprise 530 percent of the ink volume. Qualities such as hue, saturation, and lightness vary depending on the source and type of pigment.

The initial steps in creating an indelible ink are boiling (70 to 80C) of water and addition of glycol, dye, wetting agent, and phenol. After pouring the ingredients, the ink is then cooled to ambient temperature then filtered under vacuum or through filter process. This process shall be the basis of the experiments.

This study therefore assesses the feasibility of creating an ink pigment from avocado seeds.

III.

METHODOLOGY

A. Materials
Avocado Seeds Mortar and pestle Cheesecloth Ethanol Alcohol Vinegar Agar Water

B. Procedure
First, all of the materials were obtained. Next, the avocado seeds were cut and pounded. The powdered seeds were then boiled with a specific amount of vinegar, alcohol, and water gel solution (agar). The solution was left with some time to cool. After letting it cool, it was strained with the cheesecloth to remove the excess solid particles that were left.

Three trials were done. All of the trials have the same amount of seeds, but different amounts of vinegar, water gel, and alcohol.

TRIALS 1 2 3

SEEDS (g) 10 10 10

VINEGAR (ml) 10 15 20

WATER GEL (ml) 10 15 20

ALCOHOL (ml) 10 15 20

IV.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Findings
Trial 1 is proved to be the best set-up among the three. In order to know which among set-up the best is, we let ten respondents to judge the product.

LEGEND: 1-4 Needs improvement, 5-8 Satisfactory, 9-10 Excellent TRIAL 1 RESPONDENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL COLOR ODOR APPEARANCE

TRIAL 2

RESPONDENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL

COLOR

ODOR

APPEARANCE

TRIAL 3

RESPONDENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TOTAL

COLOR

ODOR

APPEARANCE

V.

CONCLUSION
The researchers therefore conclude that Avocado seeds are feasible or effective in making ink. Also, trial 1 is proved to be the best set-up among the others.

VI.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The researchers would like to recommend finding other seeds as the main ingredient in making inks.