Bixa Orellana Linn. Seeds (Achuete) as a Source of Pigment in Making a Milk Base Paint

A Research Proposal

Submitted to:
Mrs. Irene F. Delios

Submitted by:
Axel Xamniel Llorente
VI - Pearl

ABSTRACT

Paints make houses and buildings beautiful and colorful which makes them attractive. This study was to determine the effectiveness of Bixa Orellana Linn seeds (Achuete) as a source of pigment in making a milk based paint. The achuete was chosen for the study because it is rich in tannin and can easily be found or bought in the market and found in high land areas. It contains tannin that composes in a pigment that is used in making paint. Achuete seeds contain 70-80% of tannin. Some of the sub-problems were to judge the color of the finish product made out of pigment from achuete seeds so 30 female respondents will be asked to observe the finish product and judege and qualify its color. The researchers gathered all the materials and assured all were cleaned. Achuete seeds were pounded and the powdered form is now the pigment. For the binder, the researchers used skim milk to produce casein which acts as the binder. The pigment were soaked and the skimmed milk was boiled to form a precipitate. Results show that Bixa Orellana Linn seeds can be used as a pigment in making milk based paint.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study Paints today are widely use by people to produce decorative works or to protect and improve the appearance of the house walls, buildings and machines. But because of economic crisis, many people found it too expensive. Achuete or Bixa Orellana Linn which has a pigment of non-permanent yellow to orange-red dye is a candidate for substitute pigment for paint. The name Annatto is also locally known as achuete. The native tropical American tree is widely distributed in the tropics in both wild and cultivated forms. The capsules are spiny with numerous seeds. The dye is derived from the outer seed. (Encyclopedia Americana, R, 031, Enl, 1993, v. 2. p.4) The coloring properties are mainly attributed to its consistent carotenoid, Bixa which comprises 70-80% of the total pigment mass surrounding each individual Bixa Orellana Linn. seed. Bixa's pigment produces different color ranges (yellow to orange to red) which can be used as a main ingredient of paint making.(http://groups.msn.com/herbsrule/annatto.msn). Paint Industries are now striving to make a paint where raw materials can be easily found from the surroundings. Many paint pigments can be derived from different seeds of plants. Several studies are being conducted to test the potentiality of seeds from different kinds of plants as a paint. This has brought aboout the discovery of "earth pigments" or organic paints. One of this kind of plant is the achuete (Bixa Orellana Linn.) which is abundant and common throughout the Philippines. This plant has been reported to have be used as cloth dye among other else for its being rich in tannins.

Statement of the Problem This study aims to answer the following questions: 1. Is there any significant difference between the viscosities of the paint made from Achuete seeds with the commercial one? 2. Is there any significant difference between the colors of the paint made from Achuete seeds with the commercial one? 3. Is there any significant difference between the odors of the paint made from Achuete seeds with the commercial one?

Significance of the Study

This study is beneficial to the people as it determines the effectiveness of Achuete seeds as a source of pigment in making paint as it also offers a cheaper way to produce paint. This study is conducted in connection with the goal to find locally available and inexpensive material that may substitute for expensive commercial and imported paints. The raw material which is the Achuete can easily be found in our surroundings. It can also be a major contribution to the number of pioneering studies of locally available plants as paint pigment. Also it may encourage further similar studies of other local plants and other resources for the same purpose.

Scope and Delimitations This study is limited only to using Achuete seeds' tannin as a source of pigment in making milk based paint. This study will be conducted in Marikina City, Philippines, and aims to know the effectiveness of the Achuete seeds' tannin as a source of pigment in making milk based paint.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Milk Paint Milk paint is an organic material that gives surfaces a distinctive color-washed finish. As the name suggests, milk is a principal ingredient in the material, acting as a binder for pigments the same way polymers do in latex paints and oils do in oil-based ones. People have been mixing milk paint for a long time; it has been found on artifacts dating to ancient Egypt, although it's perhaps most commonly associated with colonial-era furniture. The fact that the material doesn't give off noxious vapors (often called VOCs) accounts for its continued appeal within today's green building community. Craftspeople, meanwhile, value its saturated colors and translucent finish, which can be used to give wooden furniture, terra-cotta pots, and other textured surfaces an antique look.
You can't, however, simply mix milk with color pigment and spread it on the walls. We have to curd the milk and mix the pigment first. The following recipe will yield enough paint to cover a bureau (dresser) or other large furnitures:

1. Pour milk on a large bowl. Mix the juice of a lemon with 1 quart of skim milk. Leave the mixture overnight at room temperature (better yet, on a hot spot) to induce curdling.

2. Pour it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth to separate the solid curds from the liquid whey. Add 4 tablespoons of dry color pigment (available at art-supply stores) to the curd; be sure to wear a mask, and stir until the pigment is evenly dispersed. Artists' acrylic paint also can be used in place of powdered pigment.

3. Add it one drop at a time, and stir constantly until you achieve the desired hue. Whether pigment- or acrylic-based, milk paint will spoil quickly, so it should be applied within a few hours of mixing. Rest assured, its sour smell will disappear once the paint dries. If you prefer, you can purchase milk paint rather than make it yourself. One source is Old Fashioned Milk Paint.

Paint Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film.
Paint is used to protect, preserve, decorate (such as adding color), or add functionality to an object or surface by covering it with a pigmented coating. An example of protection is to retard corrosion of metal. An example of decoration is to add festive trim to a room's interior. An example of added functionality is to modify light reflection or heat radiation of a surface. Another example of functionality is the use of color to identify hazards or to identify the function of equipment and pipelines. Paint can be applied to almost any kind of object. It is used, among many other uses, in the production of art, in industrial coating, as a driving aid (road surface marking), or as a barrier to prevent corrosion or water damage. Paint is a semi finished product, or intermediate good as the final product is the painted article itself.
Paint can also be mixed with glaze to create various textures and patterns. This process is referred to as faux finish and is quite popular with discerning homeowners, architects and interior designers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint

Achuete (Bixa Orellana Linn.) A tree reaching 4 to 6 meters. Leaves are entirely ovate, 8 to 20 cm long, 5 to 12 cm wide, with a broad and heart-shaped base, and a pointed tip. The flowers are white or pinkish, 4 to 6 cm diameter, 4 to 6 cm in diameter on terminal panicles. Capsules are ovoid or rounded, reddish brown, about 4 cm long and covered with long, slender and soft spines containing many small seeds covered with a dye-yielding red pulp. An abundantly branched shrub or small tree to about 5 m high, with showy pink or white flowers and brown, bristly bi-valved fruit pods bearing numerous red seeds within; a native of tropical America, now pan tropically dispersed by man. The plant is a decorative shrub and makes a thick, quick-growing hedge of dark green foliage, or it can be grown, though the result is somewhat laxer, to form a screen 4–5 m high. In the West Indies and in E Africa, it is said to be useful as supports for vanilla . In Malaya it has been reported able to grow up through Imperata cylindrica grass and may thereby be of some assistance in regenerating fertility in degraded land where rainfall is not less than 1,000 mm p.a. The bark will produce a fairly good fibre. The wood is very light and appears to have no uses.The most interesting aspect of the plant lies in the dye ‘anatto’, obtainable primarily in the seed coat or in the pulp surrounding the seeds. The dye varies between red, orange and bright yellow depending on the proportions of the red pigment, bixin, normally about 70–80%, and an unnamed yellow element. The plant has entered into commercial cultivation for the production of this dye which is used mainly in the food-industry and for coloring dairy products such as butter and cheese, margarine, edible oils, etc. The dye is also used in Brazil in pottery and as an insect-repellent, and in the Philippines in floor, furniture and shoe-polishes, nail-varnish, brass lacquer, hair-oil, etc. Jamaica and S India have been major producers of the top quality product. From elsewhere the dye has lacked the bright color wanted. Work in Nigeria suggests that a commercially marketable product should be producible in that country (11. 15). Anatto dye is, however, not durable on its use on fabrics. Annatto comes from a bush, conveniently also called "Annatto", which is native to South America. The bush flowers and then produces hairy pods that turn blackish-brown when ripe. The seeds are harvested from the pods, and dried to become "Annatto" -- small, hard, dark red seeds with a faint, flowery odour. Annatto is used a good deal as a natural food coloring in Filipino and Latin American cooking . The most popular way of buying Annatto is as "Achiote" paste (Achiote being another word for Annatto), which is easy to work with. In Brazil and the Philippines you can also buy "atsuete" (yet another synonym for Annatto) food coloring in liquid or powder form. The color that Annatto gives you in your cooking will depend on how old your seed is, how much of it you use, and what other colors in the food the Annatto is interacting with: you'll see anything from yellow, golden yellow or spice mill, make sure all the parts that it will come into contact with are washable. Most people who need them in crushed form, say to rub into the surface of a meat for coloring, will buy the already ground "pasta de axchiote". The other way to use Annatto seeds is to infuse them in a hot liquid such as oil or water for a time, let the coloring seep out, and then strain the out and discard the seeds. To infuse in water, add 1 teaspoon of Annatto seed to 1/4 cup (2 oz / 60 ml) of boiling water, let steep for half an hour, strain out and discard the seeds, then use the water in your cooking. If you're adding the water to a recipe which didn't really call for Annatto water, just reduce any other liquid in that recipe by 1/4 cup. Alternatively, to infuse oil see entry for Achiote Oil. If you use a lot of Annatto seeds trying to get a very deep color, I find that you will get some taste but an unpleasant, bitter one, because the quantity of seed required will also give you the bitterness. If you're trying for a yellow color, don't substitute turmeric which also gives a yellow color, unless you want the flavour the turmeric has.

Binder
The binder, or resin, is the actual film forming component of paint. It is the only component that must be present; other components listed below are included optionally, depending on the desired properties of the cured film. The binder imparts adhesion, binds the pigments together, and strongly influences such properties as gloss potential, exterior durability, flexibility, and toughness. Binders include synthetic or natural resins such as acrylics, polyurethanes, polyesters, melamine resins, epoxy, or oils. Binders can be categorized according to drying, or curing mechanism. The four most common are simple solvent evaporation, oxidative crosslinking, catalyzed polymerization, and coalescence. There are others. Note that drying and curing are two different processes. Drying generally refers to evaporation of vehicle, whereas curing refers to polymerization of the binder. Depending on chemistry and composition, any particular paint may undergo either, or both processes. Thus, there are paints that dry only, those that dry then cure, and those that do not depend on drying for curing. Paints that dry by simple solvent evaporation contain a solid binder dissolved in a solvent; this forms a solid film when the solvent evaporates, and the film can re-dissolve in the solvent again. Classic nitrocellulose lacquers fall into this category, as do non-grain raising stains composed of dyes dissolved in solvent. Latex paint is a water-based dispersion of sub-micrometre polymer particles. The term "latex" in the context of paint simply means an aqueous dispersion; latex rubber (the sap of the rubber tree that has historically been called latex) is not an ingredient. These dispersions are prepared by emulsion polymerization. Latex paints cure by a process called coalescence where first the water, and then the trace, or coalescing, solvent, evaporate and draw together and soften the latex binder particles and fuse them together into irreversibly bound networked structures, so that the paint will not redissolve in the solvent/water that originally carried it. Residual surfactants in the paint as well as hydrolytic effects with some polymers cause the paint to remain susceptible to softening and, over time, degradation by water. Paints that cure by oxidative cross linking are generally single package coatings that when applied, the exposure to oxygen in the air starts a process that cross links and polymerizes the binder component. Classic alkyd enamels would fall into this category.
Paints that cure by catalyzed polymerization are generally two package coatings that polymerize by way of a chemical reaction initiated by mixing resin and hardener, and which cure by forming a hard plastic structure. Depending on composition they may need to dry first, by evaporation of solvent. Classic two package epoxies or polyurethanes would fall into this category. Still other films are formed by cooling of the binder. For example, encaustic or wax paints are liquid when warm, and harden upon cooling. In many cases, they will re-soften or liquify if reheated. Recent environmental requirements restrict the use of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and alternative means of curing have been developed, particularly for industrial purposes. In UV curin paints, the solvent is evaporated first, and hardening is then initiated by ultraviolet light. In powder coatings there is little or no solvent, and flow and cure are produced by heating of the substrate after application of the dry powder. http://ayurvedicmedicinalplants.com/plants/96.html

Pigment Pigments are granular solids incorporated into the paint to contribute color, toughness or simply to reduce the cost of the paint. Alternatively, some paints contain dyes instead of or in combination with pigments. Other paints contain no pigment at all. Pigments can be classified as either natural or synthetic types. Natural pigments include various clays, calcium carbonate, mica, silicas, and talcs. Synthetics would include engineered molecules, calcined clays, blanc fix, precipitated calcium carbonate, and synthetic silicas.
Hiding pigments, in making paint opaque, also protect the substrate from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. Hiding pigments include titanium dioxide, phthalo blue, red iron oxide, and many others. Fillers are a special type of pigment that serve to thicken the film, support its structure and simply increase the volume of the paint. Fillers are usually comprised of cheap and inert materials, such as talc, lime, barite, clay, etc. Floor paints that will be subjected to abrasion may even contain fine quartz sand as a filler. Not all paints include fillers. On the other hand some paints contain very large proportions of pigment/filler and binder.
A commercially important pigment is titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide was first discovered by a famous historian/ piano player named Joe Bortel used in paints in the 19th century. The titanium dioxide used in most paints today is often coated with silicon or aluminum oxides for various reasons such as better exterior durability, or better hiding performance (opacity) via better efficiency promoted by more optimal spacing within the paint film. Opacity is also improved by optimal sizing of the titanium dioxide particles.
Some pigments are toxic, such as the lead pigments that are used in lead paint. Paint manufacturers began replacing white lead pigments with the less toxic substitute, which can even be used to color food, titanium white (titanium dioxide), even before lead was functionally banned in paint for residential use in 1978 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

Curdled milk paint recipe

Quark (curdled milk) | 9 ounces | Borax | 1 1/2 tablespoons | Hot Water | 1/4 cup | Whitening (slaked chalk) | 1/2 cup | Pigment (slaked) | 1/4 cup |

There is a lot of preparation that goes into making milk paint. Both the chalk and the pigment must be slaked the night before. Slaking is soaking a dry powder in water overnight so that the ingredient will mix with water in a more consistent smooth manner.

Pigment
Slaking helps reduce streaking in the paint and prevent clumps of chalk or pigment. Enough water is added to just cover the dry powder, the next day you can stir the mixture into a paste.

Quark Quark, the main ingredient of the paint, is just another word for milk curds. Depending on the amount of curds needed, you can make curds overnight or over a few days. This is done by pouring the milk into a container, adding lemon juice, and leaving the container in a warm place. Once the milk has curded, you must strain the curds from the left over liquid and gently squeeze the moisture from the curds using cheesecloth. The end product is what is known as quark. Then blend the quark with an electric beater into a smooth consistency and put aside.

Borax and Finish The borax needs to be dissolved into the hot water before adding it to the quark. A double boiler is recommended but we used a jar of hot water in a pot of simmering hot water. The amount of borax to hot water that the recipe calls for never allows all the borax to dissolve in the water. The recipe said to let the borax mixture cool before adding it to the quark but as the mixture cools, the borax starts to precipitate back out of the water. We did the best we could, and came to expect that some of the borax would not make it into the recipe. Let the mixture cool so that it is not hot to the touch and try to keep stirring as it cools. The borax is the first ingredient added to the quark, together these two items become the binder of the paint. Add borax mixture to bowl of quark and blend with electric beater. Then transfer binder to larger bucket.

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variables

Viscosity of the paint

Milk Based Paint made from the pigment of Achuete seeds

Color of the paint

Odor of the paint

Null Hypothesis
1. There is no significant difference between the viscosity of the paint made from Achute's seeds compared to the commercial one.
2. There is no significant difference between the color of the paint made from Achuete seeds compared to the commercial one.
3. There is no significant difference between the odor of the paint made from Achuete seeds compared to the commercial one.

Definition of terms * * Achuete seeds - annatto plant belonging to Bixaceae is known for reddish orange dye that is produced in aril portion of its seeds,used as a source of pigment in making paint. * Additives - are substances added to a paint mixture to improve its characteristics. * Binder - is a liquid substance in which pigment is mixed. * Milk Paint -is a paint made from the use of milk * Pigment - is the powdered substance in making paint.
Quark -is a type of elementary particle found in nucleons (protons and neutrons) and other subatomic particles.
Slaking - is a process of soaking a dry powder in water overnight so that the ingredient will mix with water in a more consistent smooth manner.
Precipitate -is the formation of a solid in a solution during a chemical reaction.
Paint - is any liquid, liquifiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film.
Viscosity - refers to the stickiness of the substance.

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

I. Materials

In Preparation Making the Quark Mortar and pestle Skim Milk

Blender 250 ml of H2O(water)

Beaker Tripod

Newspaper Alcohol lamp Gloves Denatured Alcohol

Achuete Strainer Cloth

Making the Paint

Borax/Lime

Binder Pigment

Blender

Stirring Rod

Lemon Juice

Slaked Chalk

II. Gathering of Materials
The achuete seeds and other materials like skim milk, borax were bought at Marikina Public Market, Marikina City. Materials like stirring rod, evaporating dish, beaker, alcohol lamp and tripod were bought from Merriam-Webster bookstore. While the newspapers, cloth and gloves were provided by the researchers.

III. Preparation of Pigment About half a kilo of seeds were pounded using mortar and pestle. The powdered form of our seeds is now called as the pigment. After the seeds were pounded it was put aside for later usage.

IV. Making the Quark Fill a 250 ml. beaker three-fourths full with skim milk. Gently heat the milk until it began to boil. Turn-off the alcohol lamp and carefully remove the beaker of hot milk. Notice the formation of precipitate or curds. Let the milk sit for a few seconds. If the liquid is almost clear scoop curds out with a strainer or slotted spoon from the water. Set the strain on the beaker to drain the excess water. Put the curds on the cheesecloth and gently squeeze the curds, but not too much. If you squeeze all the water from the curd, the curd will stick to the cheesecloth. The end product is known as quark. Transfer the quark into a bowl and blend with an electric beater into a smooth consistency and put aside.

V. Making the Paint Dissolve the borax into the hot water. Let the mixture cool so that it is not hot to touch and try to keep stirring as it cools. Add the borax mixture to the bowl of quark and blend with electric beater together these two becomes the binder of the paint. Transfer the binder to a larger bowl then add slowly the pigment.
Data Gathering Testing the :

A. Viscosity

Fill a graduated cylinder with water and take note of the depth. Drop six pebbles in, one at a time. The pebbles we used came from a bag of coarse gravel used for aquariums and sold in pet stores. The pieces were somewhat irregular, and all about the same size: 7 or 8 mm long by about 4 or 5 mm in each of the other two dimensions. Use a stop watch to time how long it takes each pebble to reach the bottom. Repeat the process together with the controlled substance which is the commercial paint. Be sure to record all results.

Materials Used graduated cylinder
Stopwatch
20 pebbles

B. Color and Odor Two samples were prepared the experimental and the control. Then, 30 questionnaires for the 30 respondents were prepared. After preparing the papers, the 30 respondents were gathered to observe the experimental and control paint. The 30 respondents observed the color and smelled the paints. Afterwards the questionnaires were distributed, answered and gathered..

Statistical Test Used
Chi-square is used to analyze the color and odor of the paint while t-test is used to determine the viscosity of the paint.

Calculating Chi-Square | White (Boysen) | Red (Achuete) | Observed (o) | 639 | 241 | Expected (e) | 660 | 220 | Deviation (o - e) | -21 | 21 | Deviation2 (d2) | 441 | 441 | d2/e | 0.668 | 2 | 2 = d2/e = 2.668 | . | . |

CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION

It is therefore observed that: The 30 people who were subjected to test the quality of the Milk Based Paint made from Bixa Orellana (Achuete) said that there is no big difference from the commercially-produced paints in the sense of quality.

The Milk Based Paint produced from Achuete has actually passed three tests, namely:

Viscosity test, Color test and Odor Test.