College of Criminology

University of Luzon

Date : 04-25-21 Rating : _________

Experiment No. 17
Analysis of Ballpoint pen ink

OBJECTIVE: To be able to analyze ballpoint pen ink by paper chromatography.

MATERIALS:
1. Questions and standard document weitten with fountain pen containing in or written
with black pen ink.
2. Solvent medium: methanol or ammonium hydroxide
3. Pyridine
4. Capillary tubes
5. Whitman filter paper (no.1)
6. Large test tube
7. Test tube 10cm
8. Cork with wire hook
9. Paper clip or thumb tack

PROCEDURE:
1. Cut a small portion from the end of written word contaidned in the questioned and standard
paper or documents and place them in two separate test tube each containing a small
portion of methanol. Shake the test tube to extract the ink from the paper. If the ink does not
dissolve, repeat the step usng the same volume of pyridine.

2. Fill the two test tube with 10 ml. of the solvent and cover with cork with a wire passing
though

3. Obtain the two strips of filter paper approximately 1cm wide and 10 cm long. With the use of
capillary tube, spot the ink extract on the paper 2cm from the bottom. Allow the spot to dry.

4. Attach a paper clip or thumb tack to the lower end of the strip to make the paper hanging
straight down and not curl.

5. Hang the strip of filter paper on the wire hook and lower the strip to the solvent do not
immerse the spot. Let the solvent come up over the spot by capillary action.

6. Allow the solvent to rise up the strip until it reaches a point 1.5 cm from the cork.

7. Remove the paper clip, mark the solvent front and allow the strip to dry on a clean sheet of
paper or suspend from a support.

8. Submit the chromatograms to your instructor.

OBSERVATION:
College of Criminology
University of Luzon

1. What is the maximum number of color that you see on the chromatogram ? What are
these colors?

 Questioned paper – 2 colors ( Violet and Green )

 Standard paper – 2 colors ( Violet and Green )

2. Is the order of colors on the strips the same in both cases?

 Yes

3. Are these black ink really black?

 No, because there's literally a rainbow of colors hiding in just one black dot! The burst of
color that you see on the filter paper proves that black is really a combination of colors.

CONCLUSION:
1. In your opinion, were the two documents written with the same ink? Why or why not?

 Based in our opinion. Yes, because the result shows the same color from two
documents.

2. Is paper chromatography a reliable method in determining the kind of ink used? Why?

 No, because paper chromatography is used only to determine ballpoint pen ink.

3. What is principle involved in the test?

 Partition chromatography and absorption chromatography.

4. Define Paper Chromatography?

 Paper chromatography is an applicability to isolation, identification and quantitative

determination of organic and inorganic compounds. It can also be used to determine any
special characteristics in the color of the paper and to determine ballpoint pen ink.

5. What are ballpoint pen ink made of?

 It is made of fast dye solution in glycol type solvent.

College of Criminology
University of Luzon

FC 106 – FORENSIC CHEMISTRY AND

TOXICOLOGY

( GROUP 5 )
College of Criminology
University of Luzon