Abstract:
The Effect of Various Solvents and Various Fabrics on Permanent
Marker
Zaina Azam
Crescent Academy Intl. - 8th Grade
Canton, MI
Purpose:
The purpose of the experiment is to observe the types of solvents that
will have the greatest affect of degrading the color/ durability of a
permanent marker circle on various types of fabrics.
Hypothesis:
If a variety of solvents are tested on a variety of fabrics to remove
permanent marker, then the rubbing alcohol will have the greatest affect
of degrading the color/ durability of the permanent marker, since
rubbing alcohol is found in many cleaning substances.
Procedure:
Cut five pieces of copy paper, construction paper, felt, cotton, and
aluminum foil, each four by four centimeters. Draw a two diameter
circle on each piece of fabric and color in with the black Sharpie
permanent marker. Then, pour 50 mL of water, rubbing alcohol, bleach,
vinegar, and nail polish remover into 5 different cups. Using the
tweezers, dip the five different types of fabrics into the cup of water for
ten seconds separately. Repeat this step using the other listed solvents.
Observations/Data/Results:
There were no changes for the permanent marker circles when dipped in
water. The rubbing alcohol produced an effect for all the fabrics except
for the aluminum foil. It caused the marker to disperse throughout the
fabrics. The bleach whitened all the fabrics, turned the permanent
marker circles brown, and had no effect on the size/shape of the circles.
The vinegar didn’t produce any effects on the permanent marker circles.
The nail polish remover produced an effect on all fabrics except
aluminum foil and caused the marker to disperse throughout the fabrics.
Conclusion:
Alcohol-based substances, such as the rubbing alcohol and nail polish
remover, were able to have the greatest effect in removing the
permanent marker circles because the Sharpie marker is alcohol based;
the alcohol substance in the rubbing alcohol and in the nail polish
remover were able to mix with the alcohol in the ink, thus removing it.
Water didn’t produce an effect on the permanent marker circle because
Sharpie, along with many other permanent markers, is water resistant.
Vinegar didn’t work because its main ingredient is acetic acid, which
isn’t as effective.
Question:
How Permanent Are Permanent Markers?
Hypothesis:
If a variety of solvents are tested on a variety of fabrics to remove
permanent marker, then the rubbing alcohol will have the greatest effect
of degrading the color/ durability of the permanent marker, since
rubbing alcohol is found in many cleaning substances.
Variables:
Independent Variable: The independent variables are the types of
solvents and the types of fabrics (that will be affecting the permanent
marker circle).
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable is the durability/ color of
the permanent marker.
Background Research:
Permanent markers, such as the classic Sharpie, are made up of three
main ingredients. The three main ingredients are colorant, carrier
(solvent), and resin. (Allison, page 1). A colorant is what gives a
permanent marker its permanence and color. “Pigments do not fade like
dyes nor do pigments bleed through paper.” (Allison, page 1). A dye is
a coloring material that is dissolved in a solvent, such as water, to
become a water soluble substance. On the other hand, a pigment is an
insoluble substance. “Technically, a permanent marker need only meet
these two qualifications to be considered permanent: it must use dyes or
pigments, and it must adhere to most surfaces and/or be water resistant.”
(Devlin, page 1). Solvents are used as the carrier in permanent markers.
Resin is a substance that adds the “adhesion” substance to the permanent
marker. The resin sticks like glue to most surfaces that the permanent
marker is written on, which causes the pigment to attach to various
surfaces. Due to this adhesion, permanent markers can be used to write
smoothly on hard or soft surfaces. The resin also forms a film once the
alcohol has evaporated, which is another factor that allows permanent
markers to write uniformly on smooth or hard surfaces. (Allison, page
1). “There are effective ways to remove ink from permanent markers.
Alcohol will remove permanent marker more effectively from
nonporous materials, but it will work with porous materials as well.”
(Devlin, page 1). Permanent markers aren’t very permanent on most
surfaces. They can be removed with high pressure cleaning or with
solvents such as acetone. They can also be removed by using a
substance with the same ingredient that was in the permanent marker in
the first place, which was alcohol. Substances, such as rubbing alcohol
or nail polish remover. This breaks down the pigment and also allows
the coating to decay. “Some permanent markers, however, are designed
to be longer lasting.” (“Permanent Marker”, page 1). These permanent
markers have two specialties; they are not able to fade away and they are
able to resist some solvents. Permanent marker stains can be easily
removed from glossy surfaces, such as glass. Since the ink is based on
alcoholic substances, the stain can be removed using rubbing alcohol. In
most cases, alcohol is very effective on non-porous surfaces. Permanent
marker stains that have dried for more than several hours can be
removed using acetone. However, acetone may damage the surface
material. (Aguirre, page 1).
Materials:
The materials used were:
1. Five plastic cups
2. One black Sharpie permanent marker
3. One measuring cup (1000 mL/ 1 quart measuring
cup)
4. Solvents (50 mL of each):
a. Water
b. Rubbing alcohol
c. Bleach
d. Vinegar
e. Nail Polish Remover
5. One pair of tweezers or tongs
6. Paint Sample Papers (in the colors of brown, black,
and blue)
7. A compass or penny
8. Fabric materials (five pieces of each, each four by
four centimeters)
a. Copy paper
b. Construction paper
c. Felt
d. Cotton
e. Aluminum foil
9. A ruler (with centimeters)
10. A timer or clock
11. Tape
12. Twenty-five labels for each trial (for the five
different solvents and the five different fabrics)
13.
14.
Counter or table space
A camera
Procedure:
The experimental procedure is:
1. Cut five pieces of all the fabrics (copy paper,
construction paper, felt, cotton, and aluminum foil),
each four by four centimeters.
2. Draw a small dot/circle (2 centimeters in diameter)
using a compass or the size of a penny with
permanent marker on each of the twenty-five pieces
of fabric. The circle should be drawn in the middle
of the fabric (2 cm from the left and 2 cm from the
bottom).
3. Color in the circle, making sure that no part of the
fabric is showing inside the circle.
4. Using the 1000 mL/ 1 quart measuring cup, measure
50 mL, or ¼ cup, of all solvents (water, rubbing
alcohol, bleach, vinegar, and nail polish remover)
and pour the solvents in five different cups. Wash
the measuring cup thoroughly between each solvent.
5. Label the plastic cups with the type of solvent that is
in each cup.
6. Using the tweezers/ tongs, dip the five different
types of fabric into the cup of water one at a time for
ten seconds each.
7. After removing the fabrics from the cup of water, set
the fabrics on a flat surface, preferably a table or
counter, to dry for at least 12 hours.
8. Repeat steps five and six using rubbing alcohol,
bleach, vinegar, and nail polish remover separately.
9. After 12-24 hours, observe and record results.
10. Clean up area.
Safety Consideration: Bleach may cause irritations and burns. To
prevent any injury or damage, wear gloves when handling, handle with
caution, and wash hands after use.
Data:
This table represents the measurement of the permanent marker circle
after it was dipped in the following solvents, the color of the permanent
marker circle before it was dipped in the solvents, and the color of the
permanent marker circles after it was dipped in the solvents (The paint
sample papers are used here; they correspond with the number on the
columns of “Color of Circle Before Dipped in Solvent” and “Color of
Circle After Dipped in Solvents”).
Round
Fabric +
Solvent
1a
Copy Paper
+ Water
Copy Paper
+ Rubbing
Alcohol
1b
Color of
Circle
Before
Dipped in
Solvent
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
Color of Circle Measurements
After Dipped in After Dipped
Solvent
in Solvent
610: Nightfall
2 cm diameter
609: Black Tea
(black circle)
643:
Smokestone
(smudge on
paper)
Horizontal:
3.5 cm
Vertical: 4 cm
1c
1d
1e
2a
2b
2c
2d
2e
3a
3b
Copy Paper
+ Bleach
Copy Paper
+ Vinegar
Copy Paper
+ Nail
Polish
Remover
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
617: Firewood
2 cm diameter
610: Nightfall
2 cm diameter
609: Black Tea
(black circle)
643:
Smokestone
(smudge on
paper)
610: Nightfall
Horizontal:
2.2 cm
Vertical: 3.1
cm
Construction
Paper +
Water
Construction
Paper +
Rubbing
Alcohol
610:
Nightfall
609: Black Tea
(black circle)
643: Troubled
Sky (smudge on
paper)
618: Landmark
Brown
Horizontal: 3
cm
Vertical: 3.5
cm
Construction
Paper +
Bleach
Construction
Paper +
Vinegar
Construction
Paper + Nail
Polish
Remover
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
610: Nightfall
2 cm diameter
610:
Nightfall
640: India Ink
(black circle)
645: Great Lake
(smudge on
paper)
Trial 1:
Horizontal:
2.1 cm
Vertical: 3.3
cm
611: Coalmine
2 cm diameter
610: Grand
Tetons
2 cm diameter
610:
Nightfall
Felt + Water 610:
Nightfall
Felt +
610:
Rubbing
Nightfall
2 cm diameter
2 cm diameter
3c
3d
3e
4a
4b
4c
4d
4e
5a
5b
5c
5d
Alcohol
Felt +
Bleach
Felt +
Vinegar
Felt + Nail
Polish
Remover
Cotton +
Water
Cotton +
Rubbing
Alcohol
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
609: Shaded
Granite
611: Coalmine
2 cm diameter
612:
Chimneysweep
2 cm diameter
611:
Coalmine
611:
Coalmine
611: Coalmine
2 cm diameter
612:
Chimneysweep
(black circle)
611:Smokestack
(smudge on
paper)
618: Landmark
Brown
611: Coalmine
Horizontal:
2.9 cm
Vertical: 2.6
cm
612:
Chimneysweep
Horizontal:
2.1 cm
Vertical: 2.2
cm
2 cm diameter
2 cm diameter
Cotton +
Bleach
Cotton +
Vinegar
Cotton +
Nail Polish
Remover
611:
Coalmine
611:
Coalmine
611:
Coalmine
2 cm diameter
Aluminum
Foil + Water
Aluminum
Foil +
Rubbing
Alcohol
Aluminum
Foil +
Bleach
Aluminum
610:
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
610: Nightfall
612:
Chimneysweep
2 cm diameter
610:
Nightfall
612:
Chimneysweep
2 cm diameter
610:
610: Nightfall
2 cm diameter
2 cm diameter
5e
Foil +
Vinegar
Aluminum
Foil + Nail
Polish
Remover
Nightfall
610:
Nightfall
612:
Chimneysweep
2 cm diameter
Conclusion:
In conclusion, even though the permanent marker circles were not
completely removed by the solvents, many solvents produced great
effects of dispersing the marker throughout the fabric, removing a vast
chunk of the circle, etc. Research shows that any alcohol based
substances removed the permanent marker circle. Thus, the hypothesis
was correct. The hypothesis was that the rubbing alcohol will have the
greatest effect of degrading the color/ durability of the permanent
marker on various types of fabrics because it is found in many cleaning
substances. Results show that the rubbing alcohol and the nail polish
remover were both the most effective in removing the black permanent
marker circle from the fabrics. This is because since Sharpie permanent
markers are alcohol based, the alcohol substance in the rubbing alcohol
and in the nail polish remover were able to mix with the alcohol in the
ink, thus removing it. The rubbing alcohol and nail polish remover had
caused the permanent marker circles to disperse throughout the fabric,
and this caused the original permanent marker circle to lose some of its
color/ fade, causing it to turn a lighter shade of black. This is proof that
the rubbing alcohol and the nail polish remover were the most effective
in removing the permanent marker circles. Water was the constant in the
experiment. There were no major changes in any of the fabrics dipped in
the water. This is because Sharpie, along with most other permanent
markers, is water resistant. The bleach had whitened all of the fabrics. It
had also turned the permanent marker circles a brownish color. The
circle on the felt that was dipped in bleach started to fade away, however
it didn’t produce a major effect on removing the permanent marker
circle. The vinegar didn’t produce a great effect on removing the
permanent marker circles because the main ingredient in vinegar is
acetic acid, which isn’t as effective as alcohol in removing permanent
markers. Overall, permanent markers are not permanent, but it depends
on the type of surface the permanent marker is on. If the permanent
marker is on an easy-to-remove surface, one can rub rubbing alcohol
onto it and it will vanish. This relates to how bad attitudes and
misfortunes aren’t permanent. If one perseveres, one may rid the
negative attitude and adapt a positive attitude. This makes one a step
closer to moralization and a step closer to self-actualization. To be selfactualized, one must help others fulfill their needs so that others may
become self-actualized, as well. Also, positive attitudes are contagious,
so one can pass it on to others. This experiment also relates to the quote
“What goes around, comes around” because it takes an alcoholic
substance to remove an alcoholic substance. That means that if one has a
negative attitude and doesn’t change it, a misfortune may be fallen onto
them. In conclusion, permanent markers can be removed by alcohol
based substances, as negativity can be overcome with perseverance.
Bibliography:
 Allison, Keith. “What is in a Permanent Marker? E.g
Sharpie (What are the Ingredients).” www.madsci.org. 29
August 2005. 27 January 2010.
<http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/200508/1125342426.Ch.r.html>
 Author unknown. “Permanent Marker.”
www.absoluteastronomy.com n.d. 31 January 2010.
<http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Permanent_ma
rker>
 Devlin, Emily. “Why Are Permanent Markers Permanent?”
www.ehow.com n.d (Copyright 1999-2010 eHow, Inc.). 26
January, 2010. <
<http://www.ehow.com/about_5385482_permanentmarkers-permanent.html>
 Aguirre, Sarah. “Removing Ink Stains.”
www.housekeeping.about.com. October 2009. 2 February
2010.
<http://housekeeping.about.com/od/stainremoval/a/inkstain
s.htm>