lampblack or soot

Ingredients

lampblack, soot, gum Arabic

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The black ink was created by manufacturing carbon-based particles from lampblack or soot (p. 383). These particles were mixed with a binding agent, specifically gum Arabic, which served to maintain the suspension and ensure proper adhesion of the carbon particles to the cellulose paper fibers (p. 383).

Evidence

"Examination indicated carbon was the primary component of the ink used to write on these old pages... using carbon ink, which is often manufactured from lampblack or soot, and a binding agent like gum Arabic, was used to create the black ink."

Remarks

Carbon ink is noted for its chemical stability, as it does not typically harm the paper substrate or deteriorate over time even when exposed to sunlight (p. 383). However, it is physically sensitive to humidity; in damp conditions, the ink has a propensity to smear and can be easily wiped off the surface of the manuscript (p. 383).