Pen ink has no specific chemical composition. Different companies use chemicals like their own advantage. However, the ingredients that are commonly used are listed below. Ingredients: Dyes and pigments are the main ingredients of any type of ink. Dye is a pigment that is completely dissolved in water. Pigment, on the other hand, is a colored powder. The ink of the ballpoint pen contains only dye because the pigment granule can cause obstruction from sticking to the ball. Water , oil or alcohol are also used in the ink as required . The oil makes the ballpoint ink thicker , dries faster and lasts longer. Color of ink: White: Titanium dioxide which is also known as titanium white is used as pigment in white ink. Black: The black color of black ink comes from carbon. Carbon is an essential element of all black ink. Red: The red color of red ink comes from eosin or potassium ferric cyanide. Blue: Trifilaylmethane dye , crystal violet , cupric ammonium sulphate etc. are used for blue ink . Other essential chemicals: Gum arabic: Gum arabic is a golden complex polysaccharide collected from the Accacia tree. It is composed of glucuronic acid , rhamnose, arabinose, protein and galactose. Gum Arabic is added to the ink to hold the ink molecules together and make them flow smoothly. Ferrous sulphate: Sodak ferrous sulphate or iron ( II) sulphate, also known as green vitriol mixed with water and gallic acid, is used in fountain pens. Mild hydrochloric acid: Mild hydrochloric acid is a common ingredient in pen ink. Gum is used in ink by mixing hydrochloric acid with arabic and gallic acid. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol: They are used as solvents for dissolving dyes and other ingredients. Fenol: Fenol or carbolic acid was formerly used to preserve ink and to preserve it for many days. There are many more elements. There are different types of elements in the pen.