What is the main ingredient in making ballpen ink?

Answer 1

2 types, for washable inks, water...for indelible pens, oil. Different oils are used by different manufacturers, and the pigments which give ink their color are a list too long to even begin, but many are oxides.

Answer 2

What are the other two people who have given you answers smoking?

What's all that rubbish they've written?

Phew, it went on for ages, didn't it?
the answer is just one word - but I can't spell it.

The first 3 letters are Liq - and it's that black stuff they make straws out of which they put in a sherbert fountain, and if you eat too much of it - it gives you the poohs.

Liquorice. Is that how you spell it?

And do you know why that's what ink is made of?
Because people keep sucking their pens.

Phew - how many times have you seen kids with ink all over their mouths?

Loads.

So they make it edible.

Mmmmm - yummy yummy.

And there you are.

You're welcome.
Any time

Answer 3

Fundamentally, inks are composed of four major material categories: (1) Colorants (which include pigments, toners, and dyes) provide the color contrast with the substrate. (2) Vehicles, or varnishes, act as carriers for the colorants during the printing operation. Upon drying, the vehicles bind the colorants to the substrate. (3) Additives influence the printability, film characteristics, drying speed, and end-use properties. (4) Solvents (including water), besides participating in formation of the vehicles, are used to reduce ink viscosity and adjust drying ease and resin compatibility. Ingredients from these four classes are weighed, mixed, and ground (dispersed) together or separately, according to the formulas preestablished in the laboratory. See also Printing.

Inks developed for ball-point pens are newtonian fluids of high tinctorial strength. These must be free of particles and premature drying so as to continue the feed to the paper without clogging. Rapid penetration into the paper accomplishes drying. They are dye solutions or pigment dispersions in oleic acid, castor oil, sulfonamide, or in aqueous solutions of gums or glues. See also Newtonian fluid.