Could you suggest images, diagrams, or illustrations that can represent this background of the study?

In the realm of painting, numerous paint products such as oil paint, latex paints, wall paints and acrylic paints incorporate harmful chemicals. We have envisioned creating a product that is benign, and that product is oil paint derived from carrots. Carrots contain a pigment crucial in the production of Oil paint and this pigment is known as beta-carotene.

Carrots contain a pigment that is essential for the production of oil paint, and this pigment is called beta-carotene. Beta-carotene, a pigment abundant in Chantenay carrots, is a natural substance known for its health benefits and uses food industry colorant (Bogacz-Radomska and Harasym, 2018). However, relatively unexplored is the use of beta-carotene as a pigment in the production of oil paints. This study will investigate the extraction of beta-carotene from Chantenay carrots and its subsequent use in oil paint production, with a view to closing that gap. Chantenay carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene (Mirheli and Taghian Dinani, 2018 ).

Extraction of beta-carotene from these carrots was previously investigated with promising results using methods such as ultrasonic shaking (Mirheli and Taghian Dinani, 2018). Beta-carotene can be mixed with vegetable oil (sunflower oil) as a binder, a method that has been used effectively in oil paint production (Sharma, V. and Kundu, P.P., 2006). However, this research will employ potash alum (known as tawas) as the extraction solvent, a method that has been effectively used in pigment extraction.

The use of Potash alum, chemically known as potassium aluminum sulfate, is sometimes used in the pigment extraction process for making oil paint. Its primary role in this context is to act as a mordant, which helps fix the pigments to the fabric during the dyeing process. However, in the case of oil paint, potash alum may be used as a clarifying agent rather than a mordant (Mystic P. Banias and Kenneth L. Ciudad, 2023). The extracted beta-carotene will then be utilized as a pigment. This approach aligns with the growing interest in the use of natural pigments in various industries (Bogacz-Radomska & Harasym, 2018).

Paints that use vegetable oil (sunflower oil) as an alternative paint binder in oil paint production is a reasonable choice. Vegetable oils can act as an effective binder because they can form a durable film when mixed with beta-carotene pigments. Sunflower oil is a neutral color, so it is suitable for lighter tones, a desirable natural oil for oil painting and a non-toxic agent that dries relatively quickly and produces a durable film.

This study is significant because it explores a new application of beta-carotene and contributes to the broader goal of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in the paint industry. Research on beta-carotene in oil paint production not only advances the broader sustainability goal of the paint industry, but also opens up new opportunities for creativity and innovation in responding to consumer demand for safer and more environmentally friendly products. The results of this study could possibly open new opportunities for the use of natural pigments in the production of oil paints.