2018 INTEL ISEF, APPLIED SCIENCE

HALAAN SHELLS (Venerupis philippinarum) AS

POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTE FOR CaCO3 IN CHALK MAKING
By:John Warren Camacho, Grace Mae Ybanez, Zina Dorothy Culdora
M.B. Asistio Sr. High School, Caloocan City, National Capital Region
Adviser: Mrs. Ma. Girlie A. Carreon

RESEARCH PLAN

This project studies the possibility of using halaan shells (Venerupis

philippinarum) as substitute for CaCO3 in the making of chalk. The virtue of
recycling waste materials is very prevalent in this study, considering the
abundancy of these halaan shells in the markets of Malabon and Navotas.
Researches confirm that waterborne shells contain CaCO 3 and since chalk
making uses the same chemical as the basic ingredient, this study will focus
on the production of chalk out of halaan shells which could eventually provide
for a cheaper source of the chalk. The complete chemical analysis of the
components of halaan shell will be taken through Research Institutes like UP
Geologic Studies or the DOST to determine the exact amount of its
components, particularly CaCO3 which is being studied. Besides, it will be
environment friendly since the binder to be used is cornstarch. A small amount
of Plaster of Paris will also be used for added consistency of the product. The
amount of the powdered shell will be varied until the resulting sample will
come out to be almost comparable with the commercial chalk.

This study will determine the potential use of halaan shells as substitute
for CaCO3 in the making of chalk. It will seek to answer the following
questions:

1. Can halaan shells be an ingredient in the making of chalk?

2. Will the chalk produced out of halaan shells be comparable to the
commercial one?

The first steps to be done in this study are the scraping of the meat out
of the shell, the washing and powdering using hammer and the mortar and
pestle. Afterwards, the pulverized substance will be filtered using a fine mesh
of cloth to separate the powder from the bigger pieces. Then the cornstarch
will be cooked with a very low flame and after cooling, the powdered shell,
will be added and will be stirred constantly to have an even blending of the
materials. Then the mixed substances will be placed in an improvised molder
and this will be dried under the sun until the mixture becomes hard. After
several trials, the sample that nearly resembles the local chalks, will be
evaluated qualitatively by ten teachers through a survey form of
questionnaires using the Likert scale and data obtained will be computed using
the formula on weighted mean. The criteria for evaluation will include the
writing ability, durability, texture, color and its dustiness. Results will then be
analyzed and interpreted.

Metcalfe, H. C., Williams, J. and Casca, J. Modern Chemistry, 1982. USA: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, Publishers, pp. 552-553.

Thakker,M. Shukla,P. and Shah,D.O., 2015. Surface and colloidal properties

of chalks: A novel approach using surfactants to convert normal chalks
into dustless chalks. Colloids and Surfaces A:Physicochemical and
Engineering aspects, 480,pp.236-244.

https://group1sciencequeens.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/investigatory-
project-chapter-1-eggshalk-eggshells-to-chalk/

https://www.statisticshowto.datasciencecentral.com/weighted-mean/

http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/library-health-news/695-
halaan-shell-good-material-for-toothpaste-says-study

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-corn-starch-1328466

https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=how+to+make+chalk&oq=how+to+
make+chalk&aqs=chrome