WEEK 8
SELF DIRECTED PROJECT
INTRODUCTION BIOPLASTIC
MINOR MAKERSLAB
2019
PROJECT PLAN
During the reading week there was a workshop about bioplastics. Unfortunately I couldn't make it, but I was very interested in the process. Because bioplastics are biodegradable. So for the self-directed project I wanted to test biosplastics.
Workshop bioplastics, Minor Makerslab
Maker: Asle Lundorff
Picture: Shirley Niemans
WHAT'S THE PROJECT?
For the project I want to create a specific recipe for bioplastics that is both strong and flexible. From this recipe I would like make a large bioplastic sheet. Eventually I want to make a product out of this sheet and the result will be a biodegradable product.
COLLABORATING
For the assignment I agreed to work with Elisa. We both wanted to experiment with materials. Elisa's project plan was not bad, but it was not achieveable in 2.5 weeks. Making bioplastics is also a lot of work, but it can be done if you work together. I'm really looking forward to working with Elisa. Even though we are doing the same study, I have never worked with Elisa before.
HOW DO WE WANT TO DO THIS?
At first we want to get to know bio plastics. For the assignment Shirley send us a powerpoint with some links of online books with different recipes for bio plastics.
II hope Shirley can give us a small course on how to make bioplastic, just like the workshop in week 3 from the minor.
We want to try all the recipes from the first link. From every recipe we want to make 3 samples and dry each one diffrently.
The first sample will dry just by air drying.
The second sample will be dried in the microwave.
The third sample will be dried in the oven
We want to see how each sample re-acts to this drying methods.
When we have tried every recipe we will pick one recipe to continue with.
and try to at a little bit more glycerince to upgrade the flexibility.
The Best recipe winns.
When we have to recipe that we like we want to make a sheet on a larger scale en try to make a fysical product out of it.
PLANNING
WEEK ONE
FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH BIO PLASTIC
On March the 25th we asked Shirley to give us a little workshop off how to make bioplastics. Luckely there were some stuff left in the pantry from the first Workshop. For the best results you have wait till the mix gets transparant and take the foam before pouring it.
DAY ONE
RECIPE
QUICK NOTES
STRENGTH:
WEEK TWO
FLEXIBILITY:
COLOR:
- GELATIN
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
12
7,2
60
-Gelatin
-Agar
-Starch
Animal Based Bioplastic
-Gylcerin
-Natural Coloring Agents
MIXING THE INGREDIENTS
COOKING THE ANIMAL BASED BIOPLASTIC
g
g
ml
WHAT DO WE NEED?
-Measuring Cups
-Scale
-Cooker
-Spoon
-Spatula
-Pan
SUPPLIES:
To produce enough bioplastic, we have multiplied the recipe with factor 4. We have been able to fill a total of 10 Petri dishes. We added different materials to distinguish the dishes. For two dishes we added some color to test out what the results would be.
DAY TWO
For the next day Elisa and I agreed to work at her place in instead of school. At her place we don't have any distractions and plenty of room to work on the project.
For todays project we want to test a few recipes from the Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne.
For each recipe we want to produce 3 samples.
- The first samples will be air dried.
- The second samples will be dried in the microwave.
- The last samples wil be dried in the oven.
The bioplastic doesn't attach to plastic. So we took some plastic sheets from the Makerslab to use as a bottom plate. We attached the frames to the plastic by using issolation tape. Eventually the bioplastic wil attach itself to the wood.
x4
48
28,8
240
g
g
ml
OUR FIRST TESTS
MAKING THE FRAMES
Elisa and I wanted to create bigger samples for our next try in making bioplastics. So we reseverd the lasercutter at the end of the day. In the meantime we made an Illustratorfile for the frames.
PREPERATION BEFORE COOKING THE BIOPLASTIC
COOKING THE BIOPLASTIC
FIRST BIOPLASTIC SAMPLES
A FEW OFF THE WOODEN FRAMES
RECIPE 1
Animal Based Bioplastic
- GELATIN
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
12
7,2
60
g
g
ml
For the first recipe we decided to use the same recipe we used in the workshop. We multiplied the glycerine by a factor of 2.5. And we used Gelatin Powder!
RECIPE 3
Herbal Based Bioplastic
- Agar Agar
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
1,6
5.4
40
g
g
ml
1
:
2
24
18
120
g
g
ml
---------------
For the second recipe we wanted to use a different gelatin to see if this gives a better result. We multiplied the glycerine by a factor of 4.5.
RECIPE 2
Animal Based Bioplastic
- GELATIN
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
12
7,2
60
g
g
ml
1
---------------
:
3
36
32.4
180
g
g
ml
16,2
4.8
120
g
g
ml
:
---------------
1
3
3
For the 3rd recipe we used agar agar. Agar agar is a whitish, tasteless and odourless, unbranched polysaccharide that is extracted from the cell walls of some species of red algae, mainly in Sri Lanka, Java and Japan.
For recipe four, we're gonna try corn starch. The liquid is quite thin compared to the previous recipes. We multiplied the glycerine by a factor of 2.5.
RECIPE 4
Herbal Based Bioplastic
- CORN STARCH
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
- VINEGAR
1.6
20
80
15
g
mL
mL
mL
3,2
50
160
30
g
mL
mL
mL
---------------
1
2
:
RECIPE 5
Herbal Based Bioplastic
- POTATO STARCH
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
- VINEGAR
RECIPE 6
- TAARTINA
- GLYCERIN
- WATER
- VINEGAR
Herbal Based Bioplastic
-------------
:
10
5
60
5
g
mL
mL
mL
1
2
20
15
120
10
For recipe five, we're gonna try potato starch. We multiplied the glycerine by a factor of 2.5. During cooking the liquid became very thick in a short time.
For the last recipe we used Taartina. This is a starch, but neither Elisa nor I were able to figure out what kind of starch it should contain. We gave this recipe our own twist. During the cooking we noticed that the substance of the Taartina is very similar to the potato starch.
12g
24
120
10
g
mL
mL
mL
g
mL
mL
mL
After we had tried all the recipes, the drying process could begin.
DRYING THE BIOPLASTICS
AIR
OVEN
OVEN
MICROWAVE
GELATIN POWDER
GELATIN LEAVES
AGAR AGAR
CORN STARCH
POTATO STARCH
TAARTINA (STARCH)
AIR DRYING
Air drying went very well, except for recipe 4, after a couple of hours we still didn't see any changes... The bioplastic remained liquid.
RECIPE 1
RECIPE 2
RECIPE 3
RECIPE 4
RECIPE 5
RECIPE 6
MICROWAVE
RECIPE 3
RECIPE 6
The second step was to dry the bioplastics in the microwave. We didn't use any special settings, but we kept the bioplastic on a low setting for 30 seconds in the microwave.
All the bioplastics melted in the microwave, except for two...
The Agar Agar became very tough and even started to shrink. Also the color started to change a bit.
The Tartina itself is white in color but after a number of heating became transparent in color. Also the structure changed, and became a bit knobby.
DRIED IN THE OVEN
RECIPE 3
RECIPE 5
The same thing happened in the oven as in the microwave. However, the oven had a different reaction to recipe 5 (the potato starch). After a few hours in the oven, the sample broke into pieces. The other samples were all melted except for the Agar Agar... The Agar Agar shrunk in the oven and changed a little color.
IN THE MEANTIME...
Elisa and I had had a small workshop from Shirley at the beginning of the project. A few days had passed, and it was time to look at samples. And the result was better than we expected!
Golden leaves
Bubble Wrap Pattern
With Color (Red)
MAKING THE SHEET
After doing all the tests it became clear which recipe was the best for us. We decided to continue with recipe number 1 (Gelatine Powder). The Agar Agar was the second option on our list, but we will save that one for a other time.
Before pouring the bioplastic, it is important to remove all the foam. At first we scooped the foam out with a spoon, but then I thought it would be easier to filter the bio-plastic with an old cloth. And this system worked very well!
The casting of the bioplastic did not go so smoothly. Elisa tried to melt the bioplastic again with a heat gun so we could distribute it better. But this created wrinkles in the plate. So we stopped. Still it had a nice effect...
At the beginning of week 2 I didn't come to school because of family circumstances. After the weekend Elisa took the bioplastic plate out of the mould to see the result. In the same week she made a second bioplastic sheet on her own.
The new sheet had to dry for a couple of days. Fortunately, my absence did not have a major impact on our project. On Friday I did come to school, even though I didn't feel very well yet.
LASER CUTTING BIOPLASTIC
During the start-up of the laser cutting machine we met a fellow student from AMFI who was also working on bioplastics. She gave us her settings for the laser cutter. For our first laser cutting test I didn't want to use the sheet right away, I preferred to use one of the first samples.
We decided to use the red sample and make a smiley out of it. I taped half of the sample with transfer tape to see if this gives a better result.
We didn't see much difference in spite of too much tape, so this was unnecessary. The burn spots are pretty easy to wipe of with a wet cloth.
Although Clara (the fellow student of the AFMI) had given her settings, we wanted to see if we could determine a better setting for the laser cutter.
We made an illustrator file with multiple shapes. Each shape has its own color and each color has its own settings.
Laser cutting the bioplastic sample looks good but the engraving looks burned and gets deformed because the materials melts.
Samples from the workshop
BEST LASER CUTTING SETTINGS:
SPEED:
SPEED:
POWER:
POWER:
48
130
20
31
MAKING THE BAG
I wanted to make a product from the bioplastic sheet right from the start. I did have the idea of making a bag, but I didn't really know what kind of bag...
We decided to go for the shopper's bag. The shape of the bag is used in almost every shop.
The choice for this bag is actually more of a statement. The plastic bag is one of the biggest polluters of the plastic soup. For that reason we wanted to show that it is possible to make these bags from bioplastic. We wanted to make the parts of the bag by laser cutting.
I can't sew myself and Elisa a bit, but her mother is very good at it.
That same Friday Elisa and I went to the Albery Cuyp Market to get bias tape for the bag. But it has to be natural material, otherwise our statement is worth nothing. That same weekend Elisa put the bag together with her mother. And the result is really beautiful!
See how Elisa put the Bag together with her mother on her hotglue page:
https://elisa.hotglue.me/?Self-directed%20Project/
Source
Illustrator file, Layout bag.
Inspiration, Transparent Bag
Shopper Bag
Source
MAKING THE BAG
MAKING THE BAG
OUR PRODUCT OUT OF BIOPLASTIC
I'm very proud of Elisa and her mother for putting the bag together. I am very satisfied with how the bag came out!
Elisa did indicate that she had to try to keep the bioplastic separated from each other with paper, because otherwise the bioplastic would stick together and it would be almost impossible to pull it apart.
WORKING ON THE PRESENTATION
Unfortunately, the bag could not stand on its own. So we had to come up with something so that the bag can stand on its own or we have to hang it up.
I decided to make a frame in SolidWorks. By measuring the full length and depth of the bag, I could roughly determine how deep and high the frame should be. On the gamble, we made this laser cut. We used MDF with a thickness of 4mm. I taped the MDF plate with transfer paper before cutting it. This helps against burns.But the frame works very well, so we will definitely use it for the presentation.
THE FINAL PRESENTATION
HOME
Short Workshop from Shirley about bioplastics.
Work @ Elisa’s place in Zaandam. Testing all the bioplastic recipes from the book from the first link from the PowerPoint we got from Shirley.
Drying the samples in the oven and microwave.
Checking how the samples turned out from the workshop with shirley.
Lasercutting a few samples to see which settings give the best results.
Processing Lesson from Kaj.
A trip to Gamma, to get some materials to make a bigger sheet from the bioplastics.
Dokters appoitment at 10:30 in the morning in my home town. If it is possible I will at school in the afternoon.
Working on my progress in hotglue
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY TILL SUNDAY
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-
-
-
-
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-
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Try to make another bioplastic sheet
Work on the Hotglue
Brainstorming for ideas
See how the bioplastic sheet came out.
Making a file for the lasercutter...
Making the product
Preparing for the Presentation
Get the stuff for the presentation
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY TILL SUNDAY
MONDAY TILL THURSDAY
PLANNING
MAKER SKILLS & ATTITUDE
COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Despite the fact that Elisa and I have been together in the class and in the same study programme, I had never worked with her before.
We always call Elisa the mother of the group, because she is very sweet and caring and always wants to help. This is something I really admire about Elisa.
She is eager to learn and she was certainly a good addition as a partner in the project. In some areas I wanted to stop earlier and she came up with new possibilities that I hadn't even thought of yet.
What was very difficult for me was to let go of perfectionism. It happens that certain samples don't look very nice, but also these tests can be nice to show. The cooperation went so well that Elisa and I wanted to make more bioplastics after the project (if time permits).
I would definitely like to work together again with Elisa. The atmosphere was very relaxed, and working together went very well.
Despite the fact that I was absent for a week, we still managed to finish the project. And I want to say honestly that I am really proud of our result.
I was glad we could do something with bioplastics.
I learned that the recipe for gelatine should not be cooked at a high setting, and that only when the liquid is transparent the bioplastic is ready to be poured.
For the best result it is important to remove all the foam from the bioplastic. Eventually we used a piece of cloth to filter the bioplastic.
The way of drying can influence the structure of the bioplastics.
If you start pouring the bioplastic too hot, the plexiglass plate will be bulging.
Each recipe has its own characteristics and through a lot of trial and error you will find out what kind of recipe works best.
If you clean the dried bioplastic with a wet cloth, it will become sticky again.
If the bioplastic still feels cold, this means that it is not completely dry.
The bioplastic attaches to wood but not to the plexiglass.
The correct settings for laser cutting are speed: 48 Power:20 or speed: 130 Power: 31.
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