A thin, textured sheet of foamy, flexible bioplastic. Gelatine-based.
A thin, textured sheet, and half domes of foamy, flexible bioplastic. Gelatine-based.
### Physical form
Surfaces & Surface Treatments
Surfaces, Solids
### Fabrication time
...
...
@@ -48,6 +43,7 @@ Final form achieved after: 1 week
1.**Spoons**
1.**Whisk**
1.**Lego sheet** (or other textured surface)
1.**Egg holders** (or other mold), these came with my fridge
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
...
...
@@ -76,7 +72,7 @@ Approx. 150 ml
1.**Casting the foam**
- Cast onto the lego sheet (or other textured sheet) and spread out if necessary. Cast in the center of the sheet and allow the material to spread itself, keeping the pot still for even results.
- Cast onto the lego sheet (or other textured sheet) and spread out if necessary. Cast in the center of the sheet and allow the material to spread itself, keeping the pot still for even results. Or cast into the cups.
- The material will shrink a lot so make the layer thicker than you want the end result to be.
- Let it dry for 48-72 hours at least before releasing
...
...
@@ -187,6 +183,8 @@ Needs further research?: not sure
The biofoam feels like the foam-like packaging materials sometimes used for shipping fragile goods or thick foamy kitchen cloth. It feels colder to the touch and is slightly stickier. The upside shows visible bubbles, but the mold-facing side feels very smooth if the mold had a smooth surface. It somewhat keeps the smell of the dishwashing liquid and smells less like wet dog than other gelatin-based bioplastics.
The foam half domes are more rigid when completely dried, but still allow for some squeezing and feel foamy.
### Technical and sensory properties
-**Strength**: medium
...
...
@@ -211,10 +209,6 @@ The biofoam feels like the foam-like packaging materials sometimes used for ship
@@ -7,15 +7,88 @@ A proposal for an online accessible *open-source material archive with DIY recip
A selection of 25 biofabricated materials is already documented and forms a suggested "starter archive" for anyone who would like to build their own physical archive with samples. Building the basic archive will teach you the foundational techniques that most other recipes will build upon, and require you to collect the basic tools and ingredients you will need.
I analysed at a number of online and offline archives, such as Materiom (link), Materiability (link), The Institute of Making at UCL London), Material Archive Textile Lab Amsterdam (link), Material District (link) for how they....
- item 1
- item 2
- item 3
##Why?
**Biofabricating can be further demystified**
Some archives tend to mystify the process of biofabricating (using expert terminology, not explaining in detail how to actually do something). Getting very scientific or very technical about it without explaining hands-on knowledge in laymen's terms.
**Biofabrication can be further clarifying (but not simplified!)**
alternatively, archives and resources tend to oversimplify the process (a three step summary of a process where many more intricated details matter. Knowing how to cook a bioplastic is easy, knowing how to dry it well is much less documented.
**Material Archives can and should take an open-source DIY approach (Do-It-Yourself)**
Many archives will show you what's out there (to buy), but don't give the concrete info you need to biofabricate yourself even though you can often try out these things in your kitchen and most recipes are in the commons and can be used by anyone.
**Do-It-Together**
When recipes and how-to's are shared (e.g. Material Archive, Materiability etc.) there is often no way to disagree on recipes. What is there is there and cannot be improved or responded to by others.
**Context-aware approach (exit the candy shop)**
A lot of
**Tactile / sound demo often lacking but very necessary**
The tactile dimension that is so important part of a physical archive is lacking in most online ones to help people understand the kind of material they can make with a given recipe
Other arguments:
- sustainability
- nuance: no perfect material but let's collect information
- not mystifying
- but also not simplifying
- technique is half the work
- thorough documentation and referencing highlighted
- tactile / sound demo often lacking but very necessary
-
##Who?
Designers, material crafters, students, educators, researchers, hobbyists.
The recipes in the archive are accessible to anyone with a device that has a browser and an internet connection.
Anyone dedicated to biofabricating materials and some experience in at least one of the processes can submit a recipe manually. If the recipe is thoroughly researched, the person can join as a contributor and get a log-in account.
##How?
- Prototype/mock-up for an online platform to host a digital material archive
- Offer selection of 25 recipes for biofabrication for a material archive starter that teach you the foundational techniques
- A physical material archive for my university's lab :)
- Future: get funding to build it (working on that)
##What we can look at so far! (23 March)
-[mock-up of online platform](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YRHikbOnj0WLbVhc2BELcTUBk30rFFGOpYzF1ra7Jp4/edit?usp=sharing)
- 25 documented material samples [(example here)](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/biofoam/)
-[videos of material samples](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXJnjBsCdBxGIRjgl9SVeoAYn7UzqS8A6)
- pictures of material samples [(example here)](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/biofoam/)
###Archive starter
Intro intro intro
[Video samples on Youtube here!](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXJnjBsCdBxGIRjgl9SVeoAYn7UzqS8A6)
- tactile / sound demo often lacking but very necessary
##How?
##For Who?
The recipes in the archive are accessible to anyone with a device that has a browser and an internet connection.
Anyone dedicated to biofabricating materials and some experience in at least one of the processes can submit a recipe manually. If the recipe is thoroughly researched, the person can join as a contributor and get a log-in account.
