Need attention: None, just leave it to dry in the mold with lots of airflow.
Need attention: None, just leave it to dry on the mold
Final form achieved after: 7 days
## Ingredients
***Alginate powder - 24 gr**
***Sodium alginate powder - 6 gr**
* the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
***Glycerine - 40 gr**
***Glycerine - 10 gr**
* the plasticizer that bonds with the alginate (makes it flexible).
***Water - 800 ml/gr**
***Water - 200 ml/gr**
* to dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
***Sunflower oil - 5 gr**
* filler to reduce shrinkage
***Yarn - cotton, 2 metres**
* to create the net
***Calcium chloride solution 10%**
* curing agent: spraying it onto the alginate plastic starts the curing process. Use 10 gr of calcium chloride in 100gr hot water (see below)
***Calcium chloride solution 10% (10 gr to 100 gr water)**
*is the curing agent: calcium chloride attracts moisture very strongly: spraying it onto the alginate plastic starts the curing process.
## Tools
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@@ -50,65 +52,54 @@ Final form achieved after: 7 days
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
Approx. 300 ml (make sure to evaporate a lot of water during cooking time)
Approx. 200 ml of alginate plastic that can be stored for two weeks and used in many different recipes
Approx. 100 ml of calcium chloride 10% solution that can be used for any alginate recipe
## Method
1.**Preparation**
- Weigh your ingredients for the alginate plastic (alginate, glycerine, water) in a blender
- Leave the mixture overnight to allow the bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
1.**Loom preparation**
- The next day: create a net on your loom (or hammer some nails into a wooden board and use that to create a net shape). It's not important that this is a properly woven structure.
- Push down the yarn at all the crossings, so the threads touch each other
- Weigh your ingredients
- Prepare the mold and find a place where you can leave it for a while, ideally near an open window where there's air flow.
1.**Mixing and dissolving the ingredients**
- bring the water to the boil
- optional: add natural dye if you wish to use color
- add the glycerine
- add the gelatine
- keep the temperature below 80 degrees celcius while stirring *very very slowly and gently* to avoid making bubbles. I prefer a simple spoon to do this, not a whisk.
1.**Cooking the ingredients**
- Simmer and slowly stir the mixture between 60-80 degrees celcius for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour. Turn it lower when bubbles appear: you don't want the liquid to move, don't boil it. This sample has some bubbles due to vigorous mixing.
- Longer cooking time allows more water to evaporate. You will get a thicker liquid. To cast larger volumes and solids with this recipe, evaporate a lot of water, until it's very thick.
1.**Casting**
- Let the liquid cool for a couple minutes until it gels a little but is still liquid and pourable.
- Cast into the mould slowly to avoid bubbles
- Pour from the middle and hold still, let the liquid distribute itself.
- Put the mould away to dry in a cool place with lots of air flow (like near an open window). A warmer place might speed up the drying process but also allow bacteria to grow faster and can result in fungal growth.
- If the mould has a removable base, remove it after 4-8 hours and put the mould on its side to allow air flow from both sides.
- When using a flexible mould: let it dry without releasing to keep the form as much as possible. The resin will likely shrink and release itself from the mold. If it feels cold to the touch it is still drying. If you are using a rigid mold: release after 4-8 hours and dry flat.
- Place the loom on an acrylic sheet before casting to catch excess alginate mixture
-Distribute the alginate mixture over the net, making sure it touches all the threads and crossings
-Wipe off excess blobs, the alginate should be distributed evenly
-Spray the net with the calcium chloride solution from all sides to start the curing process
-After a few minutes, when it no longer feels liquid but is becoming slightly solid, take the net off the loom. The alginate will shrink a lot, if you leave it on it could get stuck.
-Rinse the calcium chloride off the net by submerging it in tap water
-Transfer the net onto the mold (a bowl in this case), and place the threads how you want them
- Let it cure until totally dry
### Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: 7 cm (filled up until 2.5cm high)
- Mold depth: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness: 20-30 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 20-30 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
Letting it dry up to ten days to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly harden until its totally rigid.
Letting it dry up to seven days to get to the final form. When it no longer feels cool to the touch it is dry enough to take off. It can help to place a second bowl over the net to keep it in place even better.
**Curing agents and release agents**
None.
Calcium chloride 10% as curing agent
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
Using a silicon mold: 7 days (or until it comes undone)
3 days
**Post-processing**
Store in a dry and ventilated room.
N/A
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Casting larger volumes without growing fungus/mold, and limited warping can be challenging. Fillers like debris or egg shells can help. More research can be done on ideal conditions for drying larger volumes.
The resin does not cure evenly across the surface, some might be negotiated by shaving off some slides while it is still relatively soft and flexible.
Not sure
### Process
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## Variations on this recipe
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- Add **less glycerine** for a more rigid foil
-**Stiffeners** such as fibres, yarn or natural debris may be added for more structure and reinforcement.
-**Fillers** such as almond or sunflower oil, can be added to prevent additional shrinkage but might affect stickyness.
- Add **more glycerine** for a more flexible composite
- You can make endless variations with the net design, and also with the mould design you cure the net on.
### Cultural origins of this recipe
Bioplastic production is older than petrol based plastics. In 1500 BC, people in Egypt were already using glues based on gelatin, casein and albumin for furniture constructions. Gelatin casting as a technique has also been used in production of jelly-based foods such as aspic, jelly desserts and candy.
Alginate plastic is used a lot in molecular gastronomy, for (reverse) spherification that was patented by William J. S. Peschardt in the 1940s and popularized by the Adrian Ferra of the infamous restaurant El Bulli. Alginate plastics is also used a lot in molding and casting of dental technology industry.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
-**Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
-**The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
The alginate recipe is a modified version of: **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
### Known concerns and contestations\*
Needs further research
Gelatin is an animal-based ingredient. Some might find it problematic to use resources that requires killing an animal because of religious or animal welfare beliefs. Arguments are also made that as long as there's a meat industry, it is better to use product from the entire animal, including skin and bones. Some might consider gelatin to be a product that comes from a waste stream, but this is considered controversial by others.
The technique of alginate net casting is a variation on the experiments documented by Carolina Delgado (2020) in her Fabricademy project page: https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/carolina.delgado/projects/final-project/#netting
Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils and sheets and can be reused endlessly for casting high quality bioplastic sheets.
### Known concerns and contestations\*
Using renewable ingredients is not by definition petrol-free. Imagine they have to travel long distances by plane, boat or truck: it takes fuel. Also, the effects of GMO technologies and pesticides can be harmful to the environment and it's worth using knowing the source and production standards involved. If you can afford it, buying organic ingredients is a good starting point.
Sodium alginate
### Sustainability tags
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Reuse: yes, by melting and recasting
- Reuse: no
Needs further research?: not sure
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water. Recycling them with PET plastics contaminates the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
Recycling this bioplastic with PET plastics contaminates the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
## Material properties
### Comparative qualities
This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or cold like glass. It keeps certain level of bounciness to it.
The net is light and springy and feels a little like a thin hemp rope. It jumps right back into shape after squeezing it.
### Technical and sensory properties
-**Strength**: strong
-**Hardness**: rigid
-**Transparency**: transparent
-**Strength**: medium
-**Hardness**: flexible
-**Transparency**: translucent
-**Glossiness**: matt
-**Weight**: heavy
-**Structure**: closed
-**Texture**: medium
-**Weight**: light
-**Structure**: open
-**Texture**: rough/medium/smooth/variable
-**Temperature**: medium
-**Shape memory**: high
-**Odor**: moderate in final product, high during production
-**Odor**: none
-**Stickiness**: low
-**Weather resistance:**low
-**Weather resistance:**medium
-**Acoustic properties:** needs further research
-**Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
-**Non-allergenic:**needs further research
-**Non-allergenic:**needs further research
-**Electrical properties:** needs further research
-**Heat resistance:**low
-**Water resistance:** water resistant
-**Heat resistance:**high, up to 150 degrees celcius
-**Water resistance:** waterproof (for PH neutral and acidic water, not for alkaline water)
-**Chemical resistance:** needs further research
-**Scratch resistance:**moderate
-**Scratch resistance:**high
-**Surface friction:** medium
-**Color modifiers:** none
## About this entry
### Maker(s) of this sample
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- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 06-03-2020 – 16-03-2020
- Date: 26-02-2020 – 03-03-2020
### Environmental conditions
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### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml
0,57 Euros for a yield of approx 200 ml alginate plastic (you can make a few nets with that)
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
Yes, in: **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
This is a modified version of: **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
##References
-**The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
-**The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
-**Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
-**Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
-**The Science Of Spherification: Theoreticians examine the atomic details of an avant-garde culinary technique"**, by Bethany Halford, Chemical and Engineering News, Volume 92 Issue 42, pp. 35-36, October 2014: https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i42/Science-Spherification.html
-**Nature-Based System for Food Packaging** by Caroline Delgado, Fabricademy final project, 2020: https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/carolina.delgado/projects/final-project/#netting
