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#Final presentation
##Slides
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTMDmGl83b2ylicuzsJ4lrWZ8cewbQzKEd9uZ7zYR9AhnFOyPg1-3dAETjhSaTDI-_zQ_o1cH8GDP-e/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000" frameborder="0" width="600" height="366" allowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
##Product video
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FIOPSd76PNg?controls=0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
# AGAR COMPOSITE
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLxWe9VTEqc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A light composite of textile and agar foil. The composite feels less flexible and less rubbery than the agar foil. It makes a crackling sound like paper.
**Physical form**
Solids
Color without additives: color of the textile used
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Processing time: 7 days
Need attention: N/A, let dry in place with lots of airflow
Final form achieved after: 10 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,50 Euros, for a yield of approx. 200 ml (enough to make a small composite and a sheet, or larger or multiple composites)
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Agar - 5 g** polymer (makes it hard)
* **Glycerine - 15 g** plasticizer (makes it flexible)
* **Water - 250 ml/g** solvent, to dissolve and heat the agar
* **A piece of textile** large enough to fit over the mold
* **A mold** for example a bowl, or other 2.5D or 3D surface
###Tools
1. **Spoon**
1. **Scale**
1. **Bowls** to weigh ingredients
1. **Cooker** (ideally temperature controlled)
1. **Thermometer (optional)** if you don't have a temperature controlled cooker
1. **Small molds - 2x** such as two glass bowls of about 8 cm diameter (or equivalent) that slide into one another.
###Yield
Before processing/drying/curing: approx. 200 ml this is enough to make a small 15x15cm composite and the agar foil found in this [recipe](../recipes/agarfoil.md)
###Method
1. **Preparation**
- Weigh your ingredients
- Prepare the casting surface 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: substitute part of the water with natural dye if you wish to use color
- add the glycerine
- add the agar
- bring the mixture to the boil while stirring gently, to dissolve the agar.
1. **Cooking the ingredients**
- when the agar is dissolved completely, lower the temperature to 60-80 degrees (make sure it doesn't bubble), and let it simmer and evaporate water for 40 mins while stirring slowly and continuously.
- the agar should have the consistency of a light syrup, you should be able to leave a "trace" with you trace your spoon across the pot.
- If your mixture is thicker it will spread slowly resulting in a thicker foil, if it's more liquid, it will spread wider, resulting in a thinner foil.
1. **Casting and molding**
- Dip the textile(s) into the hot liquid
- Take it out and position on the mold, press it down with the second bowl.
- After an hour, take off the second bowl and let the composite airdry on top of the mold
###Drying/curing/growth process
Allow the foil to dry for a week for best results (or 3 days minimum).
- Mold diameter: 8 cm
- Shrinkage thickness 0-10 %
- Shrinkage width/length 0-10 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
When used in a composite with textile fibres, the foil shrinks a lot less. The fibers prevent the shrinking.
**Curing agents and release agents**
None
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
3 days
**Post-processing**
N/A
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Not sure
###Process pictures
![](../../images/agar3.jpg)*Waiting for the agar to dissolve, consistency of syrup, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/agar2.jpg)*it's done when you can leave a trace with the spoon, consistency of syrup, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/agar1.jpg)*You can really soak up the cotton by dipping it into the pan, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/agar4.jpg)*The composite inside the "two-piece" mold of the two glass bowls, Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Substitute part of the water with a (neutral to alkaline) dye. The PH of the cooked agar mixture is about PH 9-10. Making the mixture very acidic changes the structure of the polysaccharide, resulting in a weaker more brittle bioplastic.
- Try or design different molds to create big spatial structures and objects
- Use different fibres as enforcement. Other *natural* fibres may be continuous/discontinuous ([long fibres like yarns](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/alginatenet/), strings or hair. Or they can be short fibres that are chopped like wood chips, [egg shells](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/biolino/), leather leftovers), particles or even braided and woven fibres like the cotton used here. Collagen, cellulose, silks, and chitin are the types found in nature.
- Use a different matrix: biomaterials like beeswax or animal glue for example are thermoformable matrices (the ones you can form with the help of heat). And setting matrixes like bio epoxies, white glue (made of flour), alginate, gelatin and starch-based plastics, mycelium and kombucha.
- Textiles can be used as scaffold in many other ways too: by growing mineral crystals on it, in concrete form work, leather moulding (cuir bouilli), and in combination with lasercut wood patterns.
##ORIGINS AND REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
See also the recipe for [agar foil](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/agarfoil/).
**On composites:** a composite can be any combination of two or more dissimilar materials which together make for a material with different properties, but without merging into one new compound (they continue to be discernable). Very familiar examples is paper mache (paper and glue modelled for example around a balloon). It is one of the earliest human technologies. Early on composites were created by adding straw to mud bricks for building, or the Egyptian practice of soaking cloth tape in resin used for mummification of the dead. The technical temrs for the materials used in a composite are *constituent materials* with three type: the matrix, preform and the enforcement. The matrix is a pattern that distributes the load (e.g. bioresin), the preform are yarns, net wovens, whereas other reinforcement (such as fibres) contribute to the mechanical properties of the materials.
All composites (even simple ones) are engineered materials. One of the great benefits is that it can result in large but strong and lightweight spatial objects (e.g. carbon fibre enforced plastic) with relatively few resources. It also gives more options to create varying degrees of stiffness and strength. The use of textile composites in the construction industry is less common than traditional building materials, but its popularity is growing.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
###Key sources
**Information from these other recipes was used to create this recipe:**
This is an adaptation of **Flexible bio-foil** by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam for Fabricademy 2019-2020, Class pages, [link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lm147nvWkxxmPf5Oh2wU5a8eonpqHCVc/view). A longer cooking time is recommended to create a thicker foil.
###Copyright information
Raspanti's recipe above is published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability concerns are largely determined by the choice of constituent materials in a composite. An issue with most composites however, is that the process of recycling is complicated when constituent materials cannot be separated after use. For example salvaging the carbon fibre used in sports sailing equipment requires quite a lot of (toxic) chemicals and dissolves the other constituent material in the sail. The big thing to consider with composites is how might be be recycled and/or reabsorbed in nature without wasting resources.
"Green" composites would be made of biopolymers (e.g. agar-based bioplastic) and natural fibres (e.g. cotton, hemp, corn cobs, wood dust) as reinforcement), making the composite fully degradable if not compostable.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Re-use: the plain agar recipe without additional additives can be melted by reheating it (add a splash of water if necessary), reusing a composite depends on the materials used. This composite can be formed and reformed over and over.
Needs further research?: Not sure
Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: medium
- **Hardness**: resilient
- **Transparency**: opaque
- **Glossiness**: matte
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: variable
- **Texture**: medium
- **Temperature**: medium
- **Shape memory**: high
- **Odor**: none
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** needs further research
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:** nneeds further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **Heat resistance:** medium
- **Water resistance:** water resistant
- **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
- **Scratch resistance:** high
- **Surface friction:** medium
- **PH modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 16-03-2020 – 24-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated?
Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-58.jpg)*Agar composite, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Agar biofoil** by Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam for Fabricademy 2019-2020, Class pages, [link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lm147nvWkxxmPf5Oh2wU5a8eonpqHCVc/view).
- **Textile as Scaffold** by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy, 30 October 2018: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/)
- **Textile Composite Materials** by Ashok Hakoo for Textile School, 14 April 2019: [link](https://www.textileschool.com/4474/textile-composite-materials/)
- **Textile Composites** by Waqas Paracha via Slideshare, 5 April 2010: [link](https://www.slideshare.net/wakasyounus/textile-composites)
- **What is Biocomposite?** by Ashish Kumar Dua, for Textile Learner, July 2013: [link](https://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-is-biocomposite-fibers-used-in.html)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
\ No newline at end of file
# AGAR FOIL
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0T2z2sMUh3Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A vegan flexible, transparent foil that can resist water and moderate heat (up to 85 degrees C) quite well without transforming. This foil feels rubbery and flexible, and can remain a little sticky (more than e.g. the alginate and gelatine-based foil). It's not as sticky as cling film or cellophane, it's more comparable to a transparent PVC foil for example.
**Physical form**
Surfaces
Color without additives: transparent, slightly yellow/beige when folded
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Processing time: 7 days
Need attention: N/A, let dry in place with lots of airflow
Final form achieved after: 10 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,50 Euros, for a yield of approx. 200 ml
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Agar - 5 g**
* Polymer (makes it hard)
* **Glycerine - 15 g**
* Plasticizer
* **Water - 250 ml/g**
* Solvent, to dissolve and heat the agar
###Tools
1. **Spoon**
1. **Scale**
1. **Bowls** to weigh ingredients
1. **Cooker** (ideally temperature controlled)
1. **Thermometer (optional)** if you don't have a temperature controlled cooker
1. **Mold** of about 20 cm diameter (or equivalent). Optional: you can also cast on a surface like an acrylic sheet but your sheet will be thinner
###Yield
Before processing/drying/curing: approx. 200 ml
###Method
1. **Preparation**
- Weigh your ingredients
- Prepare the casting surface 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: substitute part of the water with natural dye if you wish to use color
- add the glycerine
- add the agar
- bring the mixture to the boil while stirring gently, to dissolve the agar.
1. **Cooking the ingredients**
- when the agar is dissolve completely, lower the temperature to 60-80 degrees (make sure it doesn't bubble), and let it simmer and evaporate water for 40 mins while stirring slowly and continuously.
- the agar should have the consistency of a light syrup, you should be able to leave a "trace" with you trace your spoon across the pot.
- If your mixture is thicker it will spread slowly resulting in a thicker foil, if it's more liquid, it will spread wider, resulting in a thinner foil.
1. **Casting**
- Cast onto the surface
- Pour from the middle and hold still, let the liquid distribute itself, it cures quickly if it is thick.
###Drying/curing/growth process
Allow the foil to dry for a week for best results (or 3 days minimum). If you don't peel it off the surface it will shrink much less in width/length.
- Mold depth: 1.5-2.5 mm
- Shrinkage thickness 40-60 %
- Shrinkage width/length 5-10% %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
Agar foil shrinks quite a lot, especially in thickness. The amount depends on the amount of water that has been evaporated/cooking time.
**Curing agents and release agents**
None
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
3 days
**Post-processing**
None, store dry and flat.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Not sure
###Process pictures
![](../../images/agar3.jpg)*Dissolving the agar, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/agar2.jpg)*Making a trace with the spoon, consistency of syrup, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/agar5.jpg)*Filling up a mould with detachable botton, 2-3 mm filled, Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Substitute part of the water with a (neutral to alkaline) dye. The PH of the cooked agar mixture is about PH 9-10. Making the mixture very acidic changes the structure of the polysaccharide, resulting in a weaker more brittle bioplastic.
- Add less glycerine for a more rigid, stiff foil
- Add fillers (debris, coffee waste) or fibres to make a composite, see also the [agar composite recipe](./agarcomposite.md)).
##ORIGINS AND REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Legends say that agar was discovered in Japan in 1658 by Mino Tarōzaemon (美濃 太郎左衞門), an innkeeper in current Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. The story goes that he noticed that discarded seaweed soup he'd made had gelled after a winter night's freezing.
The word "agar" comes from *agar-agar*, the Malay name for red algae (Gigartina, Gracilaria) from which the jelly is produced. Agar is a common gelling agent, originally primarily in Asian cuisines, before traveling to other kitchens in the world. It is used to create jellies, jams and desserts, but also more generally as a binder, and clarifying agent in beer brewing. It is a stronger than gelatine.
In the late 19th century, its properties were found to be useful in microbiology and it became a popular medium for growing microbes because it has a higher melting point than gelatine media.
Agar-based bioplastics are promising candidates for food packaging and have been used as packaging for dried goods and can be heat sealed (rather than glue sealed). Margarita Talep's packaging designs are a beautiful example.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Yes, on the history of uses of agar as a biopolymer and the people developing the processes for it.
###Key Sources
This is an adaptation of **Flexible bio-foil** by Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam for Fabricademy 2019-2020, Class pages, [link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lm147nvWkxxmPf5Oh2wU5a8eonpqHCVc/view). A longer cooking time is recommended to create a thicker foil.
###Copyright information
The recipe by Raspanti above was published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
In cooking, agar is known as the vegan and halal alternative to animal-based gelatine as it is obtained by boiling red algae into a gel. Although it is hailed as a renewable and vegan option to make bioplastics - you also need less grams of agar to create a solid compared to gelatine - its popularity as a medium in microbiology has already led to shortages and over-utilized seaweed populations in the past. It may be renewable, but it's not infinite.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes, in 2-4 months
- Re-use: yes, the agar can be melted by reheating it (with a little water if necessary)
Needs further research?: Not sure
Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: medium
- **Hardness**: flexible
- **Transparency**: transparent
- **Glossiness**: glossy
- **Weight**: medium
- **Structure**: closed
- **Texture**: smooth
- **Temperature**: cool
- **Shape memory**: low
- **Odor**: none
- **Stickiness**: high
- **Weather resistance:** needs further research
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:** nneeds further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **Heat resistance:** medium
- **Water resistance:** water resistant
- **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
- **Scratch resistance:** poor
- **Surface friction:** braking
- **PH modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 16-03-2020 – 24-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated?
Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-80.jpg)*Agar foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-81.jpg)*Agar foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-82.jpg)*Agar foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Lab Staple Agar hit by Seaweed Shortage** by Ewen Callaway, in Nature, 528, 8 December 2015: [link](https://www.nature.com/news/lab-staple-agar-hit-by-seaweed-shortage-1.18970)
- **Agar** on Wikipedia: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agar)
- **Agar biofoil** by Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam for Fabricademy 2019-2020, Class pages, [link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lm147nvWkxxmPf5Oh2wU5a8eonpqHCVc/view).
- **Margarita Talep Algae Bioplastic Packaging Design** by Natashah Hitti for Dezeen, 18 January 2019: [link](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/01/18/margarita-talep-algae-bioplastic-packaging-design/)
- **Desintegra.me** by Margarita Talep, 2017: [link](https://margaritatalep.com/Desintegra-me-desarrollo)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
# ALGINATE FOIL
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vKj-X4PUmIw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
An alginate based, heat-resistant and waterproof semi-transparent, matte foil. The foil has a feel that can be compared with a window foil (to blind windows but let the light through). It's matte but very translucent. It doesn't crackle or jump back like a lot of other foils.
**Physical form**
Surface
Color without additives: semi-transparent, white when layered
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 hour (plus resting overnight)
Processing time: 5-7 days
Need attention: daily, to check if sheet needs to be taped down to stay in place on the mold
Final form achieved after: 7 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
1,12 Euros for a yield for a sheet of alginate plastic (about a 50 cm x 12 cm sheet, 2 mm thick)
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Sodium alginate powder - 12 gr**
* the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
* **Glycerine - 20 gr**
* the plasticizer that bonds with the alginate (makes it flexible).
* **Water - 400 ml/gr**
* to dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
* optional: use a (diluted) natural dye instead for a colored plastic
* **Sunflower oil - 10 gr**
* filler to reduce shrinkage
* **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
1. **Scale**
1. **Spoon**
1. **Blender**
2. **Glass jar with lid**
3. **Spray bottle** (150 ml contents, for the calcium chloride solution)
2. **Acrylic sheet** smooth surface to cast the foil onto. A smooth surface will create a smooth matte foil.
3. **A strip of acrylic or squeeguee** to push the alginate mixture into place and form an even and flat rectangle
3. **Painting tape** to tape down if edges of the sheet start to come off of the surface
4. **Kitchen paper** to soak up the water that will be released from the alginate mixture
###Yield
Before processing/drying/curing: approx. 200 ml of alginate plastic that can be stored for two weeks and used for any alginate application
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, sunflower oil). Optional: use a diluted natural dye instead of water in the same amount for a colored plastic.
- Put the oil, alginate and glycerine in a blender and add a dash of the water. Blend into a thick and homogenous paste. Then add the rest of the water and blend again (this is to avoid lumps).
- Leave the mixture overnight to allow the bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
- Make the calcium chloride solution by dissolving 10 gr in 100 gr hot water. Put it in a spray bottle.
1. **Casting**
- Prepare some space on an acrylic or glass surface
- Pour the alginate onto the acrylic sheet and use the squeeguee or acrylic strip to mold the liquid into a rectangular shape of about 3mm high
- Spray the sheet with the calcium chloride solution (use quite a lot)
- Let it sit for a few minutes, then spray again if you see the liquid is starting to ooze out from the sides. The film that is created in the curing process can break from the weight of the liquid bubble. By respraying you can close these until the sheet is cured enough and stable to dry further.
- The alginate can release quite a lot of water at this stage, so it's wise to place some kitchen paper around it to absorb excess water.
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness: 40-60 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 10-20 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
Keep an eye on the sheet every few hours, especially on the first day. The thinner edges of the sheet might curl up when drying and pull of parts of the sheet. When it comes off it will start to warp. Taping it down onto the acrylic helps to keep it in place an dry in shape.
Let 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. If you want to trim the edges do it while the foil is still a bit softer for a clean cut.
**Curing agents and release agents**
Calcium chloride 10% as curing agent
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
3 days but ideally a week
**Post-processing**
trim the edges with scissors or a scalper and ruler if you wish
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Not sure
###Process pictures
![](../../images/algi_ingredients.jpg)*Preparing the alginate the day before, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/algidone.jpg)*The mixture is ready, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET6.jpg)*Preparing a 10% calcium chloride solution with hot water, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET7.jpg)*The calcium chloride solution in a spray bottle, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginatefoil.jpg)*alginate casted onto acrylic sheet, first few minutes of curing, Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Replace the water with a (diluted) **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- Add **less glycerine** for a less flexible foil
- Take out the sunflower oil and use 30% less alginate to cast thinner foils
- You can also use this recipe to make composites such as the one described in the [alginate net recipe](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/alginatenet/)
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
###Cultural origins of this recipe
Sodium alginate (E401) is used a lot in molecular gastronomy, for (reverse) spherification that was patented by William J. S. Peschardt in the 1940s and popularized in the molecular cuisine popularized by Adrian Ferra from restaurant El Bulli. It takes no heat but gels when in contact with calcium and acidic media (e.g. calcium chloride and calcium lactate). More commonly, it is used as additive: as stabilizer, thickener, emulsifier and hydration agent in all kinds of processed foods, but cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and even (as thickener) in screen printing).
Alginate plastics are also used a lot in molding and casting of dental technology industry. And it is used to waterproof and fireproof fabrics.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Yes, on the uses of alginate as a design material and the people who have developed the processes and techniques for it.
###Key sources
The alginate recipe is a modified version of: **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
###Copyright information
Raspanti's recipe above was published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Brown algae are not farmed everywhere in the world and might have to travel significant distances.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Reuse: no
Needs further research?: not sure
Algae have some benefits compared to conventional farming of biomaterials: they don’t need agricultural land, therefore there is no competition for food or farmland. They have higher yields per hectare and are extremely efficient with water, and algae may grow on nutrients from residual streams, like waste water and CO2.
Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: medium
- **Hardness**: flexible
- **Transparency**: translucent
- **Glossiness**: matt
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: closed
- **Texture**: medium
- **Temperature**: medium
- **Shape memory**: medium
- **Odor**: none
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** needs further research
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:**needs further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **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:** high
- **Surface friction:** medium
- **Color modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 25-02-2020 – 02-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
By Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-49.jpg)*Alginate foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-49.jpg)*Alginate foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-50.jpg)*Alginate foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-51.jpg)*Alginate foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-52.jpg)*Alginate foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-53.jpg)*Alginate foil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Alginate Recipe** by Catherine Euale, Fabricademy 2018-19 [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/2019/catherine.euale/projects/P7algae/)
- **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: [link](https://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i42/Science-Spherification.html)
- **Alginic Acid** on Wikipedia: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alginic_acid)
- **Development of bio-plastic from production technologies from microalgae** by AlgaePARC for Wageningen University & Research, 2012-2016: [link](https://www.wur.nl/en/show/Development-of-bioplastic-production-technologies-from-microalgae.htm)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
# ALGINATE NET
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iQ-Ax3saWJI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
a cotton/wool and alginate-based composite with open structure, molded onto a half dome shape. The net is light and springy and feels a little like a thin hemp rope. It jumps right back into shape after squeezing it.
**Physical form**
Solids
Color without additives: color of the yarn used
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 hour (plus resting overnight)
Processing time: 5-7 days
Need attention: None, just leave it to dry on the mold
Final form achieved after: 7 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,57 Euros for a yield of approx 200 ml alginate plastic (you can make a few nets with that)
##RECIPE
##Ingredients
* **Sodium alginate powder - 6 gr**
* the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
* **Glycerine - 10 gr**
* the plasticizer that bonds with the alginate (makes it flexible).
* **Water - 200 ml/gr**
* to dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
* optional: use a (diluted) natural dye instead for a colored plastic
* **Sunflower oil - 5 gr**
* filler to reduce shrinkage
* **Yarn - cotton/wool mix, 2 metres**
* to create the net
* **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
1. **Scale**
1. **Spoon**
1. **Blender**
2. **Glass jar with lid**
3. **Spray bottle** (150 ml contents, for the calcium chloride solution)
1. **Circular loom OR: nails and a wooden board** to design the net
1. **Moulds** for shaping the net, e.g. two identical bowls that fit inside one another
2. **Acrylic sheet** to catch the excess alginate mixture (can be scooped up and reused before curing)
##Yield
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, sunflower oil). Optional: use a diluted natural dye instead of water in the same amount for a colored plastic.
- Put the oil, alginate and glycerine in a blender and add a dash of the water. Blend into a thick and homogenous paste. Then add the rest of the water and blend again (this is to avoid lumps).
- Leave the mixture overnight to allow the bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
- Make the calcium chloride solution by dissolving 10 gr in 100 gr hot water. Put it in a spray bottle.
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
1. **Casting**
- 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: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness: 20-30 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 20-30 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
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**
Calcium chloride 10% as curing agent
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
3 days
**Post-processing**
N/A
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Not sure
###Process pictures
![](../../images/algi_ingredients.jpg)*Preparing the alginate the day before, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/algidone.jpg)*The mixture is ready, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET1.jpg)*Making a net-like structure on a loom (does not have to be "proper" weaving), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET6.jpg)*Preparing a 10% calcium chloride solution with hot water, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET7.jpg)*The calcium chloride solution in a spray bottle, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET2.jpg)*Pouring the alginate mixture onto net, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET3.jpg)*You can pour a lot and scoop up the excess to use again later, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET4.jpg)*Alginate evenly distributed along the yarn lines, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginateNET5.jpg)*Letting the alginate net cure and dry on top of a half-dome shape, Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- 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.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
**About the material:** Sodium alginate (E401) is used a lot in molecular gastronomy, for (reverse) spherification that was patented by William J. S. Peschardt in the 1940s and popularized in the molecular cuisine popularized by Adrian Ferra from restaurant El Bulli. It takes no heat but gels when in contact with calcium and acidic media (e.g. calcium chloride and calcium lactate). More commonly, it is used as additive: as stabilizer, thickener, emulsifier and hydration agent in all kinds of processed foods, but cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and even (as thickener) in screen printing).
Alginate plastics are also used a lot in molding and casting of dental technology industry. And it is used to waterproof and fireproof fabrics.
**About the technique:** this is a socalled *composite.* A composite can be any combination of two or more dissimilar materials which together make for a material with different properties, but without merging into one new compound (they continue to be discernable). Very familiar examples is paper mache (paper and glue modelled for example around a balloon). It is one of the earliest human technologies. Early on composites were created by adding straw to mud bricks for building, or the Egyptian practice of soaking cloth tape in resin used for mummification of the dead. The technical temrs for the materials used in a composite are *constituent materials* with three type: the matrix, preform and the enforcement. The matrix is a pattern that distributes the load (e.g. bioresin), the preform are yarns, net wovens, whereas other reinforcement (such as fibres) contribute to the mechanical properties of the materials.
All composites (even simple ones) are engineered materials. One of the great benefits is that it can result in large but strong and lightweight spatial objects (e.g. carbon fibre enforced plastic) with relatively few resources. It also gives more options to create varying degrees of stiffness and strength. The use of textile composites in the construction industry is less common than traditional building materials, but its popularity is growing.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
###Key sources
The alginate recipe is a modified version of: **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
**Alginate Bioplastic** by Catherine Euale, Fabricademy 2018-19, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/2019/catherine.euale/projects/P7algae/)
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)
###Copyright information
All recipes above have been published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Brown algae are not farmed everywhere in the world and might have to travel significant distances.
Algae have some benefits compared to conventional farming of biomaterials: they don’t need agricultural land, therefore there is no competition for food or farmland. They have higher yields per hectare and are extremely efficient with water, and algae may grow on nutrients from residual streams, like waste water and CO2.
Further research is required regarding the exact production processes of sodium alginate. More research is needed on the use of sustainable additives to reduce shrinkage and deformation, and decreasing the curing time.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Reuse: no
Needs further research?: not sure
Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: medium
- **Hardness**: flexible
- **Transparency**: translucent
- **Glossiness**: matt
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: open
- **Texture**: rough/medium/smooth/variable
- **Temperature**: medium
- **Shape memory**: high
- **Odor**: none
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** medium
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:**needs further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **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:** high
- **Surface friction:** medium
- **Color modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 26-02-2020 – 03-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Carolina Delgado, Fabricademy Student Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 26 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics.jpg)*Alginate net, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-2.jpg)*Alginate net, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 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
- **Textile as Scaffold** by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy, 30 October 2018: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/)
- **Textile Composite Materials** by Ashok Hakoo for Textile School, 14 April 2019: [link](https://www.textileschool.com/4474/textile-composite-materials/)
- **Textile Composites** by Waqas Paracha via Slideshare, 5 April 2010: [link](https://www.slideshare.net/wakasyounus/textile-composites)
- **What is Biocomposite?** by Ashish Kumar Dua, for Textile Learner, July 2013: [link](https://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-is-biocomposite-fibers-used-in.html)
- **Alginic Acid** on Wikipeda: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alginic_acid)
- **Development of bio-plastic from production technologies from microalgae** by AlgaePARC for Wageningen University & Research, 2012-2016: [link](https://www.wur.nl/en/show/Development-of-bioplastic-production-technologies-from-microalgae.htm)
- **Alginate Bioplastic** by Catherine Euale, Fabricademy 2018-19, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/2019/catherine.euale/projects/P7algae/)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
# ALGINATE STRINGS
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UpHpZEnu4-M" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A strong, springy or flexible string (depending on diameter of extruder), alginate based. The string is strong and flexible and is somewhat comparable to thick nylon or rubber cord. It is more flexible than nylon, but stiffer than rubber.
**Physical form**
Strings
Color without additives: matte white, translucent
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 hour (plus resting overnight)
Processing time: 5-7 days
Need attention: every few hours the first day, to spray more curing agent and rearrange the string.
Final form achieved after: 7 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,57 Euros for a yield of approx 200 ml
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Sodium alginate powder - 6 gr**
* the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
* **Glycerine - 10 gr**
* the plasticizer that bonds with the alginate (makes it flexible).
* **Water - 200 ml/gr**
* to dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
* optional: use a (diluted) natural dye instead for a colored plastic
* **Sunflower oil - 5 gr**
* filler to reduce shrinkage
* **Calcium chloride solution 10% - 300 ml (30 gr to 300 gr water)**
* is the curing agent: calcium chloride attracts moisture very strongly: spraying it onto the alginate plastic starts the curing process.
###Tools
1. **Scale**
1. **Spoon**
1. **Blender**
2. **optional: glass jar with lid**
* to store the alginate leftovers
1. **A bowl or jar of min. 300 ml**
* for the calcium chloride bath
1. **A large glass jar**
* to wind the string around for curing
1. **A deep plate, bowl or container**
* to catch the excess water coming from the string
1. **60 cc (or more) syringe**
* to extrude the alginate plastic into the calcium chloride bath. You can also use other improvised extruders like empty sauce bottles and whipped/cream batter extruders.
1. **Spray bottle** (100 ml or more, for the calcium chloride solution)
###Yield
Before processing/drying/curing: approx. 200 ml of alginate plastic that can be stored for two weeks and used in many different recipes
Approx. 300 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, sunflower oil). Optional: use a diluted natural dye instead of water in the same amount for a colored plastic.
- Put the oil, alginate and glycerine in a blender and add a dash of the water. Blend into a thick and homogenous paste. Then add the rest of the water and blend again (this is to avoid lumps).
- Leave the mixture overnight to allow the bubbles to come to the surface and pop.
- Make the calcium chloride solution by dissolving 30 gr in 300 gr hot water. Put some in a spray bottle and store the rest in a jar: this is your calcium chloride bath.
1. **Extruding**
- prepare the work space by putting out your calcium chloride bath and spray, an empty jar to wrap the string around, a syringe and your alginate mixture.
- fill the syringe with about 50 ml alginate plastic
- extrude the alginate plastic into the calcium chloride bath, try to extrude continuously and uninterupted to created an even, long string. Repeat this process to make more strings.
1. **Curing & drying**
- leave the string in the bath for a few minutes and then rinse in some tap water.
- the strings will be a bit curly at this stage. Wrap them around a jar to create a spool and stretch them out a little.
- keep an eye on them the first day, the stretch might break the film on some points. Spray some extra calcium chloride to close the leaks.
- Let it cure until totally dry, you can take the string off the jar if you want to stretch them out into long straight strings.
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Syringe diameter: 2-5 mm
- Shrinkage thickness: 30-60 %
- Shrinkage width/length: N/A
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
Wrapping it around a jar will help elongate the string so it doesn't dry up into curls. You can take it off the jar and dry it in long threads. Let it dry up to 7 days to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly harden.
**Curing agents and release agents**
Calcium chloride 10% solution as a curing agent.
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
3 days
**Post-processing**
N/A
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Developing tools to extrude evenly and continuously would be useful.
###Process pictures
![](../../images/alginatestring3.jpg)*Extruding into the calcium chloride bath Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginatestring4.jpg)*Letting the string cure for a few minutes before rinsing in water, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginatestring5.jpg)*Curly strings after rinsing, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginatestring6.jpg)*Wrapping the string around a glass jar, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginatestring7.jpg)*The strings drying inside a bowl (some loose bits lying around), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alginatestring9.jpg)*The strings slowly starting to dry, Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- Add **more glycerine** to try achieve a more flexible string
- Varying with different mouth pieces can generate thicker or thinner strings.
- When these strings are put in water at room temperature for an hour they start to absorb water and the will get soft again. This is to be avoided unless you want the **make the strings longer and thinner** (and more fragile). When you soak them they can be stretched and elongated by about 30%.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Sodium alginate (E401) is used in molecular gastronomy, for (reverse) spherification that was patented by William J. S. Peschardt in the 1940s and popularized in the molecular cuisine popularized by Adrian Ferra from restaurant El Bulli. It takes no heat but gels when in contact with calcium and acidic media (e.g. calcium chloride and calcium lactate). More commonly, it is used as additive: as stabilizer, thickener, emulsifier and hydration agent in all kinds of processed foods, but cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and even (as thickener) in screen printing).
Alginate plastics are also used in molding and casting of dental technology industry. And it is used to waterproof and fireproof fabrics.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
###Key Sources
The alginate recipe is a modified version of: **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
**Alginate yarn**, by Catherine Euale / Anastasia Pistofidou (FabTextiles) Fabricademy 2018-19, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/2019/catherine.euale/projects/P7algae/)
The technique of alginate string extrusion 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)
###Copyright information
All recipes above were published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Brown algae are not farmed everywhere in the world and might have to travel significant distances.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Reuse: no
Needs further research?: not sure
Algae have some benefits compared to conventional farming of biomaterials: they don’t need agricultural land, therefore there is no competition for food or farmland. They have higher yields per hectare and are extremely efficient with water, and algae may grow on nutrients from residual streams, like waste water and CO2.
Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: resilient
- **Transparency**: translucent
- **Glossiness**: matt
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: closed
- **Texture**: medium
- **Temperature**: medium
- **Shape memory**: medium
- **Odor**: none
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** needs further research
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:** needs further research
- **Electrical properties:** no
- **Heat resistance:** high (up to 150 degrees celcius)
- **Water resistance:** water resistant
- **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
- **Scratch resistance:** high
- **Surface friction:** sliding
- **PH modifiers:** sensitive to alkaline liquids
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 23-03-2020 – 30-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Carolina Delgado, Fabricademy student at TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 30 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-72.jpg)*Alginate string, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Flexible Bio-plastic Alginate Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Alginate yarn**, by Catherine Euale / Anastasia Pistofidou (FabTextiles) Fabricademy 2018-19, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/2019/catherine.euale/projects/P7algae/)
- **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
- **Alginic Acid** on Wikipeda: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alginic_acid)
- **Development of bio-plastic from production technologies from microalgae** by AlgaePARC for Wageningen University & Research, 2012-2016: [link](https://www.wur.nl/en/show/Development-of-bioplastic-production-technologies-from-microalgae.htm)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
# ALUM CRYSTALS ON SILK
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HLB0nJns3U8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
Alum crystals - that have triangular facets - grown on a silk substrate. The technique used here is called *crystallization*. Alum crystals are clear and faceted with great definition so they are often compared to diamonds. However these can get so big that it is not really credible that they are diamonds, but they play with light in similar ways.
**Physical form**
Surface treatment
Color without additives: transparent and translucent white. (Turns opaque after baking in the oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees Celcius.)
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Processing time: 1 day or overnight
Need attention: None. Leave in a warm place, don't move or touch it.
Final form achieved after: 1 day
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
2,00 Euros for a 400 ml saturated solution
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Alum powder - 125 g** (potassium aluminium sulfate dodecahydrate), plus some more just in case
* we will try to reorganize these molecules into crystals.
* **Water - 400 ml/gr**
* To dissolve the alum powder and reorganize into a crystal
* **Water - 1000 ml/g**
* to create a bain marie
* **Silk - a 10x10cm swatch**
* As a substrate for the alum crystals to attach to
###Tools
1. **Cooker or kettle**
1. **A piece of silk**
1. **A smooth glass jar or bowl** big enough to fit your piece of silk without touching the sides or having to fold or crease it. Make sure this it totally clean.
1. **A wide heat-resistant bowl or oven pan** this is the bain marie: the glass jar should fit inside this bowl and have some space for hot water
1. **Spoon**
1. **A stick or chopsticks** that are long enough to stay put on top of the glass jar.
1. **Clips** to fasten the silk to the stick
###Yield
About 80-100% of the alum powder will attach itself the silk in the form of larger crystals.
###Method
1. **Preparation**
- Weigh the alum
- Prepare the silk by attaching it to the wooden stick with clips. When you hang it inside the glass jar it should not touch the bottom or the walls of the jar
- Boil the water
- Put the glass jar inside the wide oven dish/pan. Pour as much boiling water as possible into the bigger pot, without making the glass jar float. This is the bain marie that will keep your crystal solution warm and help it cool down very very slowly (resulting in bigger crystals).
- Put this in a (warm) place where you can leave it for 8-16 hours without anyone moving or touching it.
1. **Dissolving the alum**
- Measure 400 ml and put it in the glass jar (which is already inside the bain marie to keep it warm).
- Spoon by spoon, add the alum while stirring. When no more alum dissolves and just sinks to the bottom, your solution is *saturated*. If there are grains on the bottom, pour off the liquid and clean the jar before continuing. You don't want anything on the bottom of the jar.
- Now suspend your silk into the jar, again making sure it doesn't touch any sides or the bottom, and not folded in on itself.
1. **Let the crystals form**
- Now leave the crystal to grow. The less you touch it, the easier it is for the molecules to find each other on the silk and form big beautiful crystals.
- If you have the patience, give it 16 hours. But pretty decent-sized crystals will have formed as soon as 6-8 hours later.
- Rinse them under cold tap water and let them dry.
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness: N/A
- Shrinkage width/length: N/A
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
N/A
**Curing agents and release agents**
None.
**Minimum wait time before releasing**
6 hours
**Post-processing**
Store the crystals in a dry place. They will re-dissolve immediately when the are submerged in hot water, starts to dissolve after an hour in water at room temperature, and is completely dissolved after being in water at room temperature for 4 hours.
Don't throw away left-over liquid or unused crystals, they can be redissolved a next time.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
More research on colorants could be done. Black soot ink results in black crystals, purple crystals can be achieved by adding some chromium alum powder (or: potassium chromium sulfate dodecahydrate) to the solution.
###Process pictures
![](../../images/alumsilk1.jpg)*Silk inside the bain marie, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alumsilk2.jpg)*Improvised suspension system, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alumsilk3.jpg)*2-3 cm crystals on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/alumsilk4.jpg)*2-3 cm crystals on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/borax_opaque.jpg)*Alum crystal on an LED (top) turned opaque white after 10 mins in the oven at 100 degrees celcius. On the bottom: a borax crystal [(recipe here)](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/boraxcrystals/), Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Add a **colorant** such as black soot ink (other natural dyes are still experimental!)
- Turn your crystals opaque white by putting them in the oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees celcius.
- Use different textiles (e.g. velvet attracts many small crystals)
- Lay your silk flat in a bowl to cover the entire surface with smaller crystals
- Let the crystals grow without the bain marie to see what happens
- Glue a piece of silk on an LED with hot glue to grow a crystal that you can use in electronics projecs instead of plastic casings (see video below).
- The same technique can be used with epsom salt, sugar and [borax](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/boraxcrystals/).
- Adding conductive paint to the solution creates crystals that can be used as capacitive sensors.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Potassium alum was known to the Ancient Egyptians as early as 1500 B.C and was described in the age old writings of Pliny and Dioscorides under many different names: alumen, salsugoterrae, stupteria and other substances with vaguely similar properties and uses like: misy, sory, chalcanthum, atramentum sutorium, iron sulfate or "green vitriol". The word "alum" is still used for many different kinds of alum compounds and are often used interchangeably but they are not all the same. Potassium alum is mentioned in the Ayurveda with the name phitkari or saurashtri.[citation needed] It is used in traditional Chinese medicine with the name mingfan (明矾).
Potassium alum was used extensively in the wool industry from Classical antiquity, during the Middle Ages, and well into 19th century as a mordant or dye fixative. The textile dyeing industry in Bruge, and many other locations in Italy, and later in England, required alum to stabilize the dyes onto the fabric (make the dyes "fast") and also to brighten the colors. As an ingredient it was of utmost economic importance during the Renaissance.
**Needs further research?** Yes
###Key Sources
This is a variation on: **Alum Crystals** in "Textile as Scaffold" by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy 30 October 2019. Lecture notes: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/)
Which in turn refers to: **Growing Gems Crystal Project** by Home Science Tools Learning Center: [link](https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/growing-gems-crystal-project/)
###Copyright information
Pistofidou's recipe is published under a Creative Commons Attibution Non-Commercial licence. It is unclear if the original recipe is copyrighted, further research required.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Saying anything about the ethics and sustainability mineral crystals is relative. What do you compare it to? It is *currently* not known to be tied to practices of exploitation (when compared to, for example, the blood diamonds people fight horrific wars over.
Potassium alum historically was mainly extracted from alunite, but is now produced industrially by adding potassium sulfate to a concentrated solution of aluminium sulfate. Aluminium sulfate can be obtained from clays, bauxite, cryolite, and alum schists (found in Germany, Belgium, Scotland, Czech Republic).
Mineral deposits that alum can be harvested from are relatively abundant - again, compared to say, diamonds - but are still a finite resource that involves mining practices with all its historical problematics around stealing land from indigenous peoples, as well as worker's safety and depletion of the earth's resources (which is likely to be downplayed in factsheets from the mines themselves).
Unlike diamonds, borax and alum crystals can be regrown into different constellations infinitely allowing for multiple designs that can be executed reusing the same compound. They are not precious in the way diamonds and are, but pretty brilliant in their own right.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: no
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: no
- Reuse: yes, dissolve and regrow in hot water
Needs further research?: yes, local producers seem reluctant to share sourcing information about these products. It is unclear where it comes from, whether it is natural or synthetic and what kind of mining practices are involved.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: medium
- **Hardness**: rigid
- **Transparency**: transparent/variable (turns opaque after 10 mins at 100 degrees celcius)
- **Glossiness**: glossy/satin
- **Weight**: heavy
- **Structure**: closed/variable
- **Texture**: rough
- **Temperature**: cool
- **Shape memory**: high
- **Odor**: none
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** poor
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:** needs further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **Heat resistance:** low/needs further research
- **Water resistance:** low
- **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
- **Scratch resistance:** high
- **Surface friction:** sliding
- **PH modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 27-02-2020 – 27-02-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-8.jpg)*Large crystals grown on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-9.jpg)*Large crystals grown on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-4.jpg)*Smaller crystals grown on silk (lay it flat in a wide glass bowl), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-5.jpg)*Smaller crystals grown on silk on top of a black bowl, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-6.jpg)*Alum crystals on silk (right), and on velvet (left), Loes Bogers, 2020*
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oRGE_kX80AU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##REFERENCES
- **Textile as Scaffold** by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy 30 October 2019. Lecture notes: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/)
- **Dark diamond mining** by EJTech, 25 February 2020: [link](https://wikifactory.com/@ejtech/dark-diamond-mining)
- **Growing Gems Crystal Project** by Home Science Tools Learning Center: [link](https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/growing-gems-crystal-project/)
- **Grow your own simulated diamonds with a big alum crystal**, by Anne Marie Helmenstein for ThoughtCo, 13 February 2018: [link](https://www.thoughtco.com/growing-a-big-alum-crystal-602197)
- **Potassium alum**, on Wikipedia, n.d. [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_alum#Natural_occurrence)
- **Aluminium Compounds, inorganic** by Otto Helmboldt, e.a. in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 15 April 2007: [link](https://doi.org/10.1002/14356007.a01_527.pub2)
- **A History of the International Dyestuff Industry A History Of The International Dyestuff Industry** by Peter J T Morris and Anthony Travis, 01 January 1992: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265280328_A_History_of_the_International_Dyestuff_Industry_A_History_Of_The_International_Dyestuff_Industry)
- **What is Alum?** by Anne Marie Helmenstine for ThoughtCo, 11 July 2019: [link](https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-alum-608508)
- **Kinetics of nucleation in solutions**, by Jaroslav Nývlt, Journal of Crystal Growth, Volumes 3–4, 1968: [link](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022024868901796)
- **Brunsteiner et al., Toward a Molecular Understanding of Crystal Agglomeration**, Crystal Growth & Design, 2005, 5 (1), pp 3–16: [link](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/cg049837m?src=recsys)
- **Crystal Growth Kinetics**, Material Science and Engineering, Volume 65, Issue 1, July 1984: [link](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0025541684901940)
- **Crystallization and Precipitation: Optimize Crystal Size, Yield, and Purity with Crystallization Equipment** by AuthoChem Applications, n.d.:[link](https://www.mt.com/us/en/home/applications/L1_AutoChem_Applications/L2_Crystallization.html)
- **Crystallization**, Wikipedia, n.d. [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystallization)
\ No newline at end of file
# BACTERIAL DYE (SERRATIA MARCESCENS)
![](../../images/finalpics-124.jpg)*Silk dyed with Serratia Marcenscens bacteria, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##GENERAL INFORMATION
An (anti-bacterial) pink bacterial dye grown on LB broth and pure silk. This dye produces bright pink organic patterns on silk that can be guided slightly by creating folding patterns. It is more colorfast than most natural dyes, and can dye synthetic fibres as well (nylon, acrylic. As a bonus: serratia marcescens has antibacterial properties.
***SAFETY NOTE:***
This is a biolab level 1 activity, if and when the right bacteria strains are sourced (see also the ingredient entry for [Serratia Marcenscens](). That means it poses no serious threat to humans. If you have a serious health condition or immune disease, DO NOT follow this recipe. Don't ingest it and protect wounds and open skin when working with bacteria.
- No food and drink in the workspace
- Wear a lab coat and gloves
- Tie up your hair
- Don't touch your mouth, eyes or face while in the lab
- Dispose of materials safely
- Wash your hands afterwards and disinfect with alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Once you start working with the bacteria themselves:
- Close doors and windows to stop airflow.
- Don't talk, don't move. All airflow moves bacteria around and into your plates, contaminating the serratia marcenscens.
- Clean up your dishes and through away the water used.
It is very important to work in a sterile way during these processes. When we speak about contaminating the scene, not only might your experiment fail, you also risk growing all sorts of bacteria that you don't want to grow. Be serious about being sterile.
**Physical form**
Pastes, gels & liquids
Color without additives: red/orange or pink in acidic environment.
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 4 hours
Processing time: 3 days
Need attention: not during incubation
Final form achieved after: 3 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
17,50 Euros, for a yield of approx. 6 silk scarfs and bacteria that can last infinitely if kept alive. The cost of purchasing the bacteria is about 60 euros but is not included in the cost estimated here because it will approach nihil if used infinitely. 85% of the price mentioned here is for the pure silk chiffon.
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
- **Crunchy Peanut butter** to boost bacterial growth
- **LB broth - 10g**, (on 500 ml + 3/4 tsp of peanutbutter) this is a slightly acidic liquid medium, results in brighter pinks. Standard ratio of 20g/L. This is the growth medium to dye the silk.
- **Water - 500 ml** (sterilized water if tap water quality is not the best)
- **Denatured alcohol 96% - 150 ml or so**
- **Serratia Marcenscens bacteria** inoculated on Nutrient Agar jelly, ready to use. Make sure it is a type for **level 1 biolabs**
- **Pure silk chiffon - 6 pieces** approx. 30cm x 30cm
- **Thread and needle** to stitch the silk bundle together
- **Disposable gloves**
- **Parafilm** to seal the petridishes airtight
- **Sticky labels and a pen**
- **An incubator** or improvised cabinet that can keep a steady temperature of 26-30 degrees Celcius
###Tools
- **A precision scale**
- **Petri dishes, small - 12 x** to inoculate the bacteria, can be plastic (but disposable) or glass (sterilize beforehand!)
- **A heat-proof glass bottle - 500 ml** with screw cap, should fit inside the pressure cooker
- **A pressure cooker pan**
- **Autoclave tape**, has diagonal lines that turn dark once your jars are sterilized
- **Glass petri dishes large - 2 pieces** 200 mm diameter, they should fit inside the pressure cooker. Alternatively: a disposable autoclave bag
- **Gas burner** a bunsen burner or stable campingaz
- **A lighter**
- **Permanent marker (thin)**
- **An inoculation loop**
- **Kitchen paper**
###Yield
Approx. 6 silk swatches of 30 x 30 cm and bacteria to last many infinitely if the strain is kept alive.
###Method
#### 1. **Upon arrival of the bacteria**
- Follow the instructions as provided by the vendor. Make sure you purchase a **level 1 type of Serratia Marcenscens**, triple check this to avoid biohazards.
- Inoculate the bacteria as instructed to use immediately, or store in the freezer on a [66% glycerine stock solution](https://www.addgene.org/protocols/create-glycerol-stock/) to protect and store it. This link also provides the info to revive it.
#### 2. **Preparation (growth medium & silk)**
- First we prepare the growth media the bacteria needs, it's like its food. Here we use LB broth because it is liquid. We can suspend our silk in this liquid which is easier than working with jelly.
- **Prepare the silk**
- Rinse and dry the silk
- Cut the silk and scrunch it up into a pattern or scrunch it up.
- Secure it with some thread
- Put the silk in an autoclave bag or inside a large glass petri dish.
- Stick autoclave tape on top.
- **Prepare the growth medium**
- Weigh the ingredients for the LB broth with the precision scale.
- Put it all in a 500 ml heat-proof glass bottle, add 3/4 teaspoon of peanut butter and shake the liquid to mix. Unscrew the cap again so it sits loosely on top.
- Label the growth medium
- Put some autoclave tape on top. The diagonal lines turn brown if it's been sterilized properly
- **Sterilizing the silk and the growth medium**
If you have enough space you can sterilize everything at once. You can even already put the silk and the LB broth together inside a large glass petri dish if you plan to finish all the broth at once .
- Put water in the pressure cooker, place the bottle and the petri dish/bag with silk inside. As guideline: put less water in the pressure cooker than you have in the bottle.
- Make sure the lid of the glass bottle isn't closed tight, just loosely sitting on top. Otherwise the bottle can explode.
- Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker, make sure it is properly secured
- Turn on the heat. Once the indicator shows that the pan is under pressure (in most cases: a pin that pops out, check the manual), set a timer for 20 minutes. This is the time it takes to sterilize the material.
- When the time is up, leave the pan to cool. DO NOT OPEN IT WHILE HOT! When you are ready to open, release the steam, screw the glass jar closed and take it out.
- Do not open any of the bags or glass jars. Keep them sterile.
- If you don't use up all the broth, make sure it's labeled and store in the fridge. Re-sterilize for the next use.
#### 3. **Plating**
Plating is the scientist word for distributing the food onto the plates (or petri dishes), it basically means preparing petri dishes with food in a sterile way, before you add the bacteria you want to grow (see inoculating).
- Use new petri dishes and tape the bag closed if you don't finish a bag. You can use these only once. During the plating: don't talk, don't move! Airflow spreads bacteria and will contaminate your scene.
- Make an empty table and douse the area around the gas burner with denatured alcohol 96%. Keep this area wet with ethanol throughout the process. This will create a *sterile bubble* when the flame is on. Keep all your movements and lids, tools, dishing inside this bubble at all times. Work quickly, don't open the petri dishes more than strictly necessary.
1. Collect your petri dish(es) so they're close to you
1. Put the food bottles within reach, they're hot! Use a glove.
1. Get comfortable and light the gas burner
1. Keep the rim of the bottle in the flame for a second to sterilize the area you will pour with.
1. Lift the lid of the petri dish (open it as little as possible and work quickly), pour in some liquid to cover the bottom.
1. Close the petri dish and move on to the other ones.
s1. Keep the area doused with ethanol, but remember to *point the tip of the bottle away from the flame at all times!*
#### 4. **Inoculating the bacteria (dyeing)**
Add the bacteria. Again, working in a sterile manner. For this step we assume you've grown some Serratia Marcenscens on a jellified growth material like Nutrient Agar.
Doors and windows closed, no talking or moving please:
1. Keep the *inoculation loop* in the flame until it turns red to sterilize it.
1. *Cool* the inoculation loop by dipping it into a bit of jelly where no bacteria is growing.
1. Scrape a bit of bacteria from the jelly (without breaking the jelly surface), move it to the dish with LB broth and your silk, and spread onto your fabric and into the liquid food around it.
1. Try not to break the jelly but really scratch the surface only!
1. Close the dish. Again: everything inside the sterile bubble!
1. When you're done, label all the plates with:
* name of the bacteria (SM for Serratia Marcenscens)
* name of the growth media (NA, for nutrient agar)
* date
* your name
1. Seal the plates with *parafilm* by stretching it all around until it overlaps by holding one end with one thumb and pulling the rest around, letting go of the paper bit by bit.
1. Let the incubate for 3 days at 26-30 degrees Celcius.
#### 5. **Terminating the dyeing process (sterilization)**
Kill the bacteria by sterilizing it using the same process with the pressure cooker
- Add some new autoclave tape on top of the dish
- Put some water into the pressure cooker
- Put the petridish (or bag) inside the pressure cooker, and seal and secure it
- When the indicator indicates the pot is pressurized, let it steam for 20 minutes.
- Let it cool completely before opening (release steam first)
- Unwrap and admire the silk bundles
- Throw away the liquids (they are not harmful now an can go in the sink or toilet).
- Wash the dishes, clean up the workspace.
###Process pictures
![](../../images/bacteria1.jpg)*Finding a way to fold the silk, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/bacteria3.jpg)*Measuring ingredients using the precision scale, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/bacteria2.jpg)*Unused autoclave tape to indicate if sterilization is complete, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/bacteria5.jpg)*Pressure cookers steaming, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/bacteria4.jpg)*Sterilized silks ready to be inoculated (note the brown marks on the autoclave tape), Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/wk04_thebacteria.jpg)*Serratia marcenscens at the Biolab Waag, Amsterdam, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/bacteria7.jpg)*Creating a sterile bubble for inoculation, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/wk04_inoculating.jpg)*Inoculating: putting the bacteria onto their new food plates inside a sterile bubble, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/bacteria8.jpg)*Sealing a petri dish with parafilm, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/wk04_bacteriasilk3.jpg) *Unpacking the silk bundles after 3 days of incubating, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/wk04_bacteriasilk2.jpg) *Some symmetry due to the folding, Loes Bogers, 2019*
![](../../images/wk04_bacteriasilk1.jpg) *Detail of the bacteria pattern, Loes Bogers, 2019*
###Variations on this recipe
- instead of letting the bacteria grow directly on the silk, grow it in a petri dish and extract its pigment using alcohol as a solvent. In addition you will need test tubes and glass lab tubes. See [Bea Sandini's Fabricademy documentation](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/beatriz.sandini/assignments/week04/#8-harvesting-the-bacteria-color-aka-killing-your-babies)
- Laura Luchtman en Ilfa Siebenhaar developed technique using audiofrequencies to create an evenly dyed textile. See also: [link](https://livingcolour.eu/experiments/)
- A very simple but elegant way of cooking growth media is by using agar, dextrose and the corn starch that is released when boiling pototoes. This method was documented by the Centre for Genomic Gastronomy as part of their Rare Endophytes Collectors Club [link](http://www.endophyte.club/how-to/2-make-agar-plates). This is not tested but worth a try!
- If growing pigments has tickled your interest it is also worth looking into fungal dyes.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Before synthetic dyes were invented, people dyed fibres with dyes and inks from natural resources like plants, flowers, seeds, barks, insects, blood, clay and other (in)organic material. Dyes that can be achieved with synthetic dye are convenient and can provide very strong colors on protein (animal-based), cellulose (plant-based) as well as synthetic fibres (which natural dyes cannot).
As more awareness has been raised to acknowledge the heavy pollution not to mention health hazards for workers caused by both the textile dyeing and leather tanning industries, microbiologists and designers alike look for renewable alternatives. Going back to natural dyeing is deemed unrealistic: it might compete too heavily with food production (if we stick to the same scale of textile dyeing), plants might not be available throughout the year and its stability and solubility is less than synthetic dyes. In addition: large scale plant use may lead to loss of valuable species. and processes are far from industry friendly. Could bacterial dyes be a step in a new direction? Microbiology opens a window.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
###Key Sources
**Bioshades**, by Cecilia Raspanti et.al., for Textile and Clothing Business Labs (TCBL.EU) and Textile Lab Waag, 2016-2019, [link](https://bioshades.bio)
###Copyright information
The Bioshades recipe above was published under a [Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike licence](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Serratia Marcescens has been associated with some forms of biological warfare. Setting up a small lab can still get expensive and unaccessible for some but does not need to be complex and will become cheaper with scale.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes, (rip silk to shreds for home composting for more points of contact).
- Re-use: the inoculated bacteria strain can be used and grown again and again endlessly if it is kept alive or stored in the freezer on a glycerine stock. The pigment may be continually harvested to store as an ink or dye.
Needs further research?: not sure
##PROPERTIES
- **Color fastness:** high
- **Light fastness:** high
- **Washability:** needs further research
- **Color modifiers:** alkaline/acidic
- **Odor**: none
- **Antibacterial**: yes
- **Suitable fibres**: animal-based, plant-based, synthetic
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 20-10-2019 - 23-10-2019
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Environmental conditions**
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-123.jpg)*Silk dyed with serratia marcescens, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-124.jpg)*Silk dyed with serratia marcescens, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Bacterial Dyes - Biochromes** by Cecilia Raspanti for Fabricademy 2019-2020, Class slides [link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ar8j0cJntsFiBxdnrhqTA_9lgDDzB1Wg/view?usp=sharing)
- **Bioshades**, by Cecilia Raspanti et.al., for Textile and Clothing Business Labs (TCBL.EU) and Textile Lab Amsterdam Waag, 2016-2019, [link](https://bioshades.bio)
- **Biochromes assignment page** by Beatriz Sandini for Fabricademy 2019,2020: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/beatriz.sandini/assignments/week04/#8-harvesting-the-bacteria-color-aka-killing-your-babies)
- **In 1950, the US Released a Bioweapon in San Fransisco**, by Helen Thompson for Smithsonian Mag, 6 July 2015: [link](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1950-us-released-bioweapon-san-francisco-180955819/)
- **Cymatics Research - Living Colour**, by Laura Luchtman & Ilfa Siebenhaar, [link](https://livingcolour.eu/experiments/)
- **Fungal and Bacterial Pigments: Secondary Metabolites with Wide Applications** by Manik Prabhu Narsing Rao, Min Xiao and Wen-Jun Li, in Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol. 8, 22 June 2017: [link](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5479939/)
- **How to Make Agar Plates**, Rare Endophytes Collectors Club by Center for Genomic Gastronomy, 2017: [link](http://www.endophyte.club/how-to/2-make-agar-plates)
- **Colourful Side of Bacteriology: The Pigmented Bacteria** by Vijay Kothari, Chinmayi Joshi and Pooja Patel in Advancement in Genetic Engineering 5:1, 1 February 2016: [link](https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/colourful-side-of-bacteriology-the-pigmented-bacteria-2469-9837-1000i104.php?aid=70360)
- **Creating Bacterial Glycerol Stocks for Long-term Storage of Plasmids** by AddGene: [link](https://www.addgene.org/protocols/create-glycerol-stock/)
# CLAY FROM BANANA PEELS
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/96nT6wQYAoI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A fibrous, clay-like material made from banana peels. Although technically this might be considered a polymeer, the look and feel of this material is clay like and has a rough surface: like a clay with fibres added to it. It smells very strong during cooking, much less after drying. It smells and feels a little similar to rubber, maybe slightly earthier.
**Physical form**
Surfaces
Color without additives: dark brown
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 3 hours
Processing time: 1 week
Need attention: every day to alternate pressing and drying
Final form achieved after: 1 week
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,10 Euros, for a yield of one slab of approx. 10 x 10cm, 2 mm thick.
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **banana peels - 7 pcs** stems chopped off, you can dry them while collectinga batch. Once boiled they get sticky. The starch is the polymer, the fibres give strength to the material.
* **white vinegar - 50 ml**
* **1 tbsp soda ash** (sodium carbonate Na2CO3), to rinse and break down the banana peel
* **white vinegar (part two) - 30 ml**
* **glycerine - 15 gr** plasticizer (to make it more flexible)
###Tools
1. **Oven**
1. **A blender**
1. **A knife**
1. **A pot**
1. **A strainer**
1. **A cheescloth or a clean towel**
1. **A stack of books for pressing**
1. **A flat surface**
1. Optional: baking paper and a rolling pin
1. Optional: moulds
###Yield
Approx. 75 grams (when wet)
###Method
1. **Preparing the banana peels**
- Cut off the stems, they're hard to puree as finely as the peel
- Cut the peels into smaller pieces (you can also use them as a whole, this will be harder to puree but give you a rougher finish with visible fibres)
- Boil in water with 50 ml vinegar and soda ash for about 30 minutes or until totally soft. The smell will be very strong and the banana peels will be very sticky.
1. **Puree and rest**
- strain the banana peels but keep some of the liquid.
- puree them in a blender with a bit of of the cooking liquid
- put the puree in a bowl of cold water, add 30 ml of vinegar and leave to soak for 2 hours.
1. **Straining**
- strain the puree in a strainer, puree again if it's still very rough
- then put in a cheesecloth or towel and press the majority of the water out.
- mix in the glycerine
- put it on a surface and flatten it (with a rolling pin, or with your hands).
1. **Baking the clay**
- put the clay in the oven for 30 mins at 130 degrees Celcius
1. **Air drying the slab (min. 3 days)**
- Keep it pressed under heavy objects (like books) for a couple hours or overnight, right after the oven time
- Then leave to air dry for at least 3 days, alternate drying and pressing with a stack of books every few hours
- Trim fraying edges with scissors before the slab is completely dry and hard.
###Drying/curing/growth process
The pressing after oven time and air drying phase of at least three days is crucial here. The slab will still be very moist after the oven time. It will be fragile when you take it out but gets a lot stronger as it air dries.
- Mold depth (surfaces and solids) or diameter (strings): 5 mm
- Shrinkage thickness 30-50 %
- Shrinkage width/length 20-30 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
The slab doesn't shrink so much but it deforms a lot if you don't keep it pressed well before oven time and during the air drying phase.
**Curing agents and release agents**
None
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
3 days
**Post-processing**
Keep an eye on it (even after a week). If it continues to curl up, keep it pressed for longer.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Not sure, the function of the vinegar and soda ash is not entirely clear and could be further reserached.
###Process picures
![](../../images/bananaclay3.jpg)*Collecting banana peels, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay1.jpg)*Boiling the peels with vinegar and soda ash (it's better to chop them first to help shorten the fibres), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay2.jpg)*Soaking the blended peels in cold water with vinegar for 2 hours, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay8.jpg)*Straining, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay4.jpg)*Squeezing the liquid out, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay6.jpg)*Blending again with some glycerine, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay9.jpg)*Pressing the clay into a mould for baking, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay5.jpg)*The top after pressing and baking, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananaclay7.jpg)*The bottom after pressing and baking, Loes Bogers, 2020*
**For reference**
This is what the clay looks like if you do chop the banana peels into pieces before boiling: much finer, no visible fibres.
![](../../images/bananav2_0.JPG)*Chopped peels boiling, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananav21.jpg)*Squeezing the liquid out of the paste after soaking, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananav22.jpg)*Clay where the banana peels have been chopped before boiling, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananav25.jpg)*Clay where the banana peels have been chopped before boiling, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananav26.jpg)*Clay where the banana peels have been chopped before boiling, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananav210.jpg)*Clay where the banana peels have been chopped before boiling, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/bananav214.jpg)*Clay where the banana peels have been chopped before boiling, Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Use a 3D mould for to make 3D objects
- Make thicker slabs - or thinner
- Add less glycerine for more rigid slabs, more for flexibility
- Add in other biomass fillers (like egg shell powder, coffee grinds etc).
- Add co-polymer like cornstarch, it has been suggested that adding 4% cornstarch to the total weight of banana peel starch increases the tensile strength of the material (see also Sultan and Johari's article listed below).
- Others have spread the paste thinly onto a ceramic tile (substitute with a pizza stone perhaps?) and then baked. This would require processing the fibres into a finer paste.
- Research the use of **sorbitol** (an artificial sweetener made from potatoes or fruit) as a *plasticizer* to replace the glycerol. It is suggested to create different properties in the materials.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Unlike the fibres and starches in peels used here, the *fibres of banana plants* have a long history of being used to produce textiles. This banana textile crafts and industry is said to have developed first in the Phillipines, a country with a longstanding banana industry and banana textile crafts history. Especially the inner part of the banana bark is a desirable fibre that can be transformed into silk-like alternatives. The outer part of the bark results in rougher fibres and is commonly used to produce mats, ropes, or bags. India and other countries in Asia with large banana production facilities also produce banana fibres for textile.
This recipe departs from that heritage however, in that it doesn't use the fibres taken from the plant itself, but reuses the waste of the edible fruits of the plants: the peels. The main ingredient here is a waste product from the food industry. As such it is tied to other bioplastics made from biomass and food waste that have become increasingly popular in materials engineering and e.g. industrial design in recent years, and less related to the production of banana silk. Through a process of polymerization, the starch and the fibres in the peels are softened, pureed, formed and dried. It is technically a plastic, but has aesthetic properties that resemble clay. Recipes for polymerization with banana peels have gained attention in the last few years, mostly in academia, with recipes popping up in fields of engineering, design and crafts and even construction (banana peel powder can strengthen concrete for example). Some prominent references are listed below.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Yes
The use of banana peels as a resource is less well documented than that of the fibres of banana plants. Its origins could be further researched. The process, using soda ash and vinegar and its functions could be researched further.
###Key Sources
- **Banana Bioplastic** by Mattia Massetti (Sperim Design) on Youtube, 20 November 2018: [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ielBPntT5W8)
and to a lesser extent the articles mentioned under "references".
###Copyright information
It is unclear what kind of copyrights apply, further research is required.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
In order for bananas (and their peels) to arrive to say, Europe they will have inevitably travels many many miles. The fact that they can be shipped while still unripe, and continue to ripen - for consumption - allows them to be transported by sea rather than air, which is seen as an advantage. As fruit waste is huge in affluent countries, there's likely to also be a lot of banana waste (further research needed), and peels may be acquired from businesses that process bananas at a large scale. One might still wonder whether the consumption exotic fruits should be reduced.
That said, agricultural production is not always done sustainably, and synthetic pesticides and/or harsh labour conditions can be issues anywhere in the world, whether a product is made from biomass, and/or food waste or not. The entire chain deserves our attention.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Re-use: needs further research but likely can be shredded and processed again and again.
Needs further research?: Yes, on reusability
Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: resilient
- **Transparency**: opaque
- **Glossiness**: matt
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: closed
- **Texture**: rough
- **Temperature**: medium
- **Shape memory**: high
- **Odor**: strong (a bit rubbery, less strong after drying)
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** needs further research
- **Acoustic properties:** absorbing
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:** needs further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **Heat resistance:** high
- **Water resistance:** high
- **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
- **Scratch resistance:** high
- **Surface friction:** medium
- **Color modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 29-03-2020 - 05-04-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 11-15 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18-22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated? Not yet.
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-188.jpg)*Banana peel clay (not cut before cooking), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-189.jpg)*Banana peel clay (not cut before cooking), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-190.jpg)*Banana peel clay (not cut before cooking), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-196.jpg)*Banana peel clay (cut before cooking), much finer texture, visible no fibres, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Bio-plastic (Generating Plastic From Banana Peels)** by Manasi Ghamande et.al. International Conference on New Frontiers of Engineering, Management, Social Sciences and Humanities in Pune, India, 25 February 2018: [link](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjDy9Pv89PoAhXBwKQKHTxcDR0QFjACegQIEBAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdata.conferenceworld.in%2F25FebEMSSH%2F9.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2L2gr8pv0lwNsD1ghDL7_4)
- **The Development of Banana Peel/Corn starch Bioplastic film: a Preliminary Study** by Noor Fatimah Kader Sultan and Wan Lutfi Wan Johari in Bioremediation Science & Technology Research, Vol. 5, Nr 1, 2017: [link](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjJ7PHx89PoAhVQC-wKHcV7CIUQFjADegQIARAV&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpdfs.semanticscholar.org%2Fd946%2Fffca5aa145cbcf1b9606198a3fe02342a9d1.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2fRKlJy9B8P7SB5J6VvF94)
- **Production of Bioplastic from Banana Peels** by M.R. Gaonkar, Prashant Palaskar and Rishikesh Navandar in: Proceedings of the IIER International Conference, Hong Kong, 27-28 December 2017: [link](http://www.worldresearchlibrary.org/up_proc/pdf/1279-15182346031-3.pdf)
- **Banana Bioplastic** by Mattia Massetti (Sperim Design) on Youtube, 20 November 2018: [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ielBPntT5W8)
- **Banana Fibre Extraction, Processing, Yarn Spinning & Weaving**, by Textile TV on Youtube, 9 August 2018: [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-SrWSfH3lw)
- **What is Banana Fabric? Properties, How It's Made and Where** by Boris Hodakel for Sewport, 6 April 2020: [link](https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/banana-fabric)
- **Are Bananas the new Building Material?** by Construction Manager Magazine, 12 October 2017: [link](http://www.constructionmanagermagazine.com/insight/arup-predicts-bananas-and-potatoes-will-be-used-bu/)
- **Analysis of Properties of Concrete Using Dried Banana Peel Powder as Admixture** by Vishal Gadgihalli, Sindhu Shankar, S.C. Sharma, P. Dinakar in International Journal of Research Granthaalayah, 5(11), November 2017: pp. 351-354: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323308261_ANALYSIS_OF_PROPERTIES_OF_CONCRETE_USING_DRIED_BANANA_PEEL_POWDER_AS_ADMIXTURE)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
# BIOFOAM (surface, solid)
### Tactility & sound impression
# BIOFOAM
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zF549LrD2Nc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
### Description
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A thin, textured sheet, and half domes of foamy, flexible bioplastic. Gelatine-based. 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.
A thin, textured sheet, and half domes of foamy, flexible bioplastic. Gelatine-based.
The foam half domes are more rigid when completely dried, but still allow for some squeezing and feel foamy.
### Physical form
**Physical form**
Surfaces, Solids
### Fabrication time
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
......@@ -23,7 +22,13 @@ Need attention: after 3 days to demold, and keep pressed. After another 2 days t
Final form achieved after: 1 week
## Ingredients
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,50 Euros for a yield of approx 150 ml
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Gelatine powder - 12 gr**
* Functions as the polymeer (makes it hard)
......@@ -34,8 +39,7 @@ Final form achieved after: 1 week
* **Dishwashing soap (organic) - 1 tsp**
* Is the expanding agent that makes the mixture foamy
## Tools
###Tools
1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
1. **Pot**
......@@ -45,12 +49,11 @@ Final form achieved after: 1 week
1. **Lego sheet** (or other textured surface)
1. **Egg holders** (or other mold), these came with my fridge
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
###Yield
Approx. 150 ml
## Method
###Method
1. **Preparation**
......@@ -76,14 +79,13 @@ Approx. 150 ml
- 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
### Drying/curing/growth process
Peel it off the mold after 48-72 hours. The foam should not feel cold to the touch, then it's still drying. Pinch off the more fragile sides first to create some grip. Then pull it off carefully, pulling upwards.
- Mold depth: 3 mm
- Shrinkage thickness: 30-50 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 0-10 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 5-10 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
......@@ -113,8 +115,7 @@ Store flat in a dry and ventilated room.
Yes. Casting solids or smooth surface might require a different process to prevent deformation.
### Process
###Process pictures
![](../../images/final_biofoam_mixing.jpg)*Mixing the ingredients at 80 degrees, Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -128,26 +129,41 @@ Yes. Casting solids or smooth surface might require a different process to preve
![](../../images/final_biofoam_pressing.jpg)*Pressing the sheet underneath some books to keep it flat, Loes Bogers, 2020*
## Variations on this recipe
###Variations
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- Add **less glycerine** for a rigid foam, add more for a flexible foam (up to 1 part glycerine, 1 part gelatine and a dash of water)
- **Stiffeners** such as fibres or natural debris may be added for more structure and reinforcement.
- **Fillers** such as almond or sunflower oil, chalk or egg shells can be added to prevent additional shrinkage.
- Soaking the foam model in water for 2 hours and then letting it dry again makes it firmer. First it expands, then it shrinks again and gets quite rigid.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**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.
Plastics are man-made polymers that can be produced with petrol-based compounds but also bio-mass. The process to create them is called *polymerization*, or the chemical reaction to form polymer chains or networks. In 1862 Alexander Parkes presented Parkesine (now celluloid, an organic thermoformable material made from cellulose). In 1907, Bakelite was introduced by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland. Bakelite is an electrical insulator and was used in electrical appliances, once formed, it could not be melted. Baekland coined the term "plastics" to describe a new category of materials. PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride was patented in 1914 (around the same time cellophane was discovered). The use of petroleum was easier and cheaper to obtain and process than raw materials like wood, glass and metal and gained in popularity after World War II. More plastics were invented and became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to its ease and low cost of production. High tech plastics continued to be developed for health care and technology since the 1970s.
### Cultural origins of this recipe
In short: not all plastics are petrol-based. Henry Ford experimented with plastics made from soya beans as early as 1941. Common plastics like celluloid and PLA - are also biobased but are not necessarliy better in terms of reducing pollution: The time and conditions they require to decompose and be reabsorbed in nature are crucial in determining how sustainable plastics are.
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.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
###Key Sources
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), biofoam sample from the material archive, n.d.
- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Maria Viftrup (TextileLab, Waag), biofoam sample from the material archive, 2017.
- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtextiles, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), February 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
### Known concerns and contestations\*
###Copyright information
Raspanti & Viftrup's recipes are published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence.
Copyright or licence on Davis' work is unclear, further research required.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Needs further research
......@@ -155,32 +171,23 @@ Gelatin is an animal-based ingredient. Some might find it problematic to use res
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.
### Sustainability tags
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, but only professionally (home composting of animal-based materials is not allowed in the EU)
- Re-use: melt with heat and a splash of water, and recast
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.
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water. Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream.
Needs further research?: not sure
## Material properties
### Comparative qualities
##PROPERTIES
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
- **Hardness**: flexible
- **Transparency**: translucent
- **Strength**: variable (can be quite strong, depending on thickness and curing time)
- **Hardness**: medium/variable (depends on thickness, curing time and amount of glycerine)
- **Transparency**: opaque
- **Glossiness**: satin
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: closed
......@@ -201,60 +208,29 @@ The foam half domes are more rigid when completely dried, but still allow for so
- **Surface friction:** sliding
- **Color modifiers:** none
## About this entry
##ABOUT
### Maker(s) of this sample
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 19-02-2020 – 26-02-2020
### Environmental conditions
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: not sure
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
### Recipe validation
Has recipe been validated? Yes
By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
0,50 Euros for a yield of approx 150 ml
### Local supplier/sourcing info
Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
Eco dishwasing soap - any (eco)supermarket
Lego sheet - second hand/flea market/thrift shop
**Recipe validation**
## Copyright information
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
### This recipe is in the public domain (CC0)
**Images of the final sample**
No
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
No
##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** by Fab Textiles Lab, YYYY, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam), biofoam sample from the material archive, n.d.
- **Biofoam (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
## Images of final product
![](../../images/finalpics-16_foam.jpg)*Biofoam (gelatin-based), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-16_foam_GOOD.jpg)*Biofoam (gelatin-based), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-17_foam.jpg)*Biofoam (gelatin-based), Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -263,3 +239,16 @@ No
![](../../images/finalpics-26_foam.jpg)*Biofoam (gelatin-based), Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Biofoam Recipe** by Maria Viftrup (TextileLab, Waag), biofoam sample from the material archive, 2017.
- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtextiles, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
- **Lifecycle of a Plastic Product** by American Chemistry Council, n.d. [link](https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Lifecycle-of-a-Plastic-Product/)
- **Polymerization**, on Wikipedia, n.d.: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization)
- **Seaweeds can be a new source of bioplastics** by Rajendran, N, Sharanya Puppala, Sneha Raj M., Ruth Angeeleena B., and Rajam, C. in Journal of Pharmacy Research, 12 March 2012: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258495452_Seaweeds_can_be_a_new_source_for_bioplastics)
- **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)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
# BIOFOIL EXTRA FLEXIBLE
### Tactility & sound impression
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ayE8BSSaj8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/olMNIg67vFQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
### Description
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A transparent, glossy and very flexible sheet of gelatine-based bioplastic. Slightly sticky.
A transparent, glossy and very flexible sheet of gelatine-based bioplastic. Slightly sticky. This foil is thick and strong and completely transparent, a bit like the PVC table cloths some people may have on their kitchen table to protect the woord from staining (also used for PVC clothing of course). I would describe it more like a protective plastic than a packaging material for example.
### Physical form
**Physical form**
Surface
Color without additives: transparent, slightly yellow where thicker
### Fabrication time
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
......@@ -26,7 +24,13 @@ Need attention: None, just leave it to dry as long as is feasible.
Final form achieved after: 1 week
## Ingredients
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,78 Euros for a yield of approx 200 ml
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Gelatine powder - 24 gr**
* Functions as the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
......@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ Final form achieved after: 1 week
* **Water - 200 ml/gr**
* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
## Tools
###Tools
1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
1. **Pot**
......@@ -44,11 +48,11 @@ Final form achieved after: 1 week
1. **Spoon**
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
###Yield
Approx. 200 ml
Approx. 200 ml before drying/processng
## Method
###Method
1. **Preparation**
......@@ -66,6 +70,7 @@ Approx. 200 ml
- Simmer and slowly stir the mixture between 60-80 degrees celcius for 20 minutes. I turn it lower when I get bubbles. You don't want the liquid to move, don't boil it.
- Longer cooking time allows more water to evaporate. You will get a thicker, more syruppy liquid that spreads slower: resulting in a thicker sheet.
- Optional: if you have access to one: use a **vibrating table** or a **vacuum chamber** to allow bubbles to come to the surface and pop, so you don't have bubbles in your plastic.
1. **Casting**
......@@ -75,12 +80,12 @@ Approx. 200 ml
- Let it dry for 48-72 hours at least before releasing. If it feels cold to the touch it is still drying. Patience pays off with these sheets
### Drying/curing/growth process
###Drying/curing/growth process
Peel it off the mold after 48-72 hours (enjoy the sound it makes!)
- Mold depth: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness: 30-50 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 0-10 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 5-10 %
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
......@@ -96,6 +101,8 @@ None.
**Post-processing**
If you wish to trim or sew the sheet (cutting off frayed, thin edges), it's best to do that before it has completely dried. It's more brittle when dry so you will get a less clean cut.
Store flat, unfolded in a dry and ventilated room.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
......@@ -103,33 +110,47 @@ Store flat, unfolded in a dry and ventilated room.
Yes. Casting onto textured surfaces is likely to require a different technique and/or molds that have walls to ensure even distribution.
### Process
###Process pictures
![](../../images/final_biofoam_mixing.jpg)*Mixing the ingredients at 80 degrees, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/final_biofoam_dissolving.jpg)*The gelatin is dissolved: stirring very very slowly, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/final_biofoil_extraflexible.jpg)*, Releasing the sheet from the acrylic, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/final_biofoil_extraflexible.jpg)*Releasing the sheet from the acrylic, Loes Bogers, 2020*
## Variations on this recipe
###Variations
- 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.
### Cultural origins of this recipe
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**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.
Plastics are man-made polymers that can be produced with petrol-based compounds but also bio-mass. The process to create them is called *polymerization*, or the chemical reaction to form polymer chains or networks. In 1862 Alexander Parkes presented Parkesine (now celluloid, an organic thermoformable material made from cellulose). In 1907, Bakelite was introduced by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland. Bakelite is an electrical insulator and was used in electrical appliances, once formed, it could not be melted. Baekland coined the term "plastics" to describe a new category of materials. PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride was patented in 1914 (around the same time cellophane was discovered). The use of petroleum was easier and cheaper to obtain and process than raw materials like wood, glass and metal and gained in popularity after World War II. More plastics were invented and became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to its ease and low cost of production. High tech plastics continued to be developed for health care and technology since the 1970s.
In short: not all plastics are petrol-based. Henry Ford experimented with plastics made from soya beans as early as 1941. Common plastics like celluloid and PLA - are also biobased but are not necessarliy better in terms of reducing pollution: The time and conditions they require to decompose and be reabsorbed in nature are crucial in determining how sustainable plastics are.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
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.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
###Key Sources
- **Biofoil (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Biofoil (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [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)
- **Biofoil (gelatine) Recipe** by Monique Grimord (TextileLab, Waag), biofoil (gelatine) and Indian ink sample from the material archive, 2016.
###Copyright information
It is unclear if any copyright rests on the recipe by Dunne. Further research is required. The other two are licenced under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial Licence.
### Known concerns and contestations\*
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Needs further research
......@@ -139,7 +160,7 @@ Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils
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.
### Sustainability tags
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
......@@ -149,15 +170,9 @@ Using renewable ingredients is not by definition petrol-free. Imagine they have
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.
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water. Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
## Material properties
### Comparative qualities
This foil is thick and strong and completely transparent, a bit like the plastic table cloths some people may have on their kitchen table to protect the woord from staining. I would describe it more like a protective plastic than a packaging material for example.
### Technical and sensory properties
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: flexible
......@@ -183,59 +198,45 @@ This foil is thick and strong and completely transparent, a bit like the plastic
- **Color modifiers:** none
## About this entry
##ABOUT
### Maker(s) of this sample
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 19-02-2020 – 26-02-2020
### Environmental conditions
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: not sure
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
### Recipe validation
Has recipe been validated? Yes
**Recipe validation**
By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
**Images of the final sample**
0,78 Euros for a yield of approx 200 ml
### Local supplier/sourcing info
Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
Acrylic sheet - Online retailers, DIY stores
## Copyright information
### This recipe is in the public domain (CC0)
Yes
![](../../images/finalpics-67.jpg)*Extra flexible gelatin-based biofoil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
![](../../images/finalpics-68.jpg)*Extra flexible gelatin-based biofoil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
No
![](../../images/finalpics-71.jpg)*Extra flexible gelatin-based biofoil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##References
##REFERENCES
- **Biofoil (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [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)
- **Biofoil (gelatine) Recipe** by Monique Grimord (TextileLab, Waag), biofoil (gelatine) and Indian ink sample from the material archive, 2016.
- **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)
## Images of final product
![](../../images/finalpics-67.jpg)*Extra flexible gelatin-based biofoil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-68.jpg)*Extra flexible gelatin-based biofoil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
- **Lifecycle of a Plastic Product** by American Chemistry Council, n.d. [link](https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Lifecycle-of-a-Plastic-Product/)
- **Polymerization**, on Wikipedia, n.d.: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization)
- **Seaweeds can be a new source of bioplastics** by Rajendran, N, Sharanya Puppala, Sneha Raj M., Ruth Angeeleena B., and Rajam, C. in Journal of Pharmacy Research, 12 March 2012: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258495452_Seaweeds_can_be_a_new_source_for_bioplastics)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
![](../../images/finalpics-71.jpg)*Extra flexible gelatin-based biofoil, Loes Bogers, 2020*
# BIOLINOLEUM
### Tactility & sound impression
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cZIIQKz5wYI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WP-ZlP3fVT4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
### Description
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A tough but light, textured bioplastic. Remains some flexibility when cast as a sheet. Gelatine-based with dried and ground eggshells as filler to avoid shrinkage.
A tough but light, textured bioplastic. Remains some flexibility when cast as a sheet. Gelatine-based with dried and ground eggshells as filler to avoid shrinkage. 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.
### Physical form
**Physical form**
Solids, Surfaces
Color without additives: light brown/liver color with speckles.
### Fabrication time
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hours (if you prepared the egg shell powder already)
......@@ -26,7 +24,13 @@ Need attention: Every 8-16 hours to alternate between drying and presing.
Final form achieved after: 10 days
## Ingredients
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml before drying.
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Gelatine powder - 24 gr**
* Functions as the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
......@@ -35,26 +39,28 @@ Final form achieved after: 10 days
* **Water - 200 ml/gr**
* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
* **Dried and ground egg shells - 55 g**
* Used as a filler that reduces shrinkage, and simultaneously adds texture and strength. Recipe for drying and grinding egg shells is [here](../files/recipes/eggshellpowder.md).
* Used as a filler that reduces shrinkage, and simultaneously adds texture and strength. Recipe for drying and grinding egg shells is.
## Tools
###Tools
1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
1. **Pot**
1. **Scale**
1. **Moulds** (acrylic or glass surface to cast sheets on, silicon molds for solids. Molds with removable base are very useful).
1. **Spoon**
1. **An oven** to dry the eggshells
1. **A blender** to blend the egg shells
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
###Yield
Approx. 200 ml
Approx. 200 ml before drying.
## Method
###Method
1. **Preparation**
- Prepare the egg shell powder if you don't have it already (see recipe [here](../files/recipes/eggshellpowder.md)
- Prepare the egg shell powder if you don't have it already: clean the egg shells and dry them at 100 degrees celcius for an hour in the oven. Grind into a fine powder with a blender.
- 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.
......@@ -78,7 +84,7 @@ Approx. 200 ml
- 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.
- The compound will shrink a little. Press it under a stack of heavy books for a few hours and then dry for a few hours again, alterating the two. If you can dry the cast objects on a roster while pressed that is ideal.
### Drying/curing/growth process
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: 3 cm (filled up until 2.5cm high), or cast on a sheet (3-5mm)
- Shrinkage thickness: 10-15 %
......@@ -98,13 +104,17 @@ None.
**Post-processing**
Cut the sheet into shape or trim the edges before it is completely dry and hard.
Store in a dry and ventilated room.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
It's worth trying to evaporate as much water as possible to reduce shrinkage even more. Adding the powder will thicken the liquid too so try to find the sweet spot where you can still pour it.
### Process
###Process pictures
![](../../images/eggs6.jpg)*washed egg shells ready for the oven, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/eggshell4.jpg)*freshly ground egg shell powder, Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -113,23 +123,36 @@ It's worth trying to evaporate as much water as possible to reduce shrinkage eve
![](../../images/eggshell2.jpg)*just casted on an acrylic sheet, Loes Bogers, 2020*
## Variations on this recipe
###Variations
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- Add **more glycerine** for a more flexible material
- Use a different kind of filler than egg shells. Think of any dry fibre made of bio mass (e.g. dried plant leaves, dried used coffee grounds, shredded paper waste).
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
### 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.
Text
Plastics are man-made polymers that can be produced with petrol-based compounds but also bio-mass. The process to create them is called *polymerization*, or the chemical reaction to form polymer chains or networks. In 1862 Alexander Parkes presented Parkesine (now celluloid, an organic thermoformable material made from cellulose). In 1907, Bakelite was introduced by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland. Bakelite is an electrical insulator and was used in electrical appliances, once formed, it could not be melted. Baekland coined the term "plastics" to describe a new category of materials. PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride was patented in 1914 (around the same time cellophane was discovered). The use of petroleum was easier and cheaper to obtain and process than raw materials like wood, glass and metal and gained in popularity after World War II. More plastics were invented and became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to its ease and low cost of production. High tech plastics continued to be developed for health care and technology since the 1970s.
In short: not all plastics are petrol-based. Henry Ford experimented with plastics made from soya beans as early as 1941. Common plastics like celluloid and PLA - are also biobased but are not necessarliy better in terms of reducing pollution: The time and conditions they require to decompose and be reabsorbed in nature are crucial in determining how sustainable plastics are.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
###Key sources
- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [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)
### Known concerns and contestations\*
###Copyright information
Raspanti's recipe is published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence. Copyrights on Dunnes work is unclear, more research required.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Needs further research
......@@ -139,24 +162,19 @@ Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils
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.
### Sustainability tags
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Made of by-products or waste: partially (only the egg shell filler)
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, but only professionally (home composting of animal-based materials is not allowed in the EU)
- Reuse: needs further research
Needs further research?: can this be remelted and reused?
Recycling gelatine-based bioplastics them with PET plastics contaminates the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water (but plastics with additives and fillers might not be reusable). Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream.
## 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.
### Technical and sensory properties
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: rigid
......@@ -181,60 +199,44 @@ This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or
- **Surface friction:** medium
- **Color modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
## About this entry
### Maker(s) of this sample
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 06-03-2020 – 16-03-2020
### Environmental conditions
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
### Recipe validation
Has recipe been validated? Yes
**Recipe validation**
By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
**Images of the final sample**
2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml
### Local supplier/sourcing info
Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
Molds - Houseware stores, thrift shops
## Copyright information
### This recipe is in the public domain (CC0)
Yes
![](../../images/finalpics-54.jpg)*Surface, Loes Bogers, 2020*
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
![](../../images/finalpics-55.jpg)*Surface, Loes Bogers, 2020*
Yes, in: **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
![](../../images/finalpics-56.jpg)*Solid, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##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_).
- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [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)
- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
## Images of final product
![](../../images/finalpics-54.jpg)*Surface, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-55.jpg)*Surface, Loes Bogers, 2020*
- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
- **Lifecycle of a Plastic Product** by American Chemistry Council, n.d. [link](https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Lifecycle-of-a-Plastic-Product/)
- **Polymerization**, on Wikipedia, n.d.: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization)
- **Seaweeds can be a new source of bioplastics** by Rajendran, N, Sharanya Puppala, Sneha Raj M., Ruth Angeeleena B., and Rajam, C. in Journal of Pharmacy Research, 12 March 2012: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258495452_Seaweeds_can_be_a_new_source_for_bioplastics)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
![](../../images/finalpics-56.jpg)*Solid, Loes Bogers, 2020*
# BIORESIN
### Tactility & sound impression
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gNOtGunJc2A" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
### Description
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A (naturally) amber-coloured hard bioresin, gelatin-based.
A (naturally) amber-coloured hard bioresin, gelatin-based. This resin is strong, dense and rather heavy, but as much as say, synthetic epoxy or cold like glass. It is also warmer to the touch.
### Physical form
**Physical form**
Solids
Color without additives: transparent, yellow/orange/amber colored.
### Fabrication time
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
......@@ -22,9 +20,15 @@ Processing time: 5-10 days
Need attention: None, just leave it to dry as long as is feasible with lots of airflow.
Final form achieved after: 10 days
Final form achieved after: 14 days
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml before casting
## Ingredients
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Gelatine powder - 96 gr**
* Functions as the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
......@@ -32,8 +36,9 @@ Final form achieved after: 10 days
* Functions as plasticizer that bonds with the gelatine (makes it flexible).
* **Water - 480 ml/gr**
* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
* **A large round coffee filter** to absorb froth
## Tools
###Tools
1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
1. **Pot**
......@@ -42,11 +47,11 @@ Final form achieved after: 10 days
1. **Spoon**
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
###Yield
Approx. 300 ml (make sure to evaporate a lot of water during cooking time)
## Method
###Method
1. **Preparation**
......@@ -62,8 +67,9 @@ Approx. 300 ml (make sure to evaporate a lot of water during cooking time)
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.
- 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.
- Longer cooking time allows more water to evaporate and will dramatically reduce shrinkage of the casted object. You will get a thicker liquid. To cast larger volumes and solids with this recipe, evaporate a lot of water, until it's very very thick. Sometimes it's worth reheating and melting scraps, they've already dissipated a lot of water and result in nice castings.
- If froth appears on top of your liquid and doesn't go away, you can use a coffee filter to absorb it by covering the surface with it and then taking it off. In cooking this is called a *cartouche*, you can also make one from kitchen paper. Take a round coffee filter that fits into your pot. Absorb additional froth using some kitchen paper.
1. **Casting**
......@@ -74,16 +80,15 @@ Approx. 300 ml (make sure to evaporate a lot of water during cooking time)
- 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.
### Drying/curing/growth process
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: 7 cm (filled up until 2.5cm high)
- Shrinkage thickness: 20-30 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 20-30 %
- Shrinkage thickness: 5-15 %
- Shrinkage width/length: 5-15 %
**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 2 weeks to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly harden until its totally rigid.
**Curing agents and release agents**
......@@ -95,7 +100,7 @@ Using a silicon mold: 7 days (or until it comes undone)
**Post-processing**
Store in a dry and ventilated room.
Trim edges, or slice the slabs if you wish *before* the slab has completely dried and hardened. Store in a dry and ventilated room.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
......@@ -103,10 +108,17 @@ Casting larger volumes without growing fungus/mold, and limited warping can be c
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.
###Process pictures
### Process
![](../../images/resin_froth4.jpg)*Getting everything ready, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/resin5a.jpg)*Evaporating water until the liquid is thick like honey, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/resin_froth3.jpg)*A lot of froth appearing on this batch, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/resin_froth2.jpg)*Absorb it by covering the surface with a coffee filter for a few seconds, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/resin_froth1.jpg)*Getting the last frothy blobs out with some kitchen paper, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/resin5a.jpg)*Evaporating water until the liquid is thick like honey (I separated the batches to speed this up), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/resin5.jpg)*Preparing molds for small half domes (egg cups), and a big slab (silicon mould and separate base), Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -114,26 +126,39 @@ The resin does not cure evenly across the surface, some might be negotiated by s
![](../../images/resin8.jpg)*Putting the mold on its side next to open window to allow further drying from top and bottom, Loes Bogers, 2020*
## Variations on this recipe
###Variations
- 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
- Add **less glycerine** for a more rigid plastic
- **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.
- **Re-use** your bioresin scraps and experiments. Remelting dried bioresin in a dash of water will give you an already very concentrated mixture (the water has evaporated during its drying time) that helps you cast objects that will shrink much less than "virgin" bioresin.
### Cultural origins of this recipe
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**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.
Plastics are man-made polymers that can be produced with petrol-based compounds but also bio-mass. The process to create them is called *polymerization*, or the chemical reaction to form polymer chains or networks. In 1862 Alexander Parkes presented Parkesine (now celluloid, an organic thermoformable material made from cellulose). In 1907, Bakelite was introduced by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland. Bakelite is an electrical insulator and was used in electrical appliances, once formed, it could not be melted. Baekland coined the term "plastics" to describe a new category of materials. PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride was patented in 1914 (around the same time cellophane was discovered). The use of petroleum was easier and cheaper to obtain and process than raw materials like wood, glass and metal and gained in popularity after World War II. More plastics were invented and became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to its ease and low cost of production. High tech plastics continued to be developed for health care and technology since the 1970s.
In short: not all plastics are petrol-based. Henry Ford experimented with plastics made from soya beans as early as 1941. Common plastics like celluloid and PLA - are also biobased but are not necessarliy better in terms of reducing pollution: The time and conditions they require to decompose and be reabsorbed in nature are crucial in determining how sustainable plastics are.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
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.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
###Key Sources
- **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)
### Known concerns and contestations\*
###Copyright information
Raspanti's recipes is published under an Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence. Copyright on Dunne's work is unclear and needs further research.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Needs further research
......@@ -143,24 +168,19 @@ Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils
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.
### Sustainability tags
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, but only professionally (home composting of animal-based materials is not allowed in the EU)
- Reuse: yes, by melting and recasting
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.
## Material properties
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water. Do not recycle them with PET plastics, it contaminates the waste stream.
### 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.
### Technical and sensory properties
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: rigid
......@@ -186,59 +206,44 @@ This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or
- **Color modifiers:** none
## About this entry
##ABOUT
### Maker(s) of this sample
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 06-03-2020 – 16-03-2020
### Environmental conditions
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
### Recipe validation
Has recipe been validated? Yes
By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
**Recipe validation**
2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
### Local supplier/sourcing info
**Images of the final sample**
Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
Molds - Houseware stores, thrift shops
## Copyright information
### This recipe is in the public domain (CC0)
Yes
![](../../images/finalpics-29.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
![](../../images/finalpics-30.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
Yes, in: **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
![](../../images/finalpics-37.jpg)*Bioresin slab and half dome, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##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/).
- **Lifecycle of a Plastic Product** by American Chemistry Council, n.d. [link](https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Lifecycle-of-a-Plastic-Product/)
- **Polymerization**, on Wikipedia, n.d.: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization)
- **Seaweeds can be a new source of bioplastics** by Rajendran, N, Sharanya Puppala, Sneha Raj M., Ruth Angeeleena B., and Rajam, C. in Journal of Pharmacy Research, 12 March 2012: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258495452_Seaweeds_can_be_a_new_source_for_bioplastics)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
## Images of final product
![](../../images/finalpics-29.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-30.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-37.jpg)*Bioresin slab and half dome, Loes Bogers, 2020*
# STARCH-BASED RUBBER
### Tactility & sound impression
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B1zFfDPx7t4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xTVABD1KlsY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
A rubbery bioplastic based on gelatin and potato starch. This slab feels a bit like a rubber. It's strong but flexible and is less stiff then the gelatine-based biosilicone for example. It has a sour smell from the vinegar, which slowly fades but does not disappear completely.
### Description
A rubbery biopolymer based on gelatin and corn starch.
### Physical form
**Physical form**
Surface
Color without additives: yellow
### Fabrication time
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
......@@ -24,21 +20,28 @@ Need attention: None, just leave it to dry while pressed (e.g. on a roster) as l
Final form achieved after:7 days
## Ingredients
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
2,26 Euros for a yield of approx 250 ml before casting
* **Gelatine powder - 50 gr**
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Gelatine powder - 50 g**
* Functions as polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
* **Corn starch - 50 gr**
* **Potato starch - 50 g**
* Functions as the second polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
* **Glycerine - 50 gr**
* Functions as plasticizer that bonds with the gelatine (makes it flexible).
* **Water - 50 ml/gr and a dash extra**
* **Glycerine - 100 g**
* Functions as plasticizer (makes it flexible).
* **Water - 100 ml/gr and a dash extra**
* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
* To dissolve and mix the corn starch before adding to the other liquid
* **White vinegar - 15 ml**
* Vinegar is almost always added to starch-based biopolymers to change the molecular structure of the starch, making it stronger and more workable.
* **White vinegar - 15 g**
* Vinegar is almost always added to starch-based biopolymers to change the molecular structure of the starch, making it stronger and more workable. It helps to disrupt the molecules further, resulting in a homogenous bioplastic.
## Tools
###Tools
1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
1. **Pot**
......@@ -49,11 +52,11 @@ Final form achieved after:7 days
3. **A press or a stack of heavy books** (to keep the slab pressed while drying)
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
###Yield
Approx. 200 ml
Approx. 250 ml before casting
## Method
###Method
1. **Preparation**
......@@ -81,7 +84,7 @@ Approx. 200 ml
- The slab will shrink relatively quickly, then take it off the mold and let it air dry
- Alternate drying with some periods of keeping it pressed. If you have a roster you can dry and press at the same time.
### Drying/curing/growth process
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness: 5-10 %
......@@ -89,7 +92,7 @@ Approx. 200 ml
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
Letting it dry for a week or so to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly harden until its totally rigid. The slab needs some attention during drying as the edges that are thinner will curl up. Trim the piece before it's completely hard. Occassionally press down the slab under a stack of books for a few hours to keep it flat.
Letting it dry for a week or so to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly get more rigid. The slab needs some attention during drying as the edges that are thinner will curl up. Trim the piece before it's completely hard. Occassionally press down the slab under a stack of books for a few hours to keep it flat.
**Curing agents and release agents**
......@@ -101,6 +104,8 @@ Ready to be released after 1-2 hours.
**Post-processing**
Trim and cut into desired shape before the slab is completely dry and hardened.
Store in a dry and ventilated room. Keep pressed until fully dry.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
......@@ -108,7 +113,7 @@ Store in a dry and ventilated room. Keep pressed until fully dry.
Not sure.
### Process
###Process pictures
![](../../images/cornstarch1.jpg)*Getting everything ready, Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -118,36 +123,47 @@ Not sure.
![](../../images/cornstarch4.jpg)*Stirring in the corn starch mixture, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cornstarch5.jpg)*Finish with a custard-like thickness, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cornstarch5.jpg)*Finish with viscuous liquid, like custard, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cornstarch6.jpg)*Spread the paste with a spatula (be quick!), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/starch_new1.jpg)*Spread the paste with a spatula, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cornstarch7.jpg)*The strach-based rubber curing, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/starch_new2.jpg)*The strach-based rubber curing, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cornstarch10.jpg)*Trimming the - still flexible - slab for further curing, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cornstarch11.jpg)*Drying the slab on a roster (pressed down with books occasionally), Loes Bogers, 2020*
## Variations on this recipe
###Variations
- 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 slab (or try adding more for more flexibility)
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder). The vinegar makes this recipe acidic so keep that in mind when using PH sensitive dyes.
- Add a natural scent to mask the acidic smell of the vinegar.
- Add **less glycerine** for a more rigid slab (50/50 polymers and plasticizers is considered the max)
- Reduce amount of gelatine or leave it out altogether
- **Stiffeners** such as fibres, yarn or natural debris may be added for more structure and reinforcement.
- Try creating a starch-based polymer without gelatine to make this plastic vegan.
### Cultural origins of this recipe
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Biopolymer 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.
Plastics are man-made polymers that can be produced with petrol-based compounds but also bio-mass. The process to create them is called *polymerization*, or the chemical reaction to form polymer chains or networks. In 1862 Alexander Parkes presented Parkesine (now celluloid, an organic thermoformable material made from cellulose). In 1907, Bakelite was introduced by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland. Bakelite is an electrical insulator and was used in electrical appliances, once formed, it could not be melted. Baekland coined the term "plastics" to describe a new category of materials. PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride was patented in 1914 (around the same time cellophane was discovered). The use of petroleum was easier and cheaper to obtain and process than raw materials like wood, glass and metal and gained in popularity after World War II. More plastics were invented and became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to its ease and low cost of production. High tech plastics continued to be developed for health care and technology since the 1970s.
In short: not all plastics are petrol-based. Henry Ford experimented with plastics made from soya beans as early as 1941. Common plastics like celluloid and PLA - are also biobased but are not necessarliy better in terms of reducing pollution: The time and conditions they require to decompose and be reabsorbed in nature are crucial in determining how sustainable plastics are.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
###Key Sources
- **Turmeric bioplastic** by Maria Viftrup for the Material Archive at TextileLab Waag (Amsterdam), 2017
- **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/).
- **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)
###Copyright information
### Known concerns and contestations\*
Viftrup's recipe is licenced under CC Attribution Non-Commercial. The copyright on Dunnes work are unclear, more research needed.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Needs further research
......@@ -157,24 +173,19 @@ Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils
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.
### Sustainability tags
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, but only professionally (home composting of animal-based materials - like gelatine - is not allowed in the EU)
- Reuse: further research needed
Needs further research?: not sure
Recycling biopolymers with PET plastics contaminates the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
## Material properties
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water (but plastics with additives and fillers might not be reusable). Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream.
### Comparative qualities
This slab feels a bit like a rubber car tyre. It's tough but resilient. It has a storng sour smell from the vinegar (this slowly fades).
### Technical and sensory properties
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: resilient
......@@ -199,59 +210,33 @@ This slab feels a bit like a rubber car tyre. It's tough but resilient. It has a
- **Surface friction:** medium
- **Color modifiers:** none
## About this entry
##ABOUT
### Maker(s) of this sample
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 16-03-2020 – 22-03-2020
### Environmental conditions
**Environmental conditions**
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
### Recipe validation
Has recipe been validated? Yes
**Recipe validation**
By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 16 March 2020
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 16 March 2020
### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
**Environmental conditions**
2,26 Euros for a yield of approx 250 ml
### Local supplier/sourcing info
Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
White vinegar - supermarket
Corn starch (organic, non-GMO) - supermarket
Molds - Textured plastic, old packaging material, textile shop, homeware shops
## Copyright information
### This recipe is in the public domain (CC0)
Yes
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
Yes, in: ADDD HERE
##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)
- Material archive sample Maria Viftrup
- "Make it and Break it: Bioplastics from Plant Starch with
incorporation of Engineering Practices", by Richard Harris, Carla Ahrenstorff
Gracye Theryo, Aaron Johnson, Jane Wissinger. Center for Sustainable Polymers at the University of Minnesota, 2017: https://csp.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Make-it-and-Break-it.pdf
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
## Images of final product
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-38.jpg)*Starch-based rubber, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-39.jpg)*Starch-based rubber, Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -259,6 +244,22 @@ Gracye Theryo, Aaron Johnson, Jane Wissinger. Center for Sustainable Polymers at
![](../../images/finalpics-46.jpg)*Starch-based rubber, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-47.jpg)*Starch-based rubber, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Turmeric bioplastic** by Maria Viftrup for the Material Archive at TextileLab Waag (Amsterdam), 2017
- **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)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, via Issuu, 2014:[link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a).
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, via Issuu, 2014:[link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
- **Make it and Break it: Bioplastics from Plant Starch with
incorporation of Engineering Practices**, by Richard Harris, Carla Ahrenstorff Gracye Theryo, Aaron Johnson, Jane Wissinger. Center for Sustainable Polymers at the University of Minnesota, 2017: [link](https://csp.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Make-it-and-Break-it.pdf)
- **Lifecycle of a Plastic Product** by American Chemistry Council, n.d. [link](https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Lifecycle-of-a-Plastic-Product/)
- **Polymerization**, on Wikipedia, n.d.: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization)
- **Seaweeds can be a new source of bioplastics** by Rajendran, N, Sharanya Puppala, Sneha Raj M., Ruth Angeeleena B., and Rajam, C. in Journal of Pharmacy Research, 12 March 2012: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258495452_Seaweeds_can_be_a_new_source_for_bioplastics)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, via Issuu, 2014:[link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a).
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, via Issuu, 2014:[link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
-
# BIOSILICONE
### Tactility & sound impression
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a5gBPlJNHfk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
### Description
##GENERAL INFORMATION
A (naturally) yellow, flexible biosilicone, gelatin-based.
A (naturally) yellow, flexible biosilicone, gelatin-based. This silicon is rather flexible considering it's thickness, but is quite hard when compared to silicone rubber baking trays for example that often contain softeners. Thinner sheets are more flexbile, thicker less. Starch-based rubber recipe results in more flexible slabs.
### Physical form
**Physical form**
Solids
Color without additives: transparent, yellow
### Fabrication time
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hour
......@@ -24,7 +22,13 @@ Need attention: every 12 hours, alternate pressing and drying, (press overnight,
Final form achieved after: 10 days
## Ingredients
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
1,68 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml before casting
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Gelatine powder - 48 gr**
* Functions as the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
......@@ -33,20 +37,20 @@ Final form achieved after: 10 days
* **Water - 240 ml/gr**
* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
## Tools
###Tools
1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
1. **Pot**
1. **Scale**
1. **Moulds** (I use a modular mold from laser cut 3 mm acrylic sheets here that are held together with screws)
1. **Moulds** I use a modular mold from laser cut 3 mm acrylic sheets here that are held together with screws. Smooth acrylic molds result in shiny biosilicone.
1. **Spoon**
## Yield before processing/drying/curing
###Yield
Approx. 250 ml (make sure to evaporate enough water during cooking time)
Before processing/drying/curing: approx. 250 ml (make sure to evaporate enough water during cooking time)
## Method
###Method
1. **Preparation**
......@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ Approx. 250 ml (make sure to evaporate enough water during cooking time)
- 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.
### Drying/curing/growth process
###Drying/curing/growth process
- Mold depth: 3 x 3mm layers
- Shrinkage thickness: 20-30 %
......@@ -91,14 +95,15 @@ None.
**Post-processing**
Trim, cut or process the slab before it is completely dry and hardened for nice clean cuts.
Store in a dry and ventilated room.
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Casting larger volumes without growing fungus/mold and deformation would require further experimentation.
### Process
###Process pictures
![](../../images/silicon1.jpg)*preparing the mold, Loes Bogers, 2020*
......@@ -107,24 +112,38 @@ Casting larger volumes without growing fungus/mold and deformation would require
![](../../images/silicone.jpg.jpeg)*biosilicone slab just after mold release, Loes Bogers, 2020*
## Variations on this recipe
###Variations
- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
- Add **less glycerine** for a rigid biosilicone
- **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.
### Cultural origins of this recipe
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**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.
Plastics are man-made polymers that can be produced with petrol-based compounds but also bio-mass. The process to create them is called *polymerization*, or the chemical reaction to form polymer chains or networks. In 1862 Alexander Parkes presented Parkesine (now celluloid, an organic thermoformable material made from cellulose). In 1907, Bakelite was introduced by chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland. Bakelite is an electrical insulator and was used in electrical appliances, once formed, it could not be melted. Baekland coined the term "plastics" to describe a new category of materials. PVC (short for polyvinyl chloride was patented in 1914 (around the same time cellophane was discovered). The use of petroleum was easier and cheaper to obtain and process than raw materials like wood, glass and metal and gained in popularity after World War II. More plastics were invented and became mainstream in the 1960s thanks to its ease and low cost of production. High tech plastics continued to be developed for health care and technology since the 1970s.
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.
In short: not all plastics are petrol-based. Henry Ford experimented with plastics made from soya beans as early as 1941. Common plastics like celluloid and PLA - are also biobased but are not necessarliy better in terms of reducing pollution: The time and conditions they require to decompose and be reabsorbed in nature are crucial in determining how sustainable plastics are.
**On open-source bioplastics:** open-source documenting of how to make bioplastics with simple tools and locally available materials can be attributed to Miriam Ribul and her publication on *Material Activism* from 2014. Promoting collaborative production of alternatives for petroleum-based plastic, she demonstrated 20(!) known processes for material production using only 4 simple recipes. Juliette Pépin's visual research book on bioplastics (also from 2014), goes in depth into the sensory and visual aspects of simple recipes with many variations. Although bioplastics production is certainly a craft that is dispersed across many locations and times, leaving traces of many similar recipes behind, this type of cataloguing and sharing work is certainly indebted to these two pioneers.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
### References this recipe draws from
###Key Sources
- **Biosilicone Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Biosilicone Recipe** by Maria Viftrup (TextileLab, Waag), biosilicpne sample from the material archive, 2017.
###Copyright information
Both recipes are publiched under a CC Attribution Non-commercial licence.
- **Biosilicone Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
### Known concerns and contestations\*
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Needs further research
......@@ -134,24 +153,19 @@ Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils
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.
### Sustainability tags
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Made of by-products or waste: no
- Biocompostable final product: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, but only professionally (home composting of animal-based materials is not allowed in the EU)
- Reuse: yes, by melting and recasting
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.
Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water (but plastics with additives and fillers might not be reusable). Should not be recycled as part of PET-plastics waste: this causes contamination of the waste stream.
## Material properties
### Comparative qualities
This silicon is rather flexible considering it's thickness, but is quite hard when compared to silicone rubber baking trays for example that often contain softeners. Thinner sheets are more flexbile, thicker less.
### Technical and sensory properties
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: flexible
......@@ -177,63 +191,54 @@ This silicon is rather flexible considering it's thickness, but is quite hard wh
- **Color modifiers:** none
## About this entry
##ABOUT
### Maker(s) of this sample
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 19-02-2020 – 01-03-2020
### Environmental conditions
**Environmental conditions**
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
### Recipe validation
Has recipe been validated? Yes
By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Recipe validation**
### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
1,68 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml
**Environmental conditions**
### Local supplier/sourcing info
Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
Molds - acrylic sheet from hardware store or online retailers, lasercut
Nuts and bolts - from hardware store
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
## Copyright information
**Images of the final sample**
### This recipe is in the public domain (CC0)
![](../../images/finalpics-42.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
Yes
![](../../images/finalpics-43.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
### This recipe was previously published by someone else
![](../../images/finalpics-45.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
Yes, in: **Biosilicone Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
![](../../images/finalpics-44.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##References
##REFERENCES
- **Biosilicone Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (TextileLab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating Materials", 2017-2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Biosilicone Recipe** by Maria Viftrup (TextileLab, Waag), biosilicpne sample from the material archive, 2017.
- **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)
- **Biosilicone Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
- **Lifecycle of a Plastic Product** by American Chemistry Council, n.d. [link](https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Lifecycle-of-a-Plastic-Product/)
- **Polymerization**, on Wikipedia, n.d.: [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerization)
- **Seaweeds can be a new source of bioplastics** by Rajendran, N, Sharanya Puppala, Sneha Raj M., Ruth Angeeleena B., and Rajam, C. in Journal of Pharmacy Research, 12 March 2012: [link](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258495452_Seaweeds_can_be_a_new_source_for_bioplastics)
- **Recipes for Material Activism** by Miriam Ribul, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/miriamribul/docs/miriam_ribul_recipes_for_material_a)
- **Research Book Bioplastics** by Juliette Pepin, 2014, via issuu [link](https://issuu.com/juliettepepin/docs/bookletbioplastic)
## Images of final product
![](../../images/finalpics-42.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-43.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-45.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-44.jpg)*Biosilicone sample, Loes Bogers, 2020*
# DYE OF RED CABBAGE LEFT-OVERS
![](../../images/finalpics-115.jpg)*Silk dyed with cabbage and modified with PH modifiers, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##GENERAL INFORMATION
Volatile PH sensitive dye. Not very light-fast or washable, but capable of producing bright purple, pink, green and turqouise hues.
**Physical form**
Pastes, gels & liquids
Color without additives: Purple
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 2 Hours
Processing time: for dying is variable (overnight for intense color on silk)
Need attention: the entire processing time (temperature and stirring)
Final form achieved after: 2 hours
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
0,01 Euros, for a yield of approx. 250 ml if made from food waste
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Half a red cabbage** (also: brassica oleracea), this is the dye stuff. Try to get these as food waste
* **water - 1000 ml/g** solvent
* **salt - 5 g** for preservation (stabilizer)
* **a coffee filter** to filter the fine particles from the dye
* **PH modifiers** (see [this recipe](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/phmodifiers/))
* optional: a piece of silk, or aquarel paper and a brush for testing.
###Tools
1. **Cooker**, ideally with temperature control
1. **Pot**
1. **A knife** to finely chop the cabbage , or a mandoline
1. **A spoon**
1. **A cheese cloth or coffee filter**
1. **A strainer**
1. **A glass jar** to store the dye
###Yield
Approx. 250 ml
###Method
1. **Preparation**
- Chop the cabbage until it is very small, or grate it with a mandoline
1. **Extract the pigment**
- Put the cabbage in a large pot and cover with water
- Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 2 hours (make sure not all the water evaporates)
- Strain the liquid and put it back in the pot
- Reduce the liquid to 25% of the original volume for a very concentrated dye or ink.
1. **Dyeing with cabbage dye**
- Mordant the fibres with alum
- Simmer in the dyebath for an hour, leave overnight
- Do not rinse
- Dry
- Optional: modify with PH modifiers
1. **Testing and storing the ink/dye**
- Add a teaspoon of salt while the liquid is still hot, stir to dissolve.
- To dye silk: let the dye cool until it's no more than 70 degrees and put in a piece or wet (mordanted) silk or other fibres. Leave overnight for an intense color.
- Test the ink on paper using a brush and aquarel paper. Use the PH modifiers wet-on-wet, or let the ink dry before brushing or spraying on some of the modifiers. Play and experiment!
- To store: add a clove to the ink, label it, and store in the fridge or freeze. If it starts to grow mold or smells weird/different than cabbage smell, through it away.
###Process pictures
![](../../images/cabbage4.jpg)*Preparing the cabbage with a mandoline, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/inks1.jpg)*Cloves and coffee filters ready to go, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cabbage2.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on a used coffee filter, sprayed with some acidic PH modifier (PH 2), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cabbage1.jpg)*Red cabbage dye (left) and madder dye (right) ready to be used or stored, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/cabbage3.jpg)*Silk dyed with red cabbage dye, drying. Modified with PH modifiers (pink = PH2, green = PH 13, blue = PH 9), Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- You add the PH modifiers to the dye, or use the modifier after drying (on dried, dyed textiles).
- Add a binder such as arabic gum to create a nicer flow if you wish to use this ink for painting and arts, not dyeing textiles.
- Instead of making a water-based ink, you can also use red cabbage to make an alcohol-based marker ink. Grate the cabbage and chop as finely as possible, cover with denatured alcohol 96% and put in a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Shake every hour for 24 hours. Strain the liquid, add a clove, label and store. The ink can be modified with PH modifiers as well but this ink fades quicker than the dye.
- You can even use red cabbage dye to test the PH of a liquid. Dip some strips of coffee filter in the red cabbage dye. Let it dry. Then use a cotton swab to dab a bit of liquid (tap water, juice, wine, other) on the paper. If the paper becomes red/pink the PH is 2-4, purple is 5-7, blue is 8-9 and green/yellow is PH 10-12 approximately. See also [link](https://www.thoughtco.com/make-red-cabbage-ph-paper-605993)
- Make dyes for other kinds of food waste, like used coffee grounds (light browns), old coffee (deep browns), PH sensitive beetroot dye (vintage pinks and salmon tones) etc. Or research and consider dyes from dried goods like turmeric powder (bright yellow), PH sensitive hibiscus tea (purple, blues, greens and gray). Ink has even been made of cigarette butts!
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
The anthocyanin in red cabbage is what makes it PH sensitive, and is why it changes color as you modify it with acidic or alkaline solutions.
Dyeing fibres with vegetables is an ancient craft: the earliest dyed flax fibers have been found in a prehistoric cave in the Republic of Georgia and date back to 34,000 BC. Before the invention of synthetic dyes starting in the mid-19th century, all fibres and textiles were dyed using organic and inorganic materials as *dyestuff:*like clay, plants, metals, bark, funghi, flowers, insects, seeds, and fruit and vegetables (and even the blood of animals). The development of new, strongly colored synthetic dyes followed quickly, and by the 1870s commercial dyeing with natural dyestuffs was disappearing: synthetic dyes were more stable, more colorfast and in many cases could be done at lower cost than the overal costs of natural dyeing processes.
**Natural dye revival(s)**: there have been revivals in plant dyeing as a crafts technique in the 1970s, with enthusiasts publishing books in layman's terms that became popular again today. These recipes might be natural, but may still use heavy metals as mordants. More recently, in tandem with the growing concern for pollutions caused by textile dyeing at industrial scale, which involves lots of chemicals, heavy metals that end up in drinking water, on worker's bodies and in the environment. It also requires a lot of water due to the rinsing needed to wash all the chemicals out, and to achieve colorfastness. Next to bacterial (and fungal) dyes, plant-based dyes are investigated as non-toxic, renewable alternatives to synthetic dyeing processes. Some natural dyes, like madder (for red hues) has been developed into a powder recently in such a way that it is fit for textile dyeing at an industrial scale.
It's somewhat unconventional to use more ephemeral dyes such as this one as textile dye. It's not very lightfast and extremely chemically unstable (the PH sensitivity). But some are worth exploring by designers who are able to celebrate these dyes' vividness and ability to change, fade and surprise. It is unlikely that natural dyes will provide the color fastness and ability to dye synthetic textiles like synthetic dyes can, but perhaps what we need much more urgently is an attitude change to color in textiles and clothing?
**Needs further research?** Not sure
###Key Sources
No recipe in particular. Boiling in water is a common way of extracting pigments from a dye stuff.
###Copyright information
This recipe may be considered to be part of the public domain.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
Cabbage can be found in abundance in many countries (including the Netherlands). It is not a hugely popular vegetable but still very common. Try to get red cabbage as food waste instead of buying it fresh. Dye materials should not compete with food.
The color purple of this dye or ink creates is quite contested. Historically, purple (and especially the socalled Tyrian purple, made of the secretions of sea snails) was considered to be the color of power, reserved for kings and queens and the like. It is also one of the colors that has historically ben rather expensive to produce as it required significant amounts of (often expensive) resources to generate intense and colorfast dyes using natural resources. Due to it's changing nature, red cabbage dye would not be considered an option worth considering for current textile dyeing practice. But perhaps its humble background and volatility make it the perfect everywoman's purple. Could it be instrumental in conveying the temporary luxury of purple textiles? Perhaps it is sufficient to be queen for a day?
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: yes
- Made of by-products or waste: (ideally) yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, (rip silk to shreds for home composting).
- Re-use: yes, silk can be redyed.
Needs further research?: Yes
How often can this dye be reused? Overview of colors different PH modifiers during and after dyeing would be useful. Are there sustainable ways of making the dye more colorfast?
##PROPERTIES
- **Color fastness:** low
- **Light fastness:** low
- **Washability:** low
- **Color modifiers:** alkaline/acidic
- **Odor**: moderate (disappears after drying)
- **Suitable fibres**: animal fibre like wool or silk will take better than cellulose fibres. Not suitable for dyeing synthetic fibres.
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 05-03-2020 - 06-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-115.jpg)*Red cabbage dye with a splash of soda solution and a splash of vinegar, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-103.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, not modified, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-105.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, modified with vinegar (PH 2) solution, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-106.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, modified with soda (PH 9) solution, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-108.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, modified with soda (PH 9) and vinegar (PH 2) splashes, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-109.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, modified with soda solution (PH 13), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-110.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, modified with soda (PH13) and then vinegar (PH 2) solution, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-100.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on silk, modified with soda (PH 9) and vinegar (PH 2) solution, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-97.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on paper, not modified, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-99.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on paper, modified with soda (PH 9) solution, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-96.jpg)*Red cabbage dye on paper, modified with vinegar (PH 2) solution, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##References
- **Make Red Cabbage PH Paper** by Anne Marie Helmenstine for ThoughtCo, 2 February 2020: [link](https://www.thoughtco.com/make-red-cabbage-ph-paper-605993)
- **Biochromes** by Cecilia Raspanti for Fabricademy, 15 October 2019: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week04/)
- **Purple** in: The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair, 2016: pp. 159-161.
- **Make Ink** by: Jason Logan, 2018.
- **Dyeing** on Wikipedia, n.d. [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyeing)
- **Vegetable Dyeing: 151 Color Recipes for Dyeing Yarns and Fabrics with Natural Matters** by Alma Lesch, Watson Guptill: 1970.
- **Natuurlijk verven: textielverven op ecologische wijze**, by Roos Soetekauw, Thesis about natural dyes and dying of wool and silk, 2 May 2011:
[link](https://issuu.com/roossoetekouw/docs/scriptie_-_natuurlijk_verven_klein)
# TANNED FISH SKIN
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M7Jz0gQ61vw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
*Tanned salmon skin without using glycerine as softener (post-treatment)*, Loes Bogers, 2020
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rlLxRi4YW_A" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
*Tanned salmon skin with glycerine applied as softener (post-treatment)*, Loes Bogers, 2020
##GENERAL INFORMATION
Very strong, translucent tanned fish skin that varies from stiff and a little rigid to flexible/soft and malleable when treated with a softener. The feeling of this tanned and dried fish skin is more like thick paper than leather of cow hide. It has a similar braking surface friction. It is thinner than leather of mammal hide, but equally strong if not stronger.
**Physical form**
Surfaces
Color without additives: color of the fish skin
**Fabrication time**
Preparation time: 1 Hours
Processing time: 1 week
Need attention: every 2 hours, to shake the jar (the first 3 days)
Final form achieved after: 1 week
**Estimated cost (consumables)**
1,10 Euros, for a yield of approx. 400 ml tanning liquid that is used once (cost of the liquid is about 3,30 euros but can be used at least 3 times, if not more). Fish skins can be obtained for free as waste from friendly local fish mongers.
##RECIPE
###Ingredients
* **Fresh uncooked fish skins**, e.g. salmon skins
* the amounts below are enough for 1 large fish skin
* **Denatured alcohol 96%** - 200 ml
* stabilizer: denatures ("kills") and removes the collagen from the cells to prevent the tissue from rotting and disintegrating after drying
* optional: substitute part of the alcohol with a mix of alcohol and a natural alcohol-based ink)
* **Glycerine** - 200 ml
* lubricant: softens the leather and adds flexibility
* **Dish washing soap (eco)** - 5 ml
###Tools
1. **Big glass jar**, with tight fitting lid
* to fit all the fish skins
1. **Blunt scraping tool**
* to remove any fish and fat from the skins
1. **Large wooden board**
* to dry and stretch the fish skins on
1. **Hammer and nails**
* to nail the fish skins to the board for drying
###Yield
3 skins
###Method
1. **Preparing the fish skins**
- Scrape all the meat, fat and membrane off the fish skins with a blunt scraping tool. Really clean it all off, the skin can take some handling.
- Wash the fish skins thoroughly with cold soapy water (some say to leave it for a day to remove slime)
- Rinse the fish skins with cold tap water
1. **Prepare the tanning liquid**
- Put the glycerine and the alcohol in a glass jar
- Sumberge the fish skin in it and shake vigourously for 1 min
- Put a little weight on top if the skin is not submerged (take out before shaking!)
1. **Tanning process**
- Keep the fish skins in the jar for 3 days
- Shake the jar vigourously for 1 min every few hours, (or at least once a day)
1. **Drying process**
- After three days, take out the skins (keep the tanning liquid for next time)
- Optional: rinse the fish in cold soapy water, and rub some additional glycerine onto the fish (both sides), for a soft, flexible fish leather.
- Nail the skins to the wooden board. This prevents them from curling and shrinking. Don't make it too tight (it can tear at the nails).
- Leave the board to dry outside, on a balcony or near an open window.
- When completely dry, take them off the board.
###Drying/curing/growth process
Drying the skins with the scales facing down (towards the wood), results in a smoother surface.
- Mold depth: N/A
- Shrinkage thickness 0-5%
- Shrinkage width/length 0-5%
**Shrinkage and deformation control**
Nailing them to a wooden board stretches them and prevents shrinkage and curling.
**Curing agents and release agents**
N/A
**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
A week to dry and reduce the fishy smell.
**Post-processing**
N/A
**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
Not sure
###Process pictures
![](../../images/fishskin1.jpg)*Putting the skins inside a jar, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/fishskin2.jpg)*Tanning the skins, Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/fishskin4.jpg)*The skins nailed to a board for drying (some plain and some with turmeric alcohol-based ink), Loes Bogers, 2020*
###Variations
- Add natural *alcohol-based* colorants to dye the fish skins (e.g. turmeric, hibiscus, or grated beetroot/red cabbage: submerge in alcohol and shake every hour for a day).
- Other softeners to try: leather balm, coconut oil, other oils
- Putting a fish skin in the oven for 5-10 minutes at low heat (70 degrees Celcius), it turns highly flexible.
- Make a suede-like soft leather by tanning the fish skins in boiled linseed oil. Add a rock or something heavy to create a lot of friction when shaking the container. Take the fish out to dry, repeat if it is not soft enough. There are several linseed oils out there. Raw is often used for outdoors use and contains less chemicals and petrol-based drying agents but dries a lot slower and can stay sticky. The technique used with raw linseed oil is similar to they way fishing nets are impregnated to stand the harsh conditions at sea.
##ORIGINS & REFERENCES
**Cultural origins of this recipe**
Traditional tanning techniques are centuries old and have been practiced by peoples in most of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway), the Joepik in Alaska, the Nanai in Siberia, the Inuit in Canada and Greenland. It is practiced all around the world (e.g. along the Nile in Kenya, in Mexico and in Australia). Originally, the involved tanning acids from e.g. oak and chestnut bark, urine, or alternatively with egg yolk and vegetable oil and then cold-smoked over fire to make it water-proof (also prevents mold and bacteria growth). Alutiiq artist June Simeonoff Pardue has been credited for this non-traditional tanning process with alcohol and glycerine. Fish skin can also be cleaned and dried without tanning.
**Needs further research?** Not sure
###Key Sources
- **Fish Skin Tanning** from the 6-8th grade Heritage Kit Curriculum, by Chugachmiut Heritage Preservation, Anchorage, Alaska USA: [link](https://chugachheritageak.org/pdf/CLO_6-12%20_FISH_SKIN_TANNING_Final.pdf)
- **Biofabricating Materials** by Cecilia Raspanti for Fabricademy 2019-2020: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/)
###Copyright information
This recipe was originally published as **Fish Skin Tanning** in the 6-8th grade Heritage Kit Curriculum, by Chugachmiut Heritage Preservation, Anchorage, Alaska USA: [link](https://chugachheritageak.org/pdf/CLO_6-12%20_FISH_SKIN_TANNING_Final.pdf)
It is unclear if copyright rests on this publication. Further research is required.
##ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
- This technique is strongly associated with indigenous cultures. Using them - especially without crediting it as cultural heritage - is controversial.
- The process is smelly, but the finished product is nearly odorless if done well
- This material is animal-based (but the production & tanning process is significantly eco-friendlier process than those of e.g. cow hide.
- Denatured alcohol is harsh on skin but not dangerous, don’t use on open skin however.
- Choosing fish that are not locally abundant or known to be overfished is considered problematic. Try to find fish from sustainable fishing industries, and fish that is in-season, or the bycatch from local fishing industry.
**Sustainability tags**
- Renewable ingredients: yes
- Vegan: no
- Made of by-products or waste: yes
- Biocompostable final product: yes, but only professionally (home composting of animal-based materials is not allowed in the EU)
- Re-use: the tanning liquid can be reused
Needs further research?: Not sure
Fish skins are considered a waste product of the fishing industry and are often trashed as many people tend to favour fish fillets without skin.
##PROPERTIES
- **Strength**: strong
- **Hardness**: variable
- **Transparency**: translucent
- **Glossiness**: matt
- **Weight**: light
- **Structure**: closed
- **Texture**: rough/medium
- **Temperature**: warm
- **Shape memory**: high
- **Odor**: moderate (after thorough drying)
- **Stickiness**: low
- **Weather resistance:** needs further research
- **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
- **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
- **Non-allergenic:** needs further research
- **Electrical properties:** needs further research
- **Heat resistance:** low
- **Water resistance:** waterproof/needs further research on stitching methods
- **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
- **Scratch resistance:** high
- **Surface friction:** medium/variable
- **Color modifiers:** none
##ABOUT
**Maker(s) of this sample**
- Name: Loes Bogers
- Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Date: 24-02-2020 – 02-03-2020
**Environmental conditions**
- Humidity: 40-50%
- Outside temp: 5-11 degrees Celcius
- Room temp: 18 – 22 degrees Celcius
- PH tap water: 7-8
**Recipe validation**
Has recipe been validated? Yes, by Cecilia Raspanti, TextileLab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
**Images of the final sample**
![](../../images/finalpics-75.jpg)*Tanned salmon skin (no colorant, glycerine softener), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-76.jpg)*Tanned salmon skin (no colorant, glycerine softener), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-79.jpg)*Tanned salmon skin (no colorant, no softener), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-77.jpg)*Tanned salmon skin (dyed with turmeric, no softener), Loes Bogers, 2020*
![](../../images/finalpics-78.jpg)*Tanned salmon skin (dyed with turmeric, glycerine softener, Loes Bogers, 2020*
##REFERENCES
- **Fish Skin Tanning** from the 6-8th grade Heritage Kit Curriculum, by Chugachmiut Heritage Preservation, Anchorage, Alaska USA: [link](https://chugachheritageak.org/pdf/CLO_6-12%20_FISH_SKIN_TANNING_Final.pdf)
- **Interview with skin sewer June Pardue** by Anchorage Museum & Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center on Youtube, 16 January 2015: [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GUf8Ao5vNY)
- **Making Leather from Fish Skins** by Eva Hopman, for Hunebed Café, n.d.: [link](https://www.hunebednieuwscafe.nl/2017/10/making-leather-from-fish-skin/)
- **Biofabricating Materials** by Cecilia Raspanti for Fabricademy 2019-2020: [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/)
- **Bio Materials** by Laura Luchtman for Textile Academy, 14 November 2016: [link](https://textileacademy.eu/laura-luchtman/)
- **Preservation of Fish Nets** by Harden Franklin Taylor, U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, 1920: pp. 22-26: [link](https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ZSwlAQAAMAAJ&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA5)
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