6. Biofabricating

This week I worked on crafting and growing different biomaterials.

Agar Agar

Agar Agar[^1] is a biopolymer made from agarose (sugar polymer chains). It is found in the cell walls of red algae (Rhodophyta) and has the molecular formula C14H24O9.

Recipes Source : Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne|

Plant Based
Glycerine (g) 0.0 14 27 54
Agar Agar (g) 16 16 16 16
Water (ml) 400 400 400 400

Agar Agar Foam

The only difference between the first recipe of Ager Ager is that after the solution started to boil and bacame viscouse I added a liquid dish soap and whisked the solution until it became foam. It got pretty fast very solid, the same as the ager ager bioplastic.

Recipes Source : Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne|

Plant Based
Glycerine (g) 27
Agar Agar (g) 16
Water (ml) 400
Dish Soap (ml) 60

Gelatine + Spirulina

Gelatine[^1] is a biopolymer found in pig skin, ,ade from protein polymer chains of amino acid monomers.It disolves in water, forming a gel substance. Gelatine has this molecular formula: C3H8O3. Spirulina is a type of cyanobacteria (algae). In its dried form it is a green powder.

Recipes Source Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne

Animal Protein Based
Glycerine (g) 0.0 3.6 7.2 14.4
Gelatine Powder(g) 22 22 22 22
Water (ml) 100 100 100 100
Spirulina (ml) 0 10 30 40
Sugar (g) 8 8 8 8

Corn Starch

Corn Starch[^1] is composed of amylose and amylopectin polymers. Both consist of glucose (sugar) monomers. It has the molecular formula C27H48O20. Vinegar helps to break down the amylopectin, which allows the dried bioplastic to be more flexible.

Recipes Source Bioplastic Cook Book by Margaret Dunne|

Plant Based
Glycerine (g) 0.0 50 100 200
Corn Starch (g) 16 16 16 16
Water (ml) 800 800 800 800
Vinegar (ml) 150 150 150 150

Agar Agar Bioplastic 2

recipe from materiom.org

Chitosan

recipe from materiom.org

Sodium Alginate Kombinations

recipe from materiom.org

Kombucha

In the folowing you can find a table with diffenert recepies and the data about the used materials.

Bioplastics Agar Agar Gelatine Corn Starch Agar Ager Foam
Plasticiser Glycerine Glycerine Glycerine Glycerine
Biopolymer Agar Agar Gelatine Corn Starch Agar Agar
Solvent Water Water Water Water
Additive Sugar Vinegar Fluid Soap
Colour Spirulina
Recepie Based on biodegradable Preparation Heat Boiling Stiring Froth Drying Kombination with Colour
Agar Agar Yes Cold Water medium Cell 5 Cell 6 remove on the air transparent
Agar Agar Foam Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 on the air fluid soap white
Agar Agar +Textile Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 Cell 12 transparent + textilecolour
Agar Agar +Wool Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 Cell 12 transparent + textilecolour
Gelatine Yes cold Water medium Cell 1 Until it thickens remove Spirulina Green Shades
Corn Starch Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 No Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11
Chitosan ? Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 Cell 12 brown
Sodium Alginate ? Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 'EggShells' white
Sodium Alginate ? Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 'Coffee powder' brown
Sodium Alginate ? Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 'Peanut Shells' peanut colour ?
Kombucha Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 Green Tea brown
Kombucha Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 Black Tea brown
Mycelium Yes Cell 9 Cell 10 Cell 11 Cell 12 Cell 11 Cell 12 bright brown

Preparation in the upper table means how the ingredients are to be mixed in the begining, bevore further treatment. Heat sould give the short information abot the kind of heat supply. Boiling shoud give the information about how long the fluid should be boild at given temperature.

[^1]: All descriptions taken from the Bioplastic Cook Book.