01 | Fabricademy Incubator Program¶
STATES OF MATTER
The food industry and mass production have been producing a high amount of wool waste for a long time. Wool goes beyond the boundaries of textiles. The project investigates chemical properties of wool fibers through extracting keratin and implementing it in the fabrication of new biomaterials. It aims to define a new value of wool as a material using current technologies and design as a tool. It analyzes wool in all states of matter using green chemicals, biomaterials and additive manufacturing.
The material research is focused on extraction of keratin, DIY fabrication and the usage of sustainable chemicals in the production process. The extraction is adapted to DIY laboratory tools that can be easily made and used to produce (im)pure keratin as an open source material. The extracted keratin is used as liquid or powder to refine the properties of the produced biofilms or composites in combination with other additives. Their combination is investigated in terms of possible applications for the 3D printing technology. Its waterproof and fire retardant properties are reflected in coating agents for textiles. All possible outcomes of the project will be found in a material library which represents a challenge for the post-processing of wool waste.