VI. | BIOFABRICATING MATERIALS¶

| BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS |¶

AGROPOLYMERS¶

BIOMASS PRODUCTS

Polysaccharides	Proteins, lignins	Ligno-cellulose	Plants proteins	Others
Corn	Casein	Wood	Soy	Pectin
Wheat	Sorbitol	Straw	Gluten	Chitosan / Chitin
Potato	Whey	Hemp	Zein	Gum
Cassava	Gelatin	...	...	...
Tapioca	Colagen	...	...	...

BIOPOLYESTERS¶

FROM MICROORGANISM: PHA, PHB
FROM BIOTECHNOLOGY: Polylactides, polylactid acid (PLA)
FROM FOSSIL RESOURCES: Polycaprolactones (PCL), other homo-polyesters, aliphatic co-polyesters, aromatic co-polyesters

| BIOPLASTICS |¶

CRAFT MATERIALS

BIOPOLYMERS	BIOPLASTICIZER	SOLVENT	ADDITTIVES (optional)
Alginate	Glycerol	Destilated water	Choarcal powder
Gelatin	Sorbitol	White Vinegar	Mica
Agar Agar	-	-	Eggshells, oyster shells
Starch	-	-	Avocado powder, orange peels, coffee grounds, onion
Xanhan gum	-	-	Tumeric, black pepper, cinamon, black tea, thyme
Guar gum	-	-	Saw dust, paper pulp
Pectin	-	-	Spirulina
Sugar Cane	-	-	Hemp tow, hemp seeds, canola seeds

ALGINATE BIOPLASTICS¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives
Alginate	Glycerol	Destilated water	Choarcal
8 g	flexible: 48 g, normal: 24 g	400 ml	5 g

Solution

a.	b.
Calcium Chloride	Water
10 g	100 ml

Sodium Alginate¶

Description: Sodium alginate is a water-insoluble, gelatinous, cream-coloured substance that can be created through the addition of aqueous calcium chloride to aqueous sodium alginate. It has many applications in biology, but primarily known for its healing properties due to the compound's ability to encase enzymes in order to simulate new plant tissue.
Alginate is a naturally occurring anionic polymer typically obtained from brown seaweed due to its biocompatibility, low toxicity, relatively low cost, although the addition of divalent Ca2+ (calcium ions) results in mild gelation. Thus, considered a naturally occurring biomaterial.

Glycerol
- is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. Glycerol is generally obtained from plant and animal sources where it occurs as tryglycerides. Typical sources include soybeans and palm, and animal-derived tallow. * Common uses: Food and beverage industries, pharmaceuticals, and metabolism.
Chemical Formula:
- picture

Activated charcoal
Description: It’s an odorless black powder composed of carbon-based compounds — such as sawdust, coconut shells, or peat — that have been “activated,” or heated at high temperatures to make them more porous. Processed carbon made of heated Indonesian coconuts.
Common uses: Nowadays, it continues to be promoted as a potent natural treatment, lowering cholesterol, whitening teeth, curing hangovers.

Tools¶

stirring spoon, weight, measuring cup, hand blender, glass jar, injection, gloves, dehydrator, breathable textile

Process¶

Add the destilated water in the measuring cup, alginate powder, glycerol and blend them with the hand blender. Mix them slowly to avoid any bubbles. If you are not that lucky let it settle down for 2-3h to remove all the bubbles.
After or before, you can add the activated chaorcal. * Place a textile on the bottom and spray calcium chloride solution.
Pour the alginate mixture onto the fabric. Spray more calcium chloride on the alginate plate and remove the remaining solution with a paper towel. * You can place your sheet in the dehydrator to let it dry.

Result¶

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 1 week, Dehydrator: 30 h	Fireproof >300ºC	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	Gelatinous	Resistant

Techniques: laser cutting, molding, sewing

STRINGS - TEST 01¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives
Alginate	Glycerol	Destilated water	Choarcal
8 g	16 g	400 ml	5 g

Solution

a.	b.
Calcium Chloride	Water
10 g	100 ml

Process¶

Add the destilated water in the measuring cup, alginate powder, glycerol and blend them with the hand blender. Mix them slowly to avoid any bubbles. If you are not that lucky let it settle down for 2-3h to remove all the bubbles.
After or before, you can add the activated chaorcal.
Measure the water and calcium chloride and mix them properly in a transparent measuring cup.
Fill the injection with the paste and extrude it the solution of calcium chloride.
Put them out of the calcium chloride and wash them in clean water.
Hang them to dry naturally and separetely from each other.

Allginate Strings with Activated Chaorcal from PETRA GARAJOVÁ on Vimeo.

Material Parametres¶

Extrusion - 3 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

Extrusion - 5 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

Conclusion: Add more bioplasticizer.
Techniques: knitting, weaving

STRINGS - TEST 02¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives	Additives
Alginate	Glycerol	Destilated water	Olive oil	Carbbage pigment
4 g	8 g	200 ml	2 g	3 g

Material Parametres¶

Extrusion - 3 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

Extrusion - 5 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

STRINGS - TEST 03¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives	Additives
Alginate	Glycerol	Destilated water	Lanolin	Onion pigment + Mica
4 g	12 g	200 ml	2 g	3 g + 2 g

Material Parametres¶

Extrusion - 3 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

Extrusion - 5 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

STRINGS - TEST 04¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives	Additives
Alginate	Glycerol	Destilated water	Lanolin	Mica
4 g	12 g	200 ml	2 g	3 g + 2 g

Material Parametres¶

Extrusion - 3 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

Extrusion - 5 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

STRINGS - TEST 05¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent
Alginate	Guar gum	Destilated water
4 g	4 g	200 ml

Material Parametres¶

Extrusion - 3 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

Extrusion - 5 mm

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	Naturally: 2-3 days	Fireproof	Low	Flexible	Opaque	Water resistant	x	x

GELATIN BIOPLASTICS¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives
Gelatin	Glycerol	Destilated water	Choarcal, wool
48 g	elastic: 48 g, normal: 24 g, rigid: 0 g	240 ml	5 g

Gelatin¶

Description: Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also be referred to as hydrolyzed collagen, collagen hydrolysate, gelatine hydrolysate, hydrolyzed gelatine, and collagen peptides after it has undergone hydrolysis.
Common use: It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, beverages, medications, drug and vitamin capsules, photographic films and papers, and cosmetics.

Glycerol
is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. Glycerol is generally obtained from plant and animal sources where it occurs as tryglycerides. Typical sources include soybeans and palm, and animal-derived tallow. * Common uses: Food and beverage industries, pharmaceuticals, and metabolism.
Chemical Formula:
- picture

Tools¶

stirring spoon, weight, measuring cup, hand blender, glass jar, injection, gloves, dehydrator, waterproofplastic textile

Process¶

Measure calcium alginate and water.

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
Low	Naturally: 4 days (fridge - 5 h)	25°C	High	Elastic	Opaque	NOT waterproof	Gelatinous	Low-resistant

Techniques: laser cutting, molding, sewing

AGAR AGAR BIOPLASTICS¶

Ingredients

Biopolymers	Bioplasticizer	Solvent	Additives
Agar Agar	Glycerol	Destilated water	-
10 g	elastic: 32 g, normal: 16 g, rigid: 4 g	300 ml	-

Agar Agar¶

Description: Agar-agar is a jelly-like substance, obtained from algae. Agar forms the supporting structure in the cell walls of certain species of algae. These algae are known as agarophytes, and belong to the Rhodophyta (red algae) phylum.
Commoon uses: A substrate for microbiological work, a vegetarian substitute for gelatin, a thickener for soups, in fruit preserves, ice cream, and other desserts, as a clarifying agent in brewing, and for sizing paper and fabrics.
- Chemical Formula:
- picture

Glycerol
is a simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic. Glycerol is generally obtained from plant and animal sources where it occurs as tryglycerides. Typical sources include soybeans and palm, and animal-derived tallow. * Common uses: Food and beverage industries, pharmaceuticals, and metabolism.
Chemical Formula:
- picture

Tools¶

stirring spoon, weight, measuring cup, hand blender, glass jar, injection, gloves, dehydrator

Process¶

Measure calcium alginate and water.

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Curing time	Solidifying, Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
Low	Naturally: 1 week (fridge - 5 h)	32–40 °C, 85 °C	Medium	Flexible	Transparent	NOT waterproof	Gelatinous	Low-resistant

Techniques: laser cutting, sewing

PINE RESIN¶

Ingredients

a.	b.	c.	d.
Pine resin	Carnaubax wax	Alcohol	Avocado powder
45 g	5 g	20 ml	120 g

Pine resin¶

Description: Obtained from the bark of Pinus species. Resins are often mixtures of organic compounds, principally terpenes. Many plants, particularly woody plants, produce resin in response to injury. The resin acts like a botanical bandage protecting the plant from invasion by insects or pathogens.
Common uses: Sealent, glue, varnish.

Carnaubax wax
Description: Carnauba also called Brazil wax and palm wax, is a wax of the leaves of the carnauba palm Copernicia prunifera (Synonym: Copernicia cerifera), a plant native to and grown only in the northeastern Brazilian states of Pernambuco, etc. It is known as "queen of waxes"[2] and in its pure state usually comes in the form of hard yellow-brown flakes. It is obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm by collecting and drying them, beating them to loosen the wax, and then refining and bleaching the wax. * Common uses: As a food additive, its E number is E903.

Tools¶

stirring spoon, weight, measuring cup, cooking pot, mold, baking paper

Process¶

Melt the pine resin in the cooking pot, add carnaubax wax and alcohol.
Mix them properly and add as much avocado powder as you need to create a consitent paste. * Cover your laser cutted mold with baking paper. You need to work fast. Place the past on the top of the baking paper and press it with a wooden cover.
It will be dry and ready in 15 min.

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Curing time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
Very High	Naturally: 15 min	DOES NOT melt	Low	Rigid	Opaque	Waterproof	Consistent	Highly durable

Techniques: molding

REFERENCES - craft materials¶

| KOMBUCHA |¶

GROWN MATERIALS

Kombucha¶

a.	b.	c.	d.	e.
Scoby	Black tea	Water	Sugar	Cider Vinegar
30 g	8 tea bags	8 l	800 g	800 ml

Kombucha's Mother¶

Description: Kombucha starter culture or Mother (also known as Manchurian fungus, tea fungus or Chinese fungus) is a gelatinous microorganism colony obtained from wild fermented sweetened tea.
This colony can also be found in the apple fermentation (vinegar) and it can also act as an starter for the kombucha culture.

FABRICATION¶

Tools¶

stirring spoon, weight, measuring cup, cooking pot (15 l), plastic box, kettle

Process¶

Boil the water. Add the tea and sugar, and infuse for 5 min. Let it cool to below 30° celsius, do not use hot tea in the preparation, as it can kill the starter bacterial culture. * When the tea mixture is below 30 degrees celsius in temperature, pour into a sterilized canning jar. Do not use a ceramic or metallic container (if you want to drink the Kombucha).
Add the starter culture, this can be another kombucha drink, the kombucha pellicle, organic apple vinegar, or just try wild fermentation.
Cover with cloth or a paper towel, it's important to let the gaseous exchange happen but we need to avoid culture contamination. Leave to ferment at a temperature of 25 degrees celsius avoiding light.
The growth of the kombucha mother, or 'scoby', is a process of growth spanning seven to fourteen days depending on environmental conditions, reaching a thickness of seven to twelve millimeters.

3 MONTHS AFTER..¶

SHEETS¶

Process¶

Remove the kombucha skin from the plastic container and rinse thoroughly under water. Add a lot of soap - so that the kombucha is not sticky.

Clean the plastic container and fill it again with water and soap. Leave the kombucha there for a while.

You can use the water from growing kombucha again, you just have to add more sugar and vinegar. Do not forget to filter it first using a mesh strainer.

Straighten kombucha on a wooden board. Remove all water from the surface and fold it in half. You can remove the last remnants of water with your hands.
You have to fold it in half because it may remain too thin after drying.

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	12 weeks	20-23°C	High	Elastic	Opaque	Waterproof	Cellulose leather	Resistant

Techniques: laser cutting, sewing

Wine colors¶

INFLATABLES¶

Process¶

Result¶

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	12 weeks	20-23°C	High	Elastic	Opaque	Waterproof	Cellulose leather	Resistant

Techniques: inflate

3D PRINTED KOMBUCHA¶

Tools¶

Plastic cup, hand blender, spoon, weight, syringe

Recipes¶

TEST 01

a.	b.	c.
Total weight	Alginate	Glycerol
20 g	0,75 g	3 g

TEST 02

a.	b.	c.
Total weight	Alginate	Glycerol
20 g	0,5 g	2,0 g

TEST 03

a.	b.	c.
Total weight	Alginate	Glycerol
20 g	1,0 g	3,0 g

Process¶

Blend the leftovers from kombucha mother with a hand blender.
Add alginate and glycerol and blend it all together with a blender again.
Fill half the injection with the prepared paste using a spoon.
Print it on a wooden board and try to keep the syringe in vertical position close to the surface otherwise the layers will not stick together.

Set up

Results¶

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	12 weeks	20-23°C	High	Elastic	Opaque	Waterproof	Cellulose leather	Resistant

Techniques: 3D printing

| MYCELIUM |¶

GROWN MATERIALS

MYCELIUM SPAWN - TEST 01¶

Mycelium¶

Description: Trametes versicolor – also known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor – is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Meaning 'of several colours', versicolor reliably describes this fungus that displays different colors. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus or fungus-like bacterial colony, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. The mass of hyphae is sometimes called shiro, especially within the fairy ring fungi. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on soil and many other substrates.

Ingredients¶

a.	b.	c.
Mycelium spawn	Destilated water	Straw, hemp, cork, fibers

Tools¶

bowl, plastic bag, gloves, alcohol + spray bottle, face mask, lab coat, lovely pressure cooker

Process¶

Put your glows and lab coat on and spray alcohol all around you!
Take one of plastic bags and put the straw, hemp, cork and fibers together and mix them thoroughly with distilled water - try to find a balance between too wet and too dry. * Close the plastic bag, mark it your name, date and ingredientes you used. Put in a pressure cooker and cook for 40 minutes.
First prepare a sterile place and put a piece of mycelium in the plastic bag with other materials.
Properly close it with pins and place in the incubator.

Material Parametres¶

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	1 week	Fireproof	None	Consistent	Opaque	Resistant to moisture	Light-weight	Resistant

MYCELIUM SPAWN - TEST 02¶

Ingredients¶

a.	b.	c.
Mycelium spawn	Destilated water	Hemp - fibers

TOOLS¶

bowl, plastic bag, gloves, alcohol + spray bottle, face mask, lab coat, lovely pressure cooker

PROCESS¶

Put your gloves and lab coat on and spray alcohol all around you!
Take one of plastic bags and put the straw, hemp, cork and fibers together and mix them thoroughly with distilled water - try to find a balance between too wet and too dry. * Close the plastic bag, mark it your name, date and ingredientes you used. Put in a pressure cooker and cook for 40 minutes.
First prepare a sterile place and put a piece of mycelium in the plastic bag with other materials.
Properly close it with pins and place in the incubator.

MATERIAL PARAMETRES¶

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	1 week	Fireproof	None	Consistent	Opaque	Resistant to moisture	Light-weight	Resistant

RESULT¶

CONCLUSION: Anastasia threw it out for me.

MOLDS - TEST 01¶

Flower pot

Ingredients¶

a.	b.	c.	d.
Micelium Grow Kits	Destilated water	Straw, hemp	Flour

Mycelium Grow Kit¶

Description: Trametes versicolor – also known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolor – is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Meaning 'of several colours', versicolor reliably describes this fungus that displays different colors. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus or fungus-like bacterial colony, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. The mass of hyphae is sometimes called shiro, especially within the fairy ring fungi. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on soil and many other substrates.

Tools¶

bowl, plastic bag, gloves, alcohol + spray bottle, face mask, lab coat, lovely pressure cooker, plastic film, pin, tape, flower pot (outside), glass jar (inside)

Process¶

Put your gloves and lab coat on and spray alcohol all around you!
Put a bigger part of your Micelium Grow Kit into the clean and strerilazed bowl and start separating it into small piecies so you can fit into your mold shape. ! If you drop off some pieces out of the bowl DO NOT PUT IT BACK, you will contaminate your mixture!
Add destilated water and flour to create a wet and sticky mixture. You can check it with your hands if it is strong enough and holds together.
Take your clean flower pot and wrap it with plastic foil and tape. Clean it with alchol in spray. * Place a little bit of your micelium mixture on the bottom and press it hard with your fingers (always use gloves and spray alcohol everywhere).
On the top of it you need to place the glass jar (which radius should be smaller than the flower pot), put more mixture all around the jar and press it properly. * Cover it with plastic foil, fix it with the tape and make holes with a pin to let mycelium breathe and grow! Mark your name and date.
Wait approx one week

Remove the plastic foil and put your creation out of the flower pot. Let it rest for a while and then you can put it in the dehydrator.

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	1 week	Fireproof	None	Consistent	Opaque	Resistant to moisture	Light-weight	Resistant

MOLDS - TEST 02¶

Hexagon shape

Ingredients¶

a.	b.	c.
Micelium Grow Kits	Destilated water	Flour

Tools¶

bowl, plastic bag, gloves, alcohol + spray bottle, face mask, lab coat, lovely pressure cooker, plastic film, pin, tape

Process¶

Put your gloves and lab coat on and spray alcohol all around you!
Put a bigger part of your Micelium Grow Kit into the clean and strerilazed bowl and start separating it into small piecies so you can fit into your mold shape. ! If you drop off some pieces out of the bowl DO NOT PUT IT BACK, you will contaminate your mixture!
Add destilated water and flour to create a wet and sticky mixture. You can check it with your hands if it is strong enough and holds together.
Wrap your mold with the plastic foil, put the mixture inside and press it properly. * Cover it all with the plastic foil, fix it with the tape and make holes with a pin to let mycelium breathe and grow! Mark your name and date.
Wait approx one week.
Remove the plastic foil and put your creation out of the flower pot. Let it rest for a while and then you can put it in the dehydrator.

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	1 week	Fireproof	None	Consistent	Opaque	Resistant to moisture	Light-weight	Resistant

MOLDS - TEST 03¶

Hexagon shape

Ingredients¶

a.	b.	c.
Mycelium	Destilated water	Tapioca

Tools¶

bowl, plastic bag, gloves, alcohol + spray bottle, face mask, lab coat, lovely pressure cooker, plastic film, pin, tape

Process¶

Measure calcium alginate and water.

Viscosity	Cultivating time	Melting point	Stickiness	Structural properties	Visual	Structure	Texture	Strengh
High	1 week	Fireproof	None	Consistent	Opaque	Resistant to moisture	Light-weight	Resistant

REFERENCES - grown materials¶

Materiom, Nature's Recipe Book

Last update: 2022-01-16