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7. BioFabricating Materials

Research

Emibiolab from tiktok is someone I have followed for a while, prior to applying to Fabricademy so I was already familiar with the concept of bio yarn and bio materials.

Emibiolab Samples 1

Emibiolab Samples 2

Rob's lecture at the lab was insightful into what bio materials really are and how they can be developed and used. It inspired many ideas for what I thought biofabricating materials week was.

Lab Talk

References & Inspiration

Bio-materials are not for me. Too messy and too high of risk for infection being a chronic illness girly. Still recovering from the bacterial infection I received from cleaning up the moldy bio lab from biochromes week, I was less than excited to dive into bio fabrication week. However, it wasn't as gross as I expected.
Making bio yarn was clean and fun and Ive made Kombucha at home and love to drink it so I got involved as much as I physically felt comfortable doing so. This week felt like just a start to bio materials as not much was completed due to the fact Kombucha takes many weeks to cure and the slimes kept coming out moldy.
What I felt like I did learn this week, was a few bio yarn recipes. Thankfully, the past students here in Barcelona had many samples to show what manufacturing bio materials can be. The samples inspired me to create a pair of dock shoes, but our learning didnt allow for such complexity like previous years.
  • Two images side-by-side

Previous Samples

Shoes from last year

BIO-DOMES

Overview material research outcomes

Bio Samples

Tools

  • Pots
  • Measuring Cups
  • Spoons
  • Silicone Spatula
  • Scale
  • Bowls
  • Containers
  • Tape
  • Marker
  • Ph Test Strips
  • Casts

Process and workflow

3d Print Bio

Step 1: 3d print bio materials

Step 2: Follow recipe to craft bio materials

Step 3: Follow recipe for mycelium and recipe to make Kombucha (3 versions: wine, beer & green and black tea)

Ingredients & Recipes

Prepare this recipe 1 by collecting the ingredients necessary, to be found in the list below:

* Cellulose cmc
* Glycerine
* Orange and Avocado Powder
* Calcium Carbonate 
* Water

* Bowl
* Hand Mixer
* 3D Printer

* Measure
* Add, combine, mix
* Let it sit overnight
* Put to extrude
* Turn 3D printer on and connect to PC
* Set the file on Cura
* Take the file to repetier
* Print 
* Let air dry

DOCUMENTATION CRAFTED BIO-MATERIALS

Material pic Material name polymer plastifier filler emulsifier
Bio yarn 1 Bio-yarn Alginate 12 gr Glycerol 90 gr Water 600ml Calcium Chloryde
Pink Bio Yarn Pink bio-yarn Alginate 12 gr Glycerol 90 gr water 600ml Calcium Chloryde
Bio yarn Gold Gold bio-yarn Alginate 12 gr Glycerol 90 gr water 600ml Calcium Chloryde
Bio-leather Pink Bio-leather Alginate 12 gr Glycerol 90 gr water 600ml Calcium Chloryde
Bio-leather Gold Bio-leather Alginate 12 gr Glycerol 90 gr water 600ml Calcium Chloryde
Bio-plastic Bio-plastic Gelatine 48 gr Glycerin 48 gr water 240ml -
Bio-plastic Bio-plastic Gelatine 48 gr Glycerin 48 gr water 240ml Dish soap
Bio-plastic Bio-plastic Agar Agar Agar Agar 10 gr Glycerin 16 gr Water 300ml -
Bio-resin Bio-resin Pine Resin 45 gr Alcohol 20ml Wood dust 40 gr Carnauba wax 5 gr
  • When working with gelatine, add cinnamon for antibacterial properties
  • Remove the mold from the gelatin with alcohol

Time & Temp

Steps for Bio-Yarn & Bio-Leather

Both: - measure ingredients - make mix 1: alginate + glycerol - mix the two without making bubbles - make mix 2: water + calcium chloryde - divide if you want to colour - fill syringe with mix 1 - press syringe with mix 1 into bowl with mix 2 - remove yarn and rinse in water - hang to dry

For casting bio-leather: - set a waterproof fabric to pour the mixture into - spray some of mix 2 onto the cast - pour mix 1 into cast - spray again mix 2 on top of casted mix 1 - clean the cast with water - set to dry for up to days

Steps for Bio-Yarn & Bio-Leather

  • measure ingredients
  • cook the gelatin for 5-6 mins
  • add glycerin
  • add small spoonful of soap

  • whisk

  • cast it in either acryclic base, plastic foil, or silicone cast

  • add colouring
  • mix with hand mixer until it becomes foamy
  • pour it into cast
  • let air dry for up to days

Steps for Bio-Yarn & Bio-Leather

  • measure ingredients
  • add agar agar with glycerine and water

  • mix

  • cast in waterproof fabric

  • pour mixture into cast
  • air dry for up to days

Steps for Bio-Yarn & Bio-Leather

  • measure ingredients
  • melt the wax
  • add the wax quickly!!
  • add the filler quickly!!
  • pour mixture into cast
  • press down hard
  • wait to harden (about 15 mins)

DOCUMENTATION LIVING BIO-MATERIALS

Material pic Material name polymer plastifier filler emulsifier
Bio-material Bio-material Mycelium Distilled water straw & sawdust Xanthan gum & flour
Bio-wine Bio-leather Kombucha Wine 0.75L Sugar 100g Vinegar
Bio-tea Bio-leather Kombucha Water 8L Tea bags x2 Vinegar
Bio-beer Bio-leather Kombucha Beer 300ml Water 300ml Vinegar 60g

Time & Temp Living

Steps for Bio-Material Mycelium

  • sterilize everything!!! (tools, lab & materials)

Sterilization Process:

  • put materials in autoclave bags (these dont melt)
  • pour approx. 4ml of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker
  • pressure cook straw 40 mins
  • pressure cook tools 20 mins
  • take out materials always being mindful of contamination
  • make small pieces of mycelium
  • put materials (straw, mycelium, distilled water, xanthan gum, flour and sawdust) into a bowl
  • mix everything with your hands using gloves and always sterilizing with alcohol before touching the mycelium
  • if mix is too dry, add a bit more water
  • pour the mix into casts
  • press the mix into the cast
  • cover with foil making sure its tight
  • leave in a dark room to set

Steps for Bio-Leather Komucha Tea

  • boil tea
  • add tea bags into growth bowl with distilled water
  • check PH
  • cut a thick piece of mother scoby
  • add sooby to tea mix
  • cover the growth bowl with cotton fabric
  • let rest and dont move for min 1 month

Steps for Bio-Leather Komucha Wine

  • pour wine into growth bowl
  • add sugar and vinegar
  • check ph
  • cut piece of mother scoby
  • add scoby to wine mix
  • cover the growth bowl with cotton fabric
  • let rest and dont move for min 1 month

Steps for Bio-Leather Komucha Beer

  • pour beer into growth bowl with distilled water
  • add sugar and vinegar
  • check ph
  • cut piece of mother scoby
  • add scoby to beer mix
  • cover the growth bowl with cotton fabric

  • let rest and dont move for min 1 month

  • PH level should be between 3 - 4.5

  • Scoby (Symbioticc Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
  • Kombucha is a microbial colony of bacterial yeast
RESULTS

UGLYYYYY AF and also not yet complete Two ways of showcasing and comparing results with images below

On the left an image of a sample made by xxx with xxx. The dye is more xxx. On the right, an image of a sample made by xxx with xxx and xxx. Here the dye is more xxx.


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Recipes

  1. recipe: ↩