Irene Wu - Alive cook book

A.LIVE

BOOK

Irene Wing Sum Wu Master Architecture

COLOPHON

Amsterdam University of the Arts Academy of Architecture Master Architecture Graduation Year 4 Wing Sum Wu (Irene) irene.wu@student.ahk.nl Research cookbook 17 December 2021

WHAT IS BIOPLASTICS

BIOPLASTICS BASIC

BIOPOLYMERS+PLASTICIZER+ADDITIVES

BASIC INGREDIENT SETTING UP

EXPERIMENTS:

BASIC

Agar [A]

Carrageen kappa [K]

Alginate [Alg]

Corn starch [C]

ALGAE POWDER

Agar+Spirulina [AS]

Alginate+Spirulina [AlgS]

Corn starch+Spirulina [CS]

SOAP

Agar+Foam [AF]

Alginate+Foam [AlgF]

Corn starch+Foam [CF] CLAY

Agar+Clay [ACl]

Alginate+Clay [AlgCl]

Corn starch+Clay [CCl]

Agar+gyps [AG]

FIBER

Agar+Fiber [AFi]

Cornstarch+Fiber [CFi]

MORE

Agar Plus+ [A]

Agar+Oil [AO]

Agar+Wax [AW]

Lime+Seaweed [LS]

AND CONCLUSION

WHAT IS BIOPLASTIC?

Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste and it can be biodegradable. Bioplastics are generally comprised of a biopolymer, a plasticizer and a solvent.

Bioplastics consist of a biopolymer for strength, plasticizers for flexibility, a solvent such as water, and additives for additional properties such as texture, colour, strength, durability, ect.

BIOPLASTIC BASICS:

• Bioplastics acts like glue. It needs to be casted on a non porous surface like glass, plastic or acyllic.

• Bioplastics can be reused. They will be dissolved again once it get heated up.

• As bioplastics has a low melting points around 70oC.

• Bioplastics are temporary water resistant. They can be water repalesd but not resised. It will turned slowly soft if it get too wet.

• Adding fibers to bioplastic can enhance the hardness.

• Bioplastics gets shrinked due to the evaporation of water during the dying process. Bioplastics with a high ratio of glycerine can help for shrinking less.

Biopolymers + + +

Plasticizers Additives

Solven(water)

BIOPLASTIC COMPOSITION

BIOPOLYMERS:

Biopolymers are produced by the cells of living organisms. Biopolymers are a renewable solution because they are biodegradable materials obtained from natural raw materials. Typical biopolymer used in creating bioplastics are agar, alginate, gelatine, starch and cellulose. Biopolymers are the base ingredient for creating different results in terms of durability, texture and strength.

Cellulose (e.g agar, carrageen)

Alginate

Cornstarch

Agar

Carrageenan Alginate

In order to make a algae biocomposite membrane. Various red and brown seaweeds are used to produce three hydrocolloids: Agar, Carrageenan and alginate. They are used to thicken aqueous solutions to form gels and stabilize many different products.

PLASTICIZERS:

Plasticizers are usually added to polymer in order to modify their extensibility, flexibility and mechanical properties. By adding a plasticizer to a bioplymer, it disrupts the hydrogen bonding and result in a stringer, less ductile material with much higher flexibility.

Glycerine

Sorbito

ADDITIVES:

Additives gives it other wualities such as colour, durability, strength, etc. Additives such as egg shells, chalk, fibres, oils and even food waste such as ground coffee can be added to reduce the amount of shrinkage that occurs due to the water content. Fibres can be added for additional structure and reinforcement and soaps and emulsifiers can be added for additional texture and foaming.

Vinegar (acid)

Sunflower Oil

Algae powder

Clay powder

Soap

Baking soda

Fiber

Wax

Agar-agar C14H24O9

Agar-agar is an algae-derived jelly-like material. Agar serves as a structural support in the cell walls of certain algae species. Agarophytes are algae that belong to the Rhodophyta (red algae) phylum.

Common Applications

A microbiological substrate, a vegetarian substitute for gelatin, a thickening for soups, fruit preserves, ice cream, and other desserts, a clarifying agent in brewing, and a sizing agent for paper and fabrics.

Corn starch (C6H10O5)n

Description

Starch derived from the corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel.

Common Uses

Common food ingredient, used as a thickener, and in making corn syrup and other sugars. Used in industry as adhesives, in paper products, as an anti-sticking agent, and in textile manufacturing.

Spirulina C15H18NO8

Description

Spirulina is a biomass of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that can be consumed by humans and animals.

Common Uses

Food for human and animal, cosmetic product, supplement

Description

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

Water H2O

Common Uses

The fluids of most living organisms.

Vinegar CH3COOH

Description

A liquid consisting of about 5–20% acetic acid (CH3COOH), water, and other trace chemicals.

Common Uses

Vinegar is now mainly used as a cooking ingredient, or in pickling.

SETTING-UP

pot spoon scale heating plate

measure cylinder

3D-mould sheet-mould

This equipment can be used to make any and all of the bioplastic recipes in this book. The recipes were made to be cast into a 3D mould with the dimensions of 70mm x 70mm x 70mm or a plate with inner dimensions of 200mm x 70mm.

BASIC

AGAR

Agar Agar is an agarose-based biopolymer. It has the chemical formula C14H24O9 and is found in the cell walls of red algae (Phodophyta). Agar Agar bioplastics are notorious for shrinking. 0g glycerine formulations are likely to shrink significantly or crack, depending on drying circumstances.

INGREDIENTS

Water (ml) Glycerine (ml) Agar (g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to becomes viscous and thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

CARRAGEENAN KAPPA

Carrageenan Kappa is a natural hydrocolloid, and carrageenan is a natural extract from farmed and processed red seaweed species. It is utilized as a stablizer for suspending and emulsifying, thickening, binder, and gelling agent.

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

(g)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution reaches 70oC and becomes viscous

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1day, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

Alginate, with the chemical formula C6H8O6, is a substance found within the cell walls of brown algae. It is extremely safe because it is naturally produced from cells as a polysaccharide. When hydrated, Alginate is frequently mixed with water to form a sticky gum paste.

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

Glycerine (g)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Mix all ingredients with a blender and pour the mixture into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution becomes thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1day, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

CORN STARCH

Corn Starch, C27H48O20, is made up of glucose (sugar) monomers. Granules of starch won’t dissolve in water on their own, but when heated, intermolecular connections will disintegrate, creating sites for hydrogen bonding. This enables the starch to break down in the water and produce a viscous fluid. Vinegar as an acetic liquid is created through fermentation. In order to help break up the polymer chains and make the bioplastic less brittle, it was added together with cornstarch.

Water (ml)

Glycerine (g)

INGREDIENTS: C1 250 0.0 30 15

Corn starch (g) Vinegar (ml) RECIPE:

C2 250 0.0 70 15

C3 250 0.0 100 15

1. Before starting the firt, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir for 10 minutes.

3. Continue to heat after the solution become viscous to evaporate the excess liquid.

4. Pour in the solution to the mould. (For the sheet, If too thick, it can be cracked when it dries)

5. After 24hrs, get out the bioplastic from the mould.

6. Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

7. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

8. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

Tips: Corn starch is not possible to pour on a mode but think sheet.

ALGAE POWDER

Spirulina is a cyanobacteria (algae). It is a green powder when dried. The color is caused by green chlorophyll, which is insoluble in water; and blue phycocyanin, which is soluble in water and can thus be extracted using filtration. In the bioplastic trials, algae powder was used as an ingredient to help with the overall scent and color outcome.

It also makes the finished product tougher and less brittle.

INGREDIENTS:

(ml)

(g)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to becomes viscous and thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

TIPS: Adding Spirulina after it boiled, the pigment dissolve less into the solution. As result it gets more transparent.

INGREDIENTS:

(ml)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Mix all ingredients with a blender and pour the mixture into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution becomes thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1day, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

STARCH+SPIRULINA

INGREDIENTS:

Recipe

(ml)

Glycerine (g)

starch (g)

Vinegar

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the firt, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir for 10 minutes.

3. Continue to heat after the solution become viscous to evaporate the excess liquid.

4. Pour in the solution to the mould. (For the sheet, If too thick, it can be cracked when it dries)

5. After 24hrs, get out the bioplastic from the mould.

6. Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

7. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

8. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

Tips: If the solution is pour on porous surface like paper or wood, the crack will happen.

SOAP

INGREDIENTS:

ALGINATE+FOAM

Due to the long dring time, the foam will get diform as liquid again, therefore the foam effect is not working with alginate, but also make it longer to dry.

10.CORN STARCH+FOAM

The mixture of corn starch and water is a dilatant, non-NEW-tonian material that thickness when a force is applied. Foam was not achieved with corn starch bioplastic because, even with soap, when the solution was whisked it increased in viscosity and bubbles did not foam.

CLAY

INGREDIENTS

CLAY

Water (ml)

(g)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to becomes viscous and thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

12. ALGINATE + CLAY

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Mix all ingredients with a blender and pour the mixture into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution becomes thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1day, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

STARCH + CLAY

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

(g)

starch(g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the firt, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir for 10 minutes.

3. Continue to heat after the solution become thicker.

4. Pour in the solution to the mould. (For the sheet, If too thick, it can be cracked when it dries)

5. After 24hrs, get out the bioplastic from the mould.

6. Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

7. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

8. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

+ GYS

The addition of sunflower oil in the bioplastic mixture was to reduce the amount of shrinkage (by replacing water content), as well as to make the final product water resistant.

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

(g)

Agar(g)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to becomes viscous and thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

FIBER

+ FIBER

The additional of hemp fibers in the bioplastic mixture is to increase the tensile strength of the bioplastic while introducing a sustainable combination of materials which would allow for degradation of the overall product.

INGREDIENTS:

(ml)

(g)

15

RECIPE:

/

1. Before starting the fire, add agar, water and glycerine into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution reaches 70oC and becomes viscous

3. AFi1)Place the brulap on a non-stick surface, and pour on the bioplastic solution.

AFi2) pull apart the hemp roving and submerge the hemp into the solution. Remove the hemp and squezzes out excess solution. and place in a frame or mould.

AFi3-5) Mixed the fiber into the solution. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

INGREDIENTS:

(ml)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the firt, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir for 10 minutes.

3. Continue to heat after the solution become viscous to evaporate the excess liquid.

4. Adding the fibers until no more liquid state.

5. Pour in the solution to the mould. (For the sheet, If too thick, it can be cracked when it dries)

6. After 24hrs, get out the bioplastic from the mould.

Leave the bioplactic on a cloths and under ventilation.

8. Once a day turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

9. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

OTHER MORE

AGAR PLUS

During the process, in order to figure our more method of avoiding the mouldy and shrinkage. I was testing to made some adjustment to the steps. By drying it in different ways (in oven or deep freeze); or adding other cooking ingredient like sugar and salt in the way to get the crystal effect. As the result, the sample got less shrinkage after freezing. And the result of adding sugar and salt are even more significant.

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

Glycerine(g)

Agar(g)

Vinegar

Other

RECIPE:

A3 250 15 10 / /

A3.2.1 250 15 10 15 /

A3.2.2 250 15 10 15 oven

A3.2.3 250 15 10 15 freeze

A3.3 250 15 10 15 100g salt

A3.4 150 15 10 15 100g suger

1. Add agar, water, glycerine, vinegar and related additional ingredient into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to boil and becomes viscous

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 48hrs, get out the bioplastic from the mould.

5. A3.2.2) put into oven under 50oC for 16 hours. A3.2.3) put into freeze for 48 hours.

6. Get the bioplastic out from the mould.

7. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and continues drying by air.

8. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

9. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

OIL

The addition of sunflower oil in the bioplastic mixture was to reduce the amount of shrinkage (by replacing water content), as well as to make the final product water resistant.

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

(g)

Agar(g)

(ml)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to becomes viscous and thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

INGREDIENTS:

Water (ml)

(ml)

(g)

RECIPE:

1. Before starting the fire, mix all ingredients into a pot.

2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to becomes viscous and thicker.

3. Pour in the solution to the mould.

4. After 1hrs, get the bioplastic out from the mould.

5. Leave the bioplastic on a cloths and under ventilation.

6. Once a day to turn it upside down in order to avoid become moldy.

7. During the time, it may get shrink or crack due to the evaporation.

20. LIME-BASED BINDER

The lime-based binder typically consists of either hydrated lime or natural hydraulic lime. Hydrated lime is made from pure limestone and set through the absorption of CO2 during the carbonation process. The overall process creates a mixture that will develop into a solid, but light and durable product. It is extremely flexible and breathable which makes it suitable for use in the restoration of old buildings. This is a test of making hempcrete by replacing hemp to seawead.

INGREDIENTS:

1: Water (ml)

1: Lime(g)

4: Fiber (g)

250 Seawead

RECIPE:

1. Add water and lime in to a pot.

2. Add the hemp or dry seaweed in and mix them completely.

3. Place in a frame or mould and compress it hard.

4. Cover with a non-skick sheet, and put a weitght to compress the composite.

5. After 24 hours, remove the weight and the non-stick surface, and let it hang dry.

OBSERVATION & CONCLUSION

OBSERVATION

•

Because the agar bioplastic solution is mainly water, when it dries, it shrinks as its components evaporate. In addition to shrinking, evaporating water places significant stress on the bioplastic, which may result in cracking. Cracking is more common in bioplastics with a low glycerine percentage. It is advisable to simmer the agar solution for a longer period of time to allow more water to evaporate before allowing the mixture to air dry.

•

By freezing, that the molecules find a different way to connect than when not frozen and defrosted again. The result became harder and shrink less.

• If agar sample is left to dry without freezing it, then it shrinks much more

•

Longer freezing time results in totally frozen structure. Consequently, the molecules want to expand and therefore the edges of the samples are very strong. On the other hand, when agar substance was frozen for shorter period of time, the final results were softer.

• By adding fiber to control the shrinkage of agar solution.

• If sugar or vinegar is added, it can avoid getting mouldy.

• When too much vinegar was added, even after freezing the agar sample did not stay solid. Which means that a certain amount of agar powder has to be added to get the final results solid.

• When put back into high temperature , agar samples fully dissolve again. Which means that as a building material it can only be used for the interior.

• Corn starch bioplastic solutions must be heated for an extended amount of time in order for the water to evaporate, reducing cracks while drying. This results in a very viscous slurry that cannot be poured into a mold. However, thick uneven surfaces will shatter when dry, therefore the mixture should be distributed as thinly as possible, possibly by spreading the solution on a nonstick surface and then pressing the frame on top.