“PROTECTING YOU & THE ENVIRONMENT”
table of contents 01 Introction | Bioplastics Material | Exploration
01 - 04
02 Aegis | Introduction Why Aegis? Cumbungi | Introduction
05 - 10
03 Aegis | Prototype Making the Fabric Making the Bioplastic
11 - 18
04 Aegis | Product Aegis | Biodegradable gown
19 - 22
05 Aegis | Product Lifecycle Aegis | Circular Economy Aegis | Scalability
23 - 28
06 Aegis | Hero images Learning Reflection
29 - 38
Plastic Pollution
BDC 2020
01
Introduction Bioplastics
Aegis
Starch based Polymers
Plastic pollution is a major concern in today’s world. The fact that the material has such versatile properties like water resistance are being overshadowed by its deep truth of non-degradability. Researchers and scientists have been discovering alternative materials to replace plastic, which has brought bioplastic into the picture. However, today’s methods of producing bioplastics is not as cheap as one can think, making it expensive to buy and thus putting a question on replacing the cheap plastic. The optimum solution to this issue is thing of a plant that is abundantly available, from which if bioplastic is made, there would be no catastrophe to the circular economy.
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BDC 2020
Material Exploration Degradable Polymers
Starch-based plastics are more cost competitive than alternative bioplastics. These possess a wide range of physical properties such as tensile strength and heat tolerance, that alternative bioplastics lack. It is also highly degradable, meaning it can be used alongside a compostable polymer without interfering with the degradation process. Starch composites can also incorporate recycled plastics. Unlike alternative source materials used for making bioplastics, starch is abundantly found in plant material, a renewable source material.
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Starch based Polymers
% of starch
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Aegis
10%
18%
+ -
35%
70%
Food losses can be made to use be creating bioplastic
Scarcity of resources in terms of maintaining the ratio of bioplastic
Final bioplastic sheet 03
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Waste disposal system
BDC 2020
02
A e g i s Introduction
Biodegradable Isolation Gown
Aegis is designing an innovative isolation gown along with an integrated system of medical waste disposal. The gown is made of a newly developed bio-textile consisting of woven fibres and starch-based biopolymers, protecting wearers without costing the environment. The collection and anaerobic digestion of used gowns could then partially power both Aegis and medical facility operations, resulting in further environmental benefits through energy savings.
Aegis
Through the use of emerging biotechnology and circular economy thinking, Aegis proposes a breakthrough PPE design for a more resilient healthcare industry.
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BDC 2020
Waste disposal struggle
A e g i s Introduction
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The impacts of covid-19 has led to mass global shortages in ppe.
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Record amounts of medical waste – leading to up to 3 bags of garbage bags of waste per patient.
Pandemic PPE shortages
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Throughout history, nothing has killed more human beings than infectious disease. Today, Covid-19 has taken more than 400 thousand lives globally.
Industries ranging from architecture to cosmetics are diversifying their offerings to include ppe. Yet they still rely on traditional hybrid plastic materials, solving the issue of supply but not of disposal.
Aegis
At the same time, hospitals are struggling to deal with the waste. In Australia, medical waste is either sterilised by steam treatment and left to degrade over centuries in our environment or else it is incinerated.
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Australian Native
BDC 2020
Flower used to fill life jacketcs When Burnt, repels insects
Leaves Cumbungi
Anti-allergic properties Native to Australia
Aegis
Valuable habitat
Roots are high in starch
Perennial
Shoots are high in fibre
Purifies waste water with heavy metals
Cumbungi Introduction
Stems High in fibre Antiseptic properties
Cumbungi is a native Australian aquatic weed, belonging to a species of wetland plants called Typha, also known as Bulrush and Cattail, this plant is found all over the world. It is one of many wetland plants that are being investigated as a new natural source due to its high yield and fast growth-rate. Nicknamed the supermarket of the marsh, Cumbungi has been used for centuries in traditional medicine, as the young leaves of the plant contain antimicrobial properties. The stem and leaves of the plant contain fibres that can be used to weave material and its roots are high in starch and amylaze, which are key ingredients for creating strong bioplastic.
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Rhizomes Rich in starch Processes Phytoremediation 10
Starch based biopolymer finish
BDC 2020
03
A e g i s Prototype
Aegis
3-layered fabric
Aegis proposes a three-layered fabric sourced from Cumbungi. Through a process of chemical retting, a thread with similar characteristics to cotton can be extracted from Cumbungi, which can then be woven to create the soft inner layer of the gown. The outer layers will be a made from bioplastic sourced from the roots of Cumbungi to give it a repellent finish. Through a process of fragmentation and filtration, starch can be extracted and mixed with Polyactic Acid to ensure it will perform when it comes into contact with liquids.
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BDC 2020
A e g i s Making the fabric Retting, Spinning, Weaving
Cumbungi fibres resemble to those of hemp fibres. Through a process called as Retting, fibres can be extracted from the plant. There are various types of retting which differentiate from each other by the agents and the time required to obtaining fibres. The prototype has been done with a conventional method of Retting, Spinning and weaving. However reasearch shows that a cheaper and faster method called as non woven cellulose fibre making method can also be used to make a fabric.
Aegis
3-layered fabric
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Fibres of Cumbungi are obtained by CHEMICAL RETTING
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Fibre yeild is 40-60% at 80 deg celcius
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Diameter of fibre is similar to cotton 11-22 microns
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Retting
Spinning
Water retting fails for Cumbungi and thus Chemical retting is done - It involves treatment of fibers with chemicals like acid, base, surfactants, chelators etc. The stems are boiled and then treated with specific chemicals.
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Spinning the Fibre - The fibre from retting is kept to dry and then combed out to make it softer for spinning. Spinning is the process of taking textile fibers and filaments and making them into yarn. 13
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The fibre decomposes at a temperature >149 deg celcius
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Weaving
Weaving the FabricThe process of producing a fabric by interlacing warp and weft threads is known as weaving. The machine used for weaving is known as weaving machine or loom.
BDC 2020
A e g i s Making bioplastic
Aegis
3-layered fabric
Starch-based biopolymer
Cumbungi roots are high in starch. The ratio of starch to amylase in the rhizomes is highest amost other starch rich plants. This property makes it a potential natural raw material to make a starch based plastic.
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Green peas
Rice
Potato
Cassava
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Cumbungi
Bioplastic Recipe 60ml water 6gm cumbungi starch 6gm gelatin 6gm glycerin *this quantity makes a 6 inch x 9 inch sheet. The sheet is flexible. In case a stiffer sheet is required, glycerine quantity should be reduced to 3 gm
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Drying
Grinding
Settling
Heating
The rhizomes that are high is starch are dried and cut into small pieces in oder to grind it
The pieces are ground to a fine powder 15
The fine powder is then washed with water a couple times. The starch is then let to settle down. 16
Once the starch is settled down, extra water is removed. Glycerol and gelatin. Heat at a medium flame till the mixture thickens and spread it in a tray to dry.
Starch-based biopolymer
BDC 2020
A e g i s 3 layered fabric The antimicrobial activity of cumbungi has an inhibitory effect on the microorganisms responsible for e coli and salmonella. Aegis proposes to extract the antimicrobial chemical components of the plant and add it to the bioplastic coating of the fabric, providing an extra layer of protection and decreasing the risk of biohazard after disposal.
3-layered fabric
outermost layer
The soft inner material will be darker than the outer layers as lack of light in fabric creates a hostile environment for pathogens. Starch based polymers are highly degradable, meaning they will not interfere with the natural composting of the woven inner material.
Aegis
innermost layer
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Aegis 3-layered fabric
Starch based biopolymer finish
BDC 2020
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Aegis Product
BDC 2020
Biodegradable isolation gown
A e g i s Biodegradable gown Working with this unique fabric, Aegis has consulted with several medical professions to develop a new type of isolation gown. Aegis has discovered a range of pain points throughout the ideation process, and have responded with two concepts. These designs will have to be prototyped and tested in hospital settings before further development, however we are confident that both the gowns and their packaging can be sourced from cumbungi and degrade quickly and safely.
3-layered fabric
Attached Gloves
Potential problems in Design 1
Problem at the neck
Aegis
Draw string to tighten
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The process of donning and doffing is seen as tedious and slows reactions at a critical time, the first design has altered the fit to enable quick application. Through removing the opening at the back and embedding the gloves in the gown, it also seeks to reduce pathogenic breaches.
Difficult to wear
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The second option uses a more traditional open back seam and simplified the attached glove to a thumb loop, which will still reduce exposure to pathogens by keeping the arm in place. It also includes a range of colorful panels to introduce more visual hierarchy into hospital setting, where health workers report that it is aegis extremely difficult to tell people apart.
Aegis 3-layered fabric
Starch based biopolymer finish
BDC 2020
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A e g i s Product Lifecycle
BDC 2020
A e g i s Degradation
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A patient produces 5kg of waste per day.
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The biodegradable gowns are crushed to obtain a homogenised substrate that is fed by a hopper into an anaerobic, or oxygen-free vessel of cylindrical form. The biomass is heated to approximately 37°C to 38°C and stirred continuously.
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After at least 20 days and a series of bacteria-induced chemical transformations, the fermented biomass produces biogas
Aegis
Circular economy
anaerobic digestion
Using a type of technology called anaerobic digestion, Aegis plans to work with hospitals to collect used gowns and digest them into products such as biogas and fertiliser, which can go back into fuelling the operations of production or the daily operations of the hospital. It is recommended that Aegis gowns should be degraded by anaerobic digestion to prevent the spread of harmful infections. It will take upto 20 days for the gown to degrade in an anaerobic digestor. It the gown ends up in the landfils, it will take a few months for the fabric to degrade.
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If all the conditions are right, Aegis can fuel up to 25% of the total electricity requirement for a hospital with approximately 6000 beds.
BDC 2020
A e g i s
Aegis’s vision is to farm Cumbungi using recycled water at a number of locations across Australia, starting with Victoria. Through a network of factories supported by renewable energy sourced from the end-cycle of our own products, Aegis believes that it can provide a local solution to the global ppe crisis. While Aegis’ raw materials is native to Australia, Cumbungi is abundant across the world.
Aegis
Scalabilty
Product lifecycle
Scalability
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Aegis 3-layered fabric
Starch-based biopolymer
BDC 2020
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Aegis 3-layered fabric
Starch-based biopolymer
BDC 2020
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Aegis 3-layered fabric
Starch-based biopolymer
BDC 2020
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Aegis 3-layered fabric
Starch-based biopolymer
BDC 2020
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Design Statement Biodesign - Elixir of Innovation Humankind and our planet face unprecedented global challenges as our world becomes more complex, more urbanised and more technologically advanced. To tackle these challenges, we need to foster a deeper understanding of how technological progress is related to our planet’s health and human health. Through moving the boundaries of information through an integrative approach that brings together core concepts from design and biomedical science, Biodesign comes to the picture. I have always believed that nature is our real teacher. It has everything - life, balance and death flowing into a smooth curve. Why not learn something from it? I have always enjoyed exploring new aterials, their potentials and the process of how they are made. This is something that has always caught my interest. I assume it will be safe to say that I was the “material expert� of team Aegis. Right from reseaching how fibres can be extracted from the plant to making the prototype swtach, I explored this new world of fabrics and the techniques used to make them. Learning about new facts and their strengthsjust made all the syeps very clear to make the Aegis fabric. Aegis has been a wonderful experience of new learnings and achivements. It gave me such a big platform of Biodesign challenge 2020.
DESIGN FOLIO by
JUI APTE | s3748472