Desiree van Dam | Research Zine | Bioplastics on a Rainbow Spectrum

Bioplastics

on a Rainbow Spectrum

By Desiree van Dam

Intro In this Zine you will read about coloring bioplastics with natural materials, how it was done, where problems arose and how they were solved. It’s intended for people who are just starting to work with bioplastics and are not so experienced yet, but of course everyone can learn something from this project.

Because of this premise, there has been looked at ways of coloring with products that are affordable and easy to obtain.

Researcher Desiree van Dam, a 3rd year Communication and Multimedia Design student, a UX-Designer and Graphic designer studying at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Desiree van Dam - By Irenke Bankras

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Index Research Question

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Context

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Summary of Project and Outcomes

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Interviews

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How-To’s

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Reframing Moments

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Trail of Evidence

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Sources

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Orange Bioplastic with Union - Desiree van Dam

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Research Question

How to color your bioplastic by only using natural ingredients which are easily accessible?

This project is all about creating the seven basic colors to be used in gelatin-based bioplastics. The iterations were always based on the same recipe, with natural products that are easily accessible, like products you can find in a supermarket and are not all too expensive. To name a few, with red cabbage you can make purple and with beetroot you can make red. Different ways and products have been looked at to get these colors, to see what works best and to see what it does to the bioplastic.

In addition, tests have also been carried out to see what affects the bioplastic and what does not. This resulted in about 40 different kinds of bioplastic with all kinds of colors, that will help designers getting more freedom in their work and give others more inspiration and variety for applications.

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Context Right now, there are more and more people who start caring about the environment, like designers, artists and scientists, to make art, clothes and accessories. They are looking into alternatives for petroleum-based plastics. Preferably alternatives that don’t deplete natural resources, and that can easily be recycled and/or composted, like bioplastic. Not all alternatives are considered acceptable as a design material.

That’s why this project focusses on increasing the likelihood of acceptance and uptake for gelatin-based bioplastic, by proposing natural and accessible colorants to dye them.

Plastic as we know it is difficult to degrade, but this is counteracted by the use of bioplastic. Bioplastic is made of compostable material, biobased material or both. Biobased materials are made from renewable raw materials such as starch, sugar or cellulose (Holland Bioplastics, n.d.). They can be recyclable or compostable, but that differs. Compostable and biodegradable materials can completely break themselves down within a year or less and decompose into natural elements (Heritage Paper, 2016). But in addition to that, compostable materials also provide the earth with nutrients once the material has completely been broken down.

The recipe that is used for this project contains of gelatine (later also agar), glycerine, dishwashing soap, water and of course natural pigments. This means that the bioplastic is biobased and biodegradable. The time it takes for the bioplastic to fully compost is too long, so it would leave pieces of plastic in the organic waste (Milieu Centraal, n.d). For this reason, the bioplastic belongs in the container for residual waste.

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Red/ orange Bioplastic with Hibiscus tea - Desiree van Dam

This project is all about creating the seven basic colors for gelatin-based bioplastics, using only natural ingredients. The seven basic colors come from the rainbow spectrum, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (purple) and violet (pink). It is the visual spectrum of colored light that a person can see, that Isaac Newton found in the 17th century (Kelly Morr, 2016). There are other color theories, like RGB, GBR and CMYK, but this project focusses on the rainbow spectrum because the goal is to get these colors without mixing. There are lots of different ways to make these colors. And because the target group are novice bioplastic users, the project focusses on products that are affordable and that you can find close to home, like in a supermarket. There you can find lots of natural colors and inspiration, like different color vegetables (red cabbage, beetroot) and fruit (pomegranate). In addition, you can find lots of sources and ‘do it yourselves’ online, these can be tutorials and recipes. These sources can differ from being from plants (Bremness, n.d.), being for fabric (Zipperstudio, 2019), for paint (Our Raw Beauty, 2017) and for baking (Joanne, 2016). But that is not the same as bioplastic. The heat, the yellow color of the gelatin and the ph-value can influence the pigment to color the bioplastic. So, you’ll have to test if the color what color is going to become. Because the gelatine is yellow of its own and has a certain ph-value, the color changes a lot and you can’t get every color. When you mix blue or pink with gelatin the mixture will get purple or orange (Bogers, 2020). To get every color you’ll need a recipe that is more transparent and has a different ph-value, like agar or corn starch.

Red Bioplastic with Pomegranate - Desiree van Dam

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Summary of Project and Outcomes The lecture notes called Biofabricating Material for the Fabricademy program (Raspanti, 2020) inspired me to work with bioplastic, colors and opacities. Working with only natural ingredients seemed fitting because of the connection of natural products used for bioplastic. Later the accessibility of the products was added to the concept; it should be easy to get and not that expensive. Each product should cost no more than 3 euros.

The project resulted in 40 different kinds of colored gelatinbased bioplastic, and an agar-based sample (for blue). These colors are made of natural ingredients you can buy in a supermarket or health store, with for example purple carrots.

Most of the colors were easy to make, but blue turned out to be really hard. Because of the target audience, the scope consists of all-natural and accessible ingredients available at local supermarkets. Therefore, traditional blue dyes like indigo were out of reach. Also having started with a base material that has a yellow undertone due to the color of the gelatin which also has a certain ph-value, the color of the bioplastic gets affected a lot. Therefore, it’s harder to make the color blue and pink (Bogers, 2020). The color blue will quickly turn into purple and pink will quickly become orange or purple after you add gelatine. It seemed like that during this project the main focus was on how to make the color blue. But sadly, that particular color was only achievable by cheating and resorting to agarbased plastic, which has a different ph-value so the colors will turn out differently. Nevertheless, the search process resulted in many unexpected findings, and led the way into some of the chemistry and science behind DIY bioplastic cooking.

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Time also affects the color of the bioplastic. At first the bioplastic starts to shrink and after a week the colors become flatter. Most of the purple become redder or more orange and most of the green become a bit brownish. The color pink always looked a combination between red or purple, but if you wait a week the color will turn away from pink and more to the other color. Only the orange and yellow really stay the same.

For blue a different recipe was used. With agar the color blue stays, but it shrinks way more than the gelatin.

The bioplastics were also tested by the elements. They all had a water (2), fire (3) and UV (4) test to see if it affected the colors or the bioplastic. When you put the bioplastic in water for two days, it will expand. The bioplastic fills itself with water and when you take it out of the water they will shrink again.

Because they contain a lot of moisture, they can become moldy after they have been removed from the water. When you put the bioplastic back in a pot and heat it above fire, the bioplastic will melt again and you can pour it into a mold. If you put the bioplastic in an oven at 200 degrees for 7 minutes, the bioplastic will expand and deform. If you put the bioplastic in the sun for two days, nothing will change. Both the color and the shape of the bioplastic are not affected.

On the pictures on the right you can see the effect the elements had on the bioplastics (1 is not tested).

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Boiling Red Cabbage for 10 min. Result after 1 day (left) and 2 weeks (right) - Desiree van Dam

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Boiling Red Cabbage for 10 min. with Baking Soda. Result after 3 days (left) and 2 weeks (right) - Desiree van Dam

Boiling 8 avocado-pits with Cristal Soda. Result after 1 day (left) and 2 weeks (right) - Desiree van Dam

Boiling Red Cabbage with Vinegar. Result after 1 day (left) and 2 weeks (right) - Desiree van Dam

Boiling Blackberries for 1 hour with Baking Soda. Result after 3 days (left) and 2 weeks (right) - Desiree van Dam

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Interviews The first interview was with Elisa van de Burg, who just finished the study Product Design and is starting in September as a technician at a makerspace in Enschede. She also followed the Minor Makerslab and in that time she experimented with bioplastic, colors and recipes and made a bag out of bioplastic.

During her graduation project she also worked a lot with colors, and she knows a little bit about product processing. She talked about plastic waste and came to the conclusion that it’s a good idea to look at other options like bioplastic. Color plays a part in this, because the natural color of gelatine bioplastic is yellow and that’s not always a complementing color. There are lots of ways to color bioplastic but not all are good for the environment. Also, when you dispose of it, because natural ingredients can harm the environment when the product needs to be broken down. It’s important to think about this when making bioplastic.

The second interview was with Laura Mudde, who works in the field of art, does social innovation development projects in society with partners and artists, and she’s also a teacher. Right now, she is mostly interested in what art can do to cause social change. We talked about that it’s important that something is made out of bioplastic, because of the climate crisis. Colors also play a part in this because it increases the possibility that people will actually use bioplastics as an alternative. Using synthetic pigment for that could be bad for the environment when it gets broken down in nature. That’s why natural pigments are important. For artists who are just getting started to work with bioplastics it’s nice that the materials used for coloring the bioplastic are accessible and affordable.

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The last interview was with Beatriz Sandini, who studied business but later went into fashion. She saw what kind of waste that brought and went to look into it. She then joined the fabricademy and went to look into bioplastics and made wallets out of it. We talked about plastic waste that is becoming a bigger problem and that it’s a good idea to look at other alternatives. This can be bioplastic or something else. Right now, there isn’t enough bioplastic to make a system to dispose of it correctly but maybe later there is. The discussion about synthetic and natural dye is also interesting. For dying there is a lot of waste, like water. So, is it really necessary? Or can we leave it out? Another point is that not all synthetic colors are toxic so you could also use those. So, it’s interesting to think about, the bad should not outweigh the good.

Bioplastics on a Rainbow Spectrum - Desiree van Dam

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How-To’s Gelatin recipe

The gelatin recipe came from the lecture notes called Biofabricating Materials for the Fabricademy program (Raspanti, 2019). The recipe that was used for the experiments is Bio Resin with foam from the same document. The dishwashing soap was added so that the bioplastic would mold less. But unfortunately, it still does. Make sure the bioplastic dries in a cool area with fresh air and turn the bioplastic every day.

For the recipe you’ll need: 48gr gelatine 8gr glycerine 240ml water Tablespoon dishwashing soap (transparent) Pigment

Tools: Pot Stove Spoons Scale Molds Jars for storing the pigment water

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How to: 1. Warm up the water in a pot on your stove (the water can be

plain or already dyed if you are planning to use one color only).

2. Add your plasticizer, the glycerine will bond with the gelatine,

the polymer.

3. Add the gelatine, your polymer.

4. Gently mix the ingredients until they form a smooth mix.

5. Add a tablespoon of dishwashing soap to the mixture.

6. Boil for 15-20 minutes (86C max).

7. Prepare your surfaces and molds to be filled.

8. Take the pot off the stove and let it sit for another 10 minutes.

Stir occasionally.

9. If you are planning to make a batch of multiple colors,

prepare your colors in a jar or small container, to which

you will add the mixture once it’s ready to be cast.

10. Once your mixture has thickened, almost like syrup, pour on

your chosen surface. Once you start pouring, try to cast

slowly, without inglobating air, and by carefully pouring on

the liquid itself.

11. Let the mold dry in a ventilated and dry room, turning your

piece until it’s dry will help you preventing mold formation,

but might affect deformation due to water loss.

A few of the things you need - Desiree van Dam

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Agar recipe

An agar recipe was used to get the color blue. This recipe came from the book Bioplastic Cook Book (Pistofidou, 2018).

Gelatine affects the color of natural ingredients too much to get blue. With agar, it is easier to get a natural blue. You also have to pour agar faster into the mold, or else the color changes too much.

For the recipe you’ll need: 9,6gr agar 8gr glycerine 240ml water Pigment

Tools: Pot Stove Spoons Scale Molds Jars for storing the pigment water

How to: 1. Prepare your surfaces and molds to be filled.

2. Warm up the water in a pot on your stove (the water can be

plain or already dyed if you are planning to use one color only).

3. Add your plasticizer, the glycerine will bond with the gelatine,

the polymer.

4. Add the agar, your polymer.

5. Mix the ingredients over medium heat and stir until the

solution starts to boil and becomes viscous.

6. Lower the heat to low heat and keep stirring until you’ll have

a smooth mix or the right color.

7. Pour on your chosen surface. Once you start pouring, try

to cast slowly, without inglobating air, and by carefully

pouring on the liquid itself.

8. Let the mold dry in a ventilated and dry room, turning your

piece until it’s dry will help you prevent mold formation,

but might affect deformation due to water loss.

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Coloring

The main thing for coloring the water is to put the ingredient in a pot with boiling water and let it sit for a couple of minutes or longer. The boiling time differs for each recipe. Creating the pigment is for every recipe different and because this project has a lot of them, it’s not all going to be explained here, but only the seven basic colors. The rest of the information can be found on the Gitbook page https://app.gitbook.com/@ minormakerslab/s/students-1920/andrei/desiree/week-12 and the website https://desiree-van-dam-1.jimdosite.com

Red A great way to get red is with beetroot. Use 300ml water and 355g beetroot and let it boil for 10 minutes. Use 94,1ml of that water, 147,8g plain water, 5 tablespoons of vinegar, and half a lemon It will turn out really bright. Use a gelatin recipe for this.

Orange

Red Bioplastic with Beetroot - Desiree van Dam

Boil some water and add one teaspoon of turmeric (kurkuma).

Let the pigment boil for a moment and let it color the water. It will turn out a beautiful orange. Use a gelatin recipe for this.

Orange Bioplastic with Kurkuma - Desiree van Dam

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Yellow The best way to make the color yellow with a gelatin recipe is to use no pigment at all. Just make the recipe with normal transparent water and you will get a nice yellow color.

Green

Yellow Bioplastic with Gelatin - Desiree van Dam

When you add baking soda to the red cabbage, the water will turn green. Use 179,7g red cabbage, 400ml water, 1 teaspoon baking soda and let it boil for about 10 minutes. Use a gelatin recipe for this.

Green Bioplastic with Red Cabbage and Baking Soda - Desiree van Dam

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Blue It is possible to make blue out of red cabbage, just with an agar recipe. The water will slowly become green because of the ph value. So make sure the water has a deep purple color (so let it stand for a couple of hours). After that you just have to make sure you work fast. When you add the agar, the purple mixture will slowly turn to blue. But later it will turn to green. So, before that happens, pour the mixture into the moulds. Now you have a blue color.

Pink

Blue Bioplastic with Red Cabbage - Desiree van Dam

To make a pink/ purpleish one. Let the red cabbage stay in water for a day and then add vinager. This makes the color deep pink.

Purple To make purple you’ll need a fresh red cabbage. In the beginning, the water will turn blue but if you let it sit for a while it will turn purple. For the best result you let it sit overnight (16 hours). Use 400ml water, 147,3g fresh red cabbage.

Pink Bioplastic with Red Cabbage and Vinegar - Desiree van Dam

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Purple Bioplastic with Red Cabbage - Desiree van Dam

Reframing Moments The most reframing moment happened when blue wouldn’t work. Searching online for answers only came out on that you could buy certain pigments, which is pretty expensive. There was a thought about buying the pigments until a conversation with Laura occurred. She thought it didn’t fit the scope of the project because until then every color was made with products, that you could find close by and were relatively cheap. Buying pigments would not fit that scope. She asked if accessibility was more important or the color blue and if there wasn’t another easier way to get the color blue. And so, the recipe was changed. Now all the rainbow spectrum colors are made without having bought expensive pigments.

Another moment worth mentioning is building the website and the open source behind it. Talking about it with others really gave great ideas on improving it. Like adding a list with products, where there was no time for during the project, but other people maybe want to try. Elisa, Laura and Bea also gave tips at the very end of the project on what maybe could be done differently and all of that is documented on the website so other people can learn from it.

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Brown/ green Bioplastic with Red Cabbage and Bakingpowder - Desiree van Dam

Orange/ yellow Bioplastic with Red Cabbage and sugar - Desiree van Dam

Brown/ orange Bioplastic with Red Cabbage - Desiree van Dam

Brown/ green Bioplastic with Blue Berries and Baking Soda - Desiree van Dam

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Trail of Evidence These 12 ToE were chosen, because they are really key points of the project. Here you can see why this project has been chosen; which recipe was used and why it was changed.

Started making colors, and because blue did not work, looking at buying pigments but later chose not to. Thinking about changing the recipe for the color blue and later being happy that the color blue finally succeeded after a lot of effort.

Showing that a website was being made, how the idea for an open source list came together, doing tests and taking product photos. These points are important because this has shaped the concept into what it is now and what is delivered. There has been put a lot of time and thought into this and because of these developments, this is the end result.

Red Bioplastic with Purple Carrot - Desiree van Dam

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Orange Bioplastic with Raspberries and Citric Acid - Desiree van Dam

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Sources Bogers, L. (2020). Ph Modifiers & PH paper. Documentation of Archiving New Naturals, (project for Fabricademy 2019-2020). Consulted on 21 May 2020, from https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/phmodifiers/ Bremness, L. (n.d.) Verfplanten. Consulted on 7 May 2020, from https://www. vreeken.nl/img/pdf/368500%20Verfplanten.pdf Heritage Paper. (2016, 3 September). The Difference Between Biodegradable and Compostable Packaging Materials. Consulted on 10 June 2020, from https://www. heritagepaper.net/the-difference-between-biodegradable-and-compostablepackaging-materials/ Holland Bioplastics. (n.d.). Wat zijn bioplastics? Consulted on 10 June 2020, from http://www.hollandbioplastics.nl/wat-zijn-bioplastics/ Joanne. (2016, 17 April). Natuurlijke Kleurstoffen. Consulted on 21 May 2020, from https://www.bakerysensation.nl/tips-how-tos/natuurlijke-kleurstoffen/ Kelly Morr. (2016). Why are there 7 colors in the rainbow? Consulted on 10 June 2020, from https://en.99designs.nl/blog/tips/why-are-there-7-colors-rainbow/ Milieu Centraal. (n.d). Groente-, fruit- en tuinafval (gft). Consulted on 17 June 2020, from https://www.milieucentraal.nl/minder-afval/welk-afval-waar/groente-fruiten-tuinafval-gft/ Our Raw Beauty. (2017, 3 August). D.I.Y Natural Watercolour Paints. Consulted on 21 May 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNSVTkw1dhk Raspanti, C. (2019, 29 October). Biofabricating Materials. Lecture notes for the Fabricademy program. Consulted on 20 April 2020, from https://drive.google. com/file/d/1Lm147nvWkxxmPf5Oh2wU5a8eonpqHCVc/view Pistofidou, A. (2018, 14 July). Bioplastic Cook Book. Consulted on 20 April 2020, from https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3 Zipperstudio. (2019, 24 April). DIY | Natuurlijk verven met avocado. Consulted on 21 May 2020, from https://www.zipperstudio.nl/natuurlijk-verven-met-avocado/

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