Biomaterial Explorations

What if we could redesign a world without waste?
Could we upcycle the waste of Poblenou?
Is it possible to design for compostability?

Description of the Project

My personal objective is to understand what means design for compostability and regeneration and what are the factors to take into account to generate a production system that follows the principles of circular economy.

To make these objectives tangibles, I want to collaborate with Taller Esfèrica and design a compostable glasses made of reused organic waste and also experiment which kind of compostable packaging could be made. At the moment I have selected three ingredients: chitosan from seafood, cellulose from Nomad coffee peels and calcium carbonate from Leka eggshells. I have found a space to share the upcycling process of waste with a group of creatives and material designers that are involved in the project “Remix El Barrio” from Siscode with Milena, Marion and Anastasia.

I want to explore digital fabrication tools to process the material for example, extrusion and injection. And also, start understanding which are the parameters that affect the properties of the material to design a monomaterial application with different functionalities. In addition, I would like to imagine new business models and how it could be the future microfactories of the neighbourhood.

Objectives

· Research existent biomaterial recipes and define the experiments.
· Map the variations and understand the properties of the different compositions.
· Search interesting properties and make my own recipes upcycling waste as basic ingredients.
· Look for materials that could make compostable glasses and packaging.

Methodology

Scientific Research References

Material Research

Open Source Recipe of Materiom

Material Explorations

Material Explorations General Results

Next Material Behaviour Tests

Tensile Strength (MPa)

Tensile strength is a measurement of the force required to pull something such as rope, wire, or a structural beam to the point where it breaks. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that it can take before failure, for example breaking. There are three typical definitions of tensile strength:
· Yield strength - The stress a material can withstand without permanent deformation. This is not a sharply defined point. Yield strength is the stress which will cause a permanent deformation of 0.2% of the original dimension.
· Ultimate strength - The maximum stress a material can withstand.
· Breaking strength - The stress coordinate on the stress-strain curve at the point of rupture.

Compostability (days)

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed in a process called composting. This process recycles various organic materials otherwise regarded as waste products and produces a soil conditioner (the compost). Compost is rich in nutrients. It is used, for example, in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, urban agriculture and organic farming. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses).
At the simplest level, the process of composting requires making a heap of wet organic matter (also called green waste), such as leaves, grass, and food scraps, and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of months. However, composting also can take place as a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air, and carbon and nitrogen-rich materials. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture when open piles or "windrows" are used. fungi, earthworms and other detritivores further break up the material. Bacteria requiring oxygen to function (aerobic bacteria) and fungi manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide, and ammonium.

Viscosity (Pa·s)

The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water.[1] Viscosity can be conceptualized as quantifying the frictional force that arises between adjacent layers of fluid that are in relative motion. For instance, when a fluid is forced through a tube, it flows more quickly near the tube's axis than near its walls. In such a case, experiments show that some stress (such as a pressure difference between the two ends of the tube) is needed to sustain the flow through the tube. This is because a force is required to overcome the friction between the layers of the fluid which are in relative motion: the strength of this force is proportional to the viscosity.
A fluid that has no resistance to shear stress is known as an ideal or inviscid fluid. Zero viscosity is observed only at very low temperatures in superfluids. Otherwise, the second law of thermodynamics requires all fluids to have positive viscosity; such fluids are technically said to be viscous or viscid. A fluid with a high viscosity, such as pitch, may appear to be a solid.

Remix El Barrio

Zoe and I are participating in the project El Barri Circular from ReMix El Barrio organized by Marion, Milena and Anastasia (SISCODE Project). The first meeting with all the participants was at FabCity Hub (29/1/20).