Done by group: Alieman_Nebula School Name: Al Ieman school for girls Biodegradable Materials module: Students make, test and evaluate biodegradable films and gels. They use their knowledge gained during the workshop to design devices that release a dye in a controlled manner as they degrade. Finally they design their own biodegradable product. There is no doubt that the plastic is one of the most non-biodegradable materials that grabbed the world’s attention. Replacing non-biodegradable plastics with biodegradable ones will have a great impact on the environment. The idea of this group is to use biodegradable materials in manufacturing children toys and party supplies, as the survey – which was given to the mothers – showed that the most annoying garbage in their houses are the children’s toys, plates, and cups waste. Through their product, they aim to limit the amount of plastic that is being used in children toys and party supplies.

1. AL-BAIRAQ _7TH CYCLE
I AM DISCOVERING MATERIALS
BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS
Shooq Alsulaiti Dana Bu-hazaa
Kholoud Ahmadi Fatma Al-abdulmalek
Al-Ieman nebula7

2. OUTLINE
• Introduction about biodegradable materials
• Activity 1: Comparing Packing Materials
• Activity 2: Hunting for Biodegradable Materials
• Activity 3: Processing Biodegradable Materials and
Comparing their Mechanical Properties
• Activity 4: Measuring the Degradation Rate
• Design Project: Designing a Medicine-Delivery Device
• Product idea: Biodegradable Party Supplies & Toys

3. INTRODUCTION
 A “biodegradable” product has the ability to break down,
safely. By biological means, into the raw materials of
nature and disappear into the environment. These products
can be solids biodegrading into the soil, or liquids
biodegrading into water.

4. ACTIVITY 1: COMPARING PACKING MATERIALS
Part A:
Comparing the properties of biodegradable and non biodegradable
packing material
1st step:
Filling the two
beakers with the
same amount of
water
The starch peanut in the first beaker degraded, but the other
polystyrene peanut didn’t degrade which means that the first peanut is
biodegradable and the other one is not.
2nd Step:
Placing two
different type of
peanuts in
different beakers
Biodegradable
Non-biodegradable

5. Part B:
Proving that both biodegradable materials and non-biodegradable
materials have the same physical effect on protecting the fragile
items.
ACTIVITY 1: COMPARING PACKING MATERIALS

6. ACTIVITY 1: COMPARING PACKING MATERIALS
WHY don’t we replace the non-biodegradable packing materials with the
biodegradable ones?

7. ACTIVITY 2: HUNTING FOR BIODEGRADABLE OBJECTS
We have been searching
about biodegradable
materials and non-
biodegradable materials.
It shows that the
biodegradable materials
degrade easily in nature and
the non-biodegradable
materials don’t degrade in
nature, and it causes many
effects on the environment.

8. BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS:
Fruits Hair Papers
Plastic bags Hardware Bottles
NON-BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS:
ACTIVITY 2: HUNTING FOR BIODEGRADABLE OBJECTS

9. ACTIVITY3: PROCESSING BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS AND
COMPARING THEIR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Part A:
Making gelatin film out of gelatin capsules
The more number of capsules we add, the longer time it will take
to dissolve and the thicker the films form
Different concentration of gelatin films were prepared by
dissolving gelatin capsules in HCl solution.

10. NaOH, HCl and boiling water solutions were added in three
different beakers.
ACTIVITY 4: MEASURING THE DEGRADATION RATE
Cutting materials & unifying the weight

11. Testing 2 different concentration of gelatin films, starch peanut and
gelatin capsules in 3 different solutions .
As a result, many factors effect on the degradation rate
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
starch
peanut
5%
gelatin
film
20%
gelatin
film
capsules
boiling water
HCL
NaOH
ACTIVITY 4: MEASURING THE DEGRADATION RATE
time
Rate of degradation of each material

12. We add calcium chloride with sodium alginate to get alginate beads.
Filter the beads and separate them into 3 petri dishes
PROJECT DESIGN: DESIGNING

13.  The alginate beads
represent the capsules
 The food coloring
represent the medicine in
the capsules
 We add them to sodium
citrate solution which
represent the human body.
 The medicine (food dye)
releases by diffusion, and
after that the beads degrade.
PROJECT DESIGN: DESIGNING A MEDICINE- DELIVERY
DEVICE

14. PRODUCT IDEA: PARTY SUPPLIES AND TOYS
 There is no doubt that plastic is one of the most non-
biodegradable materials that grabbed the world’s attention.
Replacing non-biodegradable plastic with biodegradable ones
will have a great effect on the environment.
 What turned us to toys and party supplies is the results of the
survey that we conducted on several mothers. The question
that most mothers had the same answer to was what were the
things that most mothers considered as non-degradable
waste and often found in their houses? The answers gathered
were children’s toys, plates, and cups waste …etc .

15. PRODUCT IDEA: PARTY SUPPLIES AND TOYS

16.  Large numbers of plastics are being consumed daily in parties.
 We can replace them with biodegradable party supplies.
Aim of the work
We aim to limit the amount of plastic that is being used in parties
and toys.
PRODUCT IDEA: PARTY SUPPLIES AND TOYS

17. PRACTICAL
APPLICATION

18. FIRST EXPIRMENT: THE CORN STARCH
Hard & firm
BUT
Non-moldable

19. SECOND EXPERIMENT: RECYCLE OF PAPER
Moldable
BUT
Too soft

20. PRODUCT IDEA: PARTY SUPPLIES AND TOYS
HYPOTHESIS
After making two experiments to make biodegradable plastics.
1) The corn starch experiment.
2) The paper experiment.
We assumed that mixing the two experiments –paper experiment
and the starch experiment- consequent a flexible and firm result.

21. PRODUCT IDEA: PARTY SUPPLIES AND TOYS
RESULTS
The mixture
looking for new mechanical properties

22. THE BEST RESULT
firm & hard
AND
Moldable

23. PRODUCT IDEA: PARTY SUPPLIES AND TOYS
FUTURE OF OUR PRODUCT
* Our idea applications is a lot due to the different type
of toys and plates used in a large amount daily.
* Success of this idea will reduce the amount of plastic
deeply.
* It solved the problem definitely and if it’s approved it
will be a huge advantage in the future.

24. RECOMMENDATION
 After we have solved the problems, we applied the idea
in a simple way. Our ambition is to see our idea
developed and applied in the future, in order to raise
awareness about biodegradable materials and reduce
the use of non-biodegradable materials.

25. CONCLUSION
It is an experience that we have learned the
following from:
A lot of information
The importance of biodegradable materials
Teamwork and confidence

26. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thank you everyone, teachers, friends, and our school for
the big support during this journey in Al-bairaq project.
Also big thanks to Al-Bairaq team and the sponsors who
gave us the opportunity to be part of Al-Bairaq competition.
Thank you!