Done by Plant group at Doha Secondary school for Boys Under supervision from AL-Bairaq

1. Our Group Name Plant :
Rashed abdulaziz
Hamad Shams
Saleh AL.sulaiti

2. Outline :
• Introduction
• Activity 1: Comparing packing materials (part A&B)
• Activity 2: Hunting for biodegradable objects
• Activity 3: Processing biodegradable materials and comparing
their mechanical properties
– Part A: Processing gelatin into a gel and films
– Part B: Testing mechanical properties
• Activity 4: Measuring the degradation rates of biodegradable
materials
• Design Project: Designing a medicine release capsule
• Product Idea: Plant paper

3. Introduction :
What is biodegradable?
Biodegradation is the disintegration of materials by
bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. ... Although
often conflated, biodegradable is distinct in meaning
from: compostable.


4. Activity 1: Comparing packing materials (part A)
 Procedure
 Results (Graphs, Tables, … etc.)
 Conclusion
WaterExperience of
decomposition

5. Activity 1: Comparing packing materials (part B)
 Procedure
 Results (Graphs, Tables, … etc.)
 Conclusion
White and green
peanut

6. Activity 2: Huntingfor biodegradableobjects
Biodegradable Materials Non-biodegradable Materials
It will be broken down by
microorganisms in the soil.
Another types of non-
biodegradable waste which can be
again used at homes are aluminum
cans.

7. Activity 3: Processing biodegradable materials and
comparing their mechanical properties
Part A: Processing gelatin into a gel and films
 Preparation:
 1 capsule is 0.1 g
 Prepare 5% w/v film : 5 capsules + 10 ml HCl
 Prepare 10% w/v film : 10 capsules + 10 ml HCl
 Prepare 20% w/v film : 20 capsules + 10 ml HCl
 Procedure:
 Dissolve the capsules in the HCL on 60 Celsius degree
 Let dry for 2 days

8. Activity 3: Processing biodegradable materials
and comparing their mechanical properties
Part B: Testing mechanical properties
 Compare between the films and gel
 Observations:
5% and 10 % films 20 % gel
(Less concentration) (More concentration)
Less strength More strength
Transparent Not transparent
Fragile Compressible

9. Activity 4: Measuring the degradation
rates of biodegradable materials
 Objective: Test the effect of pH, temperature and
concentration on the degradation rates of the gel, films,
packing material (starch), and gelatin capsule.
HCL & NaOH
Solvents
Measurements
Hot Water

10. Activity 4: Measuring the degradation
rates of biodegradable materials
 Results:
Boiling water
PH=7
HCl
PH=4
NaOH
PH=10
5% 2 sec 1:30 4 min
20% 5 sec 6 min 12min
Gelatin
Capsule
2:40 30 min 47min
Packing material
(Starch)
11 min 3 hours 3 hours
• Conclusion: As environment conditions
is different, degradation rate is different

11. Design Project: Designing a medicine
release capsules
 Objective: Simulation of drug release and capsule
degradation inside the human body
 Procedure:
 Drop Sodium alginate into Calcium Chloride and wait
for 10 minutes and then filter the beads (capsules are
ready)
 Soak the beads into colors (as medicine) and wait for 30
minutes and then filter the beads again
 Now the medicine capsules are ready
 Drop the capsules inside Sodium citrate (human body)
and notice what happens

12. Design Project: Designing a medicine
release capsules
 Observations:
 We notices medicine release in the solution
 After a while, the capsules start to degrade
 Conclusion:
 Biodegradable materials are used heavily in medical and industrial
applications
Red beads
The experiment of
decomposition of beads

13. Final Project:
Plant Paper
 Taking scrap paper that would normally go in the recycle bin and
making handmade paper with it

14. Plant Paper
You can use any type of paper product for this project,
but steer clear of waxed cardboard. You can use:
 construction paper
 printer paper
 magazines
 toilet paper
 paper towels
 paper bags
 newspapers (will produce a grayish paper)
 cardstock
 non-waxed cardboard
 napkins

15. Plant Paper
There are many materials you can add in with the paper for a
decorative effect. You may wish to add flower or vegetable seeds
to the paper, which can be planted.
 flower petals
 seeds
 fine leaves or grass
 foil
 string or yarn
 dryer lint
 food coloring (you can dye your paper if you like)
 liquid starch

16. Plant paper
Materials and Methods
 Tear the paper (feel free to
mix different types) into
small bits and put it into a
blender.
 Fill the blender about 2/3 full
with warm water.
 Pulse the blender until the
pulp is smooth. If you are
going to write on the paper,
blend in 2 teaspoons of liquid
starch.

17. Plant paper
Materials and Methods
 Set your mold in a shallow basin or pan. I used a cookie sheet. You
could use a sink. Pour the blended mixture into the mold. Sprinkle in
your mix-ins (thread, flower petals, etc.). Shake the mold from side to
side, keeping it in the liquid, to level out your paper pulp mixture.
 You have few different options here. You could remove the mold from
the liquid, let the paper dry in the mold, and then peel it off. I flipped
my paper out onto my countertop and used a sponge to wick away
excess water. You could press a cookie sheet onto the paper to squeeze
out the excess water.

18. Plant Paper
Results:
 The results of this project is a home made paper made out of scraps
and waste old papers

19. Plant Paper
Recommendations:
 Every school should have a large paper recycling container where all old
books and papers are gathered to be recycled and produce new papers
 We recommend to apply this project and make a paper factory in Qatar

20. Conclusions
With the knowledge we got from AL-Bairaq workshop,
we learned about biodegradable materials and knew
the importance of keeping clean healthy environment.
Many creative ideas can be done to reduce pollution.

21. Acknowledgment
Many thanks to AL-Bairaq team from Center for Advanced
Materials (CAM), Qatar University for supporting us during
our journey with a AL-Bairaq.
Also, I would like to thank the sponsors UNESCO, Qatar
National Commission, and Shell.