The document outlines a student project exploring biodegradable materials. It describes 4 activities: 1) comparing how biodegradable and non-biodegradable packing materials degrade, 2) identifying biodegradable objects, 3) processing and comparing gelatin solutions of different concentrations, and 4) measuring degradation rates of materials in different solutions. It then discusses designing a medicine release capsule and a proposal for biodegradable mobile phone covers made from a plastic additive that enables degradation. The student learned how biodegradable materials break down and hopes to further test and apply their idea for more sustainable phone accessories.

1. AL-BAIRAQ
I AM DISCOVERING MATERIALS
BIODEGRADABLE MOBILE COVERS
RESEARCHERS
Hassan Alabdullah Khalid qotba
Hassan Almohannadi Haider Alhaider

2. Outline
• Introduction
• Activity 1:comparing packing materials.
• Activity 2:hunting for biodegradable objects
• Activity 3:processing biodegradable materials and
comparing mechanical properties.
• Activity 4: Measuring the degradation rates of
biodegradable materials.
• Design Project: Designing a medicine release capsule.
• Product Idea: Biodegradable mobile covers

3. Introduction
■ Biodegradable: Is a substance that is
capable of being decomposed by
bacteria or other living organisms.

4. Activity 1:comparing between packing
materials part A
■ We put two types of foam peanuts in water and we used a
green foam peanut and a white foam peanut.
■ The white foam peanut degraded because it is made of corn-
starch and the green one didn’t because it is made of
polystyrene.

5. Activity 1:comparing between packing
materials part B
We wanted to see which packing materials is better for
protecting the egg biodegradable or non-biodegradable foam.
Before After
Biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials they both have
safety features but biodegradable materials decompose in
solutions.

6. Activity 2:hunting for biodegradable and
non-biodegradable materials
Should be biodegradable should be non-biodegradable

7. Activities 3: Processing Biodegradable
materials and comparing their mechanical
properties
■ we have put 5 gelatin +10 ml of HCl =5% gelatin solution
■ we have put 10 gelatin +10 ml of HCl =10% gelatin solution
■ we have put 20 gelatin + 10 ml of HCl =20% gelatin solution
• Less transparent
• More dense
• 5% gelatin solution
• 10% gelatin solution
• 20% gelatin solution

8. Activities 3: Processing Biodegradable
materials and comparing their mechanical
properties
■ Result: after 2 days 5% of gelatin became film
and it was thin and transparent but 10% was a
less transparent and thicker 20% was much
thicker and dull.

9. Activities 4:measuring the degradation rates
of biodegradable materials
materials Boiling water HCl NaOH
5% film 3 second 21minutes
45seconds
24minute 50 second
20% gel 12 second 42 minutes 3
seconds
44 minutes and 20
second
Peanut starch 2 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes 12second
Gelatin capsule 2 minutes 20 second 24 minutes 12
second
27 minute 20 second
All biodegradable materials degraded fast in
boiling water, and they degraded faster in
acid(HCl) than in base (NaOH)
We measured the degradation of different biodegradable
materials into different solutions

10. Designing a medicine release
capsule
■ We designed a medicine release capsule using sodium alginate
and calcium chloride.
■ Then we put them in sodium citrate to simulate the
degradation of the medicine capsules in our stomach.

11. Biodegradable mobile cover
■ Here in Qatar in a rich country we change our mobile and if we
change our mobile we will also change the cover and if we
throw our covers in the bin yearly we will have lots of waste
which will stay for years and it will not degrade so it will make
lots of pollution.

12. Biodegradable mobile cover
Hypothesis
■ Because we know that in big supermarkets in Qatar now they
use d2w bags, which are a normal plastic but with d2w additive
to it which will make it able to degrade with the help of oxygen.
■ So we though if we use it to make mobile covers, it will be a
great idea to our environment and we will not have plastic
waste.

13. Biodegradable mobile cover
Materials and methods
■ We will use normal plastic but
we will add d2w which is a
catalyst that make the plastic
able to degrade.
■ Depending on the amount of
d2w we add, we can control
how long the mobile cover will
take to degrade.
■ For example if we want the
mobile cover to degrade after a
year we will add a specific
amount of d2w, but if we want
it to degrade after 6 months we
will need less amount of d2w.

14. Recommendations
■ Because we couldn’t afford materials to
make a real product,We wish if we can have
an opportunity to apply our idea and test it.

15. Conclusions
I have learned how biodegradable materials
decompose in different conditions and that we can
create many biodegradable products that are useful
to our planet and us.

16. Acknowledgment
Many thanks to my teachers, school and 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, Ras Gas, Maersk and Shell.