Done by group: Alieman_Researchers 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. Toothbrushes are used by every single person in the world, normally people change their toothbrushes every 4 to 6 months approximately to avoid growth of bacteria. If we calculate the amount of toothbrushes thrown from all around the world it would be a huge number. All these toothbrushes wastes will be later burned which will cause serious problems to the environment. Accordingly, the researchers group decided to invent a biodegradable toothbrush, which can be buried in the backyard and it will return safely to the earth.

1. Alieman researchers 7
Alreem Khalid Alemadi Amna Ahmed Alsada
Alghalya Khalid Alsulaiti

2. 1 • Introduction
2
• Activity 1
• Comparing packing materials.
3
• Activity 2
• Hunting for biodegradable objects
4
• Activity 3
• Processing biodegradable materials & comparing their mechanical
properties.
5
• Activity 4
• Measuring the degradation rate of biodegradable materials
6
• Design project
• Designing a medicine-release capsules
7
• Product idea

3.  Biodegradable materials are objects that
dissolve and degrade while in nature.
Things like banana peels, toenails, and
strawberry stems are biodegradable. Most
plastics are not biodegradable.

4. Part A (step1)
 Part A: to find out which peanut is
biodegradable (the white or the green).
 Procedure: Putting both peanuts in water.
 Results : The white peanut degraded
completely in water.
 Conclusion : We concluded that the white
peanut is biodegradable natural polymer
which is made from starch and it’s
not harmful to the environment.

5. Height
Egg 1 with starch (white
peanut)
Egg 2 with
polystyrene(green
peanut)
Table height Not broken Not broken
Human height Broken Broken
Result :
Conclusion : both peanuts have the same effect on fragile items.
(step1) (step2)
(step3) (step4)

6. Biodegradable Non -Biodegradable
Definitions Materials that are broken
down by natural processes
into nontoxic reusable
substances.
Any object that doesn’t break
down/degrade by nature.
Degradation of apple core
Degradation of tin cans

7. 5 capsules 10 capsules 20 capsules
5% 10% 20%
HCL HCL HCL
Conclusion:
1) The highest concentration which is 20% was like a gel because of the cross
links.
2) When the concentration increases the hardness increase.

8. Boiling
water PH(7)
HCL
PH(4)
NaOH PH(10)
Peanut starch 23.38 min 45 min 41 min
5% Gelatin Films 0.01 sec 8 min 9 min
20% Gelatin Films 0.01 sec 28 min 29 min
Gelatin Capsules 3.07 min 38 min 41 min

9. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Peanut
Starch
5% Gelatin
Film
20% Gelatin
Film
Gelatin
Capsules
Boiling water PH (7)
HCL PH (4)
NaOH PH (10)
Time
(min)

10.  Objective: to know how the medicine diffuse or decays in our body.
Step1: we made the
alginate beads.
Step2: filter alginate
beads from the
solution.
Step3: adding dye which
represents the drug , it will be
encapsulated by the capsules.
Step5: extra dye will be
removed by tissues.
Step6: drop alginate beads in sodium citrate
solution which represents the human blood
to observe the dye diffusion and the
degradation of capsules.

11. Aim of the product:
We aim to reduce
the pollution caused
by waste of
toothbrushes.
Hypothesis :
Making a biodegradable
toothbrush using Miswak
as the tufts of the
brush, while the handle
made from wood
covered with polish to
slow down the
degradation time of
wood.
Introduction
We decided to chose this
topic because annually
huge amounts of
toothbrushes are thrown
away which cause bad
effects on the
environment. Burning of
these toothbrushes will
release harmful gases
which will effect badly on
the environment .

12. One of the big aspects we had is
searching for the deal bristle
material .As Kermit the frog said
: ”it’s not easy being green”.
biodegradable toothbrush
design means that you can
literally bury it in your
backyard, and it will return
safely to earth without the next
generation having to worry.
This product will be used in
every house reaching to reduce
the amount of pollution of
burning toothbrushes .

13. Steps of
the
product