Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Bioplastic from Algae: Two Batch Experiments
Similar to Bioplastic from Algae: Two Batch Experiments (20)
More from AlexandraSchiazza
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Bioplastic from Algae: Two Batch Experiments
- 1. Bioplastic from Algae Julianna Corbin, Mac Gallman, Alyssa Knight, Alexa Schiazza
- 2. Introduction ● Algae cultures are sustainable carbon capture systems that can be used to combat rising carbon levels in the atmosphere ● After the algae is harvested, what is a sustainable way to preserve the algae, utilizing its carbon capturing capabilities? ● Goal: Develop a sustainable process to create biodegradable, bioplastic utensils strong enough to withstand hot and cold temperatures and the weight of food
- 3. Engineering Design Goals ● Process ○ Needs to be biodegradable and break down within a reasonable amount of time ○ We do not expect any chemical reactions or issues ● Structural ○ Needs to be strong enough not to break under substantial pressure from common foods ○ The utensil should handle heat and cold ● Mechanical ○ There are no motors or moving parts in the utensil design ● The bioplastic would be sustainable and not cause further harm to the environment
- 4. Constraints and Considerations ● Lab scale design using lab instruments ● Our experience with algae and bioplastic ● Time! ● Primitive chemical access ● Bioplastic is expensive and time consuming to make, even in an industrial scale ● Could not properly sanitize the algae
- 5. Basics of Plastic ● Plastic - polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure. ● Made up of long strings of polymers of many varieties ● Wide range of uses: cooking utensils, technology, clothing, shipping/manufacturing ● Petroleum based is the most common type
- 6. Bioplastics ● Bioplastic - biodegradable plastic product made from organic material and renewable resources, used as an alternative to petroleum based plastics ● Reducing petroleum based plastics reduces fossil fuels ● Using bioplastics significantly reduces physical pollution ● Bioplastics are starting gain more use as the technology continues to develop
- 7. Literature Review/Theory ● Starch is widely used in bioplastics (jprsolutions) ○ Thickening properties ● The seaweed is gathered, dried, ground, [and] sieved (jprsolutions) ○ Photosynthetic algae ● The bioplastics used behave similarly to duckweed (onlinelibrary) ● Weight loss due to glycerol evaporation and decomposition of algae (onlinelibrary)
- 8. Analyze Information ● Recipe was developed based on research and constraints ● We expected dry algae to behave as a starch based on research ● The duckweed seemed small enough to use Corbin, 11/19/18
- 9. Materials ● Duckweed Algae ● Heating Stir Plate with stir bar ● Corn Starch ● Canola Oil ● Cotton Seed Glycerol ● Vinegar ● Water ● Wood and Plastic spoons ● Silicone spoon mold ● 250 mL beaker ● 25 mL beaker ● 1 L beaker ● Weigh boats ● Scale ● Stopwatch ● Plastic Bucket ● Net ● Scraper ● Sharpie Marker ● Volumetric pipette and bulb ● Dropper ● No. 18 (1 mm) Sieve Corbin, 11/26/18 Corbin, 11/30/18
- 10. AutoCad Design of Sifters https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/rice-starch-powder-sifting-industrial-flour_60476259672.html
- 11. Method ● Duckweed algae was collected from the PAS by skimming the water surface with a net ● Collected algae was then laid across window screen to dry ● The dried algae had to go through an initial separation process before being ground to smaller particles ● To get a relative standard particle size, the refined algae sifted in a No. 18 sieve Corbin, 11/26/18 Corbin, 11/19/18
- 12. Method ● Using each recipe variation, the ingredients were first mixed then heat was added to the mixing ● As the mixture reached a pasty consistency the heat was cut and the mix was put into molds ○ For the second batch, the batch was heated to approximately 70° C Corbin, 11/26/18 Corbin, 11/26/18
- 13. Method ● The plastic mixture was spread into the mold ● Each trial was dried in the mold for approximately 2.5 days ● Once the plastics were dried, they were individually weighed ● The first batch plastics were modified to formulate the recipe for the second batch Corbin, 11/26/18 Corbin, 11/30/18
- 14. Calculations The original recipes were in tablespoons. The metric weight of a tablespoon of cornstarch was found and the values were converted. The proportions were divided from there. 1 tablespoon cornstarch = 9.83 g .75 · 9.83 g = 7.37 g .5 · 9.83 g = 4.92 g .25 · 9.83 g = 2.46 g The algae was used in a way that kept the recipe proportional
- 15. Create Design Batch 1 ● Recipe 1: ○ Cornstarch, water, cooking oil ● Corn oil used ● Hot plate used **note that oil was held constant in this recipe Batch 2 ● Recipe 2: ○ Cornstarch, water, vinegar, glycerol ○ Hot plate ● Cotton seed glycerol used **note that cornstarch, water, vinegar, and glycerol were held constant in this recipe Spoon Trial Algae 1 1 g algae 2 .5 g algae 3 .75 g algae Spoon Trial Cornstarch [g] Water [mL] Algae [g] 1 4.91 44 4.91 2 9.83 44 1 3 7.37 22 2.46
- 16. Results: First Batch ● Dried approximately 48 hours ● Brittle and broken ● Changed color to brown from the original white with green flecks ● Resembles more of a carcass than plastic ● Algae particles were far too big Corbin, 11/30/18
- 17. Results: Second Batch ● Dried approximately 72 hours ● Broken along the stem, ● Brittle but intact on the head ● Algae particles were of more appropriate size ● Still looked like a carcass Corbin, 12/3/18
- 18. Comparing the First and Second Batch Variation 1 Variation 2 Variation 3 Batch 1 Weight [g] 2.363 4.326 2.747 Batch 2 Weight [g] 3.427 3.195 3.236 The batches were defined by their base recipes. Within each recipe, we varied it three different ways using different ratios of algae. The second batch was a step in the right direction from the first trial, as the weights were more uniform and there was significantly less breakage. The second batch was more consistent in its recipe, which reflected into a more consistent product
- 19. Suggestions for Future Improvement ● A bigger mold ○ Even the stronger test recipes broke at the joint between the head and stem of the spoon ● More industrial techniques ○ Organic chemicals and methods not available or feasible in the lab ● Using the algae differently ○ The trick to algae plastic could be using a component of the algae and not the algae as a whole ■ Must get to a certain temperature that was not reached in this lab (onlinelibrary) ● Using a different type of algae ● Cover the mold as the algae dries ● A sample made without algae would have given a constant to compare to
- 20. Suggestions for Future Improvement ● Heat the hot plate to a certain temperature and verify it remains constant, then put the plastic mixture on it to heat ● Use wet algae instead of dry ○ The dry algae absorbed the liquids in the plastic, causing it to be brittle ○ It was harder to break apart once dry ○ Dry algae didn’t behave like a starch ● Added more glycerol ○ The algae wouldn’t have absorbed it as easily as it absorbed the water
- 21. Steps to Industrialize ● Industrial equipment ○ Sifter like autocad drawing ● glycerol>oil ● Make big spoons and not small taste testing spoons ● Sterilize spoons for use ○ Bugs, snails, bacteria ● Not the best for recommendations because at-home recipe did not work
- 22. Conclusions ● The design was improved from batch one to batch two ○ Progress was made ● The product made would biodegrade quickly ● After looking at the final products, the process needs to be refined and more trials need to be run to move closer to the goal ● We did not meet our ultimate goal of creating a utensil equivalent to the plastic ones on the market
Editor's Notes
- https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Bioplastic http://jprsolutions.info/newfiles/journal-file-56ada5b9ee5ac5.25690611.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/app.39559