For this task, we made 2 biomaterials
1. Gelatin, Glycerin, Agar Agar, Dish Soap, Eggshells (fine crushed and coarse crushed
2. Gelatin, Glycerin, Agar Agar, Dish Soap, Used Teabags from MDEF
I wanted to create biomaterials that can use recycled organic waste to improve it's properties.
Material 1 was not very strong but it removed the foul odor and smelled very good- like tea (thanks to Flora for drinking a lot of tea)
Material 2 was very sturdy and bendable at the same time. The 2 grains of shell powder thickness gave structural support.
With this task, I learned a lot and explored different ways to recycle organic waste through biomaterials. I liked measuring the ingredients and using random amounts of finely processed waste to understand how it can affect the properties of the biomaterial itself by removing the smell, by using tea bags, and increasing the structural integrity by using eggshells.
It was a fun experiment as we looked for waste objects that can be used as the waste objects that can be used as the mold to cast the liquid biomaterial into. We used old machine parts and the door of an old microwave.
I enjoyed this sterile environment with controlled measurements of ingredients. I always had a special interest for biology and working with experimentation to develop research and data.
I am not sure how much I can apply this process into my project directly, but I hope to be a part of spaces that explore and experiment with existing and new materials. I like how easy and accessible it was to learn, remove the pressure from precision and time-based processes that biology usually that I'm used to, and we saw tangible results and that helped learn about the materials and properties in a less stressful and easier-to-hack ways.
