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Chitosan

1. What are your material research and experimentation interests?

Chitosan is derived from chitin, a fibrous compound found mainly on the hard outer skeletons of crustaceans, insects and in the cell walls of some fungi.

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer on the planet.

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Reference: https://paulkheem.co/Chitosan-Bioplastic

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Material SWOT Analysis

Assessing the potential of material explorations

Strengths

Opportunities

Weakness

Threats

Electrically conductive

Biodegradable

Allergic?

Food Packaging

Wastewater Treatment

Biodegradable batteries

3D Printing

Soft Robotics

Material is highly dependent on its purity - hard to find pure powder

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Chitosan in Barcelona

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Reference: MIT’s Mediated Matter Group

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Choose one recipe you would like to work on for your project and further develop it (experiment, modify additive,

quantities, methodology). You will need to:

- Design it (aesthetics/images/sketches)

- Concept & storytelling. What is the story behind?

- Research on ingredients (origins & properties)

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Recipes

Chitosan Bioplastic #1
Ingredients	Amount Used	Source
Glycerol	7g	Iaac Bio-lab
Water	275 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Chitosan (Prepared)	10 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Methylcellulose	10 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Vinegar	150 g	Iaac Bio-lab

Chitosan Bioplastic #2
Ingredients	Amount Used	Source
Glycerol	7g	Iaac Bio-lab
Water	275 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Chitosan (Prepared)	10 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Cinnamon	15 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Vinegar	150 g	Iaac Bio-lab

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Other experimentations (CHITOSAN)

Kombucha Bioplastic (Extrusion)
Ingredients	Source	#1	#2
Water	Iaac Bio-lab	50g	5g
Vinegar	Store-bought	10ml	10ml
Chitosan	Iaac Bio-lab	12g	12g
Glycerol	Iaac Bio-lab	2.5g	5g
Pectin	Iaac Bio-lab	1g
Sodium Alginate	Iaac Bio-lab	20g
Guar Gum	Iaac Bio-lab		1g

	Wet	Dry
#1	Improves viscosity with time Seems to ferment Lots of bubbles	hard structure Seemingly porous Rough texture No visible shrinkage
#2	Failure, does not extrude w/ pressure Later realized the syringe was not properly cleaned, so would jam on extrusion	Barely any material available for fair judgement

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Other experimentations (KOMBUCHA)

Kombucha Bioplastic (Extrusion)
Ingredients	Source	#1	#2	#3
Glycerol	Iaac Bio-lab	80g	80g	80g
Sodium Alginate	Iaac Bio-lab	20g	20g	15g
Kombucha Scoby	Iaac Bio-lab	10g	5g	7g

	Wet	Dry
#1	Little working time Good structure Lots of force to extrude	Some shrinkage (about 10-20%) Collagen-like texture
#2	Softer, more working time Greater deformation from air bubbles given by softer material	Some shrinkage (about 10-20%) Collagen-like texture
#3	Average consistency If paste printed, must use spiral motion Average working time	Some shrinkage (about 10-20%) Collagen-like texture

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CHITOSAN

KOMBUCHA

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Possible Application- (chitosan)

Chitosan film for food packaging

As a glaze on tableware

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Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate is widespread as a protective shell in marine animals, from coral, seashells, shellfish and also commonly found in eggshells, marble and sedimentary rocks such as limestone.

Calcium carbonate is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth and accounts for about 4% of the Earth's crust.

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Experimenting with Technologies

Calcium Carbonate (3D Printing)
Ingredients	Amount Used	Source
Calcium Carbonate	560 gm	Iaac Bio-lab
Water	210 ml	Iaac Bio-lab
Sodium Alginate	2 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Xantham Gum	16 g	Iaac Bio-lab
Honey	40 g	Iaac Bio-lab

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