Testing bioplastic material
I need to fabricate a safe and translucent bioplastic to ensure a comfortable ride. I am going to test different bioplastic recipes to find the best one.
Screen properties
I am already familiar with different bioplastic recipes. However, I made these bioplastics in small quantities and in small petri dishes. The screen I want to produce will be roughly 7,2m², so the material will probably behave different on a larger scale than I've tested before.
For my screen, I want to following properties:
Translucent
Lightly flexible
Shatter-resistant
Lightweight
I chose these properties concerning travel comfort and safety. I want the screen to be translucent, so the driver and passenger can communicate visually, and the driver can look through the back window of the car.
The material needs te be lightly flexible, because the application and margin of error (bumping your head against it) will be smaller and less harshly punished. It can't be too flexible though, because otherwise the screen will flop over and the purpose of the screen is nullified.
For safety concerns, the screen should be shatter-resistant. If one bump or shake can break the screen, it will create a dangerous situation.
At last, the screen should be lightweight. This has to do with flexibility and the other safety concerns stated above.
Testing on small scale : materials
From the materials that I've produced in week 7, the ones made from gelatine and agar agar were the most rigid. The ones I've made with corn starch are wet and sticky, and are not suitable for fabricating a protection screen.
The first test I conducted was with gelatine. I used a different recipe than I've made before. I used :
50 ml water
18 gram gelatine
2 gram glycerin
I cooked the batch and poured it into a petri dish. If the material satisfies my expectancies, I will make the same bioplastic on a larger scale with the same ratio. Unlike the previous time I made gelatine-based bioplastic, I scooped out the bubbles of air that rose up because of the heat. By doing so, the material is more clear and translucent.
On first impressions, I was satisfied with the look and feel of the bioplastic. Because I didn't add a lot of water, I hope the moisture in the bioplastic won't evaporate too much, causing a wrinkly and dried out bioplastic.
Gelatine bioplastic - day 2
When I checked my bioplastic one day after cooking, I noticed it wrinkled quite a bit. I guess this is due the amount of water and glycerin I used. This is not as desired, because I need the protection screens to be straight. In week 7 I cooked another gelatine bioplastic, however with another recipe. This one on the other hand is more rigid, so for my next experiment I will use the old recipe.
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