bio-string bio-plastic bio-fabricating sustainable materials test

Submitted by AliaK on Fri, 05/11/2021 - 16:13

for my uni art project, I wanted to try some bio textiles processes using sustainable materials given the large amounts of waste and energy used in textiles and materials production. A classmate recommended I try alginate, a seaweed extract often used by dentists for their moulds. I found some recipes for bio-string / bio-plastic / bio-fabricating processes, and also discovered a collection of makers called FabLabs. my project is not strictly a textiles project, but is based on / inspired by string figures, so I was happy to find that this method can be used to create bio-string too. The main ingredients (sodium alginate and calcium chloride) were found at The Red Spon Company, a baking and food supply store in Rosebery, Sydney. They didn't have glicerine, and I check a couple of other stores and couldn't find it also, so didn't include that - one recipe included it and another didn't so I thought it might be optional.

so far the texture is like a soft, rubbery pasta. during the week it started changing from a white colour to more yellowish tinge, and was becoming harder. I think the glycerine (which I didn't include) might have made it a bit stretchier, but we shall see (will update once it's cured).

it will be interesting to see how long it lasts, and how strong or brittle it will be / become, and if it can be used to make string figures

#stringFigures #blockFigures #blocFigures #blokFigures

Recipe reference ::: see Links below for general research / other links
Bogers, Loes. 2020. "Alginate String." Textile Academy. https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/alginat....

preparing workspace