Agar Agar
Plant Based Bioplastic Ingredients Recipe
Brittle
>
Flexible
Glycerine (g) 0.0
1.4
2.7
5.4
Water (ml)
40
40
40
40
Agar (g)
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.6
Recipe
1. Add agar, water and glycerine into a pot. 2. Cook over medium heat and stir until the solution starts to boil and becomes viscous. 3. With a spoon remove any froth, so that the bioplastic will have a glossy, smooth surface. 4. Tape down a wooden frame on a non stick surface and pour in the solution. 5. After 24 hours, remove the frame from the surface and let it hang dry. 6. Once dry, cut out the bioplastic from the frame.
Agar Agar is a biopolymer made from agarose, (sugar polymer chains). It is found in the cell walls of red algae (Rhodophyta) and has the molecular formula C14H24O9. Agar Agar bioplastics are extremely prone to shrinking. Expect recipes containing 0.0 g to 2.7 g of glycerine to shrink or even crack, depending on drying conditions. However, adding too much glycerine will create a slimy texture. A sample created with 10.8 g of glycerine was oversaturated and never dried completely.
