Edible plastic - how to make a packaging film from algae

In almost every country there is a problem of environmental pollution with plastic waste. Due to the low cost, the plastic packaging is often used once, then it is disposed of. Due to the lack of selective garbage collection, only 10% of plastic is sent for recycling, the rest remains in landfills and in random garbage piles, and, as you know, plastic decomposes up to 500 years. This circumstance requires the creation of new biodegradable materials.

In recent years, scientists have managed to create several stronger and more modest in time decomposition of materials. One of them can even be eaten. The recipe for making such a plastic is quite simple and understandable, but it takes time and exposure. In the process of creating the material, several thermal procedures take place, certain reagents are required, so it should be carried out in an equipped chemical laboratory and in the presence of adults.

What you need to create edible polyethylene

1. Irish Moss (sold at the pharmacy).
2. Potassium hydroxide.
3. White.
4. Sodium thiosulfate.
5. Vitamin C.
6. Baking soda.
7. Sorbitol.
8. Glycerol.
9. Water.

How to make kappa-carrageenan - a thickener base

At the first stage of plastic manufacturing, it is necessary to treat the moss with potassium hydroxide. To do this, pour 120 grams of reagent into a glass and fill it with two liters of water. After stirring, it must be heated to 60 ° C and placed there 100 grams of moss for 2 hours.

After a long chemical reaction, the algae turns into a tight kappa-carrageenan gel. To neutralize the alkali, you need to put the soaked skeletons of plants in ordinary water for a day.

Irish moss after primary treatment

Now you should grind the soaked fibers in a blender. And to give the workpiece a beautiful color, you need to soak it in a 1% solution of chlorine bleach. To do this, dilute the whiteness with water 1:10 and pour moss flakes for 1 hour. After chlorination, the algae are disinfected and have no unpleasant sea odor. But even after washing with water, you smell chlorine.

To completely get rid of amber, you should again fill the moss with water and add 50 ml of a 50% solution of sodium thiosulfate and 0.5 grams of ascorbic acid to the water and hold it in this composition for 2 hours. After washing, you need to again fill the substance with water for a day.

  Kappa-carrageenan suitable for creating plastic

After the final wash, a kappa-carrageenan, a natural gelling agent, is obtained. It can already be used to create edible plastic.

Thickening and starch plastic

In this case, for the manufacture of the material you need to mix 15 grams of kappa-carrageenan, 7 grams of starch, 1 gram of glycerin and pour the mixture with 150 ml of water. After thorough mixing, you should heat the mixture in the microwave until it boils and mix well again. Liquid plastic is ready.

Liquid plastic mold cast

To get a film from it, like the one that packs products in a store, 2 microns thick, you need to evenly distribute the hot composition over the baking sheet. The thickness of the original layer should not exceed 3 mm.

Sorbitol Recipe

In this case, you need to mix 3 grams of gelling agent, 3 grams of starch, 1.5 grams of glycerin and 1.5 grams of sorbitol. After adding 400 ml of water, the solution should be mixed, boiled and stirred again until smooth. The liquid material is ready, now it can be distributed on a baking sheet.

A sandwich in an edible plastic film that you can eat with it

After drying, the edible, water-soluble film is ready. Food can be packed in it, preventing their spoilage and weathering. More plastic and stronger was the plastic into which sorbitol was added.

The experiment was a success, now you can go to the manufacturers of packages and introduce an environmentally friendly idea into production.