HOW TO MAKE GELATIN BIOPLASTIC?
Plastic has been a cause for massive global pollution issues. But what if we mix science and some food technology to address the environment concerns with Bioplastic? Let’s explore this with a fun experiment….
So, what do we need?
Stove, Pot, spoon, whisk, three gelatine packets, water, food colouring.
How do we make plastic from gelatine?
Add 3 gelatine to 75 ml of water in a pot. Add 2-3 drops of food colouring (optional). Whisk it well over medium low heat until completely mixed. Once the mixture begins to steam, it thickens a bit. At this point, remove it from the heat. Using a spoon, gently scrape off the foamy layer. This will reduce the cloudiness from the plastic formed. Now you get a clear liquid. Pour the formed solution onto a container lid and leave it to cool for about 45 minutes. After cooling, it will have a rubbery consistency material. It can be cut into different shapes and dried for about 2 days to form a hard plastic shape.
What is the science behind the gelatine plastic?
This plastic that we have created with gelatine is a form of bioplastic. Basically, gelatine is created by breaking down collagen, which is a long chain of amino acids – the building blocks of proteins. At room temperature, gelatine is solid, but when it is heated, the bonds between the chains loosen, thus allowing them to stretch. Thus when a mixture of gelatine and water is heated, the chains weeken. As it cools down, it traps the water molecules. This gives us a hard plastic instead of a jelly material.
-Team ScienceNow
